Internet Marketing CO-OP Exposé

A Lesson From Route 66

Route 66 is a fascinating route.  Once upon a time, it was traveled by multitudes.  Today it is obscure and difficult to find.  You will find engaging sights, if you’re willing to take a scenic tour.  Yet there’s much confusion along the way.

This happened to me – only instead of route 66, I traveled an Internet Marketing cooperative, project route.  Let’s call the project  “Looney Tunes Internet Marketing”.  Initially I was approached for this project, via a Linkedin group I run.  Did I see the first red flag?  Actually I did and I proceeded with caution.  The person who invited me was ousted a few days later.   In a couple more weeks, somebody else was ousted.  The reasons:

1. The first person was controlling the technical infrastructure – taking too long to finish things.  In order words, they wanted it yesterday.  Sound familiar?  If you have been in IT, it’s a common demand.  Yet I never liked how this was handled.  Thus I never trusted the ringleader from day one.
2. The second person was offering company resources to help.  Yet there’s no company money to pay the staff.  Shortly we see number two man ousted.
3. Then I came along.  I’m just a simple freelancer providing free expertise in return for a future percentage of profits – which will probably never materialize.

The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candle Stick Maker

The problem is that the “core team” consists of a man and wife team, along with a “close friend” of many years.  In order to establish a fictitious identify, let’s name the husband and wife the “butcher” and “baker”.  Next let’s call the “good buddy” the “candle stick maker”.    See anything wrong with this picture?  Sure! It’s a close-knit group of “good buddies”.  Even if you could “walk on water” … if you don’t belong to the Looney Tune‘s inner circle… it’s curtains.

Like most westerners – whether British or American – they believe in “short term insight.”  And their ideas are crazy!  Have you ever heard of writing a bunch of articles, then having software automatically and randomly mix up the beginning, middle, and end parts – thus producing a variety of articles?  Sounds like the typical American car companies.  Rather than following the Japanese business model – looking at the long term picture – the butcher, baker, and candle stick maker followed the “are we there yet – I wanted it yesterday” western model.  And the Butcher calls all the shots.  Perhaps if they weren’t looking for the quick fix, I could eventually hook them up – perhaps Internet marketing experts with thousands of followers.  They never inquired whom I know…who I am afflicted with…via social media.  Pity! Perhaps I might have also shared the project management and Six Sigma skills I have.

But I learned something

One problem was that none of the three core members were religious.  Here it’s Easter weekend and Good Friday.  I was taking time off – they wanted to work.  There’s a big problem here with potential ethical values.  If a person follows a religious system and/or an ethical philosophical system, then I can expect “fair play”.  But it’s extremely difficult to work with a group “where no one’s religious”.

Will this group succeed?  Perhaps!  If the butcher weren’t in charge.  Actually I LIKE the candlestick maker.   I would STILL be working with them if he were in charge.  Remember this old saying?  If you take a room full of monkeys, along with a room full of typewriters – give them an infinite amount of time – they will produce all the works of Shakespeare.  The question is how many will come and go, while the core team remains?

I did see the end coming and saw a “ringleader setup” in the works.  I’m not sure if  it’s because I subconsciously profile people (given my background in psychology), if it’s due to some “gut level feeling” or “intuition”, or just plain luck.  So I thought to myself: “Let me play this card to my advantage.”   I asked all kinds of questions to the candlestick maker, regarding a document the butcher created.   He just didn’t get it.  Then the butcher insulted me… changed the rules … I left.

I did spend about two months with Looney Tunes and learned a few tricks.  But I taught them much in return.  If I ask questions – I get insulted.  People come and go – yet only the core three remain.  If you do find Looney Tunes, make sure you get everything in writing – have a valid, legal contract.   The best recommendation they made was to join the free, thirty-day challenge.  The 30-day challenge is found at http://tinyurl.com/cotnjy. A good summary is found at webventurer.com/blog/t…, under “Thirty Day Challenge Training”.

Want to know something interesting?  I went through the 30-day challenge twice.  And they have a far better way!

A Better Way

Want to know a better way?  It was suggested on day 31 of the 30-day challenge – meet up and share expertise.  There’s a topic section on the 30-day challenge forum for this.  There’s also a service at http://www.meetup.com/, where you can arrange meetings and host them.  So I am planning on hosting Chicago area meetings, for graduates of the 30-day challenge programs.  Another idea is just to host virtual meetings.

The Key Difference

What’s the difference between the the Looney Tunes vs. the 30-Day Challenge direction?  Google research on Wiki articles sheds some light .  The first is referred to in Business as “joint ventures” (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki…) while the 30-day challenge suggestion is referred to as “strategic alliances.”  For the former, I recommend getting an agreement in writing first.  Insure that it’s a valid, legal contract.

Randy Kemp
http://www.b2b-techcopy.com