Want to increase sales? Sometimes the best way to gain clients is to show them what you’re capable of . . . by offering something for free. Freebies are an excellent way to catch people’s attention and keep potential clients happy.
When you think of making money, you probably don’t think of giving things away for free. However, offering freebies can be a very good method of making more sales. It makes sense, really: people are drawn to free things, so it can catch the attention of many potential clients that might not have paid any attention otherwise.
This isn’t the only reason to use freebies as a sales tactic, though. In fact, offering something for nothing can be a good business move for several reasons:
- Give clients a preview of the quality you offer
- Let them see if your services are right for them
- Give them a reason to talk you up
- Introduce a new product or product line
In order to get people to notice your business, you first need to come up with some ideas for free products to offer. How do you do that?
Choosing a Product
Obviously, the free product you offer will need to be something worthwhile, yet still be cost effective for you to offer if for nothing. This can take some time to figure out.
First, look at your existing products. Do you have anything that could be given away without costing you too much? If you are offering it as a bonus, then the price can be a bit higher, otherwise, stick to items that cost $5 or less for you to produce or purchase.
Next, consider creating a special product to give away. If you don’t have anything suitable, is it possible to make a mini version of any existing products? An example would be a mini tube of hand lotion or a booklet instead of the full book. This won’t be possible for every business, but in many cases, you will be able to obtain smaller versions to offer as freebies.
If neither of these options works for you, consider offering something completely different. Nearly everyone has magnets or a keychain from a business. These are low cost branding freebies, but there are other choices that are a bit classier that are more likely to be used and remembered. Here are a few ideas you might be interested in:
- Calendars
- Paperweights
- USB stick
- Letter openers
- Desk toy
Keep in mind also that you can give away a related freebie. If you sell stereos, then a CD could be a good option, or a set of headphones with the purchase of an MP3 player. Consider what people will be using your product for and then offer a free related item.
How to Give It Away
You have a few choices when it comes to giving things away. All of them are valid, but which method you select will depend on your business and your motivation.
As a bonus. This can be a great way to increase sales, particularly if you are giving away something of value. Choose a product and give it away to anyone who purchases $25 worth of product, or buys a specific product. For example, you might offer a free bottle of shampoo with the purchase of a hair treatment and style, or a free plug-in with the purchase of a WordPress theme.
Just because. Enter any supermarket on a Saturday morning and you are likely to find people offering free samples of a wide variety of products. Nothing is required in return. You can mimic this by offering your free product or sample in store, or even out and about. It gives people a chance to test the product and builds a pleasant relationship with them. Also, some will feel obligated to buy once they have taken a sample, which is also good for sales.
In exchange for contact info. This method is most commonly used online. You ask for an email address and in return, you offer something for free, such as an ebook or report. You then have permission to contact the people who were interested in the freebie and in what you sell, which results in a more targeted leads list.
Promotion Now that you have a freebie and know how you want to give it away, you need to let people know. Word of mouth is an excellent method, so many businesses turn to social media to increase the number of people talking about the giveaway. Let fans on Facebook and Twitter know about the freebies and encourage them to pass the news along. If you have a company blog, don’t forget to blog about it.
