Giving before asking

What I'm trying

Providing something useful before introducing the product creates a better starting point for a commercial relationship. The approach is straightforward:

Identify a relevant problem → create something useful → share it → let the commercial conversation come later

There is an established behavioral principle behind this approach: reciprocity. Robert Cialdini describes reciprocity as the tendency to respond to value received with value in return. Claude Hopkins made a similar case nearly a century ago in Scientific Advertising: free samples build trust and drive sales precisely because they ask nothing in return upfront.

The important distinction here is that the resource isn't being created as a disguised sales pitch. It should have value whether or not the recipient ever becomes a customer.

Being consistently useful before asking for anything improves the quality of the relationships I build within a vertical.

How I'm doing it

Step 1 — Identify a recurring problem

I start with a problem that exists independently of my product. Sources can include:

• Customer conversations
• Questions that repeatedly come up
• Existing operational processes
• Regulatory changes
• Tasks that are still handled manually
• Information people regularly need to find or organize

The problem needs to be specific enough that I can produce something practical around it.

Step 2 — Turn the solution into an asset

I'm converting what I learn into resources that can be reused. Current formats include:

• Process books
• Templates
• Checklists
• Frameworks
• Practical guides
• Examples

For example, if a recurring problem is how a company structures a particular internal process, I can document a reference version of that process. The recipient can then use it as a starting point rather than designing everything from scratch.

Step 3 — Keep the resource operational

I'm prioritizing resources that help someone do something. A useful check is whether the recipient can:

• Copy it
• Adapt it
• Implement it
• Share it internally
• Use it with a client
• Save time with it

This keeps the scope narrow. The objective isn't to create more content. It's to create something usable.

Step 4 — Share it without requiring a conversion

The resource is shared before asking for:

• A demo
• A meeting
• A trial
• A purchase

There may be a product behind the interaction, but accessing the resource doesn't depend on progressing through a sales funnel. This matters because reciprocity can become counterproductive when the initial value is obviously conditional on a later request. The underlying principle works best when what is given has genuine standalone value.

Step 5 — Observe what happens afterwards

I'm not assuming that giving something useful will automatically create customers. I'm looking at what happens to the relationship afterwards. That includes:

• Whether people respond
• What they respond to
• Whether the resource starts a conversation
• Whether it gets shared internally
• Whether people return later
• Whether it reveals additional problems worth exploring

The commercial outcome is only one part of it. Creating these resources also improves my understanding of the vertical itself.