Joint Ventures - Don't "SELL" it!

One of the most important aspects of the Joint Venture Mindset is that we don’t need to, and in fact shouldn’t, “Sell” a JV proposal. Last night I attended a “Networking” meeting where the Membership Services Manager walked up and asked me outright why I didn’t join their Chamber of Commerce. She showed no interest in me, my business, my problems or my interests. She was simply out to hard sell everybody she could. When I indicated that I needed to see how joining that Chamber would benefit my particular business, she proceeded to reel off the “benefits” of joining. She is not someone to approach for a Joint Venture. She is egotistical, arrogant and stupid.

If this “Manager” was intelligent, she would have listened carefully to me and asked herself a few simple questions: “How many people could Robin introduce to this Chamber? How many people does he influence, who are those people, and what is his ‘Hot Button’? What does he really, really want? How can this Chamber bring him massive, unprecedented value? How can I best present this option to him, in a win/win scenario?” If she had listened carefully, she would have learnt that I have many DollarMakers Joint Venture Forum Members and that many of them might consider joining her Chamber, and that many of her 1,400 Members could join the DollarMakers Joint Venture Forum and attend our Bootcamps, which could make her a substantial amount of money (a lot more than she earns at the Chamber). She would have found out that I can put her in front of a lot of prospective Chamber members via my talks, ezines and seminars.

When someone doesn’t understand the value you offer them, walk away. If you have to sell it, the value is not perceived. Either you have to describe it better, listen better or realize there is no match. But you shouldn’t try to persuade someone to JV with you. They should eagerly accept your no cost, no risk offer – that will mean they’re committed and serious. If both JV parties are excited, enthusiastic and passionate about the JV, it will probably work very well. You have to kiss a few frogs to find a prince, you know. But you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. Some people will never understand the JV mindset – get used to it, don’t take it personally, and remember what smart salespeople say: “Some will, some won’t, so what? NEXT!”

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com