JV Partnerships and the Long, Slow Lunch Part 2

In JV Partnerships and the Long, Slow Lunch Part 1, I mentioned how the long, slow lunch strategy begins with blocking time to get to know a potential joint venture business partner better, and then opening up your observation skills and heightening your senses so that you are aware of things that might otherwise slip right past you.

Part 2 is about making yet another list – your ideal partner characteristics list.

In order to form a joint venture business partnership with the right person, it’s important that you’re clear about what kind of person you’d like to work with. Finding yourself knee deep in a project with someone who does not share your values or your passion can be uncomfortable at best. At worst, it can be a costly, brand-damaging embarrassment.

So grab that pen and paper again, and now list words and phrases that describe your ideal JV partner.

Is your ideal business partner spiritual? Is she a vegetarian? Is she an experienced speaker? Is she just starting her business?

The more clear you are about what you’re looking for in a business partner, the more likely that you’ll find someone who fits the bill. In fact, once you’ve written your “ideal partner list”, you’ll also be able to recognize very quickly if someone you’ve met will not be a good JV partner – at least not for you.

Strategically approaching JV partnerships is essential is creating high quality, long-lasting business relationships – plus you’ll find these are the people who also become your very good friends. Gotta love that!

If you’d like to receive these free video tips and strategies in your inbox each week, click here to sign up. Plus, you’ll get a free, downloadable copy of Aim to Inspire: !5 Ways to Take Your Brand and Offers From Good to Extraordinary

JV Partnerships and the Long, Slow Lunch

Wait! Before you form that joint business venture, are you sure about the person you’re partnering with? Does he or she hold your same values? Is she easy to work with? Collaborating with others on products and programs can be a fantastic experience. It can also be a disaster – and sometimes a costly one.

We hear a lot today about the importance of forming mutually beneficial relationships with others to build your business, but we don’t hear much about exactly how to do that. Or sure, there is plenty said about attending networking events, conferences and seminars where you might meet people who are interested in JV partnerships, but that’s just the beginning. Finding out if you even want to build a relationship with someone is the next step, and that involves getting to know them better – a lot better.

That’s where the long, slow lunch comes in.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from living in Italy is the importance of the long, slow lunch. Too often we schedule a meeting over coffee or lunch, but it’s all a rush. In fact, even networking luncheons have become hurried affairs, with attendees spending most of the time on their phones or texting.

The long, slow lunch strategy begins with blocking time to get to know a potential joint venture business partner better. That sounds simple enough, but too often today we’re rushing through our time with one person to get to our next appointment.

But blocking out time is just the beginning. During a long, slow lunch it’s especially important to open up your observation skills and heighten your senses. When you consciously heighten your senses, you’ll become aware of things that might otherwise slip right past you.

How does this person interact with others? Is she kind or rude to the wait staff? Does she ask questions about you or does she just talk about herself? How are you feeling as she talks? Inspired? Nervous? Unsure?

Here’s an easy assignment to help you stay focused on using your senses when you’re getting to know someone (hopefully over a long, slow lunch) with whom you might collaborate.

The Observation List:

Write an observation list beforehand so that you’re ready to notice things. Here are just a few things you might add to your list:

Punctuality
Energy level
Attitude
Interactions with Others
Body Language
Topics of Conversation
Ability to Focus
Listening Skills
Interest Level

Heightening your awareness when you meet with a potential joint venture business partner – over a long, slow lunch – is a simple, effective way to be sure you’re both on the same page, so to speak. But there’s a second piece to this strategy that’s just as important.

I’ll be covering that part 2! Coming soon …

If you’d like to receive these free video tips and strategies in your inbox each week, click here to sign up. Plus, you’ll get a free, downloadable copy of Aim to Inspire: !5 Ways to Take Your Brand and Offers From Good to Extraordinary.

How to Fill Your Events with the Right Audience

When you fill your events – both online and offline – with the right audience, it feels like magic! However, when you have people attending your events that aren’t a “match”, that don’t resonate with you and your content, it can seem like everything just feels off.

Of course, you want to attract people to your workshop, seminar or retreat who want what they’ll be getting (in terms of content). In order words, you want to be sure that you won’t be delivering valuable content to the wrong people! I doesn’t matter how good your content is, if the content and your audience don’t match!

So here’s a 3-part strategy that can help ensure that the right people attend your events:

1. A Clear Title: Be sure that your title – or subtitle – clarifies who should attend your event. “How to Make Money in Your Business”, for example, would be way to vague. “How Yoga Instructors Can Make More Money” is a specific title. In my case, I host The Italy Retreat for Women Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs. The title states exactly who the event is designed for.
2. Dig-deeper Description: The description that follows your title should dig deeper in terms of clarifying who should attend. For example, I follow the title, The Italy Retreat for Women Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs, with a description that states that the event is for women entrepreneurs who wish to lead and inspire their audiences in a bigger way. Clearly this retreat is not an event for start-ups, right?
3. Benefit Bullets: Listing how your participants will benefit by attending your event, should be placed on your sales pages somewhere after your description. (I like to keep this lists towards the top of the page.) Bullets are easy to scan and should specifically state what attendees will learn – what they’ll take away – by attending your event.
4. Optional Part 4: Yep, a fourth piece to the 3-part strategy. It’s an optional one, but I think it’s really important, and that’s video. By adding video to your event marketing plan, you’re including a medium that allows people to get to know you better so that they can decide whether or not they resonate with you and your message. It’s important that people can decide for themselves – they can select you and your content, or deselect you and your content. Either way, it’s best for you and them because you end up with just the right people – the right audience/content match – for your event.

This simple, but very effective, 3-part or 4-part strategy for marketing your events is a framework that can be used for both online and offline events. Whether you’re conducting a teleseminar or a multiple-day retreat, the same tried and true strategy applies.

Click here to sign up for more free valuable video tips like this one, and to download your free copy of Aim to Inspire: 15 Ways to Take Your Brand and Offers From Good to Extraordinary.