Like many of my colleagues I have various products and services I make available to my market via the Internet. Everything from a $7 report on up to contracts for one-on-one coaching ranging in the thousand, tens of thousands and beyond.
Most people understand that when they buy a low priced report they are buying a low priced report and nothing more. However, every so often there are those who believe that because they invested in an experts low priced products this automatically includes one on one time with the expert or unlimited email coaching. Some people will assume it is okay to ask the expert to review their website, blog, new information product or whatever because they bought a $10 plus information product.
Two of my most recent reports have to do with becoming an online bestseller and making your first $100 online with eReports.
With each I have had people who wanted me to review everything from their teleseminar outline, their not yet published manuscript, their eBook and/or eReport, and on and on. Usually their request is followed by, “While you’re at it, can you review my website and give me some feedback?”
The short answer is, “No.” It’s not because I don’t care about what you are doing; it’s because I honestly cannot afford to do this.

The time adds up

Minute

Imagine if you will if even a small percentage of buyers asked for this “it will only take a minute” review. Only taking a minute is usually in the neighborhood of 10 – 30 minutes when all is said and done. Multiply that by dozens of requests a day. This would be an unmanageable chunk of time out of my day. Billable time other clients are paying substantial amounts of money for. People newer to the world of doing business on the Internet are often offended when they are told no or given a fee schedule for review services. I recall one gentleman who emailed me a question that was actually easy to answer. I quickly responded with the answer. He emailed another question. I again responded to which he sent a third question.
This time I wrote, “We are now moving into consulting time. My fee is ______.” He was irate and made no effort to hide his feelings.

“I have built a six figure business by what I give away. You obviously don’t subscribe to this way of doing business,” he wrote.
“Actually I do,” I responded. “I give a lot away and I also know when to draw the line.”
He ended up apologizing. Although that was not what I was looking for I was glad he got the point.
It’s more common than most people imagine
Many of my colleagues have similar situations where someone will buy a low priced item and expect unlimited access to the expert whether it be by email or phone. Yup! We do have people who “want to pick your brain” for what they assume should take only about 15 minutes. The truth is, we are not in a position to do this without our business suffering.
Myself and all of my highly respected colleagues do all we can to always give more value than what someone pays for. Yet, there will always be the handful of people who think we should give more. The fact is, when you pay for a $10 item you are not going to get hundreds of dollars in free coaching. That’s not the way it works.
Most of us have coaching programs available in a variety of formats; email coaching, one-on-one and group coaching. Rarely, do these come with the purchase of a low priced information product.
So the next time you begin an email that begins with, “Dear (expert), I have a request that will only take a few minutes of your time…….” Stop!
Put yourself on the other side of the request. How many of these types of inquiries do you think you could handle on any given day before you had to say no?
Let the answer be the gauge of what you ask for pro bono.