Why Affiliates Fail And Why You Will Too - Unless You Presell

Numerous people work very hard to get ahead in the affiliate industry, but for most, the results are usually very disappointing. The reasons that this might happen can be endless, but for many years now, the single biggest trap that affiliates fall into is trying to hard to get the sale.

In others words, too many affiliates are going directly for the kill – i.e. hard selling, when they should be going for the soft sell – i.e., preselling.

The classic sales letter is designed to do exactly that – sell. And this alone may garner a sale or two for you. But it is far more important to “warm up” your potential client first, and get them into a buying mood long before they ever see you sales page.

As an affiliate, your job is slightly more difficult. Since you aren’t promoting your own product, it then becomes necessary to give your reader some sort of idea of what the particular product is all about.

This process is called the presell.

Preselling: The Process

The first thing you should do is build up your credibility in the eyes of your potential client. Position yourself as an expert who knows exactly what you are talking about. Give a detailed description of the product. List the pros and cons of its use.

Ideally, you already have experience with the product, and a good, fair product review can be exactly what the potential client needs in order to convince themselves that they need to purchase the product you’re promoting.

Write in a friend, easygoing, conversational manner. Extend the hand of friendship through your words. This is a skill that can be developed over time, and it’s a vital one to have in your arsenal. People buy from people they feel they can trust.

Once you have all of these items down in print – either in your newsletter, or on your webpage, you can then begin to introduce the product to your reader. It’s vital that you make this transition easy and seamless. It should be a natural progression from your discussion and review of the product to the product itself.

All of the above items will lead the reader to the conclusion that you know this product well. You’ve used it, and know its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, you give a recommendation of the product and provide a link for the reader to buy.

If you have done your job well, you should see your sales skyrocket. Remember, people buys from friends, they buy when they feel comfortable, they buy when the feel they can trust the seller.

Your one, single job as an affiliate marketer is to make your client feel all of these things with your words. It takes time, practice, and patience, but you will ultimately be rewarded for your efforts with greatly increased sales.

Mike Long is the author and publisher of ten different blogs covering a wide range of topics. He creates new content daily to distribute all over the web. If you would like to learn more about preselling as an affiliate, an excellent resource can be found at Mike's Internet Business Blog.