Secrets of the Super Affiliate Mindset

Contrary to popular belief, super-affiliates don’t DO things differently than affiliate underachievers. Super-affiliates promote the same products, and they use the same SEO techniques.

They have the same headaches. And they work just as hard.

But 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. And that 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, and I’ve even helped create a few. They all share a special kind of mindset. So as you read these ten characteristics of affiliate super-achievers, ask yourself, “Could I learn to think this way?”

#1 – Super-affiliates think creatively

Do you know what you’ll get if you do what everyone else does? You’ll get what they get… only you’ll split it with them and all their imitators.

In today’s Internet marketplace, you must be a leader, not a follower. So super-affiliates don’t follow the crowd, and they sell TO the crowd. They take the most successful marketing techniques, apply them 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 low-cost offline marketing while everyone else breaks 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 businesses are thriving. 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 flop when they get tested on the challenging aspects of the business.

Super-affiliates are different. They learn to do all the “hard” things others shy away from. They know 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 time, effort, and money investment.

#3 – Super-affiliates follow-up

Most affiliates can attract prospects, and 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. So 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 in giving something of REAL value. Maybe they give away helpful content before they ask for the sale and seal a JV. Perhaps they offer a valuable resource. Maybe they offer to put in some sweat equity for a piece of the action. Maybe they offer customers a chance to win something… or a smile.

But no matter WHAT they give, super-affiliates do business in a spirit of openness. It’s not about beating the other guy. It’s about networking and making alliances. It’s about viewing the Internet marketplace as one big “small town.” It’s about saying, “let’s talk”. And it’s about putting something such as “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 sale. They’re not afraid to capitalize on a good deal, and 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 devalue 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, and they look for ways to turn a “thank you” into an opportunity to generate more customer loyalty and sales.

#6 – Super-affiliates think strategically

Affiliate marketing isn’t a game of chance, iIt’s a profession. Super-affiliates are just as savvy about their industry and uninvolved as other expert professionals.

Super-affiliates spend quality time thinking, planning, preparing, and evaluating.

They analyze their sites, products, and sales. They try to understand WHY one technique works and another doesn’t. They think about trends and ponder the mentality of their customers.

The bottom line is super-affiliates LOVE their work.

#7 – Super-affiliates test and analyze

Profit, profit, profit… super affiliates are hard-headed about profits! They split-test carefully. They think about WHY one ad pulls better than another… and they try to duplicate the results. They analyze their traffic, stats, and user purchase patterns. They’re fanatics about knowing their visitor-to-sales ratio daily. And they’re obsessed with ROI.

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

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

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

Here’s the basic formula, oversimplified, of course: On a given website, 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 with a 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, primarily 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 on 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

They may ruthlessly dump underperforming products and cut their losses if the profits don’t flow. But super-affiliates don’t give up. They assume that they’re going to have some bumps and hard times. They consider setbacks essential learning experiences that help them build a more substantial business.