You may not be an affiliate manager, but you must be a decent human being

When I dissect some situation in my rather toxic manner, I always try to offer what should be done "instead" of the described fucked-up scenario. I thought it would be good and right to further dilute the atmosphere with my vision of "how it should be". Let's start right away with a discussion of what, in my, dare I say, quite experienced view, makes a good affiliate manager.

The profession has many obvious advantages, such as relatively easy entry and a relatively nice work-schedule (you can work remotely from wherever you want and not necessarily start at 8 a.m.). However, without a certain set of qualities that you can be born with or work on and develop, you are very unlikely to expect a grandiose career.

Communication skills. It is absolutely not necessary to be a complete extrovert. I know quite silent and closed-off people who are very successful affiliate managers. However, it should be pleasant to communicate with you for your future, current, and even former affiliates. Frankly speaking, I am a real bastard in life and in communication with bad colleagues, but I never show it to my beloved partners. You don't have to be an amoeba either, as the ability to be persistent and negotiate the deal is absolutely necessary in this sort of work.

Persistence and hard work. Some tasks need to be tackled “with your ass” and not in the sense that various random parasites do it - those who were appointed to “sitting” in a good post for unclear reasons (or clear ones), - but in a good sense: sitting on a chair with a laptop for 10 hours in a row, forgetting about lunch and dinner, in search of worthy affiliate contacts. This does not mean that all your work routine should look like this, but you should be able to do it, know how to do it, and ready to do it from time to time.

Being thorough. Some of my colleagues have told me that it feels stuffy when I enter a call. To me what others say doesn't really matter because a thorough one will most likely outsmart the bastard (let's leave the bastard 1% for the "just lucky", which, in general, won't save him in the long run). An affiliate manager simply must be careful, attentive, responsible, and definitely proactive in order not to mess up anything - a test cap, a leak of the budget or of the affiliates? to competitor brands. This is especially relevant for a startup environment (while the company may be 5 or 10 years old), when you are both a tailor, and a reaper, and who else there is...

It may seem like what else is needed, and in fact, many companies limit their requirements with this set. If you are between 18-25, then this will be enough to get in. However, if you want to, as they say, run the world in the affiliate business, you will need to develop something else.

Knowing your numbers. When you understand your numbers, you can defend your stats and sleep peacefully. You are not afraid of a shouting CEO, and these are also the CEO’s numbers btw, that's why CEO’s sometimes shout, as it's very uncomfortable not to understand what’s going on in your numbers. If on top of knowing your numbers you can count and forecast results and revenues, you are practically invincible, and both shitty partners and a shouting CEO can deceive you.

Healthy curiosity. You have chosen a very dynamic business where something is constantly happening. There are differences by verticals, of course: gambling, for example, is much more dynamic than the financial vertical. Regardless of the chosen vertical, look around at neighbouring projects, do not hesitate to peek into adjacent verticals, and suggest, suggest, suggest. Under no circumstances should you allow your brain to fossilise and find yourself on the sidelines of the business, capable only of writing letters and cutting payouts.

Love and respect for yourself. Not in a esoteric sense - breathing through the womb or whatever they breathe through there - but in the sense of not getting into a complete merger with the company you work for, even if it is a beloved job in which you invest almost all your time and soul. My experience shows that even from such a kind of company anyone can be kicked out with shitty rags. Not everyone will recover quickly from such a shock. Therefore, cultivate internal support in the form of your own vision of the industry. Form your own opinion on how things should be done and stick to it firmly in your relationships with the affiliates. Develop strong partnerships. Build your personal brand. If you are 18 years old, this may sound like complete bullshit. At the age of 35 now I opt for choosing only myself. The time will come, and you will also understand that it's awesome.

And the final thing. Being a good person with your partners. You should know how to put yourself in their shoes and treat them as you personally would like to be treated. Remember this, and you will cope with everything and succeed.