What do you think of something you get for free? How much value do you place on it?
I have been pondering this over the last week.
I spend about 700 hours a year presenting seminars and workshops (14 hours a week on average). This means I see and meet a lot of people and can make a lot of observations about what I have learnt from these trainings.
From time to time, a client will organise me to present training to their community, network or city for free. To pay for the training, they will use funds from somewhere else.
The training organiser will offer free training for many reasons:
1. More people don't show- they havent paid anything so they have nothing to lose. The organisers often lose with excess catering which is "wasted"
2. More people are late to a free training than a training they have paid for. They're less committed to it
3. More people actively plan to leave a free training earlier (many end up staying and telling me how good it was). It is almost as they believed before they came that if "its free so it probably won't be very good".
4. In a free training session, I find more people leave their phones on. Additionally more people will answer their phone and take a call in the middle of a free workshop. They don't value what is free as much as something they have paid to listen.
5. Bizarrely, I get more "rude people" coming to a free workshop than one where they paid. These people are more likely to interrupt, annoy others and sidetrack than in other workshops. I am particularly pleased with the way I and my team handle these situations.
6. I don't often get people arguing with what I say but I can tell you 90% of the times that someone has decided to start an argument with me, it has been at a free workshop. I am not talking questioning or discussing or even disagreeing, I am talking about picking an argument.
7. Finally, I can tell you that my overall evaluation scores are a little lower at the Free workshops I have done. Not dramatically lower. My average rating at a paid workshop is 93%. At a free workshop, it is 91%. The fact there is this consistent difference says something. I know I am not different when I present at these free sessions. It makes no difference to me and I try to give 110% to my presentations. I know my content is the same. The difference is in the expectations of the audience. Have other people found this?
Note to my clients, who I appreciate so much.
One because you are fun to work with and
Two because you have kept me employed. Thank you.
I dont begrudge or regret doing any workshops for you. I however, suggest for the future: If you organise training, and you believe in its value, don’t make it free.
What is your experience?
I have been pondering this over the last week.
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| Me in action! |
From time to time, a client will organise me to present training to their community, network or city for free. To pay for the training, they will use funds from somewhere else.The training organiser will offer free training for many reasons:
- to get more people there
- they were given a grant for the purpose
- its their agency's philosophy to give free training
- they are concerned at the tight economic situation of their community
These are all fair reasons. My reflections of my experiences of what happens when a group offers training for free, has made me question the value of giving training for free.
Here are some observations I have made over the last eight years:
Here are some observations I have made over the last eight years:
1. More people don't show- they havent paid anything so they have nothing to lose. The organisers often lose with excess catering which is "wasted"
2. More people are late to a free training than a training they have paid for. They're less committed to it3. More people actively plan to leave a free training earlier (many end up staying and telling me how good it was). It is almost as they believed before they came that if "its free so it probably won't be very good".
4. In a free training session, I find more people leave their phones on. Additionally more people will answer their phone and take a call in the middle of a free workshop. They don't value what is free as much as something they have paid to listen.
5. Bizarrely, I get more "rude people" coming to a free workshop than one where they paid. These people are more likely to interrupt, annoy others and sidetrack than in other workshops. I am particularly pleased with the way I and my team handle these situations.
6. I don't often get people arguing with what I say but I can tell you 90% of the times that someone has decided to start an argument with me, it has been at a free workshop. I am not talking questioning or discussing or even disagreeing, I am talking about picking an argument.
7. Finally, I can tell you that my overall evaluation scores are a little lower at the Free workshops I have done. Not dramatically lower. My average rating at a paid workshop is 93%. At a free workshop, it is 91%. The fact there is this consistent difference says something. I know I am not different when I present at these free sessions. It makes no difference to me and I try to give 110% to my presentations. I know my content is the same. The difference is in the expectations of the audience. Have other people found this?
Note to my clients, who I appreciate so much.
One because you are fun to work with and
Two because you have kept me employed. Thank you.
I dont begrudge or regret doing any workshops for you. I however, suggest for the future: If you organise training, and you believe in its value, don’t make it free.
What is your experience?
