What do you think makes a great AM?

[ck8795]

It's funny that certain rooms take notice to certain sites and understandably the more RMP's you send over the more attention and increase in rev you will recieve.

That being said as a small time affiliate it is a complete nuisance to have AM's who completly ignore you but when they have a promo coming they want your attention yesterday

Yet I can send an email to him about a promo I am running and ittakes no word of a lie 3+ weeks to hear back. I understand there is this senority chain regarding palyers, but if you want an affiliate to bust their ass off than you to need to show some interest.

If a big poker room can respond to my email within 1-2 days, who also must have a large number of affiliates under their wing than I see no excuse for it.

So to me what makes a good AM

• replying to emails in a proper time frame (don't mind even waiting 3-4 days but 3 weeks )
• Working closly and devolping a realationship with their affiliates
• Taking notice of those who are really busting their ass of and maybe lending a hand out when guidance may be needed
• Provide ample oppurtunities to both the "big boys" of affiliates and sites that are trying to do the same
• Appreciate their affiliates ( I know they come a dime by the dozen but many do put the effort to bring players)

I have a couple of AM's who do all of this no matter how many players I bring, and they by far are the ones who I will put every effort into sending players.

[Doolally]

I couldn't agree more. An Affiliate Manager who truely tries to be of assistance is much more likely to get their product in a good position on an affiliate's site.

What they should remembers is that the little site of today may turn into the big site of tomorrow.

[bb1web]

they should remembers is that the little site of today may turn into the big site of tomorrow.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
__________________

so true...... especially IMHO ... establlished affs.


nobody knows how things will swing. what I think most progams need to remember are 2

1. email and contact is vital. stay in touch!

2. smaller affs with quality leads are JUST as important as someone with a "free" site that brings in many clicks but few leads.

I know from experience that i have been mistreated by many programs when they saw the few clicks , downloads, player I send.

however those that treated me right saw their income rise. I get quality .... not quantity and I definitely feel the discrimination.

[TheGooner]

All I want is competence.


Broken down a bit further :
- an ability to clearly understand basic web terms and marketing ideas.
- knowledge of conversion rates and clickthroughs of their own banners.
- a reasonable handle on payment methods and pro-active notification of any delays.
- able to reply in a reasonable time-frame (48 to 72 hours)

Mind you ..

That sounds like I'm talking about an ex-affiliate really - and given the money and pleasure in OUR side of the business ... why oh why would a good affiliate jump across to be an affiliate manager?


I'd not change jobs ...

[kenonut]

A good AM should ALWAYS answer emails from affiliates. The should never just ignore them. Even if just to say "I don't know but will find out". It really makes me angry when you send several emails and none get answered. That is just plain old rude. Also, a good AM should make themselves knowledgable of their affiliates' needs and try to do everything they can so that everyone makes money. Aside from that, the AM should definitely be knowlegeable of the business.

[kwblue]

A quality Affiliate Manager should:

1. Reply to emails (without the BS that many use such as: The spam filter must have caught it, I never received an email, etc...)

2. Followup on requests (from email or other) - This one is HUGE as most affy managers forget your request unless you bug the **** out of them

3. Give us ACCURATE information - especially in regards to our own earnings payments.

4. Work with us more actively to earn more $$$


These are simple ways to keep affiliates happy and any good AM should do them (at the very least)

[Doolally]

I forgot to add "patience!"

[LiveCasinoPartners]

For me communication is the most important. I'm beggining to appreciate the affiliate managers who are active on the forums too.

My niche affiliate program has extremely poor response times, even for non-trivial questions.

If I had to make a list of the three most important traits for an affiliate manager/program they would be:


(1) Responding to emails. (within 24 hours? too much to ask?)
(2) Accuracy of stats
(3) Prompt, easy payments

[Will@Superior]

You could hardly get better feedback right from the horse's mouth even if you were to pay for it. As an AM, I thank you guys for taking the time to let your voice be heard.

