Picture this.
There are scores of small businesses in your area. Real businesses with real revenue, employees, and office space. And the owners of these businesses are scared.
They don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy. Will it get worse from here? No one knows for sure.
So the first thing these business owners do is cut their marketing and advertising budgets. That’s usually the worse thing they can do, but in this case, the traditional marketing methods are not bringing in as much business as before, and there’s no way to measure what’s actually working.
These people know that their prospects and customers are going online to find what they need. The problem is that most small business people are still completely clueless about online marketing. Oh sure, they’ve got a website, but it never seems to produce anything, and your average small business owner is way too busy to figure out why or what needs to be done.
You, on the other hand, are an online marketing expert compared to the average small business owner. You don’t need to be a “guru” or a top blogger to produce results if you actually have something people want to buy and a small organization to back you up.
Why not approach one of these business owners and offer to help? They won’t want to pay you a consulting fee, which is a blessing in disguise.
Why?
Because you can make much more money by transferring risk to yourself and negotiating a cut of the business you bring in from online marketing. I’ve done it, and it can be truly lucrative.
“But why should I take all the risk and work for free?” you ask.
If you’re blogging now and not making any money, aren’t you already working for free?
What you need is a partner with something unique you can promote, and that’s what this particular partnering approach is all about.
The First Reason You Might Not Succeed with Partnering
There are at least four more broad partnering models other than that one, and countless variations within each model. These ideas get your brain spinning in high gear, but then the inevitable questions pop up.
- How do I spot these opportunities?
- How do I approach potential partners?
- What will I need to provide them so they trust me?
- How do I negotiate?
- What do I need to legally protect myself?
- What if something goes wrong?
- And on and on…
So the first thing that can keep you from succeeding is a lack of knowledge. You need to understand the tactics, strategies and indicators that make the difference between successful partnering and wasted time and money. And you need to know how to use them.
That’s easy to fix… as long as you turn to the right people for guidance.
The Only Other Reason You Won’t Succeed With Partnering
The only other reason you won’t succeed is if you don’t take action.
I know, because for years I found countless reasons why I couldn’t do the things I knew needed doing. I even started successful businesses that I hated, because I didn’t think I could do the things I wanted.
I got over that, but let me tell you a story about Copyblogger Associate Editor Jon Morrow that guarantees I won’t let it happen again.
Jon put together commercial real estate investment groups during the first half of this decade. These groups are essentially joint ventures between one or more developers and various private investors, and involve millions of dollars.
It’s not for the faint at heart, but the partnering principles Jon used are universal. They can be applied in any context, as long as you understand how to apply them, of course.
Starting in 2006, the real estate boom started to bust, resulting in the global financial mess we’re dealing with today. By late 2007, Jon saw hundreds of thousands of dollars of his equity trapped in properties that won’t sell until we turn the corner towards recovery.
Rather than crying over spilled milk, Jon turned his attention online. After dabbling with a couple of fairly successful blogs, Jon decided to accelerate his earnings by using his partnering skills instead… mostly on me. In addition to writing for Copyblogger, Jon has been collaborating with me on various projects behind the scenes.
But that’s not the remarkable part of the story.
How Jon Morrow Proves it Can be Done
The amazing thing about Jon is that he’s paralyzed from the neck down. Jon has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a motor neuron disease that debilitates the proximal muscles that allow us to move.
In a sense, Jon is lucky. Type I SMA typically results in death as a tiny infant. Jon has Type II SMA, but he’s already outlived his life expectancy… and trust me, he’s still going strong.
So, the amazing thing is that Jon is a prolific writer. All the content he creates is produced with voice recognition software (when you hear Jon speak, you’ll understand why he’s hoarse). Everything we do with computers, such as instant messaging, Twitter, opening and closing applications… everything we take for granted… he does without being able to move.
And then there’s the rest of life. Even meeting someone for lunch or coffee is challenging.
I didn’t tell you this so you could pity Jon. He doesn’t want or need pity. In fact, Jon has done more in his young life than many fully-able people ever accomplish.
