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[RANT] Why YOU turned me off promoting YOUR product!

by Hamish Jones
29 replies
I've been developing a new niche list related to Sports Betting and wanted to promote a few affiliate products.

I contacted a few product owners running affiliate programs asking for a review copy and I was just ignored.

Now, I put a lot of effort in to what I sent them to show that I was legit (I have my reputation to protect). Guess what response I got from these business people?

A big fat........ IGNORE!

I can understand that you may have been burned by freebie seekers before, but don't you think that burning potentially great affiliates by just ignoring them can harm your business?

What about a quick email asking them how they were planning on promoting your product to see if the prospect had actually thought about how they would market your product? This would quickly separate those who did want to seriously promote your product from those who want a free ebook.

I, for one, would rather have actually read or looked at your product/ service before promoting it.

On a side note, if you are in the Sports Betting niche and would like someone promoting your product, PM me!
#product #promoting #rant #turned
  • Profile picture of the author Kyle Tully
    Hey Hamish

    What about actually buying the product yourself?

    That way you can get the full customer experience.

    See what else they're pimping. See how they treat your list.

    Then you can contact them as a customer (rather than another freebie seeker) and start building a relationship.

    Kyle
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    • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
      Originally Posted by Kyle Tully View Post

      Hey Hamish

      What about actually buying the product yourself?

      That way you can get the full customer experience.

      See what else they're pimping. See how they treat your list.

      Then you can contact them as a customer (rather than another freebie seeker) and start building a relationship.

      Kyle
      Hi Kyle,

      My problem is not so much not getting the product, but the fact that emails are ignored. If my emails were responded to, isn't this also the opportunity to start building a relationship. If you choose not to give away a review copy, and articulate that well, I would respect that but, having said that, I do want to know that there is someone at the other end of the email address if there is a problem with the product or service.

      I do sign up to lists, and have bought quite a few products that I now promote, but sometimes you don't want to be a customer, you just want to promote a product and speak to the product owner beforehand.

      Cheers,

      Hamish
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      • Profile picture of the author Art Turner
        Hamish,

        This seems to be par for the course.

        I've bought domains, built websites and generated sales as an affiliate, but even then can't get product owners to respond to an email.



        Art
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      • Profile picture of the author mmurtha
        Hamish,

        Umm ... not everyone gives out review copies of their products. That's a curtesy kind of thing, and shouldn't be expected or demanded. Even a response shouldn't be to be honesty with you.

        Kyle gave you an excellent idea when he said, "Why don't you buy a copy of the product yourself?"

        Another thing to remember here is that many product owners make you buy the actual product before you can become an affiliate so you pay for it up front.


        Lol I wonder where people get the idea that everyone owes them something!

        Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it, just go by the dang products if you want to promote them so badly, or look for some others.


        Mary
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        • Profile picture of the author Ouroboros
          As I took it, it wasn't so much about the free reply copy as it was a reply.

          I've tried asking for review copies, not really expecting one, but at least a reply and an explanation would be in order.

          IMHO, Mary's reply was a bit ...
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          • Profile picture of the author mmurtha
            Ouroboros,

            Was a bit what SIR?

            Honest??

            If you are going to give an opinion, at least have the backbone to finish the comment.

            Please, by all means sir, pick out one thing I mentioned in my above post that isn't straight up front.

            People do not owe YOU or anyone a response or an explanation, and if you believe they do, you are setting yourself up as a victim by choice and giving those who do not comply with your ideas and wishes a black eye in the process.


            Mary
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          • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
            Originally Posted by Ouroboros View Post

            As I took it, it wasn't so much about the free reply copy as it was a reply.

            I've tried asking for review copies, not really expecting one, but at least a reply and an explanation would be in order.

            IMHO, Mary's reply was a bit ...
            Hey Stephen,

            Your right,

            The point of my post was not the free copy, but the lack of a response.

            I feel that those selling products might be leaving profits on the table by not responding to my queries.

            Hey, who's to say I wouldn't have bought their product if I'd agreed with, or liked what they had to say?



            And there's nothing wrong with Mary's repsonse.

            I mean, she's right. I cannot demand a response to my email in the same way that a product owner can't expect me to promote their product if I decide not to (for whatever reason.)
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            • Profile picture of the author mmurtha
              Hamish,

              I mean, she's right. I cannot demand a response to my email in the same way that a product owner can't expect me to promote their product if I decide not to (for whatever reason.)
              That's right .... now you're cooking.

