The old adage “you get what you pay for” is a good sound bite, but it’s simply a myopic perspective based on a misunderstanding of the value of “Free”. The ultimate marketing hook has always been, still is and will always be the “Free” giveaway. Free doesn’t diminish the value or be inferior to a premium provider or brand… Rather, “Free” is simply a very clever way to play to its strengths. In today’s blog post, I’ll examine the lost art of using “Free” as a strategic marketing advantage.

Brand snobbery is not the key to success, and very rarely will someone make a purchase decision based on a demonstrated arrogance positioning strategy. A key area of ​​focus should be establishing a bond of trust and building credibility with your target market. Plus, anything you can do to remove barriers and shorten the sales cycle is time well spent. Nothing gives you the opportunity to demonstrate competence, overcome objections, and communicate unique selling propositions better than a try-before-you-buy strategy. It’s very rare that you talk to an executive or businessman and can’t come to an agreement, so why wouldn’t you want every opportunity possible to do so?

If you think free offers are for discount providers or brands, or not used by busy or successful professionals, I encourage you to re-evaluate your thinking, as you may be missing out on opportunities. Our firm has a premium brand and we use gifts as a key component of our marketing strategy… I am a very busy executive with numerous operational responsibilities at the corporate level, as well as maintaining a personal consulting practice. I charge up to $5,000 dollars a day for my time and receive a $7,500 speaking fee and yet I take the time to write this blog and often give my time away at no cost or obligation.

You will find that the most sought after professionals will always invest their time as they have nothing to hide and everything to gain by doing so. From my point of view, the best thing that can happen is for potential clients to talk to other firms and then for them to talk to me… I certainly don’t want to do anything that gets in the way of letting clients compare me to my companions.

Bottom line… free consultations, free access to white papers or articles, performance guarantees, discounted, tiered or blended pricing models, rebates, or any number of other incentives that incorporate a free offer will result in increased sales and customer loyalty. Still not a believer? Call me and see what happens…