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There’s a moment in TV sitcom “Family Guy” where the son, Chris, realizes that instead of always running forward towards the reward on a string (which is on the end of a stick affixed to his hat) he can just lay on his back and eat the treat. The carrot on the end of stick isn’t exactly the most foolproof way to entice forward movement. Likewise, offering free product isn’t always the best way to entice a customer. Being able to reward loyal newsletter readers should definitely still be on the menu, of course!

Instead of offering a one-time deal for free, why not create a “free” package that is actually going to further engage a client? For example, if you offer a particular service, don’t give the customer a trinket, offer them service. That service should:

1) Give them a taste of the really good stuff. It’s like being upgraded to first class on a flight. You knew it was better sitting in front of the blue curtain, but you didn’t know just how much better it was until you had the chance to enjoy the luxury first-hand.

2) Be just enough that they can almost achieve an ideal but leave room for more to be added on. If you were giving away design work, for example, you might give out a period of time wherein a basic product could be completed. An even better one might be only an hour or two of extra design work away.

3) Lead into an upsell. There should always be something more that can be added on to what you are giving out for free. What’s more, that upsell should be a very logical next step. It should enhance what they already have in their happy hands.