Some random guy hit me up for free consulting, so I stopped what I was doing and gave him 5 minutes of help on the spot.

But then he kept asking more and more questions.

Eventually, I gave him a magic phrase taught to me by a mentor– ‘You know I do this for a living, right?”

I suggested that he book a consulting slot with me, so we could properly spend time on his issue.

Then he got super offended.

He said he could get free help elsewhere.

Ironically, if you were to ask him if he gave away his products and services, you know how he’d respond.

If you’re a knowledge worker— consultant, agency, or freelancer– don’t feel you are obligated to give away your time for free.

Your best customers are the ones who highly value their own time. Which means they will value yours.

Put your knowledge out there for free in the form of posts, articles, videos, webinars, and books.

But charge appropriately for your time, which doesn’t scale.

And don’t be ashamed to ask for money– any more than a doctor doesn’t give out free surgery and architects won’t design your house for free.

Dennis Yu

Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations. He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications. Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries. Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.

Dennis Yu