Should You Ever Give Away Your Product?

Recently a woman told me quite adamantly, "I never do anything for free!" My first thought was "How sad." Of course, you can definitely go too far in giving away your services and your products. However, you can never reach your highest potential if you're too afraid or too short-sighted to give something of value to your potential and existing customers.

So what criteria do you use to judge what and how much you can give away?

1) How much is it going to cost you? Some services don't cost you anything except your expertise, especially when you're networking for contacts and referrals. Don't be afraid to say to some other small business entrepreneur: "I have a thought to share with you about your business if you're interested." She usually is, which means you're creating a valuable bond with her.

2) If your give-away is printed material; make sure it's not just an advertisement. It should provide provocative or useful information. It makes it less likely to be thrown into the trash!

But what about the cost of tangible give-aways?

If you give away free product, such as books or whatever product you sell, you should set a limit and stick to it. This makes sense financially, but it is also important that you don't let yourself start feeling like you have to give your product or service away before people will appreciate it.

If you feel this unsure about your expertise or your product, then the Law of Attraction will draw to you those who are willing to take advantage of your insecurities. There are always plenty of people who are looking for a free ride because there are always plenty of people willing to give them one.

However, it is different when you prudently give away samples of your work to the right people at the right time. Of course, the right people and the right time depends on your definition of your target market and how you expect your give-aways to pay-off for you.

This is a decision that is unique to each business. However, every one is subject to the Law of Attraction. Whatever you think and feel about yourself and your business will be the kinds of experiences you draw to you.

So remember to ask yourself the next time you think about giving away your product:  Why am I doing this? If you can't answer that question, then you should hold back. Better to do nothing than to do it for the wrong reasons!

All the best on your quest,
Dannye Williamsen
The Solopreneur's Coach