| In thousands of grocery stores throughout the | | | | sale will be earned has been increased probably |
| U.S. every Saturday, free samples are given | | | | 1,000%. |
| away from pizza to cheese to crackers to ice | | | | For many in professional services they may be |
| cream. Not to be outdone are beauty counters in | | | | thinking I have already violated the "Iron Rule;" |
| the finer department stores also offering free | | | | offered a free coaching session or an assessment |
| samples. These company representatives are | | | | or some other service; and still have not reaped |
| 100% engaged in education based marketing by | | | | the rewards meaning more revenue. Yet, just like |
| educating their customers using a freebie strategy | | | | those grocery store customers every Saturday |
| with the goal that when you (as the potential | | | | morning who take the free sample and walk |
| qualified customer a.k.a. prospect) try it, you will | | | | away, free by itself will not generate an earned |
| like it and then buy it. | | | | sale. The link here is the creating exceptional |
| Of course for many selling professional services, | | | | value. |
| giving away something for free is a violation of | | | | Zig Ziglar is quoted: "Sales is the transference of |
| the "Iron Rule" never ever give anything away for | | | | feelings." I would like to expand that definition with |
| free from advice to especially one of your | | | | this phrase: "with a qualified potential customer." |
| services. With so much free stuff now available | | | | To be able to do that (transfer feelings) means |
| mostly from the Internet, by sticking with that | | | | you must have some sort of relationship with a |
| rule all I can ask is "How is that working for you | | | | person who meets your demographics and |
| now" and more importantly "How will that work | | | | psycho graphics. When you have established that |
| for you in the future?" | | | | relationship and work to develop that relationship |
| Education based marketing is about first educating | | | | then and only then can you engage in "Try It |
| your customers and not selling to them. | | | | You'll Like It." All of these actions may happen |
| Sometimes education alone will have them make | | | | within the first or second contact while in other |
| a buying decision especially when one of the five | | | | cases in may take numerous contacts before you |
| senses are involved. Now if the business can | | | | are in a solid position to provide a freebie. |
| engage more than one sense, link a positive | | | | By understanding "Try It" works because your |
| emotional response such as a childhood memory | | | | potential customer "Likes It" (meaning you first, |
| to saving money to that exchange and create | | | | your services second), then you can be |
| exceptional value for the qualified potential | | | | successful in using an education based marketing |
| customer (a.k.a. prospect), the likelihood that a | | | | approach to realize your goal to increase sales. |