One of the better definitions I’ve come across on selling is: "Saying the right thing, to the right person person at the right time”. After that happens a sale transpires.
 
We raise the buying temperature of prospective buyer, by saying the right thing, building up on earlier statements. As we sense the buyer’s temperature rising, we feel for the right time to make a close.
 
Yes, we have to make a close. We ask for the order. This can be done in several ways, from the straight, “Can I have your signature on this order?” to a choice like, “Which colour do you prefer, red or white?” and so on.
 
But, we have to ask for the order. There is no point in making statements which gets the buyer going and then just leaving it at that.
 
This post follows on my previous one, where I mentioned that it is a worthless exercise, if we don’t ask for the order.
 
In print advertising, we do this by a call to action, asking for a phone, asking the reader to email or go to a website and so on.
 
By the way, I had one client, remove the line “Why not give us a call NOW?”. He wanted to keep the copy short. As I was on deadline, I didn’t argue and left it that.
 
What a waste, after all one the better definitions I’ve come across for advertising is “selling in print”. Mind you the last word can now read any of the electronic media, including the web, TV, radio and so on.
 
The point I want to make is that the AIDA formula mentioned in my last post has the last point as ACTION. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. That’s how it works and dropping the last point, is like what I have propounded before, we need to ask for the order.
 
BTW, in the web, we may ask someone to click here. The presence of a hyperlink to an order page, contact page or other is usually enough.
 
Selling and advertising are similar and have pretty much the same objective. It's good to remember, when sometimes we just want to put up our selling points and forget to ask for the order.

Just a thought.