Internet Marketing Tip From FriendsWhoCare: 10 Secrets of the Super Affiliate Mindset

I recently found this article and thought - this mindset doesn't just apply to super affiliates. The fact is it's a good mindset for all online business people. So although it's aimed at affiliate marketers because that's who Anik was trying to help, all internet marketers can learn from and use this information.

Tip: 10 Secrets of the Super Affiliate Mindset
Copyright © 2006 Anik Singal

Contrary to popular belief super-affiliates don’t really
DO things differently than affiliate underachievers.
Super-affiliates promote the same products. They use the
same SEO techniques. They have the same headaches and they work just as hard.

The truth is super-affiliates THINK differently. Their minds and attitudes go far beyond the commission check. For them, affiliate marketing is not just a business-- it’s a CAREER. This professional mindset makes a huge difference in how and when they take action in the marketplace.

I’ve worked side by side with many super-affiliates. I’ve
even helped create a few. They all share a special kind of
mindset. So as you read these 10 characteristics of
affiliate super-achievers, ask yourself, could I learn to
think this way?

#1 Super-affiliates think creatively.

You know what you’ll get if you do what everyone else does? You’ll get what they get... only you’ll be splitting it with them, and all their imitators.

In today's Internet marketplace, you need to be a leader,
not a follower. Super-affiliates don’t follow the crowd.
Instead, they sell TO the crowd, applying the most successful marketing techniques to selling the most popular products and then add a unique spin.

It could be as simple as offering one unusual, but highly
valuable bonus. It could be as sensible as using low-cost
offline marketing, while everyone else is breaking the bank
on expensive PPC. It could be as innovative as dumping the
sales letter, and substituting a quiz or contest. But
super-affiliates always, always, ALWAYS look for ways to be
a little more creative than their competitors.

#2 Super-affiliates learn the hard stuff.

Less than 10% of people who start their own business are
successful. Why? Most fail because they lack direct sales
experience don’t bother with a marketing and business
plan, or get into debt promoting products that don’t have a
market. In other words, they flunk when they get tested on
the really tough aspects of business.

Super-affiliates are different. They learn how to do all
the hard things other people shy away from. They learn
about selling and they get good at it. They set goals, make
daily and weekly plans, and measure their progress. They
don’t waste time creating huge content sites unless they
have hard evidence that those sites will eventually bring
them BUYERS (not just browsers or researchers).

And most of all, they keep their eye on PROFITABILITY. Not
just traffic, not just visitors. Super-affiliates look for
a return on their investment of time and effort, as well as
money.

#3 Super-affiliates follow up.

Most affiliates can attract prospects. A few can convert
prospects into customers. But only super-affiliates turn
existing customers into repeat customers.

Super-affiliates know that the person who has already
bought from you is the most willing prospect for your
backend products, upsells, and cross-sells. These current
customers are also the cheapest to sell to. As a result super-affiliates are always thinking of the lifetime value of a customer and always offering them the best value and deals.

#4 Super-affiliates give before receiving.

Super-affiliates invest time and money giving something of
REAL value before asking for the sale and before sealing a
JV. Maybe they give away useful content, offer a valuable
resource or put in some equity for a piece of the action. In other instances they may give a customer the chance to win something or a smile.

Regardless of what is given away by super-affiliates they do business in a spirit of openness. It is not about beating the other guy but rather networking and making alliances. It’s about viewing the Internet marketplace as one great small town stretching across the globe, full of potential. It’s about saying “let’s talk” and putting money, effort, or reputation on the table BEFORE making demands.

#5 Super-affiliates know how to receive.

Giving is the best first step but it’s only the beginning. Once they’ve hammered out a deal or given something of value, super-affiliates also know how to take what they rightfully deserve.

That means they don’t just pre-sell... they ASK prospects
for the sale. They’re not afraid to capitalize on a good
deal. They LIKE profits and don’t apologize for being
successful. And if they’re working on a JV, they state
their expectations clearly, forthrightly, without a lot of
fuss... and don’t de-value their list or reputation with
cheesy offers.

Yes, the best super-affiliates receive their just rewards
graciously, without throwing their egos around. And they
not only say thank you. They look for ways to turn a “thank
you” into an opportunity to generate more customer loyalty
and more sales down the line.

#6 Super-affiliates think strategically.

Affiliate marketing isn't a game of chance; its a profession. Super-affiliates are just as savvy about their industry, and just as uninvolved as other expert professionals, which means super-affiliates spend quality time thinking, planning, preparing, and evaluating. They analyze their sites, products, and sales and try to understand WHY one technique works and another doesn’t. They think about
trends and ponder the mentality of their customers.

Bottom line is, super-affiliates LOVE their work.

#7 Super-affiliates test and analyze.

Profit, profit, profit! Super affiliates are hard-headed
And committed to profits! They split-test carefully, think about why one ad pulls better than another, and try to duplicate the results. Time and energy is spent analyzing traffic, stats, and user purchase patterns. An aspiring super-affiliate has to be a fanatic about knowing his or her visitor to sales ratio on a daily basis and be obsessed with ROI.

If you want to say goodbye to the ranks of affiliate underachievers, learn to love the numbers like the super-affiliates do.

#8 Super-affiliates know when to go for volume over commission.

Here’s a very well-kept secret of some super-affiliates:
you can earn a fantastic income from cheap untargeted
traffic. Believe it or not, not every super-affiliate is
brilliant at creating content or opt-in marketing. Some
just concentrate on traffic -- more and bigger traffic --
and make money off of sheer volume sales and contextual
advertising.

Here’s the basic formula, oversimplified of course: Let’s
say that on a given web site you get 1000 unique visitors
per day, or 30,000 visitors per month. If your average
monthly profit from that site is $1500, then each visitor
is worth 5 cents ($1500 divided by 30,000 visitors).

So in this example, if you spend 5 cents to attract a
visitor, all you can do is break even. But if you can spend
a lot less to get a visitor -- say only 2 cents – you’ve
got the potential to make some terrific profits on cheap
traffic! Sure, it’s not going to be tightly niched traffic.
But it’s also the kind of traffic that fits well with
products that have mass-market mass-appeal, or even
commodity products.

#9 Super-affiliates work a plan.

Successful affiliates have a simple business model: they
replicate their success. Once they find something that
works, they tweak it slightly, test, evaluate, and repeat.
Some of the most profitable affiliate empires follow this
simple, repetitive pattern. Consistent effort tends to
yield consistent results, especially online, where certain
types of marketing (like SEO) take time.

And more importantly, super-affiliates follow a schedule.
So much activity per month, so many promotions, so many
sales. When they fall short of their goals, they figure out
why. If they can’t they cut their losses and try again.

Working a plan all boils down to discipline. Organization,
tracking, and daily project management are a way of life
for super-affiliates.

#10 Super-affiliates never quit.

Though they may ruthlessly dump under-performing products or cut their losses if the profits don’t flow super-affiliates don’t give up. They assume that they’re
going to have some bumps and hard times and look at setbacks as essential learning experiences that, in the end, help them build a stronger business.

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This article is written by Anik Singal, founder of
AffiliateClassroom.com. Anik Singal has developed his own
system that made him over $10,000 in just 60 days. Sign up for a free course and find out more.

To Your Success,
Susan