In this article I want to talk about developing relationships with joint venture partners/mentors. It is very important if you are looking to learn from high, world-class mentors, and work with them in joint venture projects. These are some low-cost - actually zero cost - ways to develop relationships with these types of people.

Number one, write this down, circle it, underline it, and highlight it. Participate. Write that word down. Participate when given an opportunity.

When I first started, nobody knew me from a fly on the wall. The first time that I went to the John Childers’ Million Dollar Speaker training, he taught me a very important lesson in business. He said, “It’s not what you know or who you know. It’s who knows you.”

My whole point here is get known. Your mentors and possible future joint venture partners will give you all kinds of opportunity to ‘participate’ so take advantage of it.

Here’s an example. When they ask for feedback on various projects, or they have questions for their E-mail list, or something of that nature, give feedback. Ask questions. Provide insights. Participate in that whole experience. The more you participate, the more they get to know you. That’s very crucial.

This is another one, and so many people underestimate this: Provide testimonials. And I’m not talking about “normal” testimonials either. I’m saying make these testimonials the best testimonials you have ever given, and then send them a picture that they can use.

Take it a step farther and send them testimonials when they don’t even ask for it. Alex Mandossian taught me this strategy and I’ve had a lot of my testimonials put up on websites even when they weren’t asking for them.

As I was looking around on websites when I first started I noticed that Alex Mandossian seemed to be on all of them giving a testimonial. How effective do you think this strategy was for him?

Alex was able to get all kinds of leads and business through putting up testimonials on other people’s websites. Use this strategy and learn how to give really good testimonials. Give them even when they aren’t asking for them.

You have to give testimonials that are specific and relevant to the material you are talking about.

For example, one of the testimonial winners for a teleseminar of mine recently was awesome. He stated his name, where he was calling from, and one specific benefit that he got from the call.

When you give good testimonials it will get posted on people’s websites and when you send a picture along with it, it is likely they will also include your website link. By having your information on other people’s websites it will help you generate traffic, which will only benefit your business.

Secondly, this will only help to develop your relationship with your mentors and hopefully future joint venture partners.

Another strategy is to participate in forums. A lot of people have their own forum or there is all different kinds of forums online on just about every topic.

Whatever market you’re in, find forums that you can participate in and provide as much content, tips and resources as you can. The point is to get yourself known.

Another to do is read people’s newsletters and look at them to find any important and personal insights and details.

Here’s some things you should constantly look for. Any birthdays, whether it be the specific person who writes the newsletter or their wife, husband or even their kids. Look for birth dates and then send them cards or a happy birthday E-mail, or perhaps even an audio postcards.

Anniversary dates is another thing you could look for, or when they are doing big product launches. Find out anything you can by reading their newsletters then use that information to build a relationship with them.

Offering your help to your mentors or future joint venture partners will also show them how interested you are and get your name out there. You will be surprised too the response you will get just from offering someone help with their business.

When asking if they need help, it will work even better if you ask to help with something specific you know they have coming up in their buisness. If they have a product launch, or seminar, or anything really, coming up and you ask to help them with that they will now known you’ve been paying attention to their business. This will not only surpise them, but will make you stand out and become a memorable name in their mind.

Another trick I’ve used is to send some information to these people that might be of value to them. Look to constantly build a good relationship with these people. These strategies are not rocket science. These are simple strategies, but nobody uses them.

Some of the things that I do is send them information that might be of value, like articles that I may have found on the Web that they may be able to use or extract value from. Newspaper clippings. I’ve also found resources like web links or other resources. I also look for on-line and off-line tools and then I shoot them an email saying, “Hey, I think this might be of value to you.”

However, when you send links NEVER include any affiliate links or anything like that. Just sending them information that would be of value to them.

Building a relationship and providing valuable information is what you should focus on - not making a quick buck. If you try this they will see right through you and you will wreck any chance of building a relationship with them.

The strategies I have listed in this article are all ones I have used and have been able to leverage those efforts into building great relationships with my mentors, and future joint venture partners. From that all different kinds of projects have sprung up with these people. If you just focus on building a foundation with your mentors it is amazing what can come of it.