You know that JV marketing is a good way to build your customer base. You have even gone so far as to make a list of potential partners that could have a positive impact on your business. Now what? The next step is to approach some of those potential partners to see if you could move forward with a business relationship.

If your hands are getting clammy at the mere mention of professional networking and selling yourself to other businesses, you are not alone. Check out these four tips to approaching JV partners to make the process go as smoothly and successfully as possible.

Remain Professional

No matter how you contact your JV partners, whether it is by phone, email or traditional post, professionalism is something that should always be at the forefront of your mind. The written word should be formatted and composed in a business style, with the use of Mr. and Mrs. and common niceties like please and thank you littered throughout.

Do not be too obvious in your sales pitch; instead, outline your company, product and benefits of working with you clearly and succinctly. A potential partner will always appreciate your professionalism, even if the partnership does not work out.

Make it Personal

Templates, both in letters and emails, are never the way to get noticed. In fact, sending correspondence to total strangers is rarely going to elicit a response. This is where professional relationships come in very handy, and you can build those relationships through trade shows, conferences and other modes of professional networking.

Keep your business cards handy to exchange with the associates you meet at the venues. By making that personal connection first, you are more likely to inspire at least some consideration when you approach a business with a JV marketing proposal.

Show the Benefits

In a world of “what’s in it for me?” it is very important to show the benefits of working with you to any potential partner, first and foremost. While you may reap most of the rewards from the relationship at first, your JV partner can also see advantages in terms of commissions on your sales or mutual advertising. Begin with the benefits, and you may at least get your prospective partner to read your email or letter through to the end. This is the first step in obtaining a positive response for an official JV partnership.

Follow Through

Your first email or letter may not get read. Your initial phone call may not get returned. Persistence is the key in any successful JV partnership. While you don’t want to drive your potential partner crazy with daily phone calls or regular sales pitches, a polite follow-up to see if the person has read your proposal is certainly appropriate. Some JV marketers suggest correspondence once a week for a month to six weeks at a time. If a response is not received within this time frame, it is probably a good indication that it is time to move onto another prospect.

Finding JV partners and landing them can be easier said than done. Once you have a list of prospective partners, keep these tips in mind to help you successfully establish good JV partnerships that will benefit both businesses in the long run.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability.

To discover more Joint Venture Marketing Strategies join his free Joint Venture Marketing Wealth Report.

Forming a joint venture can be wildly successful, and it can also become a headache. Joint venture partners come in all shapes and sizes. And though most entrepreneurs and business owners are professional in their conduct, many are still difficult to deal with, and personality conflicts can arise. So what can you do to help assure a sound relationship with your JV partner?

Take heed of advice from Cesar Millan, also known as the “Dog Whisperer”. Cesar has become the leading expert in dog psychology and dog rehabilitation. Although his strategies are aimed at canine “pack” instincts, his psychology can work well for joint venture partners as well. Here are some examples:

Calm-Assertive Energy

Cesar advocates that all dog owners display calm-assertive energy. An owner should show a dog that he or she is the pack leader using compassionate and calm methods. Yelling, nervousness, and anxiety are not good qualities of a good calm-assertive leader.

This tip doesn’t mean you have to set yourself apart from your JV partner as the “pack leader”.  Nor does it mean one of you must become the “calm-submissive” type that will obey the commands of the leader.

How this can benefit you and your JV partner is that you both display assertive behavior without becoming emotional. Energy is calm, and both are in control of all communications and tasks.

Set Rules, Boundaries, and Limitations

Cesar teaches that dogs must have rules, boundaries, and limitations to know how to respond to different situations. Your JV is just the same. Both you and your JV partner must set rules, boundaries, and limitations so you both are clear on your roles and responsibilities.

For instance, can you contact your JV partner any time of day? Do you have permission to access your JV partner’s facilities? And likewise, does your JV partner have permission to utilize your equipment? All this and more need to be pre-determined before the JV goes into effect. Your rules, boundaries, and limitations will help you and your JV partner know exactly what to expect from each other.

Clarify “Issues”

An unstable dog is unclear about its role. This causes anxiety, aggression and fear. Cesar Millan teaches that a dog must trust his owner to be a pack leader and know its role in the pack.

Likewise, you and your JV partner must know your roles. Who will perform the marketing? Who will keep the books? Who’s in charge of production? Clarify all these types of issues and you will have a more successful JV “pack”.

Achieve Balance

Ultimately, you want to achieve balance with your JV. Much like Cesar advocates for dog owners, balance creates a harmonic, productive, and happy life. Set and know your limitations and boundaries. Set up roles for you and your JV partner. Let Cesar Millan’s experience with canine psychology teach you similar lessons in JV psychology. All elements should be balanced so both parties are happy with the effort, as well as the outcome.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability.

To discover more Joint Venture Marketing Strategies join his free Joint Venture Marketing Wealth Report.