Everyone loves free gifts. I'm not teaching you anything new there. In fact, offering something for free to attract customers is becoming a huge bait on internet, with most websites offering a free eBook or course in return for an email address.
But I think we can look further than websites, and business owners who work offline should remember the power of freebies not only when trying to win new customers, but also for keeping existing ones and turning them into loyal clients.
Let me tell you a couple of stories.
When I met my husband, he didn't own a car anymore, so we went to prospect a few car yards to buy a new one, and he ended up buying a BMW. The last car that he had bought before that was an Alpha Romeo (yes, he's into sport cars), but for the past year he had been driving a BMW, free of charge. That BMW, free for a year, was a prize that he won from a business award in New Zealand. So, needless to say that after driving the car of his choice for a year, he was converted to the BMW brand and went back to buying one, without much hesitation.
OK, this story might be extreme, I don't know too many businesses that will offer such a grandiose prize, but the result is highly efficient: you turn influential people into loyal customers and advocates for your brand.
Let's take another example, from our recent holiday to the Seychelles. Last June we stayed at the Hilton for a week. Beautiful, amazing in fact. Very nicely designed hotel, luxurious rooms, and excellent service. But what surprised us nicely were the three vouchers that we got given when we checked in (on top of the fresh fruits and glass of Champagne): one for a massage, one for a romantic spa and the last one for a nice afternoon tea at the bar.
You might argue that these gestures are the least the hotel can do to please you given the rate that you pay, but in fact how many luxury hotels do offer little treats like that? Even if you paid a lot for the service, little attentions like these ones (did I mention that we also received fresh delicacies and souvenirs from the island every day in the room?) always turn you into a more loyal customer.
How does this translate to your business?
Well, it's simple. Surprise your clients, go the extra mile, offer something that they don't expect. This will make them happier, and happy customers return. But also, it will generate some very nice word of mouth, because if they are like us, they will tell the world about their experience and how nicely they were treated by your business.
And if they're not customers yet, your little bait should help convincing them to buy from you.
So here is my question: are you ready to give something away to your clients?
But I think we can look further than websites, and business owners who work offline should remember the power of freebies not only when trying to win new customers, but also for keeping existing ones and turning them into loyal clients.
Let me tell you a couple of stories.
When I met my husband, he didn't own a car anymore, so we went to prospect a few car yards to buy a new one, and he ended up buying a BMW. The last car that he had bought before that was an Alpha Romeo (yes, he's into sport cars), but for the past year he had been driving a BMW, free of charge. That BMW, free for a year, was a prize that he won from a business award in New Zealand. So, needless to say that after driving the car of his choice for a year, he was converted to the BMW brand and went back to buying one, without much hesitation.
OK, this story might be extreme, I don't know too many businesses that will offer such a grandiose prize, but the result is highly efficient: you turn influential people into loyal customers and advocates for your brand.
Let's take another example, from our recent holiday to the Seychelles. Last June we stayed at the Hilton for a week. Beautiful, amazing in fact. Very nicely designed hotel, luxurious rooms, and excellent service. But what surprised us nicely were the three vouchers that we got given when we checked in (on top of the fresh fruits and glass of Champagne): one for a massage, one for a romantic spa and the last one for a nice afternoon tea at the bar.
You might argue that these gestures are the least the hotel can do to please you given the rate that you pay, but in fact how many luxury hotels do offer little treats like that? Even if you paid a lot for the service, little attentions like these ones (did I mention that we also received fresh delicacies and souvenirs from the island every day in the room?) always turn you into a more loyal customer.
How does this translate to your business?
Well, it's simple. Surprise your clients, go the extra mile, offer something that they don't expect. This will make them happier, and happy customers return. But also, it will generate some very nice word of mouth, because if they are like us, they will tell the world about their experience and how nicely they were treated by your business.
And if they're not customers yet, your little bait should help convincing them to buy from you.
So here is my question: are you ready to give something away to your clients?
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