Are you still catching fish one at a time? I hope not.
Gone are the days where you sit by the edge of the lake with a fishing pole hoping something will bite. Don’t do that! There are better, more powerful ways of doing things today.
Use a net instead! Then, go to a spot where the fish are plenty and they’re jumping up at you!
One of the fastest ways of building your customer base is to seek out mutually beneficial joint ventures.
The key words here are “mutually beneficial”. Find marketers and business owners who already have large “responsive” mailing lists and make them an offer they can’t refuse! Just make sure your offer benefits them as well – in a big way.
Many people have tried using this strategy. Most have failed miserably. I’ll tell you why.
The problem with most people is that they are only focused on what they can get out of the deal. You’ll never get it if that’s what your focus is on.
When you’re working on forming joint ventures, focus on the other party and ask yourself “What do they need? What can I offer them that would be of value to them?”
Sure, you can just offer the other person a cut of the profits if they agree to endorse your product to their list. But that’s what everybody does. And these days, that’s not enticing enough. How is your offer unique?
Here’s a better way of doing it…
What if you were to create a product specifically for one marketer. Offer them exclusive rights to distribute the product as they see fit.
You don’t have to create a hundred page masterpiece. It’s not the number of pages… it’s the content! You can have a 5 page report that contains solid gold. And you can have a 100-page mammoth filled with garbage.
Want to do one better?
Offer to help the other party with something first. Anything – without bringing up your joint venture offer. Then, when you’ve created some value for them, you can ask them to help you out with something. (Say a joint venture, perhaps?)
Do you see how this strategy differs from what most people try to do out there?
Heck, I’ve even seen people requesting joint ventures by just sending a one-line email note to the other person which reads, “Want to promote my product? Here’s my link…”
Do they really expect the other person to even respond to that note? It just doesn’t work!
Be unique. Create value for them. Make it worth their while. Make them an offer they can’t refuse!
Keep in mind that…although the above strategy increases your chances of striking a deal astronomically, not everyone will say “yes” to your offer.
I’ve approached some people who just had too much on their plate to begin with and just weren’t able to work with me. It happens.
Don’t take it personally.
The trick is to not quit after the first “no”.
Forming powerful, mutually beneficial alliances with successful marketers is the best strategy available to us. And it is well worth your time to continue pursuing joint ventures until you strike a deal or two. But, you don’t have to stop there either. Get as many as you can.
Remember, you are not just seeking a one-time deal here either. You’re seeking an alliance. Great ongoing business deals and friendships can be formed this way.
