The Power of Free in Any JV

When people ask me, “Robin, why do you arrange to have all your events, flights, marketing, services and products paid for and financed by people on commission and sponsors?” I reply that, while I can easily afford to pay for these services, this is the ideal way to get leverage and commitment from others. Think about it: if you paid for a speaking venue and costs, and the only way for you to recover your investment was through filling the room with people, would you put a little extra effort in to do that? There is method in my madness.

People need “skin in the game” so that they are motivated to take massive, focused action. The difference between an employee and a commission - only salesperson is commitment. Most employees have a sense of entitlement and do just enough to keep their jobs. New brooms sweep clean. I would never hire an employee if there was any way to avoid it. They want more and more and generally produce less and less. The longer they have the job, the less afraid they are of losing it, and the more they take advantage and cut corners. People appreciate what they pay for. Easy come, easy go. You are more likely to read a book that you buy than a book that someone gives you. Put people on the line, get leverage, give them a generous piece of the action, and make them responsible. It’s called a Joint Venture.

When my son asked me for some money, many years ago, I answered, “You can have as much as you want – all you have to do is earn it.” At the age of fourteen, he was earning more than his teacher. As entrepreneurs who specialize in creating wealth through Joint Ventures, we should practice what we preach. Anyone can buy advertising space and risk money, and it’s the easy way. Sometimes, this is a good way to go. Usually, though, a better way is to get a whole bunch of people seriously committed to helping you achieve a common goal, knowing that you will share the spoils. Together, we accomplish amazing things. Pay for results, not promises. And be generous.

When you ask yourself, “How can I get this product or service ‘for free’?” you force your mind to think in terms of a JV. You push your brain to figure out reciprocity, sharing, common goals, underutilized assets and leverage. By partnering up with people who have a vested interest in the success of any project, you share the load, heighten the possibilities, and expand the resources available to achieve the common goal. You create multiple Mastermind situations and teams and relationships where previously there were none, and you stimulate creative, out-of-the-box thinking. A strategic alliance undergirds a process or an endeavor. Unity is strength. Many hands make light work. Also, the slackers, chancers, and losers will stay away, because they are usually (not always) aware of their slothfulness and impotence. Strong, self-confident people prefer to be paid for results, because they believe in themselves. Those are the ideal JV partners.

Some time ago, an acquaintance of mine told me that he met someone in another country who claims to “know” me, and they agreed that “Robin doesn’t pay for anything.” Their conspiratorial understanding was that “Robin is cheap”. First, if they really knew me, they would know that I am generous and inclusive. Second, they revealed their own lack of understanding, which is evident in their mediocre, stumbling businesses. Thirdly, they exposed their passive aggression, envy and jealousy. If I tell people do business with “No money and no risk” and if I don’t practice what I preach, I am the same as many other seminar leaders, with no congruency and no credibility. I prefer to walk my talk. Follow the tongue in my shoe, not the tongue in my mouth. Do as I do, not as I say. Robinize your business. (See the “Robinize” article on my Blog, www.RobinJElliott.com)

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com