Jon’s story provides me with a valuable lesson and strong motivation. If I say I can’t do something, I’d better have a really good reason.
It’s been tough lately to find one of those.
Here’s What Jon Has Been Up to Lately…
Back during the summer while working on another project, Jon and I started comparing partnering stories. We obviously both consider partnering to be a critical online business skill, and we both know that if you took everything away from either of us today, we’d be back in business somehow within weeks thanks to partnering.
Our talks turned into an extensive outline, but we weren’t sure what to do with it. There’s a definite need for this type of training, especially since so much of the “Get Rich With JVs” nonsense was so often complete junk.
Jon took the outline and started writing in September. Two months later, he had a 150-page partnering manual. Meanwhile, I started putting together a teleclass curriculum that would bring the foundational information in the manual to life.
We call it Partnering Profits.
About the Author: Brian Clark is the founding editor of Copyblogger, and co-founder of DIY Themes and Lateral Action. Get more from Brian on Twitter.
Reader Comments (52)
Thanks for this information. I’ve been struggling with what I want my blog to be when it grows up and I’m trying to figure out how to make a living doing what I love.
I’ll be checking out all of the tips.
Thanks for the direction.
Cheers
George
I am not an affiliate of Brian not am I trying to promote anything here.
Have I attended any of his classes before? Yes and I know that this guy is full of substance.
Here Brian is serving you all these valuable information on a platter of gold.
Picture this folks!
You don’t register for this course, you do it at your own peril. (I am not an affiliate, trust me and I gain nothing from this.) It is just that I know one of two things about partnering !
Only if you guys know that a lot of folks actually pay as much as $2000.00 (training only),any one reading this particular post will jump with their whole body and register for the tele seminar.
Of course the presenters of those $2000.00 seminars call it a different name and charge you arm and a leg. Once again stroking those emotions of ours(greed, need to succeed- QUICKLY, etc )
Here is another point, add Rich Schefren’s book(JV PARTNERSHIP GUIDE) then you become unstoppable.
But if you want to start operating on a level where even Angels fear to tread, then top it with PLF2. Trust me, not even Spiderman can touch you. (Hopefully you will apply those knowledge though.
At times, we inject our brains with all these valuable information and get paralyzed with all these wonderful ideas. Implementation then becomes a problem).
That is exactly what TS did to me. I attended the class without a clue, rushed out of the class with gazillion ideas then start wondering which one do I attack first and which one take the back seat.
Enough of all that!
Here is something else for your guys to picture.
When you partner with non-competing businesses,
You get to easily and quickly TAP into their list or customers without any up-front expense by leveraging off all kinds of other businesses assets, brand, buyers, sales, resources, force, distributors, capital, etc
Your products are easily promoted to their list thereby riding on the trust that they have built with their customer’s years.
You are able to mine all sorts of very lucrative cash flow sources, steams of profits OFF other people’s profit.(remember these businesses owners have already built the TRUST with their customers).
I think if strategic alliances are properly done, you as the middle man if well positioned stand to make a killing by being the middle man. And if you are really creative about it, the sky is the limit.
And all these could be done without even using PLF.
Now imagine using PLF(Product Launch Formula)?
I think it is a beautiful thing!
****People who paid a lot of money to learn what you guys are giving away for peanuts won’t be happy at all. I know readers of this blog are of great minds. I trust they will do the right thing by registering.
I have registred. What are you waiting for?
@Jon, you inspire me. God bless.
Fantastic post Brian. There are some amazing people in this world and sometimes we need to be reminded to stop complaining and start taking action!
I always find value in your posts.
It’s kinda sad how we’re more about profits and less about content.
Hi Thomas… thanks for the comment, but I feel I should respond.
Look through the Copyblogger archives… three years of articles to help you create remarkable content, all given away for free.
There’s content, and there’s the business of content. Some people would like to make a living from the things they create. Maybe not you, and that’s fine, but I think it’s a little unfair to comment on this particular blog and say we think “profits are more important than content.”
I thought something was up when I saw these posts had their own logo (and I already know you’re a behind-the-scenes partnering kinda guy, Brian).
