What is an Affiliate?

[bemyself]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to the forum and read Tim's book for the first time just a few weeks ago. I have no business experience or education - I have always been someone else's employee or a student of liberal arts and landscape architecture.

I know I'm going to sound a bit ignorant here but what is an affiliate? How does that whole thing work?

Thanks for the education!

[Vacman]

bemyself,

The concept can be kind of confusing.

But...

A simple explanation = Affiliates are people who sell other people's products and get a comission.

You can be an sales person a.k.a. an "Affiliate" for a bunch of companies like Amazon.com and other similar big online companies.

You can also be an affiliate for smaller companies who sell 1 or 2 products.

The process basically works like this:

-You become an affiliate promoting a product(s)
-You put a link to those products on your website with your afflilate "code" so the company knows you sent them there.
-If they buy based on your recommendation, then you get a percent.

Affiliates are really basically sales people.

Hope that helps!
-Sean

[bemyself]

That helps a great deal.

I would guess that to be an affiliate most companies would like you to have some sales experience or be able to prove some kind of sales record or volume?

It sounds like a less effective way to earn a reasonable income unless you're a natural promoter.

But like I said I have no business experience - just a short spell as a car salesperson which I was not very good at.

[Vacman]

bemyself,

Most companies want good "internet salespeople" but they'll almost always let anyone promote them as an affiliate.

The reason why is because the company pays nothing for your time. They only pay you if you sell something.

That way the company really has nothing to lose by letting you promote their products.