‘Tis the season for giving, correct? Well here’s a couple of posts on whether to “give it away.”

First is Garr Reynolds’ take over at Presentation Zen. He gives his philosophy on giving away presentations and/or services:
Give it away give it away give it away now…

“Eat like a bird and poop like an elephant”
My philosophy about “giving it away” or sharing information freely relates well to an idea I first read in Rules for Revolutionaries. I recall reading this book by Guy Kawasaki in 1998 while on the bullet train bound for Tokyo. In chapter seven Guy says “Eat like a bird, poop like an elephant.” In other words, (1) get out there, meet people, press the flesh, consume knowledge like crazy, attend seminars, etc. (birds eat a lot!). And (2) spread the knowledge, information, and contacts that you gained around, share of your time and talent (elephants are good at…well you know).

Next was Jackie Huba’s latest Church of the Customer sermon on giving away products:
Giving VIP customers something extra

Instead of the usual Hallmark shopping bag, they brought my ornaments out in a bright red and white striped holiday bag. I exclaimed that they were so great to put them in a gift bag. It got better. Inside the gift bag was another ornament, an ornament from the previous weekend’s ornament preview, a box of Christmas cards, a pad of post-it cards, a matching holiday mug and a coupon off Hallmark flowers.

There’s something powerful that happens when you can give something of value to your customers. You turn an act of business into an act of love. Acts of love demand a response… they usually get it.