Dr.Mani says...

A Rant on Joint Ventures

This is a rant. That's why it's on my blog, not in an ezine issue! It's even controversial, and you may not agree with everything. I just need to get it off my chest. It's been annoying me for so long.

It's about Joint Ventures.

Not about the technique, approach or strategy behind it - or even the effectiveness and profitability.

It's about Joint Venture Partners.

I've been working on my various websites for over 9 years now. As an avid student of Internet marketing tactics, I have studied most of the top experts - even before they were widely regarded 'gurus'.

And in many cases, I have exchanged emails, messages, ideas, sought feedback, offered suggestions or opinions - in other words, established as 'personal' a relationship as is possible over the Web, operating from different continents!

In the past 2 years, I've done some great JV deals - and they have brought in 5-figure sales in a few days.

But...

I've only done this kind of deals with THREE people.

And it hasn't been for lack of trying. Too many of the 'big guns' must be sick and tired of hearing me ask them to help promote one product after another - but have been consistent in their response.

They all turned me down!

Now, that is enough cause for a rant. But that's NOT the issue I'm angry about. That's just a business decision. What irks me is the manner in which I get turned down or dealt with!

Based on my exchanges with people I've approached with JV offers, I've identified 3 categories.

1. The 'not so famous' - who, in general, are very nice folks with a polite, can-do, positive attitude to working together (maybe because there is a significant benefit to both sides from the JV)

2. The 'Old School Gentlemen' - really big name gurus many thousands learn from and admire, class acts who know how to say 'No' without causing offence or being condescending. Secure and confident people with results to back them... but more importantly, caring individuals who don't consider themselves 'over and above' the crowd

3. The 'Upstarts' - this is the group I've learned to dislike - and will avoid in the future. One success, one big launch, one endorsement by a big name, one appearance at a seminar - and BOOM... they consider themselves the next best thing since sliced bread.

What's worse, having secured an entry into the 'elite insider club', they then proceed to talk down to others.

I've had one person critique my email subject lines (unsolicited, of course) - not even knowing what kind of numbers I'm doing!

Another reacted strangely defensively to feedback on a marketing technique!

A third analyzed my sales letter and promotion technique when offered a chance to do an endorsed mailing to his list - and the funny thing is, he never was interested in doing the promotion!

I've tried to understand what makes these people think they are such hot shots based on one solitary success (or a handful of them) - and then realized they weren't OVER-confident...

They Were Insecure!

No wonder the response I've had from these folks was bordering on RUDE. The folks responding were not confident enough to relax in their success. They KNOW it was a one-shot thing - and perhaps when they repeat it over and over again, they'll become more confident and then get off their high-horses ;)

And there's a point to this whole tirade - it's this...

Remember This Is NOT The Entire World!

Yes, I understand you might be spending many hours of your life doing this Internet marketing thing. You may be feeling isolated and lonely working all alone in front of a computer screen in a dim lit room, shooting off emails and writing sales copy and running promotions - and closely tracking results.

It's easy to believe that EVERYTHING is about your website, your ebook, your latest sales numbers, your response rates, your list size, blah blah blah

But it is not.

There's more to life - and a lot of it is more important.

Stuff like the kind of person you are.

The kind of person your success makes you.

The things you do with your success and money - giving yourself and your family a better lifestyle, taking more time off and holidaying, relaxing and reducing stress, doing more critical, important and enjoyable things you like.

And there are many amazing people who lead very successful lives - who are getting started in Internet marketing, learning the ropes, and not as successful at THIS - yet.

If one of them approaches YOU, are you going to let your LIMITED success make you talk down to them, insult or humiliate them, be nasty and rude to them?

Or are you going to share your success, learn from THEM (in maybe unrelated ways) about a broader kind of success?

Zig Ziglar says this: "Life is like a grindstone. Whether it wears you down or polishes you up depends upon what YOU are made of"

And there's another couple of lessons in this rant too.

You might assume that because many folks know me or have heard about me, getting top experts to JV with is as easy as falling off a log. I've had emails from my subscribers asking why I don't 'pull strings and use connections' to get so-and-so to run an endorsement to their lists.

While I'd love to be able to say that my relationship is based on a higher level and I don't misuse that to ask them to do a promotion, the truth of the matter is that I try - and fail far more often than I succeed.

That's life. Get over it :)

The other lesson is one my little patients teach me every day.

Don't Give Up!

I'll name some names at this point, because I know these folks won't mind.

I've written Yanik Silver AT LEAST 15 times about different product promotions over the last 7 years. A few weeks back, he sent out a note about one of my reports on ebusiness optimization to his list of several thousand avid subscribers.

Joint ventures sometimes take persistence!
(Yes, a lot of it)

I've invited Joshua 'Mr.NPOD' Shafran to tell his list about my products for more than 3 years. 3 months ago, he said he had a slot available - for the next day! Quickly, I crafted a promotion. We ran it out to his subscribers - and it was good.

Joint ventures sometimes take timing
- and luck!

I've pursued Stephen Pierce for months, getting a kind of 'semi-agreement' on a couple of occasions - but not being able to consummate the deal. It's a case of 'so near, yet so far'. It can be frustrating - but you've got to live with it.

Joint ventures sometimes don't come through
- often, really!

Finally, I've just mailed a letter asking for a joint venture opportunity with a master marketer. If it happens, it will be BIG. What's the chance it'll happen? Well, without me sending out that letter, ZERO. At least, with this first contact, there's a chance!

Joint ventures sometimes take guts
- you've got to step up to the plate and swing!

Don't let rejection (or the fear of it) stop you. The really big guys won't hurt you when they turn you down. The rest aren't really so big themselves. And either way it doesn't matter - coz you gotta do what you gotta do!

Finally, constantly work on becoming one of the 'Old School Gentlemen' - even if you first have to get to being an 'Upstart' :)

That's it - end of my rant!

I want your comments or feedback. What do you think about what I just wrote. Have your say - on this special section of our niche marketing forum - click here

If you're interested in getting more in-depth information about the nuts-and-bolts of doing joint venture deals, here are some of the wonderful resources I've read and studied:

* JV Mastery - from the best JV expert I've studied, Jay Abraham. If you want only ONE manual to teach you everything you need to know about doing JVs, this is the one. It even teaches you the right mindset - and getting it is the ONLY way you will stay the course, despite disappointment and frustration.

* Ultimate JV - by Gabriel Howes, a good primer on the nuance of joint venture deal making, starting from the very basics and going up to advanced strategies. A comprehensive guide.