Everyone in the professional service world, from copywriters to tax accountants, struggle with setting their prices high enough to reflect their professional value, but low enough to be affordable.
No matter what profession you’re in, what level of service you provide, your experience, or your clientele, there’s one price point that anyone can set. And it’s the single most expensive commodity that you can possibly offer.
That Highest Price-Point Is $0
- Pay nothing
- Complimentary
- Gift
- FREE
- Yours to keep
Does that feel counterintuitive, even unnatural?
It’s perfectly normal to think that something that you’re prepared to give away for free is – by definition – not expensive. This is something that you can offer without receiving any kind of compensation.
Which naturally makes you question how much it’s actually worth.
If that’s your mindset – and honestly it’s the headspace that most professionals’ fall into – here’s a vital question to ask yourself:
If it has no real value to me, why am I even offering…?
- Lead magnets?
- Articles?
- Videos?
- Guest appearances?
- Discounts?
If these things that you put out as part of your organic content marketing have no real value to you, simply because you’re not attaching monetary value…why are you foisting them off on an unsuspecting world of information-needy prospects?
Nothing You Offer is Ever Worthless
The answer, of course, is that your free content is no more worthless than your paid services. It’s smaller, it’s less personal, and it should be pushing people towards a higher level of service that does involve money, but it’s far from worthless.
Instead of looking at your own marketing material as something to get over with as soon as possible, look at it as the first and more important step in a value-based relationship.
Every time someone downloads your “free” report, or signs up for your “complimentary” newsletter, or accesses some bit of content that’s not behind a paywall, they’re giving you a tiny piece of something that’s truly priceless.
Something you’ll never get back if you betray it.
Trust
That’s the implicit cost of FREE.
When someone gives you their name and email address they’re giving you a tiny piece of their trust. It’s an unspoken bargain that they believe whatever promises you’ve spun up to this point, and they’re willing to grant you a little bit more time with them in a more personal space.
Never Take Trust for Granted
Even if it’s only a tiny amount – a fairly anonymous email address – never make the deadly mistake of undervaluing someone’s trust.
Every person who values you enough to give you access into their space is willing to consider giving you more. Maybe that’s the time to read and learn from your free newsletter. Maybe that’s a willingness to check their YouTube notifications and watch your latest video.
Or maybe, one day, that’ll be a willingness to click the “BUY” button.
*This article originally ran in Fitz’n’Jammer’s “Marketing by Listening” Newsletter. This version is abridged, so if you want the full, unedited, INSIDE scoop – make sure to subscribe below!