Free Offer Rejection

ree. That word was once the most powerful term in the marketing world. Everyone wanted a free deal and anyone would stop what they were doing to hear how they could get one.

Now the word has lost its meaning. It’s thrown into any ad or offered as bait, ready to trick the next willing customer who comes along.

It usually happens like this: You hear a radio ad with a free computer program offer. When you try to sign up for it, you realize the “free” trial requires you to give them your credit card information. Now why would you need to give your credit card information to take advantage of a free offer? Well, if you don’t send a notarized letter to the company within 30 days of receiving your “free” product, you are involuntarily enrolled into their monthly program and your credit card will automatically be billed from now until the end of time.

Because of tricks like this, free offers are losing their affect. Even the valuable and honest free offers are overlooked by customers who have grown savvy to its rapid use as a marketing ploy.

The sad part about these not-so-free offers is that they hurt those companies who truly believe in giving value to their customers. These are the companies who would like to give an honest free sample, but their customers have learned to mistrust an offer that looks too good to be true.

Still, there is no better way to sell a service than by offering the customer a free taste. So how do you show your customer the true value of your free offer?

The one person who has mastered the art of capturing the customer’s attention and sparking their desire to take part in a free offer is the lady at the local supermarket. You know, the one who cooks up the bratwurst samples on Saturdays and manages to make your grocery shopping seem a little less like a chore.

Why is the bratwurst lady so successful with her free offer? Well first of all, everybody knows that her sample is completely 100% free. You don’t have to give your credit card number to try a bite. Heck, you don’t even have to pay for the toothpick that comes with it.

You’ve got nothing to lose with her free offer. If you don’t like the bratwurst sample, you’re not obligated to buy the whole package and you certainly won’t hurt the lady’s feelings. You’re free to cleanly walk away from the lady and her offer, no strings attached.

How simple is that?

The free offer has become so distorted in marketing schemes that we’ve forgotten how simple it really should be. It all boils down to making your customers comfortable enough with you to trust the significance of your free offer. Once they see the value and convenience of a free offer, they’ll know they have nothing to lose. How could anyone refuse an offer as clean and simple as that?

Take a good look at your free offer. Does it require that you or your employees enter the home of your customer? Does it require your customer to purchase something or give you unnecessary personal information? A “yes” to any of these questions will lower your customer’s comfort level and push them farther from you and your product.

If you want your free offer to stand out, you must offer something that is truly worth trying. Give your customer the freedom to try your product without obligation. Make them feel comfortable enough with you and your offer to know that they have nothing to lose.

Focus on showing your customer the value of your free offer, rather than tricking them to buy your product. After all, if they try your offer and like it, the product will sell itself.