People bump you I bet because

(1) they like working with you.
(2) you leverage traffic they would not get otherwise
(3) they want to build a relationship with you

My word of advice is always ask for more very, very nicely. If they say no ask them where you need to be to move you up

Btw, people who are easy to work with and I like get more from me. If they threaten and negociate hard with me, they never get my the tippy top payout.

I think Scott is right, you might be a bit bigger than you let on.

the traffic is converting – maybe not in sales but in signing up for newsletters or taking action on their site

Ohhhh good point Tammy, one I completely overlooked and it’s important to realize. Sales are mucho great, but merchants also love being sent visitors that stick. Thanks for the feedback!

The managers get the tracking information, the impressions, the click throughs the analytics then they look at where they are coming from. A smart affiliate manager would do well to develop such relationships with affiliates that work smart and work well. You are showing them you have the stuff and they want to keep you aligned with them.

Great job!

Jangro I really am small fry in affiliate marketing. More like small little hash browns rather than full length french fries . Sales every day? Yes, but not steady from each merchant normally. For one thing I like to operate with plenty of merchants per site where I can, not exclusive. Spread the goods around.

That’s why when I do get these commission bumps it’s causing me pause. Maybe these commission increases aren’t so unattainable or hard to achieve after all.

but if you are selling ten units a day, you probably have the attention of somebody.

Ten units a day…I wish! But that point is more along the lines of what I had in mind too. If you’re performing multiples with a merchant daily–you’re in a good position to go after a heftier commission rate.

This is happening for me at a lower sales pace.

To clarify: my commission bumps and ‘super affiliate’ notes have been a small handful, it’s not like I’m getting swarmed with happy merchant notes showering me with money, cars and diamonds .

Thanks again for your feedback!

If you have any realistic sales at all, you are a start compared to 90% of the chaff which will generate a sale a month if at all. I know it depends somewhat on the commission per sale, but if you are selling ten units a day, you probably have the attention of somebody.

Yes, that can be a very low dollar volume, but consistent success like that shows people something important. You know how to get traffic or you know how to convert it. You have potential.

Good job, by the way, I’ve always been an abysmal failure at affilate sales and generally don’t even play in that arena at all anymore.

The way I see it, there are two approaches.

If you’re big, you can play hardball and push AMs around and demand higher commissions. Big or not, that’s not my style, but it works very well for some. I think at the end of the day, these guys squeeze the best commissions out of merchants. Key word “squeeze”, undoubtedly leaving AMs feeling a bit put off.

But no matter how big or small you are it’s never too soon to talk to them. Ask for a raise and let them know what they’ll get for it, and if necessary, suggest that if things don’t work out, they can lower it later. Or ask what it’ll take to get to a higher level. Negotiate. It’s your effort vs. their pay.

Regardless of the outcome, I always try to leave the discussion on a good note. That always has long-term benefits.