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Here’s an interview that Liz Tomey did with me on joint ventures. This interview is actually part of a comprehensive joint ventures course, but you get to listen to it free…cuz I like ya.

In the interview we talk about:

- My most successful joint venture: Hint…I don’t have one (Hmmm???).
- Tips for getting joint venture partners: Follow these tips for long-term success.

…and a bunch more stuff in this quick and to the point 19:56 recording.

Click here to download the mp3

If you’re interested in hearing more of Liz’s interviews and learning more about her course, just click here for Joint Venture Seeker.

If you have an affiliate program or are thinking about starting one…here’s a cool freebie. Angela Wills has put together a handbook called Affiliate Commotion and it shows you step-by-step how to set up a profitable affiliate program.

Angela is a VA specializing in affiliate management and makes it her business to pay attention to those little details that we sometimes miss.

In addition  to the handbook, you get instant access to 4 free interviews with affiliate managers (including yours truly). Grab yours for free here.

Every year, just before tax time, the U.S.-based affiliate programs that I work with frantically email me to let me know that I need to fill out a W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (PDF).

Each time, I let them know that I am not a U.S. taxpayer and that form doesn’t apply to me. I also say that I should likely be completing the W-8BEN Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Witholding (PDF).

Then they tell me that they’ll get back to me. I wait and then they email saying that I should complete the form. Then, after all that back and forth, I fill out the form and all is well.

But please, U.S. affiliate program owners, do your foreign affiliates a favor:

- Sort your affiliates to U.S. and non-U.S before emailing them and provide them the correct form.

- Or at the very least, please send out two forms to all your affiliates and tell them which one to complete.

I know I’m just Canadian (hee hee) and I’m asking a lot, but it’ll save a bit of time and we can all get our paperwork done.

For Non-US affiliates to save youself some time:

- Open the W-8BEN (PDF) on your computer.

- You can fill in most of your details and save the form to your computer, so you can use it over and over again.

- The only thing you can’t fill in on the computer is the date, your signature and your title. That you have to do in writing. You’ll also have to edit the date each time you send it out.

Recently, a customer who purchased Affiliate Manager Sweetie, sent me this question:

“There was one comment you made about ClickBank that it wasn’t as good because you don’t find out who your affiliates are but there is software that can help with this issue.”

In the course, I do believe I mentioned there are software solutions to help you collect affiliate data, but I thought I’d elaborate here and explain in 3 thoughts why ClickBank has never been my first choice for managing my affiliate program:

1. You don’t have all your affiliate contact info as I stated in the course. Yes, there is software that you can use that allows you to make your affiliate go through a sign up process before you give them their hoplink. In fact all you need is a simple autoresponder sign up to capture their info before giving them a hoplink, but some of the software has more sophisticated link creation capabilities for your affiliates, so I do understand the use of the software. In fact, Jimmy D. Brown uses a similar system, but I hear he’s thinking of breaking out of ClickBank with future products.

Here’s the potential problem with the software: You’ll only catch those that go to your site. Those who find you through the marketplace won’t need to go through the sign up process.

Of course, that’s a perk of the marketplace where you can get extra exposure, so why not, right? Well, my guess is that not all affiliates are browsing the marketplace randomly when they find your link at ClickBank. They see other people promoting your product and they see it’s a hoplink, so they go to CB to find theirs…circumventing your system. I’ve done this many time, not intentionally avoiding signing up for a program, but because I saw a product that I wanted to promote on another site and then just went to ClickBank.

Again, you might think…the more affiliates the better, right? Sure but…

2. Consider that the anonymous open marketplace can open you up to spammers and other unscrupulous promoters. You have no control, can’t stop a particular hoplink (other than to stop selling by ClickBank) and it is a very real loss of control. Of course, if there are spam or other serious issues, Clickbank should step in, but you’ll have to wait for them to take action. But overall, you have no control to keep someone out of your program.

It’s a risk to think about.

NOTE: You don’t have to list your product in the marketplace, but if you don’t want it listed…why not manage your own program instead?

3. Overall, you need to decide if being at the mercy of ClickBank what you really want? If ClickBank is the only way you sell your product, you really are at their mercy. You have to follow all their rules and if they change them, you have to abide. I visit forums where people are constantly complaining that:

• “ClickBank is becoming stricter on allowing certain products.” Often this is in the area of the Internet marketing niche on products like email list building, etc. where there is potential for abuse. But even if your product is stellar and totally by-the-book, you may lose out because ClickBank simply wants to protect itself.

• “They give out refunds too easily.” Now, if you have a money-back guarantee, you’ve gotta give people their money back, but people have learned to game the ClickBank system. They also know they don’t have to directly contact the seller, so it’s easy to just buy and get a refund.

• “People Self-Serve Discounts by Buying Through Their Own Affiliate Link”: This one really bothers me for a couple reasons and I don’t allow it in my own program.First of all, when an affiliate self-serves they often take commissions away from an affiliate that actually referred the sale. That completely takes away from the spirit of an affiliate program.

