Building relationships with joint venture partners/mentors is very important if you want to learn from high, world-class mentors. Within this article I will discuss how you can develop these relationships very inexpensively - actually at zero cost.

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

When I was first getting started, I was unknown, completely unknown. During my first time at John Childers’ Million Dollar Speaker Training, he taught me a very important business lesson. “It’s not what you know, or who you know. It’s who knows you.”

Get yourself known, that is what I’m trying to point out. You really have to take advantage of all the opportunities to ‘participate’ that your mentors and possible future joint venture partners will give you.

Here is a few ways you can participate. Give feedback on anything they are asking about. Whether it be feedback on a new project, or answering a question they asked to their email list, give it. Ask them questions. Participate in everything you can. It’s logic - the more you participate, the more they are going to get to know you and, which is very crucial.

Here’s another strategy, provide testimonials. A lot of people underestimate this tip, but it can make a big difference. When I say give testimonials, I don’t mean “normal” testimonials either. What I mean is give the best testimonials you have given and send a picture of yourself 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?

Later I found out that he was getting all kinds of leads sent to his website and to his business through the use of putting up testimonials on other people’s websites. You’ve got to learn to give really good testimonials. Even give them when they are not asked for.

Being specific and relevant to a measurable benefit is an example of what a good testimonials should include.

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.

Seek out forums that you want to participate in, doesn’t matter if you’re in that market or not. You can write about anything you really want in these forums - give lots of tips, resources, content. It is all about getting yourself known.

The other thing I want you to do is read people’s newsletters and scour those newsletters for important and personal insights and details.

Here is some ideas of the things you should be looking for. Birth dates, whether it is the person writing the newsletter, their wife, or kids. Keep a note of the birthdays and send them a happy birthday E-mail, card, or even an audio postcard.

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.

Always look to offer help to your mentors or future joint venture partners. You wouldn’t believe the response that you will get when you ask somebody if there’s anything that you can do to help them in their business.

Or, let’s say for example, that you know that there’s something coming up in their business, like a product launch or a seminar or anything of that nature, and you ask to help with something specific, they’re going to know that you’ve been paying attention to their business, and they’ll be surprised, number one. Number two, you’re going to stand out in their minds later on down the road.

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.

Whatever you find that makes you think they could use, send it to them. I’ve sent articles that I thought they could use, newspaper clippings. Off-line and on-line tools is another thing I look for. Any web links that would help their business. All I do once I find something is shoot them an email saying, “Hey, I think this might be of value to you.”

One thing you want to make sure you don’t do is include affiliate links or anything like that. Focus on only sending them information that will 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.

Those are all strategies that I’ve used and then I leverage those efforts in to all kinds of great relationships with all my mentors, and future joint venture partners. It’s resulted in all kinds of projects with all these people. It’s just amazing what will happen when you focus on building a foundation with all of these individuals.