The AffStat 2007 Report includes a section where affiliate managers voice some of their biggest challenges in managing an affiliate program.
Here is one affiliate managers complaint…
“I noticed that competing companies try to gain affiliates from our program by trying to bad talk. I think that a lot of the affiliate managers should try to keep their integrity and highlight their benefits and strong points, not highlight the weak points from competitors for the purpose of recruiting.”
I would hope people would be above this sort of behavior when in business. Sadly, some affiliate managers choose denigrating the competition over building a great affiliate program that sells itself.
My recommendation to affiliate managers would be to follow the old adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” when it comes to referencing the competition.
It’s funny – my little kids get that this is the way to behave, but some “business people” don’t have the same character we expect of children.
More affiliate manager opinions in my latest AffStat report at http://www.affstat.com/.