August 26, 2025
What if giving away your service for free is the fastest way to get paying clients? Alex Hormozi’s fifth tip is to start free, collect proof, build confidence, earn referrals, and then charge. Done right, free clients aren’t lost money. They’re an investment in data, testimonials, and momentum.
For a lot of people, “free” is a trigger word. In this episode of Bringing Simplicity Unfiltered, Judy and Greta explain why starting free can help you make money even if you have no revenue coming in yet, what “free” should look like at different stages of business (it’s different for everyone), and the right way to do it so free clients become paying clients and referrals.
Free gives you proof, and proof gives you confidence: confidence in your own abilities if you’re new, and confidence for the buyer, who gets to see what you’re capable of.
Greta admits she’s triggered by the word free herself. Years ago, she worked for almost a year for free on the promise of being paid once she mastered a skill, but nobody defined what “mastered” meant, and she was well past the point where she should have been paid. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. Please don’t go work for free for a year.
Greta recently took a free audit from someone she met through Alex Hormozi’s coaching program. He’s a Hyros expert. Hyros is software that tracks how your ad dollars are being spent so you can make smarter decisions. Greta is Hyros certified and still finds parts of it confusing, so she jumped at the offer.
Here’s why it worked:
If he’d charged for the audit, Greta might not have booked it. Because it was free, she didn’t think twice. Whether we hire him or not, he now has someone who would refer him, and he’s building a group of raving fans. Proof sells, and free lets you get it fast.
If you’re thinking about offering free audits, Judy’s rule is to deliver as if they’d paid you double your full price. If you show up without real value, people can tell.
Collect your own data:
And get what’s in it for you, too: data and market research. If you’re stuck choosing between offers, start with two and see which one people value most in your free sessions.
The second benefit is referrals, and the key is to ask. Go for No, a book we recommend often, is all about this. The Hyros expert could have simply asked, “Do you know anyone else who uses Hyros?”
People believe what they say more than what you say. If Greta answers, “I don’t know anyone right now, but if I come across someone, I’ll send them your way,” that’s more powerful than you asking her to. People retain it, believe it, and honest people don’t want to go back on their word. It’s free marketing, which is perfect if you don’t have a marketing budget yet.
A client recently asked us for referrals, but we weren’t clear on their offer, so we had to schedule another meeting. Before you ask, be crystal clear about your avatar and the outcome. For example, people come to us because they want to launch ads in their business, they’re ad-curious, and they don’t want to pay high agency fees.
Don’t say “any business owner.” People know thousands. Instead, say something like “I’m looking to bring on 10 people who want this specific outcome.” Then they can picture who to send you, and they’ll start asking questions, which is how you know it’s working.
You can also offer an incentive. For example, “If you refer five people who book a free audit, I’d love to give you a discount on my services.” Often the free session uncovers another pain point, and as Hormozi teaches, the best time to sell is at the point of greatest pain. “There’s so much more we could cover with your data. I’d love to give you another session. If you can send me a few referrals, I’m happy to do that.” It takes confidence, which is exactly what free work builds.
Be honest: most of us aren’t great at selling our own thing, Greta and Judy included. When we tell clients to start with free work, it’s often not because their buyers need the proof. We could go sell their product right now. It’s because they need to believe it themselves.
Whether it’s a free audit, a free masterclass, or simply going above and beyond, free clients often become paying clients. A high-value masterclass gives people things they can act on right away, so they see the transformation you provide and buy with confidence. If you do great work for free, people won’t want to lose you.
At Bringing Simplicity, delivering more than what’s expected is a core value, not just a way to win clients. Recently a client couldn’t access their website’s DNS records, which a previous PR company controlled. (The DNS is basically what makes your website work and tells Google where to send visitors.) After almost a month of emails, the company finally replied that the DNS would be shut down that night.
It wasn’t our job to move the website, but doing it quickly was better for the client than rebuilding an entire site, and it let our project move forward. It also showed them that when we say we’ll do something, we go above and beyond. Clients like that tend to stay a long time and refer us, because “you guys really care.”
Over-deliver with something they didn’t pay for, like a tire shop that tops off your oil or gives your car a quick vacuum. Then make sure they’re aware of it. When this client asked about an item we’d pushed back, Judy explained it was because of the website emergency, and he thanked us. The more you get clients to say how amazing you are, the more natural it becomes for them to rave about you to others, which increases longevity and referrals.
Free builds demand. When you flip the switch to paid, your ideal customers will see how committed you are, and they’ll stay, pay, and refer you.
Strategically, yes. Free audits, sessions, or masterclasses can build proof, confidence, testimonials, and referrals. Set clear parameters so free work has a defined end and a path to paid.
Deliver as much value as if they’d paid you double, then naturally present your paid offer as the next step. Free clients who get real results often don’t want to lose you.
Be specific about the exact client and outcome you’re looking for, and ask directly. When people say they’ll refer you in their own words, they’re more likely to follow through.
Test it with around 20 people, track referrals and upgrades, and ask what they would have paid. If no one refers or upgrades, revisit the value.
If you want to use free offers and masterclasses to build proof and paying clients, see our services or reach out to us.
Want more? Watch every episode of Bringing Simplicity Unfiltered on our YouTube channel.
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