"The Affiilate Manager Handbook"I assume that products & how-to guides of this ilk do exist, however I am not the sort of cat to peruse 'how-to' guides, for better or worse; in my case, probably worse. That said, I imagine there are definitions of key terms, step-by-step instructions on how to please your affiliates, what to expect, etc. . .and I'm sure this is all fine & dandy for those up&comers that are lucky enough to join us in this neck-breaking, mind-wrecking journey.
In my opinion, the truth of the matter can be illustrated by the process of hiring an Affiliate Manager eg "Resumes mean NOTHING." Just to further my convoluted point, my roundabout method of explanation, taking the 'longcut' if you will, I will illustrate this illustration through a quick anecdote regarding my best friend Dave. He never graduated high school and thus had a most heinous time finding gainful employment. Bouncing around admin jobs while going to school part-time didn't really fulfil this gent, yet when he'd apply for a 'real' (read: career) position, he'd inevitably be refused even the opportunity to interview. The funny thing is - he now runs his own company and rakes in $1.2Million Revenue annually. Not bad for a kid that wouldn't even get his foot in the door at LeadClick, Vendare, Primary Ads, CPA Empire, and so on. Nothing against any network - I probably would scoff at a resume that read
EDUCATION: High School Diploma.and that's exactly my point, as in "What really makes a Good Affiilate Manager" and "how the heck do I hire an Affiilate Manager if I can't trust the resume?"
Well, I'll tell you what. You see these qualities:
HungerTenacityCommunicationEfficiencyIntelligenceOrganizedPersonableDiligentCharismaticRead 'em again. Do any of those involve tangible, resume-built, experience-based, learned processes? No.
So what am I getting at here? Nothing, except that the great ones are Born Great. Talk to 'em, figure it out. Qualifications be darned, you'll know an Affiliate Manager when you talk to Her. Or him;oP
R.I.P. Kirby
