When is a Gift Not a Gift?

This morning I received an email from a coach whose email list I’m on.  In it, she requested that I participate in a quick survey, and that my "reward" would be a gift worth $20.  Since I’m a fan of her work, I assumed the gift would be a special report or ebook or audio program.

I completed the survey (it was only 7 questions or so), and discovered my "gift" was a $20 coupon off the regular price of one of her marketing programs. I have to tell you that I had a brief feeling of being ripped off. Granted, the survey was short, as she promised, but I don’t consider it a "gift" to save $20 off something I still have to pay $77 to receive.  As I wrote to her, a $20 discount is a discount, not a gift, and it resembles a bait and switch when you promise one thing and deliver another.  In some circles this strategy might be considered smart Internet marketing, but I think the practice reeks of poor online relationship management.

It’s just as important in the online world as it is in traditional marketing to deliver what you promise, with no strings attached. As an online business owner, you are developing relationships and a reputation online in everything that you do.  Don’t let a brief lapse in judgment cause your online presence to be tarnished.