Lateral Action has not been for me. Those posts have not resonated with me at all. Don’t need it, frankly. But putting together profitable partnerships that work is something I’d like to know more about.
Bottom line is people are focused on the bottom line. I don’t it’s fair if people would disagree with that as somebody’s goal. Regardless of quality, content can be successful and profit from even if the content isn’t deemed quality. There is plenty of fluff out there that is very successful.
I do think there are more reasons that partnering can be unsuccessful. Besides profits, a lot of creative indifference can occur. One party may want to go in one direction, the other party a different direction. Neither one may be right or wrong but would like to do things different. This is where partnering can get in trouble. Not only that, if there’s equal stake involved and one person begins to slack off. There is really nothing the other person can do.
Craig
http://www.budgetpulse.com
One of the great things for me about writing for Copyblogger has been meeting Jon and spending time talking with him. The guy is so freaking smart and engaged and effective.
This thing is really going to rock. That’s not me being suck-uppy, it’s just the truth. 🙂
“Because you can make much more money by transferring risk to yourself and negotiating a cut of the business you bring in from online marketing. I’ve done it, and it can be truly lucrative.
‘But why should I take all the risk and work for free?’ you ask.
If you’re blogging now and not making any money, aren’t you already working for free?”
That last line was funny–and spot on.
Jon, I was already impressed by your contributions here at Copyblogger before learning what Brian told us today–now, I’m blown away.
Like Brian said, “If I say I can’t do something, I’d better have a really good reason.”
Indeed.
Finally, Brian, your response to Thomas was good. I sort of used to think the way he does (blogging to produce good content because you’re passionate about your subject), except that’s comparing apples to oranges.
If you want to engage in a hobby, that’s fine. If you want to make money, that’s fine. But the idea that, after “three years of articles to help you create remarkable content, all given away for free,” as you note, to also try to profit off that is somehow wrong? Strong disagree.
If it’s selfish to profit off the content one provides, is not twice as selfish to profit (by learning) off the content someone else provides to you–for free?
Good content takes work.
Do we have a blushing emoticon? I need one. 🙂
@Thomas. Crapy content is different from valuable content.
This is one of my favorite posts online.Check it out!http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/01/better_than_fre.php
Remember others creatively adapt these contents once the thought leaders have spent a lot of money researching why things should be done in a certain way. Then it start making sense to a lot of other folks.
I think content creation as far as I am concerned is arts. If your content is embeded with all the qualities that are needed to make it a master piece, then how do you get rewarded for your sweat.
What makes picasso better than his peers? Perception in my own opinnion. This is where perception becomes your reality!
A lot of these thought leaders spend thousands of money monthly so that they can better serve their audience.
What I have actually come to realize now is that the best contents online are actually gated. Period!
That saves you all lot of time. Instead of clicking from one site to another.
The rich “dad or poor dad” book was nothing really new, you know. It told a story that a lot of us could relate to. I think that is another angle to look at how to cash in with content.
Go spend as much as 5000.00 or more per month learning to make yourself better. Then tell me you won’t charge for it.
Oprah gets paid millions to create contet.
The art of storytelling.
Believe me, you will appreciate valuable content after reading that article.
Craig, it sounds like you’ve been burned in the past. Is that true?
Yes, bad partners are a problem, but they’re not a problem with the partnering model. If you choose a partner that’s a slacker, then you need to re-examine your process for choosing partners, not the model itself. You must’ve missed something in your due diligence.
In Partnering Profits, we give you a due diligence process that I’ve refined in the course of over 40 different partnerships. It almost guarantees you’ll never partner with a slacker.
Your thought about what to do if you *do* partner with the wrong person is an interesting one though. Maybe I’ll cover that in a future newsletter.
Thanks for the idea.
Oh so thats that this is about? Lauching a new product.
I look forward to reading more free information 🙂
I’ll cover that in the fourth teleclass. My whole focus will be the delicate tightrope walk between legal remedies and business interpersonal skills that get you into great partnerships, and out of bad ones.
I shoulda known something was up. Nice product launch strategy. Lookking forward to more.
