I receive requests for free marketing help on a daily basis. Some asking for quick advice, while others ask for a complete, detailed marketing plan (I kid you not).
And as much as I’d love to help each and every one of these people with all the free advice I can possibly give, I’ve decided I cannot continue doing this. I didn’t like the thought of having to turn people away when they asked for advice. But, just a handful of requests grew to 25… 50… there are even days, when I receive almost 100 requests for free Internet marketing help.
You see, I was working so hard at giving free help, that I was beginning to jeopardize my relationship with my paying customers.
I also started to see a trend… many of those who would write to me with “quick” questions would come back later asking for more free help on how to use techniques they read about in *someone else’s* most recent eBook that they bought for $75 AFTER I gave them free advice!
These freebie seekers were stealing my time and energy away from my *REAL* clients. I was giving them so much free help, that they didn’t feel the need to buy anything from me. It took me a while to face this reality, but I’ve finally come to terms with it.
Now, my e-mail addresses sends back an autoresponse, notifying senders that I’m not available for free marketing help. If they have questions about my products and services, they’re asked to complete a form on my website, where I list all the Internet marketing services I offer.
Sure, I get the occasional “hate mail” in response to my message, but, free help *is* available at AskCarmen.net, and a membership to my Internet Marketing Support Network is currently just $19.95 a month for beta testers.
If they don’t feel receiving unlimited marketing help from me for a full month is worth even $20, they must not see any value in it, so, why bother asking me for help at all?
There are plenty of people out there who will try to waste your time and energy. Know what you are worth, and respect yourself, because if you don’t, it could affect your relationship with those who believe you are worth everything they are paying you for – and MUCH MORE!
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