Know Your CTA: Ask Like You Mean It

By Paul Gordon

The call to action is the optional eighth point — decided in advance, and included only when it earns its place.

Insecurity does one of two things with the ask. It skips it, because wanting something out loud feels exposed. Or it smothers it in apology, which drags the whole piece back into "please like me." Neither is the move.

A clean ask is the opposite of desperation

Before you record, decide exactly what you want the viewer to do next — one step. Or decide, just as deliberately, that this one carries no ask at all. Both are strategy. What you don't do is bolt a panicked CTA onto the end because you felt you were supposed to.

Ask like you mean it, or don't ask.

Take it further

Before your next recording, decide one clear next step you want — or decide, on purpose, that there's no ask at all. Both beat a panicked CTA bolted on at the end.

The full system — every exercise and the 36-day practice — lives in the book MEAN IT. and the 5 Minute CEO program. Work with Paul →

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