What Makes a Great Allifiate Manager?

Spin-off of: Looking for Ideas About Recruiting Affiliates of Niche Product

[Komodo_Tale]

toll-free phone number prominently displayed, encouraging phone orders that can't be tracked to affiliate

Is the presence of a toll-free number a turn-off in itself or is it the manner of the presentation?

This brings up a host of marketing management issues, such as the value of multiple impressions and customer service during the sale. For example, many people who will not buy using a shopping cart will pick-up the phone. Should a retailer alienate these customers because he or she is also an affiliate manager? A retailer could easily cut off a leg trying to appease a sales channel that accounts for a foot's worth of sales.

What makes a great affiliate manager?

What are good strategies for balancing affiliate needs with the needs of other sales channels/methods and with the desires of customers?

[Chuck Hamrick]

The 800# is a difficult issue and we are looking at special 800# for top affiliates and to not display a number for others. Just like exclusive coupons for affiliates it takes additional development work.

What makes a great Affiliate Manager?
Honesty/Integrity
Availability
One that develops a personal relationship
Being affiliate centric

[Greenboy]

One way to avoid the phone number on page issue is to create a separate sales channel for affiliates. This would include an alternate landing page for affiliates to send their traffic to that does not include a phone number. This page can be identical in all other respects, or can be optimized for affiliate traffic. It can also lead into the same shopping cart or a different one, if needed.