Stop Giving Away Things For Free

Stop giving away free shit.

Look, I get it. We’re in a weird economy; things are different than they used to be, and some of us like to people-please more than others (recovering people-pleaser here).

The one piece of advice I see over and over for new businesses or struggling businesses, is to give away free things, so people see your worth and you can “prove” your value.

Respectfully, I think that advice is crap.

I feel like there was a time and place when this strategy might have worked temporarily (when online courses were much bigger, the free templates and webinars would lure you in and make you want to buy the course, etc).

But I want to challenge you with this question, because it always comes back to this: who is your audience? If you want them to work with you, sign up for a service, or buy your product, you want someone who’s ready.

I know someone whose target audience was business owners who were ready to level up and grow. They were marketing free classes, workshops, and services, which opened them up to a wide range of entrepreneurs, many of whom had no budget and weren’t ready to work with them. The problem? Every time they offered something for free, they were putting time, resources, and energy into a group of people who weren’t even ready to work with them. And they burned out, fast.

So, they started putting a price tag on things. And you know what? People who signed up actually showed up, with questions, wanting to solve a problem in their business. They got real value, and a relationship started to build. And some of them turned into clients. Instead of handing freebies to people who never used them, they were helping people who were actually ready for it.

Here’s the thing: building a community of people who are actually in your audience – that’s where the magic starts to happen. That’s when you start making real connections with people, not just everyone who comes across your info.

Also, that person I know? It’s me. I did that. I gave away too much for free, and the second I shifted that mindset, things started to change for me. So if you’re looking for a sign to stop giving shit away for free, I’ll gladly give you one.

And that’s not to say I don’t meet with people who aren’t ready, or that I only build relationships with entrepreneurs because I want a future client. I love meeting new people and genuinely want to get to know folks, whether or not they want my help in the future. That’s part of building community. I’m just reminding you that you don’t need to give away a bunch of free shit to get a new client. Chances are, that strategy won’t serve you well in the long run anyway.

What do you think about freebies? I want to know!