Comments on: Why "FREE" Sucks http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/ Direct Response Entrepreneur Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:10:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shawn Phillips http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-1003 Shawn Phillips Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:50:17 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-1003 Dan, I could not agree more... and also enjoyed the hell out of the Gary B. set. Well done... Free sucks. Except when Free is consumable like a Full Strength shake and it's conditioned on paid shipping and it's an intentional lead to convert up stream. Thanks, Shawn Dan,

I could not agree more… and also enjoyed the hell out of the Gary B. set.

Well done… Free sucks. Except when Free is consumable like a Full Strength shake and it's conditioned on paid shipping and it's an intentional lead to convert up stream.

Thanks,
Shawn

]]> By: Brion http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-1002 Brion Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:08:22 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-1002 I find it interesting that many are saying we must give more and more "free" away in fact some are saying give your Best Ideas Free but.... yet, Rupert Murdock says the Free thing is slowing going bye, bye. He says the various Fox web properties and other big names will begin charging for content next year. All the experts used to say (1990s) that web sites will make money from ads as main source--that didn't work. Also, "experts" said Amazon.com was a fool to be so diversified (not sticking to books)...Jack Rice I think said that...Yet Amazon is rockin' bigger and badder than ever...AND making a pile of money too. I find it interesting that many are saying we must
give more and more "free" away in fact some are saying give
your Best Ideas Free but….

yet, Rupert Murdock says the Free thing is slowing going
bye, bye. He says the various Fox web properties and other
big names will begin charging for content next year.

All the experts used to say (1990s) that web sites will
make money from ads as main source–that didn't work.

Also, "experts" said Amazon.com was a fool to be so
diversified (not sticking to books)…Jack Rice I think
said that…Yet Amazon is rockin' bigger and badder than
ever…AND making a pile of money too.

]]> By: Brion http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-1000 Brion Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:22:21 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-1000 Great Content. I too have wondered/questioned the advice many of the gurus say give away your BEST content for FREE. People don't value free. Give folks a taste but never give it all. I have in the past gotten various free reports and samples--then bought the product becoming very unhappy that the paid content is not much more than the free version jazzed up a bit with filler. Make them pay! Give a sample but NEVER give the main course! This is a Biz not welfare. Great Content. I too have wondered/questioned the advice
many of the gurus say give away your BEST content for FREE. People don't value free. Give folks a taste but never give it all. I have in the past gotten various free reports and samples–then bought the product becoming very unhappy that the paid content is not much more than the free version jazzed up a bit with filler. Make them pay! Give a sample but NEVER give the main course! This is a Biz not welfare.

]]> By: Gustavo http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-997 Gustavo Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:04:51 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-997 Well....I think you might be mistaken in some respects. For example, Frank Kern has made a lot of money with "free," and then charging a heck of a lot. Of course, he's very entertaining. Most of the big "launches' nowadays offer a combination of pretty good free stuff, Pavlovian copywriting to get everyone hyperventilating and salivating, then offering a seriously expensive product. It seems to work very well for them. It's by no means the only model that "works" online, but it does work--however, it takes a certain personality type, I think, as well as the Kern-Jeff Walker-type techniques. I view online as a medium to communicate value--like a newspaper or any other medium. This medium offers many ways to do that effectively, it seems to me. I think the underlying "skeleton" of all business can be summed-up as creating, communicating, and delivering value. Of course, "value" is often merely a mental construct accepted by another. A lot of our world is "dream-world." Best wishes, Gustavo Well….I think you might be mistaken in some respects. For example, Frank Kern has made a lot of money with "free," and then charging a heck of a lot. Of course, he's very entertaining. Most of the big "launches' nowadays offer a combination of pretty good free stuff, Pavlovian copywriting to get everyone hyperventilating and salivating, then offering a seriously expensive product. It seems to work very well for them. It's by no means the only model that "works" online, but it does work–however, it takes a certain personality type, I think, as well as the Kern-Jeff Walker-type techniques.

I view online as a medium to communicate value–like a newspaper or any other medium. This medium offers many ways to do that effectively, it seems to me. I think the underlying "skeleton" of all business can be summed-up as creating, communicating, and delivering value. Of course, "value" is often merely a mental construct accepted by another. A lot of our world is "dream-world."

Best wishes,

Gustavo

]]> By: Linda Black http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-996 Linda Black Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:26:43 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-996 Hey Dan! Couldn't agree with you more but I wouldn't call anyone a loser who buys into this freebie stuff. They've been conditioned to respond in this matter. If someone doesn't want their visitors/potential customers responding in this matter they don't condition them to to "free" by offering a never ending supply of free stuff. Forget about extending the free line or where the free line should start and end... just don't do it! You are right in that it's all in the value you as an expert place on your expertise and no skin in the game is exactly that, no commitment. Thanks, Dan. Linda Black Author of Smart Chicks Made Rich - launching January 2010 www.SmartChicksMadeRich.com Hey Dan!

Couldn't agree with you more but I wouldn't call anyone a loser who buys into this freebie stuff. They've been conditioned to respond in this matter.

If someone doesn't want their visitors/potential customers responding in this matter they don't condition them to to "free" by offering a never ending supply of free stuff. Forget about extending the free line or where the free line should start and end… just don't do it!

You are right in that it's all in the value you as an expert place on your expertise and no skin in the game is exactly that, no commitment.

Thanks, Dan.

Linda Black
Author of Smart Chicks Made Rich – launching January 2010
http://www.SmartChicksMadeRich.com

]]> By: Brandon Wilkins http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-994 Brandon Wilkins Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:52:33 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-994 Dan, Great post as always! I admit I'm one of those "freebie seekers". Having been burned by a lot of products that I paid for without getting a sneak preview, I now like to test a person's free material to see if it's a good fit with my learning style and if their material is worth paying for. I've found that there are very few who am I enticed to buy after sampling their free stuff (I count you and Ben Settle among those few). Looking forward to the product you have coming up! By the way, I'll take that "unused" course off your hands if you're not going to do anything with it!!! LOL :-) Dan,

Great post as always! I admit I'm one of those "freebie seekers". Having been burned by a lot of products that I paid for without getting a sneak preview, I now like to test a person's free material to see if it's a good fit with my learning style and if their material is worth paying for.

I've found that there are very few who am I enticed to buy after sampling their free stuff (I count you and Ben Settle among those few). Looking forward to the product you have coming up!

By the way, I'll take that "unused" course off your hands if you're not going to do anything with it!!! LOL :-)

]]> By: Chris Blackerby http://www.dobermandan.com/why-free-sucks/#comment-993 Chris Blackerby Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:23:01 +0000 http://dobermandan.com/?p=1562#comment-993 Hey Dan, Great post! Yes, it's always good to qualify your leads with making them step up with some CASH before you spend thousands marketing to them. I remember in an interview with Ben Settle you said how you had a list of your subscribers and offered some free report but made them pay a few bucks to get the report just to make sure they were qualified before sending a direct mail piece. Good point. Good luck with your course launch! Chris Blackerby p.s. Can I get a FREE review copy!?! (I joke, I joke...) Hey Dan,

Great post! Yes, it's always good to qualify your leads with making them step up with some CASH before you spend thousands marketing to them.

I remember in an interview with Ben Settle you said how you had a list of your subscribers and offered some free report but made them pay a few bucks to get the report just to make sure they were qualified before sending a direct mail piece.

Good point.

Good luck with your course launch!

Chris Blackerby

p.s. Can I get a FREE review copy!?!

(I joke, I joke…)

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