Einstein told us,

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

And we tend to subconsciously seek evidence to support our dominant beliefs. So we get stuck in a loop – we continue to look for proof that we’re right, so we don’t change what we believe, so we don’t change. Then we complain that nothing changes. Well, our circumstances won’t change until WE change what we believe to be true. How do we do that?

Sabotaging Future Success

We created our beliefs by gathering evidence to support those beliefs. For example, Uncle Patrick was dishonest in business, Lonny ripped us off and Sam lost his savings in a bad business deal. And, as a result, we believe that business owners are dishonest and that we will lose money by getting into business. This can sabotage your future success. Or you’ve had six bad relationships and two divorces so you believe there are no good men in the world. That’s simple human nature: once bitten, twice shy. Seven times bitten…

Brainwash yourself

Actually, it’s easier than we may think. The best way I have found to change my own beliefs is to immerse myself in evidence that produce empowering, uplifting beliefs. If I had a bad experience in business, I can:

• Read the biographies of successful entrepreneurs
• Spend a lot of time on a regular basis with successful business owners
• Watch movies like “Tucker”
• Read business magazines
• Read “Atlas Shrugged”
• Read “Think and Grow Rich” and other good material
• Listen to podcasts and CD’s

Eventually, inexorably, my beliefs will change and my life will change.

If you had bad experiences in relationships, how about only mixing with people who have great relationships and marriages, read books about good relationships, work on yourself and concentrate on flooding your mind with positive information on relationships.

Brainwash yourself – wash out all the silly, weak, disempowering beliefs with good, clean beliefs! Focus on your input. Strategically plan to change your beliefs. Take massive, passionate action. You can dramatically change your life by changing your beliefs.

We know that 20% of the people get 80% of the results in any group. That same 20% does most of the work and also makes most of the money. This applies to any group. That Inner Circle of committed, smart people actually understand that “What goes around, comes around”, that we reap what we sow, and that repetition builds momentum, which in turn builds exponential wealth.

With JVs the more you try, the more you succeed!

We also know that 65% of the business ideas we try, will probably fail. And 20% of those that work can make your very rich. Now if you’re in a conventional business, that could be disastrous – a huge risk – you could lose everything – so we take less risks and try less things.

As a Joint Venture Broker, however, it doesn’t matter! If we approach Joint Ventures with a “No money, no risk, win/win” mentality, we have nothing to lose except a little time. So we can be the Babe Ruth’s of business, striking out at will and enjoying it! The more you try, the more you succeed – it’s a numbers game, after all. We can go crazy trying new things, having fun, being creative with Joint Ventures – it’s magical.

A Simple Joint Venture Success Formula

So here is a simple Joint Venture Success Formula that works really well for me:

• First, choose your Joint Venture partners very carefully. Don’t listen to what people say; talk is cheap and money buys the whiskey.
• Watch what they DO. Not when things are going well, but when cash flow is tight and the chips are down.  And watch them over a period of time.
• Do your due diligence and look for patterns.
• Look for that small 20% (I think it’s closer to 5% if you’re really selective.) Those who show up. Those who have your back. Those who deliver.  Do you know how many people promise and don’t follow through? How many people were going to join the Joint Venture Forum and never did? Now they don’t understand why I won’t do business with them – I only do business with Members, on principle. Seek out the Eagles, not the turkeys who wear Eagle masks.
• Try many things! If only 20% of them work out, you can still make a fortune!
• That means taking massive action. Now if you’re working with the 20% of people who actually work, you’re on the right track.

Working with Winners

Winners don’t get phased if something doesn’t work out – in fact, they get excited because they know they’re getting closer to the gold! I love working with Eagles because they are bulletproof. They are optimists. They are impervious to the slings and arrows of losers. They are excited about their goals.

Play the Numbers to Come Out Ahead

20% of people, and 20% of the Joint Ventures we try – that’s reality. Now, if you try 20 things a year, you might make some money. But if you try 20 things a WEEK, WOW! Get excited – get very excited – Joint Ventures is the key to making real money with no cost or risk. Join the Forum, get involved and let’s make all our dreams come true. Together, we DO amazing things. You can find more information at www.jvwisdom.com.

• What gets you bounding out of bed before the alarm clock goes off?  On a cold, rainy Monday morning, after 4 hours of sleep and jetlagged into last year?
• What compels you to work deep into the night?
• What drives you to go the extra thousand miles?
• What sets you apart from the herd of mediocre also-rans?

Your Vision.

What Separates the Masterful from the Mediocre

Successful people are prepared to do what unsuccessful people are not prepared to do. And the reason why they are prepared to - no - obsessed with doing it, is their purpose and their vision. Without a vision for your future, life is dull, boring, frustrating, repetitive, meaningless. Woodrow Wilson said,

“No man that does not see visions will ever realize any high hope or undertake any high enterprise.”