              If they want to keep losing monsy, then it is on them.

              I simply move on to the next product owner or webmaster when that happens.

              Btw, hope your headach goes away. Perhaps some rest away from the stress will give you some relief.


              Mary
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              • Profile picture of the author peteinoz
                dude..

                either your email was not compelling enough to make them want to respond to you..

                or

                its a site that sits there making money on its own and the owner doesnt even get any emails..

                or they get so many emails everyday, your in a log they have not caught up to..

                either way..

                Your not going to get any lessons out of it blaming them.

                post your email here for a critique..

                Pete
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                • Profile picture of the author testaccount1234567
                  I think it depends on the person you are trying to contact.

                  Some are really nice and will reply even if they are not interested in any affiliates/JV's but other couldn't care less.

                  One little tip that I have found to work fairly well to get a reply at least is to contact their support desk (if they have one) and submit a ticket.

                  Someone will usually reply to you if you use this method.
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                • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
                  Originally Posted by peteinoz View Post

                  dude..

                  either your email was not compelling enough to make them want to respond to you..

                  or

                  its a site that sits there making money on its own and the owner doesnt even get any emails..

                  or they get so many emails everyday, your in a log they have not caught up to..

                  either way..

                  Your not going to get any lessons out of it blaming them.

                  post your email here for a critique..

                  Pete
                  You could be right I suppose. Maybe they didn't see the $$ signs when reading my email.



                  I am not trying to blame anybody for anything. That was never the intention of the post

                  I was just trying to point out what I saw as a lost income opportunity for the site owner to make others think about how (or whether) they respond to someone who emails them.
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                  • Profile picture of the author testaccount1234567
                    Maybe you should of sent something to them to prove your credibility.

                    If it is a successful site then chances are they get a lot of requests everyday and you were just one of the many.

                    So they probably didn't see you as an opportunity to make more money so that could be something you need to focus on for next time.

                    Don't take it personally though there could be a million different reasons why you didn't get a response.
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        • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
          Originally Posted by mmurtha View Post

          Hamish,

          Umm ... not everyone gives out review copies of their products. That's a curtesy kind of thing, and shouldn't be expected or demanded. Even a response shouldn't be to be honesty with you.

          Kyle gave you an excellent idea when he said, "Why don't you buy a copy of the product yourself?"

          Another thing to remember here is that many product owners make you buy the actual product before you can become an affiliate so you pay for it up front.


          Lol I wonder where people get the idea that everyone owes them something!

          Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it, just go by the dang products if you want to promote them so badly, or look for some others.


          Mary
          Hi Mary,

          Hey, I ain't too worried and I won't be promoting their products.



          Let me clarify- I don't EXPECT a review copy, but I don't have a problem asking for one as by promoting someone's product. I would hope to make them much more in the long run then they would have made from me just buying their product.

          Having said that, i think it would only be polite to receive a response from someone when I have emailed them regarding how I would like to promote their product (and spent time showing them that I am genuine.)

          And I do understand that some product owners will only let their customers on-promote their product (this I do not have a problem with either.)

          Is it really that unfair to expect a response from a product owner when you have a genuine query and have gone to the effort of contacting them?

          Or am I just being overly tetchy today because I have a headache and it has been like a week without response regarding these products.

          Hamish
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          • Profile picture of the author mmurtha
            Originally Posted by Hamish Jones View Post

            Hi Mary,

            Hey, I ain't too worried and I won't be promoting their products.



            Let me clarify- I don't EXPECT a review copy, but I don't have a problem asking for one as by promoting someone's product. I would hope to make them much more in the long run then they would have made from me just buying their product.

            Having said that, i think it would only be polite to receive a response from someone when I have emailed them regarding how I would like to promote their product (and spent time showing them that I am genuine.)

            And I do understand that some product owners will only let their customers on-promote their product (this I do not have a problem with either.)

            Is it really that unfair to expect a response from a product owner when you have a genuine query and have gone to the effort of contacting them?

            Or am I just being overly tetchy today because I have a headache and it has been like a week without response regarding these products.

            Hamish
            Hamish,

            No one stated that it was unfair in any way, shape or form.

            I simply stating a fact, that people don't owe anyone a review copy or a response.

            I put in a lot of effort in everything I do, including when I contact other marketers and webmasters, but I don't expect them to send anything. It is their perogative or choice whether they do or don't.


            Mary
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            • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Kelsall
              Hamish,

              If I sent a product owner an email before starting to promote their
              product and they didn't reply, there is no way I would promote it.

