A Change in Philosophy

One of the new ways being espoused to create business is to give your product away free. Yep free as in free. The book ‘Free: How Today's Smartest Businesses Profit by Giving Something for Nothing’ by Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired Magazine, talks about this concept in more detail.

The thought of giving things away free has been floating around in my head since I noticed a new frozen yogurt business that opened in the mall where I occasionally walk. It is a kiosk-type of set up in an area of the mall where there are no other food vendors in the vicinity. It is near an entrance and it is at an intersection of two corridors so it doesn’t seem that adequate foot traffic is an issue.

But I have seen only one person that I recall during the past several weeks buying yogurt at this stand. Granted I am only there about an hour when I walk on weekdays and haven’t really been there much on weekends.

I think the concept of free will work for this business because the brand is not a national brand name that is easily recognizable and no one is eating the yogurt that I am aware of to tell others about it. So there is no buzz! But there are other food businesses that give away samples in the mall – businesses that sell popcorn, candy, tea, chicken, and Asian foods.

And I don’t think the owner of the yogurt business is there to see what is going on. The only one working at the kiosk is a younger woman who doesn’t appear to be an entrepreneur.

The owner can use the concept of free by giving away a few hundred free samples of yogurt or more in small cups in the evening and on the weekends. How much could this cost? If the yogurt is really good people who try it will like it, buy it and tell others about it. And then the business will grow.

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Now I didn’t stop there with the idea of free. I realized that we Christians can use this concept of free to share our faith with others. We can and are supposed to give away kindness, respect, concern, attention, interest, help, understanding and more to those who don’t know Jesus as we do.

It is just a taste we offer in the beginning but it should gain their interest because we are different than others and hopefully our behavior will get them to want more and to come to know Jesus. It’s not about us getting something from them but about us showing an interest in others as Jesus has taught us.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort. It takes a willingness to talk to others and get involved in their lives.