The internet is full of downloads and ebooks, or buy one get one offers. These can generate sales, but they have no intrinsic value for the person making the purchase. The best ‘free offers' are things that people can use the moment they receive them to build wealth, have fun, or improve their skills.

People are driven by five motivational needs: security, belonging/love , self esteem, building wealth, and comfort. The trick to success is to find a free offer that meets one of these needs.

The second secret to success is to make the free offer valuable. If someone is buying a book on ‘wealth building' for $20 and they receive a free one year membership to the author's forum, and free monthly chats, then the author has not spent any money on the free offer, but they've met the motivational needs of ‘belonging' and ‘wealth building'. Top that off with the feeling that the free offer will be worth more than the book, and you have a win-win situation for both the buyer and the seller.

The next aspect of a great free offer is the person can get before buying. Of course, a better offer can be awarded after subscription or purchase. A free offer that only costs a user their email address will hook most visitors. It can also be used to test what products the buyers really want and need.

However, an email course is not a good sign up fee. The free offer needs to be instant. It should also be pro-active. An ebook is not as attractive as a free ebook and access to a ‘subscriber's only' forum, or a free web or teleconference.

A free offer can have two purposes. First, it can increase the chances of making a sale. Second, it can be a method of collecting a mailing list. In fact, the first offer is rarely designed to generate sales. The first offer should educate the prospective buyer on why they need the product.

Free offers are perfect for selling without selling. A free offer can let the advertiser eliminate the ‘intrusive' value of advertising. People want to buy. They want to spend money. Most advertising campaigns fail because they ‘intrude' into the buyer's world and make them feel like they are being pushed. Remember the list of motives? If your add attacks a person's feeling of security then you reduce the chances of turning a query into a sale.

The most costly mistake most small businesses make is not including their free offer in their advertising. Every piece of marketing material should include the free offer.

Another aspect of a great free offer is that it is tangible. It is something that the potential buyer can use. Instead of an ebook, offer a digital workbook. Once they buyer prints out the workbook so they can fill it in, then they are holding something tangible.

The last aspect of a great free offer is that it doesn't focus on how great the product, service, or business is, but how great the visitor is, and how much their life will improve. The #1 mistake made in any ad is to focus on the product, service, or business. Instead, all advertising and free offers need to focus on making life easier for the potential buyer- even if they never buy the product.

Suggestion: One great way to add value to a product is to make it something that improves the value of the product or service. A book on wealth building can be improved if a free offer of a tele-course, or workbook that will improve the effectiveness of the product.