I don't , If I i did I would be so far in the red since I barley make any sales with Click bank.

Contact the owner of the product. Tell them you may be interested in
promoting it.
Then ask for a review copy. Usually they will just give you access
to the product.
If you are trying to build a list and a solid business online, my advice
would be simple. Never promote a product you havn't tried.
Promoting 1 bad product can ruin your reputation.
Any further promotions will fall on deaf ears.
Only promote top quality products

I almost always either buy the product or get a review copy. It's really hard for me to sell something when I really have no idea what it does or says.

I know most people will just promote what is on the sales page, but for me... It works much better if I actually dig into it and believe in it.

If I don't believe in it, then I won't promote it.

Why would I want to promote something that could be complete garbage and destroy any credibility I have?

I will probably take heat for saying it, but I don't believe it is right to promote stuff you've never used or actually read.

Most of the time I don't have to worry about that anyway... It's much easier to sell my own stuff.

I have many different niches. For example, if I promote diet products, but I don't need to go on a diet, I don't think I want to spend the money to try a product that I wouldn't be able to tell on me if it works or not. However, as an internet marketer, yes, I have purchased ALL the products I have promoted, because of the following:

1) I try to promote only GOOD stuff
2) I like to know what I am talking about when I write reviews, articles, blog posts, etc...
3) If the product is no so good, I can always ask for a refund, but most times, I don't because by then I usually largely made my money back in sales anyway

In a nut shell, if I promote a niche that "I use" myself I do buy the products, if not, I don't. But, you don't have to buy a product you promote by any mean.

I get the product one way or another so I can know what I liked and didn't like about it.

i do not buy every product i promote but i do a bit of research to make sure it has value

First rule of affiliate club...

NEVER promote anything you have not first used for yourself. This is self-explanatory. If you want to be in this game for any decent amount of time you need to be trusted by people. The moment you recommend a dud product (all it takes is one) you can ruin years and years of hard work. People don't give second chances.

Just purchase the product through your affiliate link. I'm not a huge believer in asking for free review copies. Unless YOU have actually paid money for the product like you are asking your customers to then you don't really have the same vested interest in that product as your customers will.

If I have paid $37 for a product then I am going to have a different value expectation to the person (YOU) who has just picked up a free review copy. Treat your list like idiots and they will respond as such. Treat them with respect, honesty and transparency and they will respond accordingly.

If you treat your customers like gold, then you should refer them to stuff that is of the highest calibre.

SO with this being the case you should recommend stuff that you use first.

Most affiliates (that care about their list) will be sure to have first-hand experience
with the product. There are tons of shady products out there and if you don't have
an idea what type of product you are promoting - You have no idea what you got
yourself into. So, be sure to have done thorough research on that product and find
out what others have to say about that product.

i don't promote anything that i havent purchased or used.

there is no better person to explain, promote and teach others to exploit programs than someone who actually paid for it and used it themselves.

I don't buy every product I promote but i do a bit of research to make sure it has value. SO with this being the case you should recommend stuff that you use first.

I only promoted products that I had bought. When you know what a product is like your review can come from a different angle, if a product that you review which you haven't actually seen ends up being really poor then this damage your reputation.

Asking for review copies is a great idea, I never used that but will in future.

Great tips and resources in this post, I will surely be asking for a review copy in the future when I get around using Clickbank more.

Yes I always do if I am doing a review of the product. Nothing can help your sales pitch more than first hand experience with the product...

It's not a good idea to promote something that you have not seen yourself for many reasons. I think most of the posts above mention reasons around "risking your reputation" and "honestly" which is true but if that for some reason was not enough, another reason is because you just won't convert as well. It's possible that you might convert okay even without a good, thorough review, however, people who buy products aren't dumb and because they are already looking at the product with skeptical eyes (if they're looking for a review), they will be able to detect crap right away. This is also good news since it also means your review will be better than 99% of the reviews out there made by autoarticle posting softwares.

With that said, cost can always be an issue. The only way to get around it if you can't get a review copy is to buy it through your own affiliate link to reduce the price for yourself.

If you're going to be promoting their product you should definitely get a review copy. If you're a newbie marketer it might be a little harder to get free products but I'd imagine most people would be cool with giving review copies to affiliates.

I always read through things before I promote them. Not only can you give more accurate information, but you can give an honest review. This is important!

80% of the stuff I promote I bought and it was so awesome I decided I had to promote it, which is why half the stuff I tell my list about isn't even an affiliate link. Everything else I ask for a review copy. If I am ignored or am told no, I normally bypass that product.

When I first got started I always purchased the products that I promoted. I know there are a lot of marketers who don't, but I have to know exactly what I'm recommending before I promote it. Over the years I've learned to contact the product owner, introduce myself, explain that I'm a marketer who would like to promote their product, and would like a review copy with the assurance that I'm going to be the only one reviewing it. When I first started doing this I even offered them a deposit (usually 50 to 100% of the retail price) which they could refund to me after I made them a sale to show them I was the real deal and not some fly-by-night operation.

As you gain experience you can use your past marketing promotions as references, as well as any other marketers that you've worked with. Sometimes you will get a free review copy or a discounted price. In one particular niche I promote well over 50 products and services. All in all I probably bought / reviewed over 150 products / services during a one year period to whittle it down to those 50.

Some of my marketing buddies called me "insane". But for me, the work was worth it. As Alexa pointed out already, I'm putting my reputation on the line and I don't want to recommend something that isn't going to actually solve something in the market place and provide value.

I've worked with certain product developers over the years and have developed a good, solid working relationship with them where they now send me all their new product offerings for free. Why? Because they know that I know my conversion numbers. They know I'm ethical and that I'm not going to pound my lists with offers. Ultimately, they know they are going to get a solid ROI by giving me review copies.

In the long run, I think it's the way to go.

RoD

When I buy products and I really like it, then there's a good chance I will promote it as an affiliate. You'll have more credibility if you promote something that you actually used yourself.