Keeping Affiliates Motivated and Selling
Running an affiliate program is becoming easier and easier with all of the software and help available now. But keeping your affiliates motivated and selling isn't quite so easy. If the success of your business rests on how well your affiliates do, you need to make sure that you provide your affiliates with the right tools to get the job done. This may take some time and effort on your part in the beginning - but it is an investment in time and effort that will greatly pay off in the end.
If you are already running an affiliate program for your product or service, you know that a great number of people sign up for your program, never to be heard from again. You can reduce the number of unproductive affiliates you have by staying in touch with them constantly. Remind them of their usernames and passwords. Tell them again where to log in to check their stats or to get creatives. Keep them informed about new product lines or changes in policies or procedures. Keep them up to date on related news.
Just make sure that you stay in touch. Pay attention to who your top sellers are, and make sure to contact them personally on a regular basis. Also pay attention to who your worst producers are, and stay in touch with them constantly as well.
One reason that most affiliates don't perform well is that they don't have any leadership or guidance. You can easily change this by writing a marketing course. You can even offer it for sale to non-affiliates. But make it available to your affiliates free of charge. If you don't want to write a course, see about buying master resell rights to a course that has already been written, and make that available free of charge to your affiliates. It doesn't matter what method you use, as long as you tell them how to market the product. Provide them with sales copy and creatives. Keep the information up-to-date, and request feedback and input from your affiliates. Set up a support forum where they can come together to share ideas and learn new things. You might also consider forming sales teams - small groups of affiliates who meet on a regular basis, share ideas,
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and keep each other motivated.
Keep your sales copy and creatives up-to-date. Provide new material for your affiliates to use on a regular basis. Just providing them with a text link and one banner doesn't generate much excitement. Provide them with sales letters, testimonials, reviews, ads, banners of varying sizes and shapes, and anything else you can think of. Make sure that your affiliates know the new material is there for their use. Listen to your affiliates, and get feedback on your sales material.
Hold Virtual Meetings. Set up a chat room where your affiliates can attend a virtual meeting on a monthly or quarterly. Answer questions, give away 'door prizes', have motivational 'speakers' and anything else that you can think of to make the meetings informative and enjoyable. Remember Amway? Have you ever been invited to one of those meetings? The point of the meeting is to inspire your affiliates - get them so excited about your product or service, that they can't wait to get out there and tell the world!
Hold contests for your affiliates. Make the prizes worthwhile. Award a first, second, third, and grand prize for the highest sales in a given time period. Contests are great motivators.
Give your affiliates the recognition that they deserve. Every month, in your affiliate newsletter, give recognition to the best performers. Give them small bonuses. You could also set up a payment structure that awards higher commissions for a higher volume of sales.
Do everything that you can to make sure that your affiliates are succeeding and making money in your program. If they are succeeding and making money - your are succeeding and making money as well! Their success really is your success.
About the Author
Kevin Robb - Editor of the "eBF-News"
A Free Private Members Newsletter that reveals 25 years of Online and Offline marketing experience.
If you are results driven and have a passion to succeed on the Internet then the http://www.ebusinessformula.com/eBF-News/index.html eBF-News will assist in your development.
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