The Problem with Free Sessions

As most of you know, I launched a new Audio program last week where I interview Christian Mickelsen about how to set up complimentary sessions that sell your services (see details here).

What I want to talk about in today's eZine is why, for many people, free sessions haven't worked at all. We discuss this in the program, but I'd like to go into more depth here.

Giving free sessions to prospects can either be the most useful marketing tool you've ever used or it can be a disaster.

It's not unusual for people to give away free sessions right and left and have none of those sessions turn prospects into clients. Why is that?

Put simply: You are giving away the store.

You set up a free coaching or consulting session, for instance, and in that session, you act as if the prospect is a paying client. You find out about an issue they are dealing with and you solve it for them (in person or over the phone).

In that session you no doubt come up with a great solution and they will be happy with it. But they probably won't say, "Sign me up for your services!" once the session is done.

Why is this?

Because they got the solution they were looking for! Now their focus will be on implementing your good ideas, not on signing up for more of them. They'll say they'll think about it and get back to you later. But they usually won't

So by offering a free session, ironically, you have actually sabotaged your efforts to secure a new client. No wonder most people give up on free sessions so quickly!

How can you make free session successful?

You need to think of a free session as a special kind of sales process - one that actually gives more value than giving away your services.

If you really think about it, doing a free session that gave away your services doesn't serve the prospect in the long run. The chances are good they won't even be able to implement the solution you provided for them in that session.

And even if they could, that solution will usually only be one small part of bigger issues the prospect is facing.

If you are going to really serve your clients, they need a complete solution. And complete solutions take more time, cost more money, and require more of a commitment from clients.

And they will happily pay this price if you give them a complete picture of what they would accomplish through working with you. This way they see the true value of your services.

What do you cover in this kind of free session?

You'll spend most of the time finding out about the prospect's situation, goals, challenges and dreams. You'll also discover what it's costing them not to move forward. When you help them understand all of this, you have given them great value.

In this session you can accomplish the following for the prospect:

1. Clarify their vision (most people are very vague about this)
2. Identify key strategic milestone objectives
3. Uncover hidden challenges and blind spots that could be sabotaging their success
4. Create a clear action plan for moving ahead
5. Leave them inspired and re-energized

And when you accomplish those things in a free session, you not only cover areas that have never been explored in depth with them before, you'll get them excited about working with you to help them move forward with their goals.

Do free sessions work to convert prospects to clients?

You bet they do! But you have to structure them completely differently. Don't give them solutions, show them entirely new possibilities.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Offering free sessions is one of the most powerful and effective strategies to convert prospects into clients. But you can't give away the store in these sessions. Instead, put all your attention on the prospect, where they are, where they want to go, and what's stopping them. This will provide the needed motivation to get them to move forward.

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Do you have any examples of how you gave away the store in a free initial session? Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[Marcie Lovett]

I often give gift certificates for free 2-hour consultations to fund-raising groups. In the three years that I have used these as a marketing tool, I haven't had one become a paying customer. I had a session scheduled for the day after I read your article and I decided that I would change my approach. Instead of "giving away the store," I heeded your advice and spent most of the time asking questions and listening. Normally, I would solve all the person's problems and then wonder why they didn't call me back for more of my sage advice! I am pleased to report that the client hired me to organize her office. Thanks for the change in perspective!

[Carolyne Wahlen]

I did this for a referral. The potential client only agreed to the session if it was free. I aimed to convert them, as I have done other clients, but this meeting took over an hour, and as you said, I solved all their problems in that hour. They even offered to pay me for the hour, but I felt I couldn't take their money cos I had said it would be free no-obligation! I have never done that again, and now I know how to structure it better, I won't worry about it so much.

[William Wallace]

Oh man, is this freakin' timely!! I JUST sent out a mass email to my Chamber of Commerce asking members to join me for a free cup of coffee and a 'branding evaluation'... And any time that I've done these 'cup of coffee' things, I've come up with nada... This advice will make all the difference... MUCH appreciated,

William JA (Sandy) Wallace

[Clare Jenkins]

I do exactly what you have advised NOT to do - and not surprisngly I have NEVER converted a freebie into a paying customer. On one occasion I had a telephone enquiry about coaching and did so much that the client asked how much she should pay me for the session - and I STILL said it was free. I never coached her again (BUT she did refer me her daughter as she wanted to give her a gift of coaching sessions - that was my ONLY paying customer that I have ever achieved!)