This is a great way to get customers to try your products/services for the first time and get them to experience your products/services when they otherwise would not.  In the customer’s mind, he/she has nothing to lose. But once they try the product/service they begin contemplating whether or not to purchase it.

You can offer free products/services in different ways:

- Without Purchasing:  You can offer free products/services with no strings attached.  The customer is not required to make any purchases.  There is no pressure on the customer to make a purchase.  In this case you’re giving away something for free with the hope that the product/service will speak for itself and customers will be highly encouraged to make a purchase.

- With Purhasing of Same Product/Service:  In this situation you’re giving the customer the chanced to get something for free by making a purchase of the same product/service.  It gives the customer the sense that he/she is getting something at a bargain.  The down side is that you may not be able to lure some customers to try your product/service because of the free trial will come at a price.

- Free with the Purchase of Other Products/Services:  With this option you’re not confined to offering customers the choice of purchasing the same item, but you can let them purchase any other items and still get the free samples.  By letting the customer choose what items to purchase in order to get the free sample they are more likely to generate sales because the customer is buying something they want.

- Free With the Purhase of Additional Quantities: You can offer free samples with the purchase of additional items by offering more quantity of the same product for the same price as regular packaging. Some examples of this would be, Buy-One-Get-One Free; Buy-Ten-Get-One Free, etc.

- For a Short Period of Time:  Offering your products/services for free for a short period of time will give potential customers the sense that this is a rear opportunity to try your product/service for free and will lure them to your business at the time period you deemed to be ideal to promote your product.  Offering your free promotions for long periods of time will give potential customers the sense that this is not something special and it will allways be there for them to try.  Keep it short and focus your marketing efforts to alert potential customers of your free promotion period.

- Free Trial Period:  A free trial period lets you get customers to commit to future purchase upon taking the free product/service.  We see this often with software or service companies that lets you sign up for the use of their service for a period of 15 or 30 days, after which you have to pay for a monthly or a one time use of their service.  At the time you commit to taking the free service you have to sign up for the paid service that kicks in after the free trial period.

- Premium Give Away:  This is where the customer does not get the free products/services you promise him/her until after they make a purchase.  For example, Microsoft may offer access to free downloadable ringtones if you purchase one of their phones.