“Buy me candy! I want a toy! Gimme food! Me, me, me! Look at me! See how high I can jump!” No, that’s not a four-year-old, spoilt brat – it’s a typical, brain dead, self-employed, broke salesman, pretending to be an entrepreneur. I get these e mails all the time, asking me to expose my list and database to unknown felons posing as salespeople. “Buy my products because I need money! I paid $247 to join your club so now you have to help me sell my services!” SHOOT ME NOW. I even get emails from “JD” asking me to spam my Members with his snake-oil “health” juice adverts, and he’s not even a Member of DollarMakers. OK I’m calm now. My gun is loaded, but I’m calm.
Why “Me, me me!” Doesn’t Work Anymore
Basically, when you’re trying to sell your services, tap into other peoples’ databases, and sell, sell, sell, you’re simply wasting other peoples’ time. Joint Ventures is about getting the attention and the reciprocity of other people by NOT selling, but by solving THEIR problems. You’re in selling mode, that’s why you’re not getting ahead. This isn’t a networking club. Here’s how you get someone’s attention and create enough value for them to ask, “And tell, me Petunia, how can I help YOU?” That’s what I teach. The “Me, me me!” approach doesn’t work anymore – people will simply delete your e mails. You need to find out what other people want, help them get it, and get paid for it. It has nothing to do with what you’re selling, but everything to do with THEY want.
Why People Buy
People only buy from you (they have millions of other options, believe me, Mr. Manson, or may I call you Charles?) when they like you and trust you, and they will only take time to even LOOK at what you’re offering when you give them a damn good reason to do so. I get to know you by spending time with you, even if it’s on the Internet, not by reading your adverts.
What “Sowing Before You Reap” Means
The Members of DollarMakers who make the most money are on our Members Only conference calls, at the local Members meetings, especially at the Convention, and at the Bootcamps, building relationships. Are you involved in these ways? You have to sow before you reap and earn the right. I promote people who have proven themselves to be trustworthy, reliable, honest, professional, and generous. I cannot know that when there is no relationship.
My suggestion to you is to:
- identify people with whom you want to work,
- then to go all out to create value for them (and get paid for it, of course, Petunia,)
- and build relationships with them.
The return on that investment is substantial. Give me a reason to like you and trust you and help you. Put wood on the fire before you expect heat.
The Difference Between Selling and Brokering
Desperate salespeople are a dime a dozen, and nobody likes them or respects them. They hang out at business networking clubs, reeking of aftershave, pushing business cards, flashing their whitened teeth and trying to sell their stuff to other broke people. Joint Venture brokers are entrepreneurs who work strategically and use leverage, relationship, and reciprocity to create long-term wealth. Then you can go buy you own candy and even have your teeth whitened, if you’re that needy.