  Second of all, I do understand the need to check out a product before promoting it and sometimes it helps to get it at a discount. If an affiliate is looking for a review copy, they should contact me directly and not simply help themselves to a discount. Most people who do this on the sly have no intention of promoting anything.

If you want to do business with ClickBank, you have to accept these types of restrictions and realize that you have to do what they say or get out.

Overall (and I think I’m heading into Thought #4), it is an expensive option. Yes, it’s nice that they take care of paying your affiliates (but you know you can do it with a few click of your mouse in PayPal all by yourself?) and you can get extra exposure from their marketplace, but personally I’d rather take that extra money and hire an affiliate manager to get people into my own system and working hard to promote my products.

Fee Information from ClickBank’s Website:

“For most transactions, ClickBank purchases the product from the publisher at a wholesale price equal to 92.5% of retail, less a $1 stocking charge. For example: If ClickBank sells your product for $50 to the customer, you would get $50 x .925 - $1 = $45.25. For rebills associated with a recurring billing product where the rebill is less than $40, ClickBank purchases the rebill product from the publisher at a wholesale price equal to 90.1% of retail.

For affiliate directed sales, the commission percentage is subtracted from the net sale price.”

That is NOT cheap.

Overall, the choice is yours and I’m speaking from my point of view. I’ve evaluated ClickBank, but never used it. There are also thousands of people perfectly happy with the system (and I welcome their’s and everyone’s comments below).

Either way, if you’re thinking of selling with ClickBank, you can consult their FAQ here or share your thoughts below.

You can find the answer to this question: “Should I allow my affiliates to purchase through their own affiliate links?” in the recently updated FAQ part of the site here:

Should I Allow My Affiliates to Buy Through Their Own Links?

Here’s a new staff review of Anik Singal’s Affiliate Classroom. This staff member was interested in honing her affiliate marketing skills and want to take a sneak peek on what was inside, so it was a perfect product for her to review. The site has recently been updated and upgraded and here’s what she had to say:

—– START STAFF REVIEW —-

Who’s it for: Beginner to intermediate marketers. It’s NOT for anyone who has been building successful affiliate sites.

What’s Included:
Special deals/discounts
Forums
Blog
Keyword Estimator
Cloacked Link Coder
AC Magazine Archives
Training System
Expert Interviews
Case Studies
Tutorials

More Details:

Everything is nicely organized with the areas very easily accessible. You know exactly where to go when you log-in. The main attraction to this membership is the step-by-step program they have in place. For beginners, it won’t be overwhelming. They basically hold your hand through the whole process of building a new affiliate site.

They start you with what they call an SBS (Step-by-Step) Training. You enter a name for this project. It takes you to Step #1 – Research Niche Products. You have a guide and tutorials to review. Then you create an Affiliate Program Profile. Once you complete your assignments, you go on to Step #2.

This is the hand-holding you’ll get throughout the program. It’s also why it’s not for advanced marketers and those who have found success already. I believe it would be a little too ‘simple’.

I do believe it’s a great program for someone who wants a plan of what to do and how to do it. There isn’t any guesswork here. The forum is also a great way to connect with other affiliate marketers to bounce ideas off of.

—– END STAFF REVIEW —-

Sound like if you’re at the beginning of your Affiliate marketing journey and you really like to have everything laid out for you - at a more reasonable price than hiring a full-on coach/mentor - this might be worth checking out. Joining Affiliate Classroom is simply a $1 investment for your trial period and then $29.95 per month after that.

The FAQ has been updated and I’ve included answers to the following questions:

• What kind of affiliate tools should I provide?
• How much commission should I offer in my affiliate program?
• Can I have an affiliate program with a service-based business?

Hope you’ll find them helpful.

By now you know that last week we introduced the newest of the Sweetie products, the Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course and whether you already have an affiliate program or are thinking of starting one, this course was created for you. Here’s what Affiliate Manager Sweetie will show you.

1. How to set up the right affiliate program for your business. If you already have your one in place, you’ll find out ways to improve your existing program.

2. How to maximize your profitability.

3. How to build a database of loyal affiliates.

I wanted to share one of the responses latest we received about the course already.
“Your Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course is AWESOME! It is truly a no-fluff straight- to-the-point guide on creating and managing an affiliate program. Your course gave me ideas, I never even thought about. The way everything was broken down into sections, made it really easy to digest the information.

I also liked the HOT TIPs that were sprinkled throughout the guide; it really gave me some new ideas to work with. The training guide itself was worth the package. This will definitely make training new affiliates much easier. The interviews were amazing. To be able to have access to the tools and the methods that the “big guys” are using is invaluable.”

Jessica Colon
WeddingPlanningTalkRadio.com
North Bergen, NJ

Get started on improving your sales without doing all the hard work yourself today with the Affiliate Manager Sweetie course. You’ve only got until March 15th to get the course at the introductory price, so head over and grab your copy before we raise it. Affiliate Manager Sweetie Course Special Intro Price.