How to Avoid Giving Freebies
You have really established your business and your products and/or services are top notch and well developed. You aren’t the only person who understands how well you are doing. Other people seem to have a good sense of your capabilities as well. Whether you own a product- or service-based business, requests for freebies can be a touchy subject.
Handling the situation delicately
The last thing that you want to do is insult other people. However, on the other hand, it is not fair for other people to assume that you are going to give everything away for free. Afterall, how are you supposed to support yourself and your family if you give everything away at every opportunity? It is unfair if it isn’t mutual. However, if you and the other person (whether that person is a friend or a family member) happen to have the kind of relationship where you help each other out, that is something else. On the other hand, if one of you takes and the other gives, it won’t work because there may be a lot of resentment that gets built up and eventually erupts and ruins your relationship. Often, people don’t realize that they are taking advantage and using a personal relationship to gain in other ways is really unfair.
The sensitivity of asking for free things
If your business sells products or it sells services is irrelevant when it comes to people wanting handouts. If you earn your living from selling products and/or services, it is wrong for anyone to take advantage of that. If you, as the business owner, want to give the person something and you insist that they do not pay you, that is your choice. The fact that the person even made the request may make you feel a few things. First of all, it may make you feel as though the other person has no idea about what you do and how valuable it is. If they did understand the value of what you do, they would understand that that it is not fair to ask you to give it away. Also, their asking for something for free might make you feel as though they don’t respect your time, your talent, your expertise and anything else that is connected with your business. Although all of these points are true and they may strike a cord with you, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they intentionally set out to hurt you or to be disrespectul to you in any way. It is entirely possible that they didn’t have any idea how it translated to you. Also, it is very possible that they have no idea how much you earn everytime someone hires you to do what you do so well. It is not a bad idea to gently let them know the truth about that.
Just say no
It is important for you to understand the balance of when it is okay to comply with a request from one of your friends or relatives and when you need to dig your heels in and say no. If someone asks you something small that will take you a very short amount of time, it is probably okay to comply and give them the information that they are looking for. On the other hand, if you get a request to help them and it takes you hours and hours to complete the task, that is something else. As a business person, you will find that there are many situations in which bartering works well. If you have or can do something that the other person needs and they have something or can do something that you need, you may want to consider exchanging products and/or services. In that situation, nobody is taking advantage of anyone else. You both will hopefully get what you need and want and everyone will be happy in the end.
Remember to set the proper boundaries
It is very important for you and your business to have the ability to set boundaries correctly. Open communication is very important and you will have a much healthier, more comfortable relationship with the other person if you really talk to each other. You may be surprised at how well your feelings are received by the other person if you really tell them how you feel and what you need. Sometimes, you may want to help the other person out and sometimes, it gives you a good feeling to do something nice for someone else just because it is the right thing to do. It is called being a human being.
Conclusion
It is understandable that you don’t want other people to take advantage of you. On the other hand, if a person asks you to help them and it is easy enough to do, it may make you feel really good to do it. You need to treat it on a case-by-case basis and just see how it goes. In any case, if you decide that you are going to give the other person what they need, you also need to make sure that you get what you need. The last thing that you should do is to allow yourself to feel used. It isn’t worth it and you will become resentful very quickly in that situation. If you see that that is happening, you should do your best to nip it in the bud.
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Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Writers World
Discussion: How to Avoid Giving Freebies
Very interesting subject – just yesterday there was a pretty long discussion thread on Facebook about this very topic. A lot of people continue to give and give based on their assumptions (real or perceived) that their followers can’t afford or just aren’t ready (yet) to pay for services. I agree with each of your points, but I think some people simply lack sufficient confidence in themselves and/or their product/service to hold firm to that boundary between free and paid. I also believe that there are those who will never be prepared to pay, regardless of the value of the product or service – or how much they have in their bank account, so long as there’s a chance they can get it for free, and we have to be prepared to wish them well and on their way.
By Marquita Herald
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Northern New Jersey Networking Group
Discussion: How to Avoid Giving Freebies
This happens all the time to me…I constantly get into the debate, hey that is easy can you just do it. The problem is not the amount of time but it seems everyone wants something for free and it adds up.
By Mark Menzella
+Jonathan Rossignol via Google+
I really like the topic of this article +Carolyn Cohn . I understand that times are tough for many individuals trying to get by in today’s economy, but sometimes I think people are frugal just for the sake of being cheap. I believe that being cheap and failing to recognize value is a trait shared by people who glorify money, or (cringes) worship it. I think that people forget that money is nothing more than a instrument used to trade in exchange for goods or services. GOODS OR SERVICES. People are so defensive with their cash when it comes to exchanging it for things they actually need in a practical sense, like hiring contractors or getting their vehicle worked on, etc, but when it comes to gizmos, gadgets, doodads, and entertainment people will take out loans & create bad debt for that junk, lol.
There’s also a saying that…”People rarely value that which is free. This explains why library’s aren’t popular hangouts.”
Granted the internet has all but killed the library, but the point is that people have access to an abundance of free knowledge that could reshape their entire life, but because it’s free people will think it holds no value. The same goes in contrast though. Just because something has the word “Premium” slapped on it with an accompanying premium fee, doesn’t necessarily mean you will receive your money’s worth once you subscribe.
+Angela Sauvage Giles via Google+
+Carolyn Cohn #freebies – so true that it does help you feel good about yourself when you help someone else. I think thought you are right you have to learn to have a line somewhere!
+Dustin Schlain via Google+
This topic touches the reality of social guidance and common good. I have found to do and to await people like me, people whom enjoy giving money. The key is to do something, create something of value, and find like-minded individuals.
My proverb is: Better to exist the servant of the rich than to be master of the poor. To do this effectively, I must beware both how I spend money and what money I receive. I pay more for little things, and receive only what is valued correctly. Better to do any one thing for free than be paid too little.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Music Business Professionals
Discussion: How to Avoid Giving Freebies
Another thing you can do is pass people onto your free content e.g. Your blog or someone else’s free content who is a trusted colleague.
By Leena Sowambur
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: PRSA NJ – Public Relations Society of America New Jersey Chapter
Discussion: How to Avoid Giving Freebies
It’s time to admit that the people who want you to work for free (for the exposure! it’s a great way to get more referrals!) are profiting from you working for free.
Conferences that charge attendees $1200 a head but don’t even pick up speaker travel expenses, let alone pay an honorarium, are taking advantage of you.
There’s only one thing that matters if you are a professional with expertise, and that’s getting compensated for sharing your expertise with clients.
It is a colossal waste of time to give away your work for free.
Read Lucy Kellaway’s latest column in the Financial Times ( http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/dec73e56-efb9-11e2-8229-00144feabdc0.html ) and watch Harlan Ellison’s fantastic “Pay the Writer” video on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE) and then just say NO to the bottom feeders.
By Steve Lubetkin, MBA, APR, Fellow, PRSA
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Professional Writers
Discussion: How to Avoid Giving Freebies
There’s a fine line between doing good deeds and being taken for granted and giving too much away. I’m still working on that particular boundary – perhaps the yardstick is whether the freebie exists within a broader context of social good (in which case its valid to donate energy), or professional development goals (self-training, CV or network building and education), or personal reciprocal relationship.
Simply pouring freebies out where there is no return (including non-pecuniary returns) personally, nor is it benefiting the community in any way (when it’s pure private enterprise without a social agenda), I am starting to see can be a big drain on resources more effectively used elsewhere. As you say Carolyn, case-by-case basis applies.
By Willow Aliento