Too many solopreneurs fail to use the power of the Free Offering in the right way, because of the FEAR of giving away too much! Here's what typically happens.
You've realised that you need to offer an ethical bribe in order to have your prospects provide you with their details - either online or offline.
This of course is so that you can then follow up with them through your enewsletter, or direct mail, to develop a relationship with them, in order that they will start to know, like and trust you - and that way they'll be more likely to become your customer down the line.
So far, so good! So, you set about creating your Free offering.
There's a whole array of ideas to choose from - it could be a report, a white paper, a 6 step mini-series, an audio download, a webinar excerpt - lots of different bites at the cherry! And then the FEAR sets in!! The little voice in your head (which is well meaning, but often somewhat misguided) sets up the following seductive monologue: Hmm, I need to be careful how much I include in this Free offering.
After all, if I give too much away, people will just download it, get all the good bits from me, for nothing, and that'll be it, I'll have nothing left to say, or offer.
They'll get all that, without paying a single thing for it, and I'll be left high and dry.
Even worse - they may share it with their friends, and I won't even have got their friends' details to contact them afterwards.
I'll just put something short together, to give them a tiny taste of what I do, then once they become a proper paying client they can get the good information.
The result is a Free offering of lots of style but no substance.
A ball of candyfloss instead of a hunger-quenching meal! So, if this is resonating with you - here's what I tell my clients.
If you were the owner of a Rolls Royce showroom, and someone came in for a test drive with a view to possibly investing in a Rolls Royce - would you take them for a test-drive in a rusty old banger that you kept round the back for just that purpose?? For fear of them getting too much out of a proper Rolls Royce test drive, or maybe being a tire-kicking time waster?? Would you think - I'll let them look through the window, but I'm not going to let them in, to touch the sleek shining bodywork, and smell the luxurious leather interior?? Of course you wouldn't!! That would be crazy! Yet this is what I see solopreneurs doing all the time with their Free offering.
The reason for this is that you are coming from a place of lack, and you don't truly understand the purpose of the Free offering.
To take the first point - provided you keep growing yourself, and your business, and keep up with industry developments, and invest in your own ongoing education you will always have more to offer.
Sure there will always be people who know more than you in your particular business arena - just accept that and move on.
Equally, there will always be people who know a lot less than you - and will therefore have a NEED for what you offer.
To take the second point - the purpose of your Free offering, is to showcase your expertise.
It's to allow your prospects to see that you know what you're talking about, and more importantly that you truly understand their pressing problem.
This is your Golden Opportunity to do that! Get over thinking that you'll be able to do that AFTER they become a paying client - without a compelling Free offering you'll never even get to that point, so you will have missed that opportunity! Focus on giving away the Why and the What, and even some of the HOW - just not all of it.
Use the 'Valuable but Incomplete' method - whereby taken in its own right your Free offering adds great value to your prospect, but indicates that there's plenty more where that came from! That way your prospects will be left thinking "Wow! If he / she gave away such great information to me for nothing, just imagine what I'd be getting access to as a paying client!" So now, it's time to Ditch the FEAR of giving away too much! Review your Free offering and make sure it meets these criteria:

1. Does it show that I truly understand the key problems / issues my ideal clients are experiencing?
2. Do I give some great actionable strategies that my ideal clients can take away and apply for solving their problem?
3. Is it useful in its own right, yet still shows that I have more to offer (For example 'I have 21 strategies for solving / helping with X problem - here are my top five')
4. Do I have a clear call to action, to show the reader / listener how they can connect with me for more information and strategies from me?