Nailing Your ‘Call To Action’

Using Story Structure to Deliver a Powerful Call to Action

A strong call to action is one of the most important elements in Leadership Presentation Coaching, yet it’s often the part presenters think about the least. A call to action is where you invite your audience to take meaningful steps—and story structure gives you the framework to make that invitation truly land.

In any compelling message, including business speaking or group presentation coaching, the story structure remains the same: a main character faces a problem, takes action, and reaches a better outcome. But during a call to action, you “flip the script.” Your audience becomes the hero, and your job is to guide them toward the action they need to take.

Imagine you’re speaking to a marketing team targeting the wrong audience. Their current situation is the beginning of the story—the problem. The middle is the plan they must follow. And the end is a future where they’re reaching the right people with confidence and clarity.

An early part of your message might position you as the guide: “Our data shows our energy is going to the wrong places. I want to introduce a three-step plan we can begin this month that will shift our focus toward the right audience.” This sets the frame using leadership confidence training principles to help them understand the path forward.

But when the call to action arrives, you elevate them. Now they are the ones who will drive change: “Our marketing team has been missing the mark, and I need you to join me in this plan. Commit to these steps over the next one to three months, and you’ll create meaningful impact.”

Here’s the key: the story order changes. Instead of beginning–middle–end, a call to action moves the middle—the action—to the end, because that’s the part you want echoing in their minds after your presentation support moment ends.

For example:

• Beginning (problem): “We’ve seen clearly that our marketing team is missing its mark.”
• End (goal): “In one to three months, we can be in a place where our efforts effectively hit the right targets.”
• Middle (action): “And that will happen if you follow the plan we outlined and commit fully to these steps.”

This structure—common in executive presence coaching and executive presentation coaching—clarifies the journey and empowers your audience to step into the hero role. When you close with story-driven action, your message becomes more motivating and more memorable.