Dream or Drudgery

“Without a vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29 vs18. Vision gives us focus, endurance, courage, passion and purpose. Dreams determine destiny. Imagination determines aspiration. We have a choice, every minute of every day – we can focus on the problem or the purpose, the dream or the drudgery.

People who flit aimlessly from one thing to another simply haven’t discovered their purpose. They are without a vision; rudderless ships, destined to end up on the rocks. They are guaranteeing regret in their old age, when they no longer have the youth and energy to attempt great things. Two sad words will haunt them: “If only…”

Transcend Limitations & Mistakes

Peter Drucker said:

“The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, for the more new things he will try in the pursuit of his vision.”

Visionaries are bulletproof. They don’t fear making mistakes. They eagerly embrace every new opportunity to make their dreams come true. They live in faith, not fear. Anais Nin said:

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”

We become our vision. The greater the vision, the greater we become. Patanjali said:

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”

What if you don’t yet have a clearly defined vision?

Easy. Find someone who does, and hitch your wagon to their star until you’re ready. You will be infused with joy, peace and a new perspective on life.

A man’s daughter told him there were ripe apples on the tree in their yard. He went out with an axe and a bucket, picked the five apples that were ripe, put them in the bucket, and then chopped down the tree, laden with green apples. He wouldn’t wait for them to ripen, and so he missed out on much good fruit.

The Moral to the Story

We need to continually brand ourselves so that when prospective customers “ripen”, you’re their natural choice – top of mind. We want to position ourselves in their mind by creating a category and then owning it.

Getting the Most from Marketing and Advertising

We know that advertising works very much better when you’re well branded. You get a much better ROI for marketing and advertising when people recognize you. How do you know how well you’re branded? I look at my site on Alexa.com, I Google Robin J. Elliott and DollarMakers and I see how many times the phone rings. But the best test is your bottom line, right?

Using Joint Ventures to Brand Easily & Effectively

Branding is essential for business success. But isn’t it very expensive? And with the cost of advertising and the mass of information out there, isn’t it difficult to stand out and be recognized? It is difficult if you use conventional methods. They’re risky and expensive. Hit and miss. That’s why we use Joint Ventures to build our brand effectively.

In order to brand Robin J. Elliott and JVWisdom.com I use the following:

• Blog my website a JV with another website
• Seminars and teleclasses
• Articles in other peoples’ e-zines
• Public speaking
• Keynote speeches
• E-books and audio books

… and on and on – all Joint Ventures.

I also use:

• Contingency Advertising
• Host Beneficiary Relationships
• Bundling

… all Joint Ventures as well. No cost or risk and very little time, with maximum effect and reach. I could go on all day. Bottom line, it works for my bottom line! And my JV Partners benefit just as much. Win/win.

Take a Multifaceted Approach

We discovered a long time ago that branding is a multifaceted thing. Many different baits on many different hooks. Get the public’s attention continually, on many different levels. Reinforce their awareness of you and your business. Donald Trump said that there is no such thing as overexposure. I agree with him.

The Value of Branding Your Business

Branding creates massive equity for you, as long as it translates into business. Branding on its own is ego. We need to convert that branding into after tax profit. Again, multidimensional approaches and income streams can be developed fast and with little cost or time and no risk, using Joint Ventures. When our income is not restricted to our own products and services, we’re doing real business and making real money, real fast.

The fact is, times change. If we don’t continually seek ways to add value, initiate new directions, woo our clients and update our technology, we will be left choking in our competitors’ collective dust.

Our customers and prospects are inundated with offers, bribes and shiny choices. They face a daily barrage of exciting options. Our competitors are constantly finding new ways to lure, entice and tempt our clients away. They become more sophisticated by the day. They spend tons of money to attract our patrons.

“If you don’t look after your wife, somebody else will!”

The same applies to your clientele. Watch television. See how many times the screen changes? People get bored really fast, these days. Watch an old movie and see how fast you lose interest. We’re used to constant stimulation, and we demand more and more for less and less. We become more and more sophisticated. We expect more. We want to be wooed and romanced by our vendors, don’t we? We take so much for granted these days, and here’s a wake-up call: “Customer loyalty” is a thing of the past.

Better Bang for Your Buck

Word of mouth advertising and viral marketing are based on massive, unprecedented value. Instead of wasting your precious marketing budget on advertising that doesn’t work, why not spend it on adding value to your existing customers and paying them for bringing you more business? Innovate. Initiate.

Don’t Get Lazy

You snooze, you lose! Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. The shepherd who falls asleep will awake to find that the wolf has eaten his sheep. Don’t underestimate your competition. He is spending money, attending seminars, reading books and finding ways to grab market share from you. He will steal your ideas. You have to constantly be five steps ahead of him.

