“You get what you give.” We’ve all heard it before and probably don’t think about it too much. But in the world of business websites, it couldn’t be more true. In its most basic form, if you give your visitors nothing, you’ll get nothing in return. I’m not talking about having nothing to sell here, because if you have no product or service, you’ll obviously get no buyers. I’m referring to an added value of sorts, a reason for customers to trust and buy from YOU versus everyone else or even doing it themselves. To gain a better understanding how to put this to work in business, let’s explore the concept.

Most of us get caught up in the idea that we provide a product or service and customers buy it from us. That is the entire model. However, a very powerful element is missing here. What are you GIVING to your customers? In a basic and well established example: If you have a nursery and are selling plants, your customers should be receiving a plant AND complete instructions how to grow and take care of it. This isn’t the little plastic stick that goes in the plant that says ‘partial sun, water daily.’ This is a full lesson on what dirt to use, when and how to fertilize, what partial sun actually means, the amount of water and how often, when, how and if to prune or trim, how much draining is ideal and so on. When my plant grows successfully, I’m going to buy from you again because of what I learned. You provided me with an invaluable service. This is an example of a more concrete gift and has been used many, many times in the past.

But what of the gift of information? Let’s say I have a consulting business in which I help set up and implement marketing plans for client businesses. What can I offer my customers to get them to hire me?
The gift of knowledge. Teach them something.

• Write an article on the top 10 best ways to increase your business exposure.
• Discuss traditional and cutting edge methods.
• Explain how to implement simple concepts and touch on the more complex ones so they can see the potential.
• Create a mini class explaining the steps of a marketing plan. Give a new lesson each day or week.
• Give them worksheets to plan out their goals.

Don’t get caught up thinking that you’re giving away everything you know and clients will no longer need you. In reality, you’re creating a NEED for your service. By gaining a better understanding of your business and all there is to think about, clients begin to grasp the importance of hiring you. Generally, we shy away from things like this. If I’m a consultant and I’m teaching everyone the tricks of my trade, WHY would they hire me when they could do it themselves? The answer is that they can’t do it themselves. Reading a book on basketball won’t make me an NBA player. Understanding the rules of the game doesn’t mean I can play it well. It simply demonstrates my need for a coach. Just because your customers are clear on some very important foundational points, doesn’t mean they have the knowledge to take on the entire project themselves. You’re not divulging everything. And even if you were, I’m willing to bet you didn’t master being a marketing consultant in a week or a month. Neither will they. You’re giving them enough to pique their interest and understand what they’re up against. You’ve made them need you.

The fact is, learning tips and tricks gives us a greater understanding of the VALUE of a certain service or product. You’ve proved your worth by sharing your knowledge of the subject. This increases customer confidence and trust in you and makes them wonder what you’re holding back. What else do you know that will help them? You’ve already started by teaching them some important lessons and got them thinking. Share what you know, don’t hoard it. By teaching, you’re giving - and you’ll get in return.