Give Away your Time? Your Expertise? A Gift? Are you CRAZY?

You want to create Goodwill by building relationships and investing in others -- but you can't afford to give away all your time, effort, resource, can you?

"Sure it is healthy to offer your expertise and time to potential clients and customers online, this is how you build trust and relationships. Where it becomes dangerous to not only your business but your bank account is when you do not set boundaries. This is the biggest mistake that I see with online social networking. People fall into what I call Panic Marketing Mode and they keep giving and giving, asking for nothing in return."

Starr Hall, a forward-thinking, energetic, and imaginative publicist with a tireless dedication to her clients, addresses this topic in her blog article, "Giving Your Time & Services Away for FREE on Social Networks- Is it healthy for your business?" She says,

A few quick tips to help you balance your free offers and time giveaways and asking for the business, her "3/3 Rule" advises:

1) Give away free advice and or tips when directly approached no more/no less than 3 times before you ask for the business.

2) Don't spend more than 3 minutes responding or chatting per person or group.

3) JUST ASK- this is the one thing that separates the good from the great, the broke from the prosperous- ASKING. NOW don't get me wrong there is a BIG difference between desperate and sincere. Make sure that you really want the relationship and or the business and that you are not just asking for the sake of getting another deal. Consumers are smart and they can tell the difference between the two!

As a BONUS TIP, Starr Hall says: "Set up free monthly consulting/coaching teleseminar or Blitz Session (Blitz is a new online social networking site to have quick conversations with people one on one in a row) for 30 minutes, give a quick presentation and then allow each caller 3 minutes to determine whether or not there is a good fit for doing business together. It's called Speed Networking or if Blitz coins a new phrase it may be Blitz Networking."

Find out more at Starr's blog: http://www.starrhall.com/blog

After reading Starr's awesome blog, here is my recommendation for GIVE-AWAYS:

GIVE AWAY something of value as a FREE gift. With no strings attached. Only the opportunity to advertise yourself and your services/products so that they recognize you.

When you give something of value, the recipient will:

1. Appreciate you -- this is an emotion that helps cement your goodwill

2. Remember you -- This emotional experience will trigger a reaction later, when they are in need of the type of services you offer.

3. Feel obligated to give you an opportunity -- guilt or indebtedness will invariably kick in.

After all, that is the ONLY thing you ask for, isn't it -- an OPPORTUNITY to be selected as their service provider. After that, it's up to you to prove yourself!

P.S. And you can always them to give you something FREE in return -- a recommendation, or a referral!

Join my new AR group and post your blog at http://activerain.com/groups/virtualoffice

Regina P. Brown
Broker, Realtor®, e-Pro
Author of eBook "Stop Foreclosure Fast: Solutions to Save your House"

Text copyright © 2009 R.P. Brown, All Rights Reserved