Keys to Memorable Giveaways that Prospective Clients Will Love
This is a guest post by Molly Gordon, MCC. We’re shaking it up with a post that isn’t etiquette related. Enjoy.
Whether you do business online or off, free gifts have the potential to establish credibility, demonstrate value, and build trust. But not all giveaways are created equal. Here are some keys to creating giveaways that propsective clients and customers will love.
It’s about them
Whether you are selling your work or giving it away, you absolutely, positively, must know whom you are serving. The more precisely you identify your just-right client, the more appropriately you can design your giveaways.
Your freebie should solve a problem or fulfill a hope
Forget about mouse pads, chocolate bars, and calendars. The best free offers solve a pressing problem or fulfill a compelling hope.
Do you sell financial software? Give away a simple assessment tool that reveals potential profits that could be realized with more relevant data.
Are you an image consultant? Give away a mini guide to matching clothing to body type.
It’s got to be simple
Your freebie should be like Google search results: relevant, accessible, and easy to use. It should be an appetizer, not an entrée, and certainly not a five-course meal.
Think about one problem or hope your client has. Brainstorm five aspects of that problem or hope. Choose one aspect and list three to five key points related to it. Design your giveaway around one of those key points.
The best giveaways give prospects a clear next step
Your gift should include a clearly defined next step. That step could be visiting your Web site, completing a survey, or scheduling an initial consultation. Don’t leave it to your prospective client to figure out what to do next. Give them and easy and attractive way to follow up.
Think of your giveaway as a steppingstone
Giveaways can be more than disposable chotchkes displaying your company name. With a little forethought your free gift can be a welcoming first step along a clearly defined path to your door. That means more value for your clients and more business for you.
As a self-employment coach, Molly Gordon has empowered thousands of Accidental Entrepreneurs to make excellent livings doing work they love. Her work draws from the best of on- and offline business strategies, psychology, Integral theory, The Work of Byron Katie, somatic intelligence, and plain old street smarts. She blogs at www.shaboominc.com/blog.
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Freebies isn’t just a way to advertise your products. It’s also a sign of gratitude. If you are creative and will put a little effort in your freebies, your customers will feel valued. Needless to say, the will also be loyal to you.