Are we afraid of FREE?

So here I sit at the end of the year, trying to brainstorm some specials to offer in Spring/Summer 2008. There are plenty of holidays to draw from, plenty of events planned; but as excited as I get about offering deals, I can’t help but second guess myself. You see, I thought I had it figured out the last time I did this… I’ll knock off the sitting fee and give a free 8×10 – that’s free portraits and one print for nothing. My reasoning was that I would draw some customers, wow them with my abilities, and begin spreading word about the business in our community. Boy, was I wrong!

Instead of creating a buzz with my offer, I actually created fear. When I eagerly passed my fliers out around the community and explained what I planned to give for free, people actually backed away from me. Not to be deterred, I talked my deals up to everyone who would listen, sure that this skepticism would disappear and result in business. But in the end, instead of having a steady line of bargain-hungry customers, I had nothing.

I know, I know… nothing is free, right? Everyone is leery of a catch.

You’re right, there was a catch. Hoping to impress customers with my photography, I was enticing them to order more than just the single 8×10. It’s a gamble, but those are risks that any good photographer is willing to take. Still, there were no high-pressure tactics at play here. If a customer wanted to adhere solely to the offer, it would have been no money out of his pocket. At the least, I’d have met someone in the community and given away a photograph that might be seen by his friends and family – thereby increasing my exposure.

So when did we become afraid of the word “free”? When did we start acting cynically toward those who try to give without asking for anything in return? Is it something we lose someplace between childhood and adulthood? Or is it something that has become more rooted in society, something that taints even the innocence of our children? And what shall we do about it? What do we risk by opening ourselves up to the notion of “free”?

Maybe it’s not that I don’t understand the skiddish feeling that people get when confronted with free offers. Maybe I just don’t want to accept it. Maybe I’m an idealist.

Either way, keep your eyes peeled for some free offers from Cerda Photography this spring and summer. I just can’t help myself.

~ by cerdaphoto on December 18, 2007.