By Jerry Lunsford

Good affiliates can be hard to get. There could be any number
of reasons for this, but I am going to focus on what I believe is
the one major problem that prevents someone from attracting
good affiliates. But first lets look at what the make up of a good
affiliate may be. A good affiliate is:

Hard Working

Persistent

Motivated to work their business

Does not need constant reassurance

Makes and implements goals

Overcomes obstacles

Recognizes and takes good advice

And Never, Never, Never quits!

The question some may ask is, "Where are these people at?"
I'll tell you. Most of these people are already successful with
their own affiliate program. And they are successful for the very
reasons listed above. Also, they did not fall prey to the very
problem that many searching for good affiliates are causing
themselves. And that is advertising hype. They overlooked that
and went into the marketing program with a desire to succeed,
understanding that it is going to require work and time to be
successful. Unfortunately though many are for the first time
looking for a home business and don't know what internet
marketing is all about. They are vulnerable to all the hype
infested ads out there.

Now. If a person signs up for an affiliate program with none of
the traits listed above for a good affiliate can they indeed be a
good affiliate? Yes! But it will be an uphill battle helping them
to develop some of the above traits. Even though it would be
hard it is still worth it to work with them in hopes they will
become the perfect affiliate. Who knows.They may become
your best affiliate yet! But I want to focus on getting the good
affiliates from the start.

Why?

My logic is this. I would rather have one good affiliate that is
a real go-getter then ten thousand that do nothing or very little
at all. That way you have more time to focus on your own
business then spending a lot of time babysitting someone
who will probably eventually give up. The best route to go is
to get affiliates who are already conditioned. Well just how
do we do that? There is only one way to do that and that is
how your opportunity is presented to prospects.

Most all advertising someone does is loaded with hype.
Whether it is their search engine description, classified ads,
or email. This is what prevents marketers from getting good
affiliates. If possible you must remove all the hype from your
advertising and sales letter. Now I know that some of us work
an affiliate program owned by someone else. And you may
be required to use the advertising and sales letter that they
give you. But if possible use the ones that have the least
amount of hype.

What do I mean by hype!

Hype is where you describe something to the greatest,
allowable, extreme possibility. Such as but not limited to
the following:

Make a MILLION DOLLARS every time you breathe by just

posting a website!!!!!

Earn $15,000 a day by reading emails!!!

Buy my ebook, "125,000 Ways To Get Rich Marketing Salt!"

Now I know these are exaggerations but the point is that
while on paper you may be able to prove your claims, most
do see these types of ads as exaggerations of the truth.
Besides that these ads will not get you those good affiliates
your are seeking. What these type of ads will get you are:

Curiosity seekers

Gullible People

Get Rich Quick Hopefuls

If you portray your business as a get rich quick scheme,
then that is what you will get. People looking to get rich
quick. Not exactly my idea of a good affiliate.

Why?

Because each person who fits into any of the above groups
has their own reason for signing up none of which is to run
a business. Most individuals like this sign up and do little
if anything. When they realize that they're not going to get
a free lunch most will opt out in a day or two. Those who
remain will just ignore your emails. By the way. How would
you like to go to a job interview and be told you will make
$20.00 an hour. You work for 2 weeks only to find out that
you have to work for the company 10 years before receiving
that amount per hour. You would probably walk out the door
feeling you were deceived. That is exactly what happens to
people who answer ads loaded with hype. They feel as though
they were deceived. .

Not only that but it can be costly to run an ad campaign that
uses hype. Think of Pay Per Click advertising. Your are
spending money on the clicks of those who are not interested
in running a business. I would rather get one hit to my website
a day from someone who will do what it takes to succeed then
a million hits from people who want to get rich by the end of
the day.

Rather have an ad campaign that focuses on what the average
person can expect. Most people are in this category. An
average person. So target your advertising as if everyone who
reads it already understands the ins and outs of internet
marketing. Portray your opportunity as one that will take years
to reach it's full potential. Be honest and up front. Then you will
get people signing up who are ready to build a business up
over time. Remember. Get Rid Of The Hype. If the average person
won't make $15,000 dollars a month then don't say they will. If
the average person will probably make $1,000 a month then say
that. What's wrong with making a $1,000 more a month then they
had before. If you have been able to quit your job because of your
affiliate program, prove it. If you can't offer up some type of proof,
(copies of checks, real testimonials, etc...) then just keep it to
yourself.

The point being made is this. Most people are already aware of
the saying, "If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is."

There are exceptions to this rule but for the most part it is a true
statement. Now if you follow the advice given above you will
probably see a significant drop in your website traffic. And also
a drop in the amount of affiliates you are getting. But like I and
so many others say. "It's not the quantity of the affiliates you
are getting but the quality of the affiliates you get."

Leave the hype to those who want to brag about the amount of
website traffic and affiliate sign ups they are getting. I'll take a
big fat check over hype any time.

Article by Help Me! Articles for the affiliate marketer. Find out
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http://www.quityourcrummyjob.com Copyright (c) 2004