@Thomas – Quite frankly, it is people like that who will not make it as a pro blogger. You’d have to not know the history of this site to make a comment like that.
@Jon – Inspiring.
@ Thomas – I’m always amazed that people like you still exist. Frankly, the only reason I’m online, working, is to make money. I prefer to be at thee beach, spending time with my family, you know.
The content these guys produce are valuable. The worked there a** off, so why they hell should they GIVE IT TO YOU for free? Geez.
@Brian – Partnering is one of those things I don’t do well. I guess I like to work with people I know more than strangers. That’s what holding me back right now.
I’m looking forward to rest of series and the final product released. And it’d be great if you can include a section on exactly how to approach strangers, both online and off, and convince them to partner with you. The mindset behind it and perhaps a template or two? 🙂
Andre: We’ve already got you covered. We are giving you the general theory of how to approach partners, as well as five business models that tailor the theory to different types of people and how to approach them.
I’m so there. Jon’s awesome, Brian’s smart, and anything that helps me be more than I am is an opportunity I have to seize.
It’s an added benefit that everything that happens around here – Teaching Sells, Lateral Action, now this… It all touches areas of my life.
Target market? I’m it, boy. All the way.
(Random thought: Do you guys have flaws, btw? It’s like the Golden Crew around here! Ha!)
Great idea from you guys.
Lord knows I need all the help I can get about partnering, as I tend to do too much for free because I love to help people.
Looking forward to it and thanks for the heads up on Jon. I’m even more impressed and a wee tad ashamed of myself.
BTW, love that sales letter … can I swipe that ?
Like you need to ask. 🙂 But since you did, I’m honored.
Brian,
What a post – thanks. And Jon – we’ve never been in contact but I’ve read your posts here on Copyblogger regularly and to discover what Brian told us today just blows me away. You’re an inspiration.
On the question of partnering, I can say that having been a consultant in the past (and shortly to become one again), the concept of taking a share of the revenue arising from your work is one that I like. The revenue stream for most consultants is very variable – when you’re working you get revenue and when you’re not you don’t.
Striking a revenue share deal smooths out the cashflow and, if you get enough of these types of contracts, can provide you with a solid underlying revenue stream which makes the consulting business a whole lot less stressful!
The trick is to make sure you’re able to isolate and verify the revenue your project generates – and that’s where you need to be very careful.
On the question of helping small local businesses market online I can tell you that I’ve talked to a few local businesses in my area and in all cases got a very positive response. In some cases I’m still trying to get my arm back.
Thanks again, Brian and Jon, for perking up my day today!
Cheers,
Martin.
@ Brian – I swiped it before I asked, as if you didn’t know that.
That’ll be a great start on one I need for a course I’m looking for a partner on 😉
In fact, I may just model Copyblogger, use everything I’ve learner in Teaching Sells, which rawks btw, add in a little Partnering Profits to make ’09 my best year ever, in spite of the recession we’re in.
And you can swipe that for a testimonial 😉
Is that sample chapter email an autoresponder or will it come out sometime before Thursday? I have not seen the next email.
This course should be very, very popular.
Jon, my aching herniated disc doesn’t ache as much now and I thank you.
Mike, can I swipe your wit!!
I’m so buying it. I’m excited.
You know, I must say that the best copy I’ve ever seen is on Copyblogger (whodathunk!). The reason isn’t so much that it’s great style based on earning trust… so much as it’s this:
I can tell that the product /is/ valuable.
The copy gives me enough information that I can already /tell/ it’s going to be awesome. For some reason, most copy seems to be all promise and clever gotcha phrases and expressions, lacking real content.
Is there a phrase for this; some kind of name for it? Truthful Copy? :p
Hmm, I’m on a mac and my browser isn’t showing any links on the partner page on which I can click.
Would someone send me the registration link?
JP, there is a form on the landing page (at the end of the page, twice) where you enter your first name and email address to register.
It’s great to see that the idea of collaboration and sharing revenue online is spreading. That’s what we do at . Because we believe that being a lone blogger (or designer, or whatever), limits your potential.
