What you ought to know about giving first in online business
It's embedded in our business DNA to give first then ask.
It's widely used in the online industry. Small businesses, entrepreneurs and tons of businesses have built their empire using this. And it works.
But, do you know which place you're coming from when giving first in your online business?
Before you ask for something, whether they're your customers or your potential clients, you give and give. That's how it's always been. We're glamorizing giving away first. A decade in the online entrepreneurship space, I've seen people giving away stuff for free. I've done it myself. It's called the freebie.
It's now moved on to the next level where many businesses are giving away things but it comes with a cost.
It's a lead magnet, but it's $1 in price. It filters out the people right at the top of your funnel. So you know who are the freeloaders & who're interested in buying from you. And I think this comes as a result of a lot of businesses giving away too much for free. And for a lot of business owners it's been detrimental.
And it can make a lot of entrepreneurs resentful towards the very people they're supposed to sell to.
A few years back, I was looking after a community for a creative entrepreneur I'd made friends with online.
She was talented. We used to get on a call every month. On one of the calls I realized that she was at a place where she was done with giving away things for free. She said, there was no way she could sustain her business if she were to keep doing it. She was purely frustrated.
Giving first focusses on give, give, give & then ask.
Marketing industry loves it. Entrepreneurs love it. Small business owners love it. Creators love it. But guess what?
It's coming from a place of expectation.
And we all know what unfulfilled expectations can do to us humans. We don't want resentful, bitter, frustrated business owners.
Figuring out which place you're coming from is the first step.
It's important to come to a place where there's a balance. Both give and take can co-exist. Remembering you are here to serve your customers will do no one any good if you're coming from a place of unrealistic expectation.
“The miracle is this: The more we share the more we have.” — Leonard Nimoy
Secondly, a better way to tackle this is to rephrase it. Start calling it- share first. Share with your customers and share with your clients. This shift can be deeply impactful because when you give, you fill up your tank first. But sharing means you already possess something that you're willing to distribute.
And thirdly, taking on conscious entrepreneurship which focusses on giving without expectations. It's a good solution, simple but not an easy practice.
Giving stuff for free is becoming stale.
The internet's evolving.
This shift will become more prevalent as we move towards adopting everything that web 3.0 has to offer. Now the competition's not just with people but also machines. We as humans have to come out. And from a place of sharing when it comes to our customers.
Remember, humans are interdependent and have thrived on sharing.