I would definitely call myself a dog person. I love dogs because they are always positive and happy to see you. They can sense when you are feeling down and comfort you. My dog Watson is hand down my best friend and has brought so much joy to my life. Being so close to my dog has taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Many of these can apply to my job as an affiliate manager. I’m going to share a few of the main lessons I’ve learned with you.
Greet Newcomers
Anytime a new person comes in to my house, you better believe Watson is the first one to greet them! Sometimes with a bark, usually a wagging tail, and a big hug if you are one of his favorites! No one gets left out (whether they like it or not). Dogs never make you guess how they feel, they are openly affectionate! This applies to affiliate programs too. When we have new affiliates join one of our clients’ programs, we should reach out and welcome them and see if they need any help getting started. With affiliates who have been in the program a while and are performing well, we should reach out and tell them we appreciate them promoting our clients! A quick personal email can make a big difference.
Be Dependable
You can always count on your dog to be there when you need them. They enjoy routine and their behavior is pretty predictable, which is reassuring. Imagine how weird it would be if your dog didn’t sit by his food bowl at dinnertime or sleep in his favorite spot for the night. You would assume something was wrong. As an affiliate manager, I need to be someone who clients can count on so they know what to expect and rest assured I will follow through on things I say I will do. I can help show them I’m someone they can depend on by being proactive in providing updates and always being responsive to emails or phone calls so they aren’t left wondering what is going on in the affiliate program. I want the clients we manage to trust me and be able to rely on me like I trust my dog.
Be Determined
If you’ve ever watched a dog trying to find a toy or treat under a couch, you’ve seen how determined they can be. Dogs don’t give up when times get tough, they find a way to get that they want. The same can be said with affiliate marketing. Sometimes it can be discouraging when you are managing an affiliate program and everything you are trying to do to grow the program isn’t working. But we need to not give up when this happens. There are so many different tactics we can do that we need to just keep working at it and eventually we will see the results.
Trust Instincts
Dogs always listen to their instincts when it comes to other animals and people they come into contact with to help them identify dangerous situations. Anyone with a dog knows that when they sense a threat they completely change their demeanor, possibly becoming aggressive and guarding their territory. There may be times where suspicious is behavior is happening in the affiliate program or there is a spike or decrease in performance that just doesn’t seem right. Is there an affiliate that came out of nowhere and is suddenly the top producer? Make sure to trust your gut if something feels off and investigate a little further to get to the bottom of it.
Build Relationships
If you take your dog to the park, he will meet every single dog there (sometimes more than once). They love making new friends and playing with other dogs and people. I can apply this same attitude when I’m out at different conferences or work events. Networking is key in affiliate marketing so it’s definitely useful to make as many connections as I can with other people in the industry.
Be A Good Listener
Strong listening skills help build lasting relationships, which is something our dogs know all too well. No one listens to your problems better than your dog. Even if they can’t communicate in our language, their eyes and facial expressions make us feel like they are taking in to every word. Many people don’t understand that skilled listening, not talking, should make up the majority of their communication. If we pay attention to what others are saying, rather than simply thinking about what we will say next, it will help build stronger relationships with clients and affiliates.
Be Yourself
No matter what, dogs always act like themselves. You never have to guess how they are feeling. Their behavior says it all! This is a great lesson for communicating with clients. We should always be transparent with what is going on in the affiliate program and share our honest feedback on the performance of the program. We also need to not be afraid to let our personalities show on phone calls and through email to help build relationships.
As you can see, dogs offer us much more than just companionship. I encourage you to pay more attention to your dog’s behavior and notice the valuable lessons you can learn from them about affiliate marketing and life in general.
