Monday, March 25, 2019

Give 'Em a "Gimmee"

Sure, you sell a product or service, but beyond that, what do you really sell? You have customers who return to you for more of your products and services. Why do they return?

When I ask my coaching clients, I've received many different responses mostly centered on expertise, convenience, service, and price / value. Obviously, there isn't one right answer, and it's a combination of these attributes but, assuming that a company is competitive in these areas, there's one attribute that overrides them all. It's an attitude that the company is there to highly satisfy their customer. Giving them a "Gimmee" is a very effective, inexpensive, and impressive way to show your purpose of highly satisfying your customers so they wouldn't think of possibly defecting from you to a competitor.

You sell your expertise. You sell your knowledge of that product or service. You sell your ability to understand your customers' need for your product and how to help them benefit from purchasing it.

So, if what you really sell is your personal knowledge, how do you impress upon your prospects that you have that expertise? Many companies successfully "Give'em a Gimmee." They give prospects and clients a little bit of that expertise and specialized knowledge, free (along with some advertising material or a special promotion.)

  • A mortgage broker gives clients a pamphlet about various financing strategies - free.
  • An insurance agent offers a competitive analysis - free.
  • An investment adviser holds free retirement-planning workshops - free.
  • A painting contractor does a one-hour touch-up service on the five-year anniversary of their painting service - free.
  • An automotive garage does a short safety check and washes your car - free.
  • A family law attorney will review a will, five years after writing it to see if there are changes needed - free.
  • An industrial manufacturer gives basic semi-annual safety inspections - free.

Are any of these free actions actually free? Of course not. But the expense of giving them is minimal compared to the cost of the product / service they sell, and it is thought of as part of their marketing effort.
Of course, the logic of giving away a little bit of knowledge and expertise is that prospects will be impressed with your willingness to share, your accessibility, the extra value that goes with their product and service, and your professionalism

In a world of "me too" where almost every competitor looks alike, where there is little or no differentiation, "Giving a Gimmee" illustrates your customer service attitude and creates a difference!




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