Joint Venture marketing - Your Way to Profits

Without a doubt, the most difficult part of Joint Venture marketing is finding a willing partner. Most business owners, quite possibly just like yourself, know the value of hard work. They know that there is no such thing as a "free lunch" in life - much less free money. They've invested blood, sweat and tears into building their business from the ground up, against the odds and at the sacrifice of comfort, security and maybe even the temporary well-being of their family.For someone to approach them "out of the blue", promising unheard-of profits for little or no effort will seem like an insult to their intelligence, as well as directly contrary to their belief system.They'll default to thinking that you're a salesman - simply trying to weasel them out of their hard-earned money. In reality, this is a half-truth. You do want something from them (cooperation) - but they'll benefit from it just as much, or possibly more than you in every possible way...Therefore, your primary aim is not so much to "pitch the deal" as it is to win the trust and friendship of your potential business partners - and after that, to educate them about how to leverage assets they've already worked for so that they can increase their profits dramatically.Note: To stack the cards in your favor right from the start, look for partners that already understand joint ventures - or ones that openly seek them out. (See: "How to Find JV Partners and What to Look For").First of all, I'm not saying that you have to spend months "wining and dining" your potential partner before you pop the question - not at all.Instead, start thinking of a "proposal" as a multi-step process - not simply a pitch about a money-making deal.People generally don't like working with others unless they know them well - or like them. This can happen in a matter of minutes for some people, or it can take weeks, months, or longer for others. It depends entirely on your prospect and in some cases the size of the deal.Here are some tips for building relationships in the proposal process:• Make them feel important and valuable. Instead of sending them a hard-sell proposal loaded with details and percentages, send them a quick note that starts off by briefly explaining your interest in finding a partner because you want to grow your business...Then ask them how they're doing with their business. Or perhaps you could congratulate them on a recent achievement based on your research by asking them "how they pulled it off". This puts them in the "expert" seat, and it makes them feel important because you're asking about their business. Most importantly, they'll see you as being sincerely interested in their well being - and that will go a long way when it comes to building trust - and ultimately, a joint venture.• Buy their product or use their service first. If it's applicable to your situation, you might find that it's alot easier to get "in" with them if you start off by purchasing their product, advertising on their website - or by offering to help them in some other way.It's been my experience that this is often well worth the up-front "investment". You can use the chance to compliment a product or discuss advertising as a way to start building rapport - as well as subliminal interest in working with you.• Find out what you have in common. If possible, find out if they share a similar interest or hobby. This "link" can be extremely powerful in building rapport - as well as getting to know them. People generally get excited when they can take a "break" from their daily routine by talking about their interests with someone who shares their passion. They will begin to associate "you" with the things that they enjoy. This will exponentially increase the chances of them saying "yes" to your proposal or offer.Chances are, they'll probably look forward to it...Note: See a real-life example of how to turn skeptic prospects into willing partners by reading our case study on Gabriel Howe’s called "How to Make JV Prospects Approach You"