Now, I personally believe that establishing and nurturing open channels of communication is a key factor in any business relationship and I think the biggest obstacle to achieve that as an AM is the excessive amount of work you have to knock off on a daily basis... so I would like to ask you guys... would it be acceptable for an AM to offer an immediate way of connecting with his business partners such as Skype and/or any other form of IM?

I mean, I will not make up any excuses for not responding to an e-mail swiftly and with the best possible solution to the situation at hand... but there are occassions when e-mails go missing and it is not in the AM's hands to even realize it. But -as an affiliate- if you have the guy on your IM then you can pop up on his screen at your convenience... and THAT would provide for a very good way to communicate with the manager quickly and effectively. Wouldn't it?

The only reason I would not use IM -if given the chance- is probably if I end up having limited access to the web. What do you guys think?

Will Gatten
Affiliate Manager
will@superiorshare.com
Skype: w_gatten
http://www.SuperiorShare.com

[ck8795]

See and I think that is a great idea. One particular AM suggested that to me as a way to get our points across quickly without the delay of email. He was more than welcome to discussing over the phone or MSN, and has also popped in when he sees me on to ask how things are going and if there is anything he can help me with

Now another AM who I had suggested a kick ass idea for bringing in a ton of players if done right wouldn't even chat with me thorugh either forms of communication.

Sometimes things can not be explained sufficantly thorugh email as they would over the phone or MSN. Especially when particulars of an idea come about and you want to give them the ideas and have the oppurtunity to answer most questions as they come.

I just think some AM's need to learn that they must give in order to recieve.

[TheGooner]

so I would like to ask you guys... would it be acceptable for an AM to offer an immediate way of connecting with his business partners such as Skype and/or any other form of IM?

Will - I don't use IM as a concious decision because I found too many annoying interuptions during the day that were not useful ...

But I'm sure that many affiliate would welcome the use of IM and Skype as an immediate way to be in touch for important issues.


Of course the tricky thing is controlling the interactions to a reasonable number. I only have a couple of dozen programs and I task myself with contacting each of them at least once per month. That's just 1 per day - but I have to keep on it to check off that job as complete at the end of the month.


I have no idea how many affiliates you have to manage - but I could imagine that the list might run into many hundreds ... Imagine 1-2 contacts a week from all them ... WOW ...
You'd be full time IM guy ..


But yes - a contactable AM through multiple methods does make for a better AM in affiliate eyes.

[ironman2000]

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I totally agree with everything you have said in your post.

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Replying to emails in a proper period should be within 24 hours.

Working closely and developing a true relationship is what I will strive for, but this has got be a two-way stream to work properly.

To take notice of those that are really doing their job and caring about there players and not only their bank balance, not to say this is also an important factor.

I will provide a level playing field for large or small; even give a special hand to a small webmaster that has potential to grow.

To give credit were credit is dew and with our new in-house affiliate program I will have the tools to keep track of how large or small are doing their job.

I have always being taught if you want to make something work then you have to put all yourself into it. To do something is to do it well.

[Will@Superior]

Will - I don't use IM as a concious decision because I found too many annoying interuptions during the day that were not useful ...

I have no idea how many affiliates you have to manage - but I could imagine that the list might run into many hundreds ... Imagine 1-2 contacts a week from all them ... WOW ...
You'd be full time IM guy ..

Being a full time IM guy -in that fashion you describe- sure sounds like a neverending task and I would never like to be trappe din such a role. I think it all has to do with finding a flowing equilibrium... just like many other things in life.

It is also true that an amount of maturity is desirable in all business relationships. An affiliate who knows how to prioritize his needs and make use of the available resources in a proficient way, is probably gonna get better results than a person who has a lot of time in his/her hands and little substantial requests.

In short, I believe that affiliates and AMs are a team. And as in any other team, a sustained joint effort will always draw better results. A little patience and a tad of tolerance will work wonders in a solid business relationship.

But yes - a contactable AM through multiple methods does make for a better AM in affiliate eyes.

Thanks for the feedback. It's much appreciated.