              I think that is a good indication of how they might handle themselves
              down the road if there is a problem with either the product or even
              a payment that is owed to you.

              I think Hamish made it pretty clear that he did not EXPECT a free
              review copy, but he was disappointed in the fact that he did not
              get a reply, who wouldn't be?
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              • Profile picture of the author zerofill
                Originally Posted by Jeremy Kelsall View Post

                Hamish,

                If I sent a product owner an email before starting to promote their
                product and they didn't reply, there is no way I would promote it.

                I think that is a good indication of how they might handle themselves
                down the road if there is a problem with either the product or even
                a payment that is owed to you.

                I think Hamish made it pretty clear that he did not EXPECT a free
                review copy, but he was disappointed in the fact that he did not
                get a reply, who wouldn't be?
                Yeah..if they refuse to respond then it pretty much gives an indication of what their customer service is probably like too. So just stay away from those people. Move on to the next one and see if they respond hehe. Sooner or later you will find one that will respond and worth promoting.

                I mean even Eban Pagan has responded to my emails before and his business is huge and probably gets so many emails per day it isn't even funny. I never bought one of his products but he still replied to me.
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                • Profile picture of the author Chipt
                  In my real world experience, very very few people understand ALL the important aspects of doing great JVs ... and most IMmers I read about don't have a clue how... but these same people will sure tell you how much they know about it and what an expert they are...

                  Seriously -- exactly how much can one single person really know? He or she only knows his or her singular experiences. And while on a small one-person scale these experiences can certainly be valid and valuable, nevertheless they are only the experiences of one single person...

                  [And everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject.]

                  Or some person will have one good JV deal -- or if the real truth were ever known, maybe a not-so-good JV deal -- and all of a sudden now there's a new 'JV expert' pushing a new JV product promising you the Gravy Train if you'll just buy their new product.

                  Maybe popular opinion would be for people to go buy every single person's JV course they can find so they can feel like they "get it." There does not seem to be any shortage of these sorts of single-use products.

                  The Problem still exists that all each of these people and products are one person's experience or opinion in each 'new guru' or product. And what if they 'stretch the truth a little bit' to hype up their super-duper-tell-all JV product? You have to trust just one person's words...

                  Maybe it makes sense to make the analogy of one doctor giving you a prognosis, but wisely seeking a second opinion by which to measure the first doctor's opinion... because after all, your health is important.

                  So is mastering the best marketing method I know of -- JVs...

                  But in my paying very close attention to this important marketing segment for a long time, I've sure seen a lot more of "I think" than "I've done." And could anyone really paint the whole scene and canvas accurately if they only had one color of oil paint on their palette?

                  Chip Tarver
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                  • Profile picture of the author Hamida Harland
                    I've emailed quite a few product vendors and luckily I've had a reply 90% of the time. Rarely have I been given a review copy though (unless the vendor knows me personally), and I'm okay with that because I probably wouldn't give out a review copy either. Too often I've seen review copies been given away for free on torrents and 'sharing' sites. Unless the vendor knows you then there's no reason for them to give away a free copy.

                    If I really want to promote a product then I'll buy it, and probably make the cost of the product back in the first day or two anyway.
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                    • Profile picture of the author Chipt
                      Originally Posted by Hamida Pall View Post

                      I've emailed quite a few product vendors and luckily I've had a reply 90% of the time. Rarely have I been given a review copy though (unless the vendor knows me personally), and I'm okay with that because I probably wouldn't give out a review copy either. Too often I've seen review copies been given away for free on torrents and 'sharing' sites. Unless the vendor knows you then there's no reason for them to give away a free copy.

                      If I really want to promote a product then I'll buy it, and probably make the cost of the product back in the first day or two anyway.

                      Good points, Hamida -

                      I personally had about the same exact positive response rate, too [in the 90%s] -- and I bet you know how to write a rockin' intro email ...

                      And thank you for your attitude about buying a product, and your honest expectations thereafter. I'm sure your partners appreciate you and your great attitude...

                      Chip Tarver
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            • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
              Originally Posted by mmurtha View Post

              I simply stating a fact, that people don't owe anyone a review copy or a response.
              Hey Mary,

              This post wasn't initially meant to be a "woe is me" post

              My initial rant was at the prospect of business owner's leaving profits on the table.

              I thought that they were being silly not responding because, in my opinion, it reflects poorly on them and future prospects for customer service.

