Call to Action!

Remember the postcard I showed you last week? I asked my neighbor to look at it for me. She and her husband own, operate and market HyCreek Hunting Clothes and Gear. She gave me some great advice that I already knew, but always manage to forget: Include an urgent call to action.
   Zig Zigglar says that very often people want to buy, but they don't know how, or they just aren't willing to take that final step to ownership. They think they should wait. People need to see a good reason to buy, and buy now. 
   I was at a geeky tech store this weekend looking at computers. Around the corner were two HP "salesmen" standing around talking to each other. To each other! While I was looking at HP computers?!I was about to grab one of these fools, when they both left to talk to someone about a laptop.
  So I stood there and looked. I really wanted to buy a new computer, but I wasn't sure how to go about it, or if this was the right time, or if this was the right computer. I really have to think before I drop $800! Finally, a nice store clerk named Josh came up to me and asked if I had any questions. I certainly did have questions! Josh pointed out that the one of the computers was on sale. He walked me through the credit application, the purchasing process, the set-up procedure, and told me if there were any problems to give them a call. Thanks to Josh, I went home with a new computer! If Josh wouldn't have shown up, I would have probably left without buying anything.
  When I tried to sell a painting to the lady at the Outback Art Fair, I felt I did a few things wrong. But I know I did something right. I asked her if she wanted me to hold it for her while she looked around. I asked her if she wanted me to box it up for her. I told her I'd take a check or cash. I offered a call to action. I didn't show her that there was any urgency. She left with a business card, but no painting.
   My neighbor pointed out that there was no real call to action on the postcard I made. There was an attempt at a call to action, "Get Your Custom Art for $250" ...But there was no sense of urgency. She said even adding the word "Now" would be better than nothing.
   Christmas is coming. It may not seem like it, but it is. Now is the perfect time to remind people of that. Now is the time to let people know that the perfect gift can be ordered NOW, while there's time. Now here's my new postcard

Advertising, like art, is never finished; just temporarily abandoned. I still feel I can improve on this card, but might lose the original spirit and idea of it. I'll just have to make another with my brand new computer and Photoshop!

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