Debate: do you offer a free audit or make them pay upfront?

I was in a sales call last month with a retail chain in Austin and offered a free 30 minute audit of their Google Ads account. They took it, I found 4 major issues, but then they just said "thanks" and went with a cheaper agency anyway. Now I'm leaning towards charging a flat $150 for the audit and applying it to the first month if they sign. Which side you guys on for new leads?

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2 Comments

grantl942mo ago

Tried the free audit route myself a few times and ended up with a "thanks but no thanks" more often than I'd like to admit. It's like offering free samples at the grocery store - people take them, nod politely, and walk right past the product aisle. I'd go with the $150 fee applied to the first month, since it weeds out the tire-kickers who just want free consulting. Lost an entire afternoon once to a guy who took my audit, said he loved it, then hired his cousin who ran Facebook ads for a food truck.

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finley7772mo ago

Oh man, that cousin story hurts just reading it! I had almost the same thing happen with a local bakery owner who took my full audit, asked all these detailed questions, then ghosted me for three weeks. Next thing I know, his nephew is running their Google ads and they're literally spending money on the wrong keywords. The $150 fee is smart because it filters out people who just want free advice and nothing else. It's rough out there when you put real work into something and it goes nowhere.

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