Your future business is determined by your current actions. The only thing we can control is what we do today. By taking care of your clients and their business when they need you most, you will have an open door for future opportunities. Never forget – clients come first. They are the reason for your success.

We are immersed in a very fast paced industry, where training and education are extremely important to our success. Internal meetings should be effective and educational. Regardless of whether your team has new members or you have been working with the same people for some time now, sharing thoughts and analyzing specific case studies will take your team to the next level without a doubt. Empower your team to talk about about their experiences and even their challenges in their job. Communication, and most of all unity, are key to succeed.

Increase your performance and success with the “If-Then planning”. It’s a simple plan with great benefits. Researches show that by acting based on the “If-Then planning” you are two or three times more likely to succeed. The basics: If X happens, then I will do Y. The X can be a time and place, or it can be an event. Y is the specific action you will take whenever X occurs. The plan works so well because it speaks the language of your brain: the language of contingencies. Best part is that it becomes an unconscious act, so you can reserve your energy towards more important tasks.

Are you using social media in your advantage? We may feel a certain level of discomfort at first, but as we push through we will be able to get a lot of valuable comments and ideas on how to better ourselves and the product we are offering. People are going to write whatever they want on your “wall”, but, often rewards await those who push through the discomfort of the unknown. Push through the discomfort and use everything in your advantage. Building trust with your customer base doesn’t come easy – each day is a step forward towards a successful product.

It was another great Affiliate Summit for the Leadpile team. We are now returning from ASW and are excited to move forward on all the great things we discussed with our partners. Unfortunately, we did not have time to meet with all those publishers and advertisers that we wanted to, however if we were unable to connect with you, please reach out to us to get something going!
Leadpile’s message this Affiliate Summit was for the excitement we have for 2011 and all the exciting new things we are going to be getting into. Leadpile is looking at getting into some new verticals such as insurance, senior care, and credit reports (which is already live). We are currently working in bankruptcy, auto finance and payday loan lead types, and we are looking for lots more traffic on all of these verticals. The sky is the limit in 2011, and if we are not already working with you, we definitely want to!

The incentive we give out to people we work with is the key for their success and ultimately for ours. It’s the same with your publishers as it is with your team members. Having good communication, a positive attitude and giving people an opportunity for growth will give you ten times more in return.

Never give up on trying to build new business relationships. Keep in mind it sometimes takes many attempts for a new business partnership inquiry to turn one into a “live/working” relationship. Don’t give up on just reaching out to a few people a few times, because sometimes the best new business relationships take some hard work and patience with follow up.

Utilize those around you to build your knowledge about the industry. You could be someone that has been in the industry for many years and probably knows a lot about affiliate marketing, however sometimes picking the brain of those around you is a good way to keep your ideas fresh and in line with what is going on with everyone else. Be a sponge with your peers around you and your new affiliates that might be able to shed some great light on what’s new and innovative!

Facebook did a 5-for-1 stock on Friday marking the third split in the company’s history.  It’s true market value is still unknown until the company goes public.  Expectations for an IPO isn’t expected until 2012 at the earliest. Currently, Facebook shares can be sold on SecondMarket which puts Facebook’s current valuation at around $30 billion.  Nearly $150 million Facebook stock sales have been recorded since April 2009.

While a stock split will not increase a shareholder’s equity, increasing the number of company shares can increase liquidity and make the company’s shares easier and less expensive to trade.

An interesting note, Google’s stock split several times prior to going public back in 2004.

Remember to follow up with past contacts, even if you are not currently doing business with them. Business needs and developments change, so you never know what opportunities you might be missing with the people you already know.

Do you know what makes you unique in this industry? Share with your publishers and partners the offers and tools your company provides in this market that make you stand out. The performance of your offers is great, but the reporting tools, and other company features & benefits, can give you an advantage in this industry. Stand out and be noticed!

Do you ever ask for help? If not, you might want to start looking at delegating tasks to your fellow co workers. Being in control of everything is something many of us are guilty of, however the best affiliate managers are those that know when they are overwhelmed and need others to assist them. Learn how to use your company’s resources and other people to help you achieve your goals each day. Your clients will appreciate it if they are taken care of by yourself or one of your peers, as long as their needs are met. Learn to delegate!