“Rule breaker”
“Led by intuition & gut-brilliance”
“Sees a vision & shoots the gap”
I love this woman!
I had coffee with Kristin a few weeks ago and we were reminiscing about how she burst onto the scene
as an online entrepreneur back in 2009.
I interviewed her for my SavvyMompreneur event and then she did this crazy successful launch (about “energy” no less) and ended up with a 7 figure biz in a few months. She went on to build a multi-million dollar biz shortly after. She rocks!
Now she’s back with something pretty radical, intent on breaking the rules and doing things “her way” (which is the secret to not only the success of her first launch but also to her retiring before age 30 as a multi-millionaire).
But the best part is, this time, her passion is to use her powerhouse abilities to help female entrepreneurs just like you and me.
But maybe it’s better for her to tell you in her own words. She’s doing a free call on Thursday (and yes, there’ll be a replay if you can’t make it live) to let us know what she’s up to and how’s she’s giving a hand up to women
like us.
Check out her vid and opt-in to get all the deets HERE.
To rule breaking success!
MaryPat Kavanagh
P.S. Kristin’s rule-breaking didn’t work just because she broke rules, but because she tapped into her own genius and led from that place.
P.P.S. If you have any questions or feedback about this call or what she shares and want to share, let me know. It’s not for everyone, but if you feel it’s right for you & have questions, post a comment and we will set up a
time to talk. Either way, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CALL
People ask me almost every day about their JV relationships
“I have this opportunity and I don’t know what to say”
“I’m in the middle of this relationship and it doesn’t feel so good anymore”
“I’m ready to add a JV strategy to my marketing but I’m not sure how to connect or what to say”
Can you relate to any of these questions? Well, I recently published a “Help! I’m stuck with my JV’s” survey to identify the top reasons why business owners, like yourself, are not active and successful in their JV and relationship marketing strategies. The survey has only been live for a few hours, but it’s fascinating to see the responses coming in.
So far, the #1 reason that entrepreneurs are not leveraging a successful JV strategy in their businesses is because they have tried and it didn’t work out as well as they hoped. In fact, when all was said and done, here is what they are saying:
I feel used!
Interesting!
This has prompted me to share the most common mistakes I see people making in their business relationships. Don’t feel bad if you have made any of these mistakes–most of us have at some point or another. Just notice it and stop.
Scenario 1: You’re creating an amazing program and you want to leverage some highly visible JV’s. So you create a “sample” web page with the program/promotion including the potential JV’s you are hoping will participate.
What’s wrong with this? A few things: First off, you are “using” other experts names hoping to attract some cool people. But most of the time, the experts you are “using” don’t even know they are being used until the others are on board. This does NOT promote good feelings when the experts start talking about “that one telesummit-I just did it because you were involved…oh really? I just did it because YOU were involved and I thought you did your due diligence…” See what I mean?
MISTAKE #1: Name dropping without full-disclosure
If you are hoping to get some of these experts on board but they are not there yet, let the person you are speaking to know that.
Second, if the web page is live that you are sharing with potential JV’s, then you are using the experts “visibility” to build your own expertise and visibility without permission. This was a practice that worked a few years ago, but needs to go away. It is NOT a good REALationship builder.
MISTAKE #2: Leveraging experts names without permission
When you publish content of any kind on the web, you give the impression that those experts are already committed. If that is not the case, don’t go there.
Scenario 2: You’ve connected with an amazing friend and love her energy. You both decide to create a program together. You have the skills to write good copy and she has a large social network that seems quite responsive. But a few weeks into the promotion before the program starts, you feel like it’s all on you. It takes way more time to write everything than it takes to just publish it. If you are doing most of the work and splitting the proceeds 50/50, how is that fair??
What went wrong?
There are a few possibilities here, but the most obvious problem is that, while you both had the same end-result in mind, you were not clear about HOW you were going to get there AND how each of you would be compensated.
