Why No One Will Joint Venture with You
You have a fantastic product. In fact, no other product like yours has ever existed in the history of the world.
Your product will sell like GANGBUSTERS because, well, you already know it will.
Because it has to.
Because you've just spent the previous 6 months and several thousand dollars developing the product, but dammit, it'll all be worth it once these stupid, snooty, too-good-to-talk-to-you big shot marketers get off their high horses and promote it for you.
Whew.
Okay, maybe that isn't how you perceive it.
But you believe you have a terrific product that will sell well, and you realize you're doing these other marketers a FAVOR by giving them the opportunity to promote it for you.
They have nothing to do and nothing to advertise, after all. They're only waiting for you to show up and offer them the opportunity to double the millions they've already earned...
Yeah. Right.
I recall how difficult it was to get anyone to look at my offer, let alone advertise it for me, when I was first starting out.
And do you know why?
It's because, like practically every other novice marketer, I had it backwards.
Consider the following scenario: a man knocks on the door of a woman he has never met before. She opens the door a little to see who it is and discovers he isn't an axe killer.
“Hi Baby, I have a terrific deal for you!” he says through the opening in the door. I'm going to do you a tremendous favor and let you drive me to a fancy restaurant where you've made reservations for us. I'll let you buy me dinner with cocktails and a bottle of wine, and then I'll let you take me to an expensive Broadway performance that's been booked six months in advance. And then I'll give you an even bigger favor by letting you sleep with me. “What do you think?”
What do you think she'll say to this stranger knocking on her door?
I believe she slammed the door shut when he mentioned the costly restaurant and reservations.
Despite this, new marketers frequently employ the same strategy when asking experienced marketers to act as affiliates or joint venture partners.
“Good day, Joe Marketer. I've got a wonderful deal for you! I'm going to do you a tremendous favor by allowing you to dedicate several days of your valuable promotional time to marketing my product to your list and followers. You don't know me, you don't know my product, and you have no reason to believe in me or my goods. But I still expect you to drop everything and, instead of marketing something you KNOW will sell and your customers will adore, I want you to take a major risk pushing a product that may not sell at all, may be terrible, and may alienate your consumers and ruin your name. Because, well, that's what you'd do for a complete stranger, right?”
Consider receiving one or more of these inquiries on a daily basis.
Is it any surprise that seasoned marketers cease responding to their emails and that novice marketers have difficulty getting anyone to promote for them?
Let's return to the guy and girl analogy. What if that gentleman approached the woman at work, rather than at her front door, and just introduced himself and perhaps thanked her for something she did at work?
Perhaps he will return in a few days and comment on something she wrote or ask a pertinent question.
He begins to follow her on social media and engages her there.
A tiny bit of engagement here and there.
Then perhaps he does something kind for her — posts one of her links, informs his Facebook Fans about her company – or just purchases one of her products.
She is starting to notice him. He's not frightening, and he appears to be a decent guy. What exactly is this? He has a website. She examines it. Hmmm... this person might be worth getting to know more.
What happens the following month, or perhaps the following year? She’s promoting his product. Or maybe she isn't, but she connected him to a friend who is a better fit for a joint venture.
You obviously know what I'm getting at here: don't pounce on strangers and expect them to do you a favor when you don't even know who they are. And, yeah, promoting your product is a tremendous favor.
3 Points to Remember:
Build the friendship before requesting a favor, whatever that favor may be. (Didn't you already know that?)
Create your own audience through social networking, list building, and other means. Then, when your product is ready to go, start with your list. Keep track of the clickthrough, conversion, and refund rates. You now have something to tell potential affiliates and JV partners besides, "I believe this will sell well."
Recognize that not everyone will advocate your product, no matter how excellent you are at creating relationships first. Perhaps they simply promote their own products. Perhaps they simply do not believe your offering is a good fit for their list. Perhaps they are having a rough day/week/life. Don't be concerned. If you cultivate enough interactions with others, you will discover that some promote, while others do not, and that is perfectly fine.
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