Maybe I am missing something, but I cannot find a working link at https://copyblogger.com/partnering-profits/ to register for your call tomorrow.
Nevermind. Apparently, I am an idiot.
Aweber is completely down and not serving the registration forms. I’m working on a fix right now. Sorry for the hassle!
Your Aweber sign-up box either does not load (leaving the impression there is no link) or it loads very slowly. When it did load and I tried to submit, my registration timed out. I suppose you are getting flooded with interested clickers.
Heads up, the forms to sign up don’t have a submit button showing in Firefox
Everything is back to normal, and AWeber is back online. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Some interesting concepts. I can’t wait to learn more and hope to tune into the teleclass.
Inspiring and thought provoking article. Through mergers and acquisitions even big corporates are doing the same to protect themselves from severe impact of recession.
This teleclass should be very interesting.
Some guru’s hate the idea of working on the come with small businesses.
Kennedy does. Kilstein does. Carlton does.
Their argument is that most clients get excited when you show them fire but once fire is old, they forget how clueless they were without you. As time passes they start getting grumpy about having to stroke a check to you three years after you wrote the salesletter.
Guys like Jay Abraham and Clayton Makepeace embrace the idea of working for only a piece of sales.
I know the argument of getting all your money up front with joe small business would apply to most gurus because they haven’t proven themselves as trustworthy like the huge mailers like Rodale, Boardroom and Healthy Directions.
Everyone knows if the big mailers say they’re gonna pay you, they do. Their rep is on the line and they know copy is king.
Joe small business doesn’t all the time. But if you structure your deal with him where you control all the technology, the website, the shoppingcart, the free recorded messages… and he wants out…. you can pull the plug and take all that stuff with you.
This is what’s alluring about building a website for a small business.
I’m assuming there’s some kinda of way to make sure you’re cut of every sale can be sent to your bank account as soon as an order comes in.
No more worry about being cheated on your rips. Maybe.
I look forward to what you guys have to say in your teleclass.
Note Taking Nerd Numba 2
http://www.mynotetakingnerd.wordpress.com
Very insightful concept. Another great way to make our “normal” activities into good use and make money at the same time rather than wasting away out valuable time.
Hey Brian,
This is something that I still can’t understand regarding your style of product launching.
I know you launched Lateral Action using the “Character/story telling elements ” approach.
TS was more of a very few affiliates and only the students were allowed to promote it.
As for “THESIS” you have the logo/link well displayed here on your blog. It was probably mentioned a few times in your post. Very few.
Everything is low key which kind of gives an “average Joe the plumber ” hope that they can still cause damage even if the big boys don’t have the time to help out.
What you don’t seem to do is “bombard” your audience with 100 other JV Partners or more. (Ok, I exaggerated here!) flooding users with email messages over and over competing for their attention.
Quote from your sales letter:
“Now, some of you who don’t know me that well could be afraid I’m going to bombard you with three high-pressure emails a day trying to get you to buy. That’s not going to happen, but I don’t expect you to take my general word for it”.
I listened to Frank’s Interview with Clayton. I think Clayton said his typical campaign goes at times as far as 4 good weeks, using all the triggers in the book to get his audience to act.
Yes, I think it is 4 weeks.
I know if you have a good product, your don’t need a mega phone to deafen someone’s ear.
I just looked at your sales letter. Simple and straight to the point. Unlike a lot of sales letters I see around and those folks have great products too!
Even this JV ebook is only 3 postings educating your prospects and that it!
Any other secret other than your ability to deliver quality content and that you’ve managed to transition your ordinary fans to raving fans of yours buy building trust?
I know seth Godin, and Caldini’s seminars sell out just like that.
May be I am missing something in your style of product launch!
May I remind you that you are under oath! (laugh!)
Well talking like this is the easier way but to realize it is the hard one. Making partnership is not like turning your palm hand upside down, it need communication and a faithful from both sides
partnering certainly helps with the load and with getting more than one angle to reaching a goal.
I’ll keep it short.
WOW…What a great freakin’ post.
Oh so thats that this is about? Lauching a new product.
I look forward to reading more free information
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