I’ll admit I’m a marketing junkie. So is it surprising that I use marketing even when I’m talking to friends about relationships? Hell no!

I am guilty…ULTRA guilty, of leaving long, rambling voice mail messages. They trail on forever. But I recently coached a friend to leave a message using a terrific marketing tool, especially used for direct mail pieces: the call to action.

When you are selling a product or service, you want your targets to DO something. But what do you want them to do? Do you want them to sign up for some subscription? Do you want them to check out your website? Do you want them to run, not walk, to the nearest store and buy your product?

So…my friend wants this guy to call her back. My advice? Keep it short and upbeat and make a call to action.

“This isn’t business, Tina,” my friend said.

“Oh, but it can be.” And it can. And sometimes it should be approached with the same level-headedness as you would approach a possible business deal. So I continued, “Don’t ramble on forever. Just say hi, a couple more words and then ‘gimme a call.’”

“Gimme a call?”

“Yeah. That’s it. You’re not being wishy-washy. You’re stating what you want. You’re making a call to action. You are telling this person to call you. No question about it.”

I know, I know. How unromantic using marketing tactics in dealing with personal relationships. But seriously, aren’t you marketing yourself when you’re putting yourself out there making friends and meeting people?

She hasn’t made the call yet. Uh, the whole “call to action” doesn’t actually work until you put your marketing piece out there…it’s like printing up postcards and not mailing them out. Or designing an ad and not having it placed in a publication.

Time to make that call, girl!!