Free is NOT the same as "zero benefit"

[27amDotCom]

I contacted a very sharp local marketer regarding a potential JV (a true JV) for a new offer (see signature).

He replied with a "thank you" and said it was creative, etc, etc.

However, he declined the proposal because, as he explained it, he gives ebooks away for free and therefore felt my offer isn't a fit for how he conducts his business.

Don't get me wrong... I completely respect his decision, appreciate his time in getting back to me and genuinely wished him the best with his business (and invited him to contact me if I can be of help to him).

(Even though, it was easy to see that he didn't give the proposal and the actual offer enough attention seeing as my report *IS* free which is precisely why I contacted him as I already knew that he and I shared a similar philosophy ...)

The above is just the "background" to setup my point here (ie: I'm not here to discuss how any individual chooses to run their business or what reasons they do or don't give for declining a JV invite... that's irrelevant).

However, what I did start thinking about is this: "Free" is not the same as "zero benefits". Meaning, just because a business owner gives a product or service away for zero financial cost (ie: no immediate monetary gain on their end), it does NOT mean that they don't receive a different and often just as important benefit.

I've given away video tutorials and reports (including the one that I mentioned above) and normally charge very low prices for my other offers... but the other benefits may include a small stream of traffic back to my sites, more subscribers or customers to build further equity in my business, a bit more name and brand exposure and possibly a handful of related affiliate links mentioned in the product.

Or consider the fellow marketer I just mentioned. He gives away an ebook that I *KNOW* the majority would charge $37, $49 etc for. But... he actually makes more money by giving it away then he likely would by selling it as it does a great job pushing traffic to his chosen webpage (which does a very good job at monetizing that traffic and is responsible for a predictable 5-figure monthly income).

In short... anyone who values their time shouldn't and often isn't actually giving anything away for free. At bare minimum, they are doing it for their own self satisfaction (which is also why the majority make donations or give a few dollars to a pan-handler). But anyone who understands the value of TIME (not money, money is an infinite resource... time on the other hands is *very* precious), will not give away material for free... they just prefer to tell themselves that, seeing as they don't charge their prospects upfront.

Or am I completely wrong??