moving from publisher to merchant

looking to find a job 'on the other side'

[rfung]

I've been a publisher for quite a while, but I've always been interested in becoming an affiliate manager for a merchant(and learn how things work from the inside). Anyone here had any experience doing this? what are some of the skills/knowledge needed to make that transition? I read the job description for affiliate managers and it seems pretty straight forward - be responsive to your partners, segment and track the good performers, give them bonuses, send communications with new promotions, seek channels to increase affiliates. The one thing I could find that companies want is 'account management' experience, but what else? what are some of the challenges or must-have skills?

This kind of job is not something you 'learn in school' so what kind of background do any aff. managers have that help the cross over?

[ibQuixote]

Funny, Im making the transition from account manager type role to being a publisher.You probably already have all the technical chops and knowledge, but these types of jobs are really about social skills and suplication to the clients.  You have to deal with their BS rather than your own ;-)

[rfung]

well - part of why i am making the transition (not withstanding the fact that I dont make enough as a publisher) is because I miss talking to people :-) what are some common suplication examples you run into?

[ibQuixote]

Lets hear what the clients say:

Somebody else charges less, show me your value...again.....and again.....etc.

Can you do this extra little bit for me of work for me, it should take only a day and a half of extra work?

I never saw that email you sent me four times already

Its late and Im sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier, but I need this by tomorrow morning at 4am.

We should be getting payment owed six months ago out to you sometime fairly soonish.....

Can you please do all my thinking for me, because Im too lazy to think for myself.

Im having a bad day, so Im going to be nasty to you.

That idea you've proposed is interesting, can you submit a 12 page dissertation on it, before we reject it?

What have you done for me today, your competitors keep calling me and telling me they can do a much better job.

Can you recruit 100 new publishers for me, even though we've cut our payouts by 80%?

Can you train my new employee Sergio to do your job so we can replace you with somebody much less expensive.

Something is definitely going wrong with our program, and I have no idea what it is, but I know it must be your fault.

And on....

And on....

[rfung]

lol...

It seems some of those comments are referring to upper management at your company vs the publishers? :)

how big is your affiliate program (i.e. publisher base)?

[ibQuixote]

I'm not currently running any programs, but I've worked on well over a hundred. These problems tend to occur less with bigger companies with good people. I'd say stick with those, and try to avoid having a crappy merchant program tarnish you reputation, as you will middle of tugging and pulling between merchants, publishers, and networks.