              Hamish
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          • Profile picture of the author Jelasco
            Originally Posted by Hamish Jones View Post

            Is it really that unfair to expect a response from a product owner when you have a genuine query and have gone to the effort of contacting them?
            It is if they didn't see your email.

            If you truly don't care about getting a review copy, what's stopping you from promoting? I don't make demands of product owners before promoting things.
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    • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
      Originally Posted by Kyle Tully View Post

      Hey Hamish

      What about actually buying the product yourself?

      That way you can get the full customer experience.

      See what else they're pimping. See how they treat your list.

      Then you can contact them as a customer (rather than another freebie seeker) and start building a relationship.

      Kyle
      I have to say that is the route I go down, typically because I want to see how they deal with customers, what their followup is, backend, and so forth.

      That said, I do think it's rude if somebody is making an effort to promote your product that they don't bother to respond it's the perfect time to forge a relationship, if I can see they are viable with a track record, or a website or some kind of squeeze page for another product, I always provide access to the product , seems like a no brainer to me.

      I don't on occasion to those that are clearly just looking for a freebie, telling me how they will sell thousands of copies and are making millions of dollars per year, but can't provide a single verifiable fact to back it up.

      You would think if you were making millions you could afford $47 , or 1/4 of that using your own CB link.

      I guess it never harms to be polite and answer e-mail even if it's relatively brief.

      I recently purchased a product from an IM, dammed if I can get a response from their support desk etc, It's put me right off ever purchasing again from them.
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      • Profile picture of the author Chipt
        In my experience, a complete lack of customer service... and a general lack of 'service-after-the-sale' ... is way too prevalent on the Web because from what I've personally seen some IMmers don't have a single clue how to run a 'real' business, build real relationships with real people, or even take care of their 'real' customers.

        Some people don't even give their own name or contact info on their own web pages... a sure sign to beware IMO... and this one issue is a reason I will NEVER invest one cent with these people because I believe they have something to hide by being so evasive...

        Chip
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  • Profile picture of the author braver55b
    Fat chance, product owners will rarely give you a review copy unless you have a reputation that precedes you or a huge targeted verifiable list.

    Review copies are offered by product owners to get testimonials, you will just have to fork out the dough (cash) and buy the product if you want it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Hamish Jones
      Originally Posted by braver55b View Post

      Fat chance, product owners will rarely give you a review copy unless you have a reputation that precedes you or a huge targeted verifiable list.

      Review copies are offered by product owners to get testimonials, you will just have to fork out the dough (cash) and buy the product if you want it.
      In the past, that has not actually been my experience. For the most part, when I have contacted a product owner and explained who I was and what I had planned (whether for myselffor myself or as a paid service for another person) they have been happy to help out as much as possible. This was a positive experience for me and helped in regards to promoting those products (i.e I was more happy to promote them as I felt comfortable with the product and level of customer service.)
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      • Profile picture of the author naruq
        I would invest in one of their products. Then I would analyze the whole customer experience. If my customer experience was good, I would try to contact the affiliate owner offline or by phone.
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        • Profile picture of the author Chipt
          I just had a 'funny' thought reading these posts...

          Several well-known guru types have sent me their big-thump-value $1000 and more products free, by Fed X Overnight or whatever... and I never asked for it... and I never got the proper intro email or anything from them asking me to help them promote it...

          Talk about expensive and a total 'flop' JV... I had no interest in their products or them, so I never even went through their materials they spent so much $ to send me...

          That's crazy on their part if you ask me, and proves that even some of the guru guys don't have a clue how to properly do a JV...



          Chip Tarver
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          Improve your online success permanently right now. Joint Venture Masters tell you the real insider info. Save $450 right now by checking out my *limited time* FCS WSO and change your JV success in a radical way permanently at http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/to...OPIC_ID=264511... and for less than $20 you can really save up to half your gasoline costs at www.CutYourGasCostsNow.com.

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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Hamish, here's something I used to do that worked very well. It's been awhile, so maybe things have changed...

          I contacted the product owner, introduced myself and explained my desire to promote their product. However, to make the promotion work better, could they answer a few questions about the product?

          Next came a list of questions, no more than 6.

          As almost a throwaway, I'd include something like "I know you're busy, so if it's easier for you, you could send me a download link and I could root out the answers for myself..."

          Same idea, but couched as a desire to make their life easier.

          Did it work every time? Of course not. Sometimes I actually got good answers to the questions, sometimes I got the link, sometimes I got an invitation to someplace hot and sulfurous... And sometimes I got ignored.
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