… “but wait, if you call now, you’ll receive a second set of (fill in the blank) absolutely FREE!  Buy two – Get one FREE!  Free Delivery – Free Interest. Free This – Free That!”

No business owner likes to give away things for free, so why do they do it? It’s simple… because it’s the incentive that makes consumers buy!

As the economy continues to tighten, consumers will become more cautious about what and how they make purchases. The trick will be to figure out how to motivate them to buy from your business rather than your competitors!

One of the “prime” reasons Amazon and all online shopping has become so popular so quickly is in large part due to two words, “FREE DELIVERY”.  But the appeal of “free” extends far beyond online marketing.  Free is a powerful and compelling purchase motivator in virtually every business category.

In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely tested the word “free” with candy, specifically, Lindt’s Truffle and Hershey’s Kiss.  When the Lindt Truffle was priced at 15 cents and the Hershey’s Kiss priced at 1 cent, 73% of participants chose the Lindt Truffle. When a different group was offered the same products, each for a penny less, Lindt at 14 cents and Hershey’s for free, 69% chose Hershey’s Kiss.

But using the word FREE comes with caution; using it too much, on the wrong product, or without a compelling offer, can lead to the risk of customers being suspicious.

In our 20 Free Strategies to Increase Sales, one of the strategies is to offer a free “layaway”. As the holiday season approaches, offering a free layaway program with a small down payment might help in attracting the early shoppers looking to conserve their budget. All indications suggest that Christmas shopping will begin much earlier and shoppers will be spending less. This tactic may help you attract and capture a more significant share of the Christmas shopping pie.

Have you considered what free strategies you might employ to increase your sales?

To receive a FREE copy of the 20 free strategies you can use to increase your sales at little or no cost, click here!