Buyers today have alot of choices.  With the help of the Internet, we can literally find thousands of service providers and places to buy products.  So, how do we choose?

I know I was recently trying to find some software to help my son with spelling.  I found one software product that let me download a trial version for FREE.... do you think I tried it?  You betcha I did.  I looked past the other five on the page, and went straight for the one I could try.  Why?  Because it was a safe and easy way for me to find out if this product was what I needed.

Pink Spoon Marketing (coined in Andrea J. Lee's book, Multiple Streams of Income) comes from the Baskin Robins approach.  When you go to a Baskin Robins to buy an ice cream cone - you find at least 50 different flavors.  Raspberry chocolate with marshmallows sounds interesting to you... but you aren't sure if you want a whole scoop and don't want to waste your money or be disappointed, so what do you do?  You ask for a sample.  Then, they give you a bite sized sample on a tiny pink spoon.  If you like it, you buy the double decker.  If you don't, you get something else. 

Business owners of every type can use this marketing principle to give prospects a sample of what they do and/or how they work.  A pink spoon should be something that is free or less than $5. 

Some examples are:

• E-books or Special Reports (on a topic that your target audience is interested in)
• Free consultations
• Lunch and learns
• Simple services
• Samples of your product
• Blogs
• Ezines
• Articles on your website
• Tele-seminars

The idea is for you to share with your prospects something of value to them, but of little (or no) cost to you.  If you give them something of value,  you will begin to develop credibility and trust.  

For example, I have several Pink Spoons:

• A free Special Report on my website: "8 Ways to Dramatically Increase Your Referral Business"
• My ezine:  "Creative Biz Tips & Solutions"
• Complimentary Coaching Consultations
• Article Library (on my website)

To think of a Pink Spoon for your business, answer these questions:

1.  Who is my target audience?

2.  What keeps them up a night?  What are their major needs and/or challenges?

3.  What do they really want that I can give them or help them with?

4.  What is the most cost effective way for me to share this with them?

5.  How can I inform my prospects and clients that I offer this pink spoon?

Best of luck coming up with your own Pink Spoon!  Let me know what you decide to do (or already do)!

For more information check out Andrea J. Lee's book, Multiple Streams of Income.

Leigh Ann Rodgers