“Trust but verify.”
— Ronald Reagan
NOTE: This is the second in a comprehensive series on Launches.
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I’m often surprised when marketers are shocked that many of the people who they believed would promote for them fail to do so. The crazy thing is that when I ask them if they confirmed and double confirmed their partners they give me odd looks, as if they don’t understand what I mean.
This is very important to comprehend and embrace if you want to be successful in joint venture marketing. People are busy. They have more important things to worry about than your launch. After you lock someone in verbally, in a conversation, at an event, over a drink or whatever, you have to follow up with an email confirmation. This is crucial.
Think about it. You do all this work to build a relationship and get someone to agree to promote for you. Why wouldn’t you take it one step further and ask them to confirm? Get that confirmation email or the call back if you call them, or the text that says “yes, I’m in.”
I will confess that I did not always do this at the beginning of my career, even though I felt that it was the right thing to do. As I gained some experience, it became clear that this is flat out the best course of action. If I first send an email and don’t get a response, then I text or send a message on Facebook or other social media. Then I pick up the phone and call–in that order.
People overlook the economics because it may be a bit uncomfortable yet the economics of the confirmation are huge. If you don’t have confirmation, you really don’t know who will promote you. You can’t really forecast your traffic. That confirmation is worth hard dollars in your pocket because when you have guaranteed traffic coming to an offer that you have tested and know will convert, everyone wins. There’s no downside to getting the confirmation.
Even if you are shy about reaching out months ahead of time and then again as your launch gets closer, resist that. Yes, it may feel like you’re asking again and again and maybe you don’t want to do it. Remember that it’s not rude to doubly confirm something when someone has already agreed to do it. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.
In addition, it’s completely ethical and smart. And, it’s good business.
