Since you have to give to get, how do you provide clients, prospective clients and strategic alliance partners with value while NOT finding yourself in the position of giving away your services for free?
Here are the top 6 recommendations of “How to deliver value while not giving away the store:”
1. While reading your favorite publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes and other publications keep your clients in mind. Anytime you come across an article in print or online that is applicable to your clients’ situation or challenge send it to them with a note that says “just thinking of you and thought you may find this article helpful.”
2. Develop your own articles that are also available on your web site and hopefully on other organizations’ web sites. Point them out to your clients in discussions or send it to them via email. When a client or a prospective client brings up a business situation or challenge that I wrote about, I immediately direct them to that article or ask their permission to send it to them. You, of course, may lead the discussion in that direction.
3. Consider adding additional resources to your web site that consist of great articles applicable to your clients that are written by other people. Make sure you ask the author for permission to do so.
4. Develop electronic and/or print newsletters with great content.
5. When a client or a prospect has a challenge, do some research and select one of the four options above to let them know that you are thinking of their situation and trying to help.
6. I also use the following: The first exploratory and brainstorming meeting in my office is free. I then submit a proposal containing several options with budget requirements for them to review and decide which one works best.