MISTAKE #3: Not having clarity about the details of the relationship
If you choose to invest your time, energy and even money into a business relationship with another cool person, take the time FIRST to get all the details sorted out-including contingencies for things you can’t think of until they happen. I highly suggest you get everything in writing (here is a simple partnership agreement template for identifying the details), but at the very least, bring it all up in conversation. Perhaps invite your assistants to the call to capture the important details that you might overlook in the excitement of the opportunity.
There are many more scenarios and mistakes that people make. But these are by far the most common. So learn from other people’s mistakes and don’t fall to far into the excitement of the opportunity without taking at least a moment to ask yourself “Have we worked out all the details here?”
If you want to share your two cents and even receive a new gift I am offering, take one minute to complete the survey at this link:
Whenever I have conversations with my friends and clients about leveraging relationships in their business, the same questions and issues come up.
But I am wondering about YOU–what is YOUR #1 challenge with leveraging relationships in your business?
The “right” relationships can create visibility, increased credibility and even massive, quality traffic to your web site. There are other benefits as well, depending on what you want and where you are at in business.
So what do you want to know about JV’s and relationships?
Take this quick survey (4 questions) and I will answer your questions on this blog.
(here is the link in case the survey doesn’t show well on this page…)
What do “values” have to do with JV’s, joint ventures or other business relationships?
Short answer: money, friends, programs and fun!
Long answer: When you connect with people for business and your values–those things that motivate you–are similar or complimentary, then you have a foundation for building opportunities that will support your relationship as you and your business grows!
What are your values?
Money is not USUALLY the value that motivates most people–although some are motivated by the KaChing! Most people–especially purpose-driven, conscious people–are mostivated by other things like family, faith, community, integrity, honesty and relationships. Click this link for a more complete list of values.
Why are values important in business relationships?
Because these are the foundational pieces for long-term, repeat opportunities. We can all connect with someone for the money once. But after that, there must be a connection that is deeper. We really need to like the person in order to keep “subjecting” ourselves to interviews, programs and events with that same person.
And when we DO connect with someone multiple times for business programs, teleseminars and other list-building and/or money-making opportunities, our tribe comes with us. With each connection, it becomes easier to sell our services and we are all more profitable.
Make sense?
What to do next?
Click on the list of values to identify your top values. There are hundreds of values listed here, so just review the list and write down the top 10 that really resonate with you. Then circle the top 3-5 values that feel the most compelling to you. Just start there. You can update your list as often as you like. But now you have a starting point for connecting with some great people!
Now that we have covered the top 2 goals that most entrepreneurs have set this year for their social media activities, what’s left?
Goal #3: Leverage my relationships to build my business!
If you are like most of my friends, you completely understand that building relationships is the #1 key to success. You know that one relationship can increase your visibility, build your credibility, drive tons of targeted traffic to your site, and even bring you happy people who buy your services-over and over again.
But you have reached out, created some partnerships, and left feeling like you got the short end of the stick.
It doesn’t have to be that way. When you have the right pieces in place, have the right conversations with the right people, you can create wonderful relationships with people you love and who love you-even after your “promotion” is completed.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Here are three tips to get you on track for creating happy, profitable relationships:
Make sure the partnership and the opportunity “feel” right. I don’t know how to say it any other way, but use your gut! Even if you love the person, it may not be the right opportunity at this time. Trust yourself!
Get your entire agreement down on paper. A conversation is not enough when something goes astray. You need to discuss all the “what if’s” before you start building a product or promoting an event.
Communicate! Yes, this may be basic, but when partnerships start to go haywire, people quit talking. Don’t fall into this trap. Make time for your partner and always be respectful. This is like a temporary marriage of sorts.
For more information about JV management and consulting, including JV Crisis Management and Mediation, let’s talk. Call or email me at (877) 716-1469 or marypat@queenofmarketing.com and we can schedule a quick consultation.
