Should all information be Free?

freeGraphicIt’s no secret that everyone likes receiving something for nothing.  But lately I’ve been hearing that all information should be given for free.

They seem to  ignore the ageless wisdom of sayings like these:

  • “you get what you pay for”
  • “wisdom is to be desired over gold or silver”
  • “you become who you surround yourself with”
  • “time is your most valuable asset”
  • “the cream rises to the top”

etc.

Even seemingly successful people seem to have this “I’m too poor to pay for what you know” mentality.  They have thoughts like these:

  • It makes sense to pay thousands of dollars for college but never $19.95 for a book by someone teaching a business model they have perfected. That should be free.
  • I’ll drive 2 hours across town to use my $5 off coupon.
  • Successful people are all mean and greedy and should not be trusted.
  • I’ll hang out with other freebie seekers online and get all the advice and help I need from them.
  • If I can find someone willing to “share” the information,  it’s ok to just take it.

To be clear – these are not the thoughts of successful leaders building incredible businesses.

If you add up all the free content I’ve created over the past years of teaching others how I’ve built my profitable business, it would be a virtual library and, yet, there are still many in our industry who have this “poverty mentality.”

Can you imagine free in the “real world” where you could, for example, walk into a restaurant for a free meal because the owner believes his meals are only good enough to give away and the customers aren’t hungry enough to pay for a more gourmet meal?

It still confounds me, but I love how it weeds out those who are serious about growing a business from those who still think that “if I build it, the business will come.”

Of course you should use extreme discretion when investing in yourself or your business, and demand refunds on worthless products that were over-hyped and wound up under-delivering, but by all means, build relationships with and invest in people who have proven that they know how things work in the real world.

I invest regularly in my own future success and I always have. I’m taken more seriously, get more attention, build stronger relationships, have more pride in myself, make more money from my customers,  and am ultimately more successful because of it.

How about you?

1 thought on “Should all information be Free?”

  1. Interesting topic Joyce,
    I believe in investing in my future. I’ve paid to attend seminars and webinars, and I’ve bought books and tapes all to help grow personally and professionally.

    At one time I was taking courses at a local college. My schedule allowed me to take both day and evening courses. It was interesting to see how much more dedicated the evening students were. They were working people who were paying for the opportunity to be there while I’m guessing many of the day students’ parents were footing the bill.

    When you work hard for your money, you spend it wisely. Education is a wise investment.

    Marie

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