Within this article I want to discuss strategies on how to build relationships with your mentors and possibly future joint venture partners. If you want to be able to eventually work with and learn from these world-class mentors, building a relationship with them is key. What I am going to discuss with you are very easy and cheap - they will cost you nothing - ways to build those relationships with your mentors.

Firstly, this is the clincher. Make sure you write it down in capital letters in bright red marker. Participate. That is the word you have to write down. When given the opportunity, participate.

I could have been a fly on the wall when I first started, nobody knew who I was. It was at the John Childers' Million Dollar Speaker Training where John taught me a key 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.

This is what I'm talking about. If there are questions in their emails, or they ask for feedback on their projects, give it to them. Give the feedback, ask questions, participate as much as you can. If you participate on a regular basis, the more likely it is that they will get to know you. That is the end result we are looking for.

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.

In fact, send testimonials even when no one has asked for them. Do you know how many times I have done that and then been put up on their websites? This is a strategy that I learned from Alex Mandossian.

When I first got started in this business, every single website I seemed to go to, Alex Mandossian was there giving a testimonial. Do you know how effective that 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.

An example of a good testimonial is one that is specific and relevant to a measurable benefit.

Recently I had an awesome testimonial left as part of a testimonial contest for a teleseminar of mine. This gentlemen stated his name, where he was calling from and gave one specific benefit he received from listening to the call.

This is a very easy way to get your testimonials onto other people's websites. When you send a picture along with it there is a good chance they will post a link to your website as well, which is only going to help you generate traffic, giving you all sorts of benefits.

Not only is it benefitting your website in the long run, it is also another way to develop relationships with your mentors/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.

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

Some things you want to keep your eye out for is any birthdays. It doesn't matter if it is the person who writes the newsletter or their husband, wife, even their kids. If you can find out their birthdays, send them a car or happy birthday E-mail, or even an audio postcard.

Look for anniversary dates or to see if they're doing product launches. All kinds of things. Read their newsletters and scour for important and personal insights, and use those to build a relationship.

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.

For example, if you know they have a big even for their business, like a seminar or product launch, you could offer to help specifically with that. By doing this they will know that you've been paying attention to their business. Also, you'll surprise them with your offer and you will stand out from the crowd for doing so.

What I've done in the past is I've sent information to my mentors that I thought would be of value to them. It is just another way to develop good relationships with these people. The tips and strategies I'm talking about are not difficult to do, but people rarely do them.

Anything I come across and think it would be of value to them, I send it their way. Articles that they could extract from, website links, resources online. Even off-line tools and newspaper clippings work. All I do is shoot them an e-mail 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.

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.