Structure & Organization
Call to Action

Tell the audience exactly what to do next.

Last updated Mar 15, 2026

What & why

What it is

A clear, specific request that tells the audience exactly what action they should take after your presentation. Effective calls to action include what to do, when to do it, and who is responsible.

Why it works

This leverages the psychological principle of closure. Audiences feel a sense of incompleteness without a clear next step. A specific call to action provides that closure and makes it easy for them to act on the information they've received.

Before & after

Before

“Let me know what you think.”

After

“Approve the two-week sprint today so we can ship by Friday the 14th.”

When you’ll use it

Ending presentations with specific requests for decisions or actions

Concluding sales pitches with clear next steps

Wrapping up team meetings with assigned action items

Finishing training sessions with implementation requests

Pro tip

When to use this: Use at the end of every presentation that requires audience action, decision, or follow-through. Be explicit about next steps rather than leaving them implicit. Use a verb, a timeline, and a single owner if possible.