A while back an affiliate let me know he was looking for an expert to help negotiate deals with affiliate programs. He felt like his expertise was in other areas, and wanted to have someone on his side to help him get the best deals. I know a great group that does exactly that and thought it was worth sharing. I know some of you might be looking for help working out deals.
Ihre Consulting can help. I've known the team there for years and they really know the industry well. Edward, Claire, and Tomas have all been in the industry for ages, in senior positions, and have worked across a range of verticals. The team has come together in a way that really makes them easy to work with. Together they've negotiated on behalf of several hundred affiliates.
I think this type of background matters for a lot of reasons. First, they can help evaluate the value your traffic should be earning based on the verticals you're in, the countries your traffic is from, your traffic sources, and other factors. Working out a solid deal really requires having this knowledge in advance, and their expertise can help make sure these estimates are accurate. Second, it is important to know what affiliate programs are able to do in order to know what to ask for. Having been on the inside at such a broad range of companies gives them a solid understanding of what affiliate programs are willing to offer and which programs are willing to offer it. Third, they check out the references of affiliates that they work with prior to negotiating deals, so they know the affiliates are solid and the affiliate programs they have relationships with have the extra reassurance that helps deals go a little more smoothly. Finally, in addition to knowing the revenue values that they can secure, the team members at Ihre Consulting want to make sure affiliate programs are supporting you with the right tools, so they often work out special arrangements like special promotions, landing pages, bonuses, etc.
Ihre Consulting can also be used for account management work after the negotiations, so you can focus on other work (like driving more traffic!). I know they've done consulting work for a number of affiliates here, and they really enjoy working with affiliates.
They'll be at the Dublin event next week so definitely worth having a chat. Edward can be reached by email at edward.ihre@ihreconsulting.com.
If you're looking for help negotiating deals with affiliate programs, check them out: www.ihreconsulting.com.