What Is 'Free' Really Worth To Your Business?

Everything!

Let me explain - most of us started our own businesses for one
reason - to make money! Of course, money is a good thing, but
sometimes we are so focused on it that we forget there can be
value in other means of exchange.

I am talking about service exchanges, barter and the like.
Offering your service in exchange for another can have a
profound effect on your business, as well as increase
your credibility.

How?

Here's a scenario:

A visitor comes to your site, is interested
in your service and contacts you with their enquiry. They tell
you that they don't have a lot in their budget right now (for
whatever reason), but that if you'll agree, they will give you one
year's free posting at their ad site in exchange for your
services.

Now, before you hit "Reply" and decline the offer, think about
it - you could be throwing away literally thousands of dollars
in sales by saying no!

Let's say that this person's ad site costs you $12 each time
you place a 30 day 'premium' ad. That's $144 per year. Those
premium members probably get listed at the top of the page in
bold text. Great exposure for you! In a nutshell, they are
offering you an entire year's worth of premium advertising
for just a few hours' work!

So how does this increase your credibility? That's an easy
one :)
By being nice enough to accept their offer in lieu of money,
you have not only relieved their financial stress - you have
shown them you've got heart. And believe it or not, there are
still people out there who appreciate that!

Individual results will vary, but:

-this person may contact you in the future and be able to pay
you with money, maybe even more than you expected (in
appreciation for your past understanding);

- they may propose another service exchange, offering you
something with a greater dollar value (or benefit to your
business) than before;

- they may highly recommend you to their colleagues, which
can generate more business for you (and even if it doesn't
right away, it's traditional 'word-of-mouth' advertising
which is very powerful).

My experiences with this kind of exchange have been very
positive; I've received pro safelist memberships, ad postings,
top banner spots and branded ebooks for free (to name a few).

Obviously, there is an element of risk associated with this
type of payment - so keep your eyes and ears open, do a little
research and most importantly, do the math - if you don't think
their offer is equal to the dollar amount of work you will be
doing for them, then you will either have to do a little more
haggling or respectfully decline their proposal.

Remember the old adage "You can catch more flies with honey
than with vinegar"? It still rings true - especially if you can
reach your customer at the most important (and responsive) of
levels - their heart!

Elizabeth Piotrowski

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Powerful ad copy is the key to producing the visits and
sales you want. Drop by http://www.strategyadservice.com
for low-cost, effective solutions!