Today's lesson
Generosity marketing 101

Back in the day of street markets the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker all had the same marketing strategy.

They all offered their new buyers a taste and that's what I suggest you do too. 

Right! But it's your generosity after the sale that will convert a customer to a raving fan. 

When you come up with something new these are your VIP customers. You could call them personally and ask them to have a look.  

If you are a coach or consultant or any kind of service provider you need to be the brand but not only that if you want to be the brand that gets remembered and referred you need to be the generous brand. 

So the goal of generosity marketing is to be remembered with fondness, and the best way to ensure consumers remember your brand is generosity.
 

But here's the secret:

It's not the generosity in your offer, but in your delivery, that counts. 

I see a lot of offers using the old-fashioned stacking method that was used on late-night television for years. 
 

They add bonus after bonus boosting the value of their offer hoping to overwhelm buyer resistance with the added value but ‘what we ultimately remember about a person or brand, is their generosity after the purchase is made.

Generosity drives memorability because it is uncommon, outstanding, and endearing. 

A gift is a way better memory than a purchase.

 People often forget where they bought something, even what it cost but a gift given where no obligation existed is almost always remembered. 

It's a way to build customer loyalty, increase the frequency of purchases and get referrals.

If a relationship is online  

A follow-up email after a product delivery that includes a gift is always well received. Done right it almost guarantees your next email will get opened and you can begin to build a relationship.

Timing is Key

Let's say you just purchased a brand new car at your local car dealership. 
 

The day you go to pick it up the car salesman gives you a free set of floormats. The value is about $40.00 but you know he didn't pay that for them. You didn't even know the car didn't come with floor mats. 

He points out the value and lets you know he bought them for you out of his own pocket.

Considering the fact that you just spent $40K with him the value of the mats is diminished by comparison.

Heck, sometimes the gift is counterproductive.

So let's try it another way.

 It's thirty days after the sale and you have already forgotten the salesperson's name you bought it from. 

You have had a few people ask where you got the car and you told them the name of the dealership.

Then you receive an email from the salesperson saying he just paid for your first oil change.

"Just ask for me when you come in, if I'm not on shift talk to John in service. I've paid for it in advance."

You get a little bump of dopamine, Your heart beats faster, and you associate the name of the salesperson with the good feeling you get when something good and unexpected happens.

In NLP (neurolinguistic programming) we call that “anchoring”, and boy does it work. 

Now, are you going to remember his name?  

So Why does being generous work? The answer is psychological, and based on the principle of ‘reciprocity.

According to ‘reciprocity’, a behavioral principle ‘we feel compelled (by design) to reciprocate any form of generosity shown to us.’

So give a little something to get a little something in return. Knowing that most human beings are wired to return favors and payback debts—it's a good strategy.