What Free Stuff Does for Your Business

I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like free stuff. Offering something for nothing does have its benefits. As a small business owner, are you taking advantage of this opportunity? I’m not saying give away all that you know but rather just a free “taste” of your expertise. How you give it away is up to you. It can be via a special report, class audio, or e-course. Other ways you can give a free sample is by putting together some type of checklist, self-test, or maybe a reference guide of some kind that would be ideal for your target market. The objective of your free taste is offer a resource that’s of value to your target market so get a glimpse of what you have to offer as an expert in your field. It’s an excellent way to attract attention of potential clients! If people find your materials helpful, professional, and value-driven, they’ll feel more confident about working with you or referring others to you. What specific problem or common problem that you hear job seekers complaining about a lot that your career coaching or resume writing service can solve? Consider bringing up that particular problem and why they should care about solving it as your free taste offer. But save the actual “how to” solve the problem for your paying clients. :) Once you have a free taste ready, make it available on your website so everyone who requests it is automatically added to your mailing list. The people added to your mailing list will be the same people you follow up with on a regular basis via your email newsletter or when you have more info you know they can benefit from and want to share. In addition to your website, consider offering your free taste in the sidebar or at the end of your newsletter (or ezine) as an added bonus. People who get your newsletter may share it with others, meaning people who don’t currently get your newsletter will have the option to request your free taste, which then connects you to even more potential clients! Offering a free taste or freebie allows you an opportunity to reveal your career coaching or resume writing expertise while providing potential clients an opportunity to experience your service offering without feeling pressured into purchasing anything. In other words, you won’t come across as a “hard sell” but rather thought of as a valuable resource. To sum it up, offering a free sample of your expertise in the career coaching or resume writing industry is an excellent way to begin building the know, like, and trust factor with new potential client leads–people who are obviously interested in the solutions that you offer.