We Met Over an Airbed...

Hello again

Today, I've a little story for you. Imagine this:

You are struggling to build your business beyond what seems to be its natural limits.

You work hard on and in your business, but let’s imagine your business is supplying inflated beds. That’s airbeds with the air already in…

Do you know what it’s like blowing up an inflatable bed? For ages, little seems to happen; it feels like the air is going nowhere, then it starts to take shape and you begin to feel rewarded for all that huffing and puffing. Then, just when you think you’re really winning, the bed is full and each and every puff gets harder than the last. Meanwhile, the bed gets no bigger…

Now you meet a partner, and he or she points out that you could be inflating a double airbed with all the effort you’re putting into trying to grow the single one. What’s more, they can add their puffs, too. In fact, they have access to a pump, if only you can supply a few more beds….

Now you have a business that’s potentially ten, a hundred, even a thousand times the size it was – and you’re doing far less huffing and puffing, too. In fact, you’ve probably automated, systematised and standardised to such an extent by now, its as though you’re doing virtually no work at all – you just keep getting richer!

And you’re the world’s number-one inflated airbed supplier, with partners all around the world.

All because you met a partner with a pump…

That ‘pump’ could be any skill or asset you don’t possess. And your airbeds could be anything they don’t have. But together? Together, the world is at your feet.

Roy Everitt, Writing For Results

PS. To meet the owner of your potential 'pump' you will have to take some action. How about going to the next networking event, seminar or conference and just making a real effort to meet people? Go Here!

Beware the Joint Venture

Hello again...

but hold on - aren't I the one who's been telling you for months that joint ventures are the fastest way to grow a list, build your business and transform your earning ability?

Yep. So maybe I should plead guilty right now to deceiving you all along?

Yes and no.

Joint ventures are a brilliant way to build your business. That means they're also a brilliant way for everyone else to build their business, too. And there are joint ventures and joint ventures...

Just recently, it seems that every other email I get is promoting the idea of joint ventures. Most of them, not surprisingly perhaps, are promoting the idea of joint ventures with the sender of the email. Of course, they're trying to sell me something and there's nothing wrong with that. But what they suggest is not a joint venture at all. It's an affiliate scheme, pure and simple.

Not that there's anything wrong with afffiliate schemes, either. Ask Ewan Chia. But I do think that promoting one thing as something else is wrong.

In a recent email to David Congreave I used the term 'interested affiliate'. I think that's a more accurate name for the kind of joint venture offer that really amounts to 'sell my product for a commission and I may promote something of yours later'. In other words, the affiliate partners have a vested interest in the success of the whole promotion, since it builds a bigger list they may be able to tap into later. But it's not a joint venture, which entails a far more specific relationship and a more tangible return.

To me, a joint venture is where both (or all) parties bring something roughly equal to the table and share the rewards accordingly.

But if you're suddenly bombarded with 'exclusive' or 'limited' joint venture offers from people whom you know wouldn't know you from Adam or Eve, just ask yourself, as always, 'What's in it for me?'

As for me - I usually just press 'delete'.

Roy Everitt, Writing For Results

The Post Launch Profits Prophet

That's me...

Hello again,

As predicted, I didn't win the Post launch Profits affiliates' contest. Hardly surprising when you see the calibre of some of those on the leader board. So I'm not too downhearted.

At Least Alex Jeffreys has confirmed my theory about the value of strong joint venture partners - JV partners like Michael Cheney, Tahir Shah (if you haven't heard of him, you soon will), and David Congreave, although John Thornhill came out on top.

And, at the risk of repeating myself, it is the post launch profits that really count. And you can still get PLP for nothing. Click on the ad to the right, or click here to go to Post Launch Profits' sales page.

Roy Everitt, Writing For prolonged Results!

PS. You might have been wondering where the public speaking articles have gone. Or rather, when they're going to appear. I did say 'in the next week or two'... I guess it's gonna be two... Monday at the latest, I promise!

Five Ways to Secure a JV Deal...

(...With a Following Wind)

Hello.

No, I can't guarantee any of these methods will work, but they will ALL improve your chances of securing that all-important agreement from a major marketer to promote YOUR product.

You see, the main problem you'll have with your jv proposition, once you've got a great product and a good conversion rate and a great 'fit' to your target's list, is getting your jv target to listen to it.

So, keeping the promise I made to you yesterday, here are five ideas you might try:

• Email them personally. I've started with the method least likely to succeed, so you can see that even this can be done well or badly. Emailing these days will often get you nowhere. I get dozens of emails every day, and I expect you do too, and most of them are junk. Of those that aren't, I probably read about ten percent (unless I'm very bored, which isn't often these days), the rest I save for 'later' - which never comes. An email addressed to me by name, that looks like it might be a personal message, will at least get read promptly, so think of an original and personal-sounding subject line. Maybe try a topic you know they're interested in away from work - but it must tie in with the subject of the mail, even if a little tenuously.

• Write to them. A real letter, that is, with a hand-written envelope, addressed to them personally. We hardly get any personal mail these days, so a brief letter, again hand-written if possible, that speaks to them, might just sway them. Maybe tell them you'll follow up with a phone call, or invite them to phone you - don't forget to leave your number! Remember to make a strong sales pitch within your friendly little note.

• Join the forums on their membership sites and read and post regularly on their blogs. Get yourself known by name, at least. You'll have your email and website address in your profile. Then you can contact them through their site or by email or letter, or...

• Phone them. Some people are genuinely too busy to answer their own telephone, but not always the people you might expect. Speaking with them directly is much more likely to give you the results you're after and much more likely to get you off on a friendly footing, too. Even if the answer is 'no' this time, you're more likely to be remembered if you've actually spoken, and a good impression now may well pay dividends next time - in the form of a 'yes'. We all like working with people we know and like - it's simple human nature.

• Meet them face to face. Network, in other words, and try to get to the events where your targets are most likely to be - often as speakers. That doesn't make them untouchable or out of bounds. Networking like this also throws up other opportunities for joint ventures that you probably haven't considered. At the very least, you can speak to several different potential jv partners in the course of one networking day. Know what you're offering and be prepared to think on your feet, because there will probably be other deals on offer that you should consider.

That's my five for today. I've assumed you've done your homework on your 'targets', found or created a great product, demonstrated that it will sell, and that you are the kind of person a successful marketer will be happy to work with.

And I'm sure there are plenty more ways to get the attention of the big guns in Internet marketing - let me know about any you've had success with!

Until next time,

Roy Everitt, Writing For Results

PS. Never forget, we're dealing with human beings here, so what works with one target might be exactly the wrong way to approach another. Trust your instincts, listen to their advice about what works (because that's probably what works with them), but most of all, TAKE ACTION. When you have a good product to promote, for goodness' sake PROMOTE IT!