Have you ever partnered with a friend thinking that you could combine your efforts and really leverage your relationship to create more traffic, exposure and even more money in your pockets? But afterwards you felt like you got the raw end of the deal?
This happens all the time. I was talking to a close friend the other day about a “partnership” that she had recently entered into. At first glance, it seemed like a great deal because she was adding benefits to a program that she didn’t think she could offer herself and she got to partner with a really cool friend.
But afterwards, she felt like she was the one doing most of the work without the recognition or the benefits while still splitting the profits 50/50.
Can you relate?
Well, there are 5 steps that I recommend that all potential partners must discuss, come to an agreement and write down before making the “partnership” official.
Step 1: Know Your Purpose: What is the point of the partnership/JV? What do you want to create together? Know what you are doing and why so that you can stay on track. Otherwise, entrepreneurs often get caught up in the potential of what “could” happen if only….
Step 2: Who is the driver? Usually, people come together, brainstorm and create great ideas and think that everything is 50/50. But almost all the time, this is not the case. I strongly suggest that you decide who the driver is, and allow the others to be passengers. Even if the partnership feels even, you must decide who gets what in a worst-case scenario.
Step 3: Who is doing what? Know what everyone’s responsibilities are and be clear about what each person brings to the table. Lay out who is in charge of the creative, the promotions, setting up the event on Facebook, Tweeting, etc. Evaluate these items regarding before, during and after the event and/or promotion. Include what each person will do during the relationship: promotion, creation, expenses, etc.
Step 4: What’s the Win? Be clear about the win (motivator) for each participant. Remember that often the best JV’s are motivated by more than just money including list building, visibility, credibility and even “new pools of influence.” Note that these are the tools used to evaluate a successful partnership in the end.
Step 5: How will I be compensated? If the “win” for each partner is money, then who gets how much? But if the “win” is list-building, you must be clear from the beginning who will host the list, how/when it will be forwarded to the partner, etc. Whichever the “wins”, be clear about the compensation on all levels. Always compensate appropriately and respectfully.
Step 6: OK—so there’s one more step here and this is the most important one: Write it down. After you have had a conversation and made decisions together on each of these steps, write them all down. This is really the most important step since our memories are just not perfect. This also allows for confusion to be cleared up at the beginning of the relationship instead of the middle or the end.
There are so many great opportunities for all of us to connect and create wonderful collaborations for ourselves and for our collective audiences. And when you take these six simple steps at the beginning of a joint venture, partnership or any similar business relationship, you are sure to have great success, profitability and happiness together!
Interested in building your business through Joint Ventures, collaborative relationships and strategic alliances, but not sure how to structure the relationship, or put an agreement into place? I’ve decided to make available to my readers the template I use when putting together Collaborative Agreements, so enter your email below and grab them now!
I’m going to be doing a great call with Debbie LaChusa from the National Association of Home-Based Business Moms (NAHBM) Thursday (tomorrow!), and wanted to let you know all about it. Debbie will be interviewing me about the “5 Ways to Use Social Media to Find and Create Profitable Connections.”
Here are some of the hot-points we are going to cover:
1. What the BEST social networking platform for creating Joint Ventures is…right now
2. How to identify the perfect Joint Venture
3. How to connect with new Joint Venture partners via Social Media platforms
4. The 5 Key Strategies to develop profitable, long lasting joint ventures and…
5. How to leverage the relationship to build your list at record speed and make more money!
In business, relationships are everything. They can make you or break you. They can bring you to success, or bury you in the gutter. On so many different levels. But I just want to talk about one type of relationship today. Strategic partnerships.
What are your values?
Goal #3: Leverage my relationships to build my business!
This happens all the time. I was talking to a close friend the other day about a “partnership” that she had recently entered into. At first glance, it seemed like a great deal because she was adding benefits to a program that she didn’t think she could offer herself and she got to partner with a really cool friend.
