How do we know you are good at something? Well, if we use your services or hire you in our organization, that’s a pretty good way to get to know your skills. But what if we don’t need you right now? Or have no room to hire?
This is where giving away a bit of what you do can reap huge benefits.
A lot of people are afraid if they give something away, they will devalue their offerings. Not true. The reality is that most people can’t do what you do nearly as well as you can. And giving them a piece of what you do will whet their appetite for more.
A very successful attorney I know, Dave Kaufman, has a huge section of his website devoted to resources. I was chatting with him at a networking event and mentioned I get questions frequently about what entity people should incorporate as. I was actually looking for an attorney to refer for that service, but the answer he gave surprised me. He said, “You know, the answers to most of those questions can be found in the resources section of my website.” We talked further, and I soon realized that he understands giving things away for free and why. He talked about a seminar he does on protecting trademarks. He said he gives away a three-page checklist. And in a class of about 20, ten people will try to fill out the checklist and three will call him later to ask for help. That’s not a bad conversion ratio for a seminar.
Giving things away doesn’t just let people see that you know what you are doing. It is also a call for action. By giving away the checklist, he makes potential clients take action (filling out the checklist). That encourages them to think about what they want to do and see that they can’t do it on their own. Which leads to more clients.
A caution. If you give stuff away, really give it away. Have you ever been to a seminar which was little more than a sales presentation for someone’s book or services? Throughout the seminar, the presenter says things like, “But this is only the beginning. To get the real information, buy my book.” How did you feel when you left? Cheated? Probably. That’s how I usually feel after those. If you are going to give something away, give enough to be used. Trust that most people need or want more guidance. Anyone who can run with your stuff on their own probably wasn’t a good client anyway. But if they received value from your offering, they will talk about you to people who can’t run on their own.
Job seekers can benefit greatly from giving away their services. How? By volunteering for an organization. Volunteering gives you several benefits. It allows you to meet people, some of whom might be a source of job leads. It allows people to see you at work, which gives them an idea of your abilities and ethics. So volunteering can give you exposure and credibility. Finally, it gives you something positive to do, which can keep up your energy and spirit during a difficult time.
Who should you volunteer for? Find an organization or cause that you can believe in. Doing something you believe in allows you to show your passion, which is the topic for tomorrow.
Tags: Networking, Relationship building
Giving away valuable information cheerfully and freely, without strings, creates trust. It establishes your credibility. The most effective way for me to put “butts in seats’ is to show people in an hour long workshop some of the course material. There’s nothing like showing the actual product. It can really seal the deal.
And I have to agree with your attorney friend – I also do federal resumes and KSA statements. On my website, I show people exactly how to create and write a KSA that’ll get them to the interview. And yet, people want me to do the work for them, because it does take time and effort.
Great post, as usual!