You may have heard an old writing adage that says, “Show, don’t tell.” This is necessary in an artistic sense to tell a story dramatically. It’s also necessary when it comes to training your affiliate downline members. You want to show them, dramatically, how they can improve their business. Showing them how to improve sales is better than lecturing them on business theory.

Your downline team is your “sales” team. They are in action trying to garner sales even when you are not actively practicing your business. They grow their business and yours better if you plant seeds of business acumen in them.

The following are five things an affiliate mentor can show their downline to ensure their success:

Show What You Do

That’s right, there’s nothing better than learning from the boss (okay, maybe there are sometimes). The thing is people often want to mirror the success of those above them. While you are not a typical corporate authority over your downline, you can influence and teach them.

Show them initiatives you undertook which paid off handsomely for you. Show them how you wrote a super-effective e-mail script. Show them the response rate you received from that e-mail script. Show them the elements of a good e-mail message, how they can compose one too.

Show Them What Others Do

By “others”, we’re talking about other downline members. Of course, get permission from these members to relate their success stories. People love to hear how colleagues and associates are making money. They want the knowledge so they can apply it to their business. It’s their way of fast tracking to success.

Choose affiliate members who you feel have a positive attitude and openness to sharing. Show your downline members the success rates this member is achieving. Ask them to contact this member so they can investigate further his or hers processes and methods. Let this successful member do further showing.

Show Them What Doesn’t Work

You probably have your affiliate marketing horror stories. Were there times you felt like Marlon Brando at the end of Apocalypse Now whispering, “The horror- the horror?” Maybe it was a failed article writing initiative. Maybe you knew nothing about article writing, sent terrible writing to article distribution services, and gained nothing in return.

Show your downline neophyte what you did and why it did not work. Show them an example of a poorly written article. Then show them an example of a properly written article. Show them who the good article marketing services are and why. By showing them, they will see and avoid the mistakes you made. That means a quicker learning curve and quicker income for them and you.

Show Them How to Focus Monthly

Those new to affiliate marketing often try to do too much. They see all the marketing options available to them. They see the potential for significant incomes. They see the forest, the trees, the animals and the insects and they become overwhelmed. They want to try everything right away.

A good affiliate mentor shows new downline members how to focus. You will do your personal downline a big favor if you show them how to focus on one primary marketing initiative each month. As they learn to multi-task, they can branch out a bit.

It’s never a bad idea for any affiliate marketer to concentrate on one main activity each month. This month may be article promotion, next month may be forum posting. Whatever it is, a sustained effort for a month in one area will produce results.

Show Them Future Plans

Your downline wants to know you are on top of things and have a plan. They want to know there are marketing programs in place for their affiliate products. They want to know you will guide them in new initiatives and provide them resources to implement new promotions.

Show them what’s in store for their affiliate products. Show them what new upgrades, additions, and accessories are coming down the pike. When they know, they will stay with the program. This lessens affiliate member attrition.

Consider the above suggestions for your affiliate downline. Show, don’t tell, so they can see for themselves how they should run their business. Let their story be a dramatic one of sales success, for them, and you as well.

Jim Slader manages the affiliate program at Article Marketer, the largest article distribution service on the Internet. Earn commissions on a product that virtually sells it; become an Article Marketer Affiliate today. Join the winning team: it’s quick and easy .

When it comes to marketing your affiliate products, you must connect with new customers. Today, consumers receive a barrage of advertising and information every waking hour. In amongst all of that is your message about your product trying to squeeze through. How do you get your message through and connect with your niche?

The following are five keys to connecting and gaining new customers:

* Follow your passion to make others passionate

First, make sure you are passionate about the products you promote. Choose products related to your interests, hobbies, even your current occupation. Whatever you find enjoyable there is probably an affiliate product you can sell.

When you are passionate about a product, you will promote it with vigor. You will also write about it with passion, which will stir up interest in your readers. It’s easier to make others excited about your products when you are excited about them. The best affiliate programs will give you ample resources to help you promote products you enjoy.

* Write and distribute well-researched articles

Potential customers of your products are constantly scouring the Internet. They are hungry for useful information that can meet a need or solve a problem. You can provide them quality information through article writing. You then choose a good article distribution service to get your content to publishers in your niche.

Your job is to write content that is timely and relevant to the desires of your target market. That means articles full of practical information that causes readers to take action when they finish reading. The action you want them to take is linking back to your website.

They will only do so if you provide them quality information. When they view you as a credible source well versed on your topic, you encourage them to check you out further. Content that doesn’t educate discourages further inquiry.

* Highlight the features of your product in unique ways

Features are immediately attractive to potential customers. Highlight them in unique ways to customers. Do you sell fancy kitchen appliances? Instead of just writing text about prominent features in your ads why not get in motion. On your website, download video content that shows the product in action. Moving pictures with real people preparing things will speak volumes about your product.

Maybe you market business-invoicing software. Have a mini-tutorial on your website of what the program can do for small businesses. Have that point and click mechanism showing how easy it is to navigate the system. This is in addition to those descriptive text-ads, banners, and e-mail messages you employ to promote the product.

* Put a different spin on your products

You may market products the same or similar to what others are marketing. This should not be an issue if the product you market is an in-demand quality one. The issue you face is presenting the same message in the same way as others are to a niche.

You can make your products stand out from the pack by sending a different message. Your message can highlight benefits others may not recognize in your product. You can only do this by totally understanding every aspect of the product you are marketing.

That means researching, studying and using the product. In this way, you will learn the nuances of the product beyond the obvious main benefits. You can then present these additional benefits to consumers who may see the product in a new light.

* Take advantage of new ways to communicate

Are you a seasoned affiliate marketer caught in a rut? Is your promotional repertoire limited to link exchanges, banner ads, and text links on your website? There are newer, ever-growing ways to reach audiences today.

Social networking is on the rise. Posting useful messages on consumer and business-to-business forums related to your products is a phenomenon that isn’t going away. Ways to reach others through mobile communications are growing. Communicating through e-mail is not your only option today.

The above five keys are a snapshot of how you can connect and gain new customers. They involve having passion for, knowledge of, and time to promote your products. They also involve taking advantage of new platforms to do so. All together, they allow you to reach your target market effectively.

Jim Slader manages the affiliate program at Article Marketer, the largest article distribution service on the Internet. Earn commissions on a product that virtually sells it; become an Article Marketer Affiliate today. Join the winning team: it’s quick and easy .