Watch A Winner

Look at the most successful companies today: they are constantly initiating new value and inventing new benefits. Look at Google. Follow the winners. Reinvest into your business and your education. Align yourself with the top entrepreneurs. And you will lead the field.

Have You Been Behaving Like a Baboon?

Most businesses are like African baboons – these furry fellows race through the cornfields, picking corn and stuffing it under their arm. As fast as they stuff the corn under their arm, it falls out the back, but they keep on picking and stuffing! By the time they get to the edge of the cornfield, they are carrying one corncob and they’ve left a trail of corn on the ground. This is how many entrepreneurs handle customers. They’re so busy getting new ones that they neglect and lose their existing customers out the back door. Attrition spirals out of control and yet they continue to spend more money on finding new customers.

Invest in Your People

We know it’s far more affordable to resell existing customers than to get new ones. We know that it’s better to retain our customers and to encourage referrals through added value service than to spend a lot of money finding new customers. So why don’t we act accordingly?

Why don’t we spend 80% of our marketing budget on our EXISTING customers?

Invest in your people and they will bring you a lot of new ones. Building strong relationships with the customers you have will:

• increase loyalty
• reduce attrition
• increase transaction values
• lengthen customer lifespan.

Why not put a program together to REACTIVATE inactive customers?

It’s much easier than trying to buy new ones.

A happy customer is good – an elated customer is better.

By redirecting our marketing dollars to our loyal clients and creating unprecedented added and unexpected value, we can engender massive reciprocity in the form of referrals and goodwill. But only strategists will understand this. Tacticians, those “instant gratification” types, will never understand this. A satisfied customer might stay with you, but an inspired and enthusiastic customer will bring her friends, family and associates. You can buy a lot more new customers than advertising with:

• A surprise party
• An unexpected gift
• A personal phone call
• A complimentary dinner

Use Joint Ventures to add value at no cost to you. Partner with other businesses to increase the value to offer and to differentiate yourself from the competition. Put yourself in your clients’ shoes and take the time to find ways to make their lives easier and more comfortable. Look after what you have and they will look after you.

Sales Tip

Act in your customer’s best interest. Reward referrals generously. Don’t skimp on packaging. Create referral systems that make the customer happy. Protect your customers; they’re hard enough to get and they can be worth their weight in gold.

Management Tip

Teach your team to listen and to go the extra mile. When I go into Safeway and ask where the bathroom is, the employee will walk me to the bathroom. When I go to the competition, the employee points in the direction on the bathroom. Big difference. A nice bag with a pretty bow and a big smile, a follow-up telephone call and even a thank you note can generate a massive return on investment. Get creative and set the example.

This short article is intended to impart and share a Joint Venture Mindset that can liberate us from restrictive assumptions and perceptions.

Chances are You’ve Been Hoodwinked!

Entrepreneurs have received many messages in the past that have had the cumulative effect of hoodwinking us. We have put blinders on by accepting certain “Solutions” from the Gurus.

The purpose of an Entrepreneur is to make after tax profit. We use business as the vehicle. But we heard that we need to be “focused” and that we need an “Elevator Speech” and similar concepts that can effectively lock us out of tremendous wealth opportunities.

Just Connect Problem to Solution

When I visit my doctor, does he immediately suggest a special on hip replacements or hair implants? Does he urge me to consider a heart transplant, perhaps, (early bird special) without even examining me? No. He looks for problems and then suggests solutions, and I buy every single time. Does my doctor need to specialize in orthotics to prescribe orthopaedic footwear? No. He refers me to someone who does that. He doesn’t need to be an anaesthetist or a surgeon in order to offer me that service. He examines me, asks me questions, LISTENS, and offers solutions. He doesn’t talk about himself.

Why Networking Meetings Don’t Work

Go to any “Business Networking Meeting” and you’ll find dozens of wanna-be entrepreneurs, usually self employed salespeople, who thrust their business cards at you, talk at you, pitch you, and then leap up to enthusiastically deliver the pre-digested, pre-packaged, boring “elevator speech” that they paid someone who lost their job and now calls themselves a “coach” to create.

Everyone is there to sell, sell, sell.

And while they’re giving their elevator speech, what are the rest of the people at their table doing? They listen long enough to decide whether or not the speaker will buy their product or service and then promptly lose interest. They’re waiting to give THEIR speech. You know this is true. Just look at the audience – they’re bored stiff. Everyone is there to sell, sell, sell.

Perhaps it’s time to reconsider things.

When you go back to your office, you send e mails to all the people you met at the “Networking Meeting”, saying how nice it was to meet them. Most of them don’t even return the e mails. And so it goes. Everyone is out to sell, everyone is only really interested in themselves, and nobody gives a damn about you or your amazing business, flashy brochures or scintillating elevator speech. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider things.

See, it’s not about you at all.

