First let me say Michelle that I respect your view point and that this isn’t an attack, just offering a different perspective.

I agree, you should always stick to what works for you and maintaining the relationship you have with your tribe is extremely important so anything that comes next is based on the premise that transformational value- add to our clients and customers is the priority and authentic transparency is the foundation.

To the points you raised….

A lot of “gurus” do seem to burn their lists by over-promoting products that are not their own and in those cases it does cheapen the relationship over time.

This doesn’t mean though that joint ventures aren’t effective, it just means that those individuals may not be as sensitive as they could be to the frequency of their promotions and how it may negatively impact both their community and themselves.

A really safe way to address this is to just ASK your community what would work for them, for example….

“Hey guys, you know I have your best interest at heart. I would never expose you to anything that wouldn’t benefit you immensely and add huge, transformational value to your lives and businesses. Given my sphere of influence I come across amazing people and products that I would love to share with you, but I don’t want to over do it. Would it be okay if I shared them with you every now and then? If so, what’s the sweet spot…once a month, quarter, year? And yes, sometimes I may get a commission and I’ll tell you if that’s the case, but his is OUR community so your input is invaluable. I’ll be sure to share your feedback with the others.”

I hear you you on the numbers as well. I wonder about the same things. Some people think you make a sale to get a customer, I think you get a customer to make a sale. The 40-60% given to an affiliate may be well worth it depending on the lifetime value of my clients/customers. In some cases businesses can afford to give away 100% of the first sale.

Here are my reasons why Joint Ventures & Performance Based Partnerships are still, in my opinion the most powerfully effective ways to add value and grow businesses fast.

1. You have the opportunity to add immense value to each others’ communities
2. You can set the criteria to insure alignment
3. There’s minimal up front risk & minimal financial outlay
4. You get instant reach & exposure to your ideal clients in addition to borrowed credibility
5. You can increase your range of offerings, thus your profits

Thanks for posting Michelle and keep em’ coming. This definitely sparked a dialogue and I hope you don’t mind me sharing.

Much continued success to you!

Thanks so much Denise! I am so glad you’re here reading them! Let me know if I’ll see you on June 11! (Btw, that pic of your dog — being CARRIED on Mother’s Day was too funny! I started carrying my Victorian Bulldog puppy.. and now I’m afraid he’s going to be a VERY HEAVY “lap dog”… lol…)