Nobody cares about your packaging, website, qualifications or incredible accomplishments. Most people whom I meet that insist on telling me about all the things they have accomplished, are simply HAS BEEN’S. I don’t care hat you did in the past. I want to know what you will do in the future, because that’s where we’re going to live! People don’t care about your qualifications – they want to know one simple thing: “What can you do for ME?”

How about this elevator speech?

“My name is Robin Elliott. My job is to help you achieve your business goals with no money and no risk. I would like to find ways to apply my rather extensive resources, contacts, skills and connections to your business challenges and help you to achieve your goals – at no charge. To see if you qualify for this service, call me.”

The Right JV Mindset:

I’m like a plumber coming to fix your problems at your home. You don’t care about my background or how many kids I had. You just want your problems solved.

My contacts and Joint Venture Partners are my Tools.

I walk in to a meeting with a toolbox full of really great, professional, honest, competent, experienced and trusted business associates and all their products and services. I don’t care which tools I use – I will always get paid for my services. I don’t have to have a business or products or services of my own in order to solve your business problems because I understand business. I have been doing this for 19 years. I look for the problems, discuss the solutions and introduce you to the person who will apply those solutions to your business. And I will get paid by the people whom I refer to you, while I’m at home with my wife and everyone else is working hard, creating multiple, diverse, passive income streams for me.

Joint Ventures:

• If you know John needs what Paul is offering, you introduce them and get paid. You’re a middleman, a tollbooth, a facilitator. You connect the right people.
• And when a few people have a common goal and wish to share their skills, resources and abilities, you can help them form a syndicate or a team.
• If someone has excess resources, underutilized inventory or assets, you can show them how to optimize their resources through Joint Ventures.
• You can facilitate the sharing of sales staff, employees, distribution, advertising space, retail space, warehousing, transport, skills, reputation, access and databases. And get paid for the value that you create.

Most of the Joint Venture stuff out there is related to internet marketing and affiliate programs. But most businesses are more interested in real time, real money, real people and touch-and-feel business. The internet is great and we all use it, but there needs to be balance.

The KEY

The key to successful Joint Ventures is to find the RIGHT PEOPLE. In fact, if there were twenty good people in a room, and all we did was mastermind, brainstorm and create Joint Ventures for five days without leaving that room, we would all double our wealth.

It’s hard to find good people who will honor their commitments, do what they say, deliver the goods and take responsibility. It’s not easy to find honest people who will pay you and reciprocate.

That why I started the DollarMakers Joint Venture Forum.  www.jvwisdom.com

You talk to yourself at a rate of 600 words a minute. Even when you’re talking to yourself out loud, you’re talking with yourself internally as well. You’re constantly evaluating your circumstances and choices, based on your frame of reference and conditioning.

Choosing a New Program

Many of the confusions we jump to are automatic; conditioned responses based on past experiences which were often painful. So, many of the choices that we make are guaranteed to keep us in a negative loop, unless we consciously and actively stop the downward cycle and interrupt the negative pattern. Here’s a proven and simple way to do just that.

Asking Better Questions

Have you noticed that you always answer your own questions, and that the question determines the answer? And that we act on those answers?

• If you ask yourself, “Why am I so stupid?” You’ll get an answer that confirms that you are stupid, by telling you why you are stupid.
• If you ask, “Why do I have to work so hard?” you’ll trigger the same, negative response to confirm and support a negative belief or paradigm.
• “Why can’t I get out of debt?” will elicit an automatic, programmed response that will keep you in debt.

Break Free with This Recipe

The way to break free and escape this trap is to consciously and purposefully construct and ask questions that are designed to break the mold of pessimism and failure in any area of your life. In order to break disempowering habits, one fast way is to constantly ask yourself the right questions.

Write down the questions and be sure to ask yourself these questions (out loud, if possible) at least seven times every day. Try these for a start:

1. How can I double my income?
2. What is great about my life?
3. What do I like, respect and admire about the person I just met?
4. How can I add more value to the products and services I sell?
5. What am I grateful for?
6. How can I do more in less time?
7. What am I happy about? What is great about this situation?
8. Why do I have so much energy and joy?
9. How can I joint venture with others to make my dreams come true in a fraction of the time?
10. What can I do to increase the happiness and comfort of those I work with / my vendors / my family?
11. What did I learn today that will help me for the rest of my life?
12. Why am I such a great person? Why do people like and respect me?

Tips to Manage Your Mind

Tailor your questions to overcome mental and emotional challenges in your life. Focus on good things, solutions and events that you’re grateful for. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Create vivid mental pictures of your goals. Manage your mind and thoughts and everything else in your life will improve. Most of all, mix with Eagles instead of turkeys – Eagles will help you, support you and encourage you. Want to know where to find them?  Check out the  DollarMakers Joint Venture Forum at www.jvwisdom.com.