Asking for an increase in commission, also known as a “bump,” can be difficult. There are many things that factor into whether or not you will get a bump, including traffic volume and your traffic’s quality. Here are a few tips as to how you can ask for a commission increase effectively.
What Will Give You Leverage
There are a few things that give you leverage when it comes to asking for a bump. First and foremost is whether you have alternatives. If the product is the only product your website can realistically promote, or if they are already the highest paying commission in the industry and switching would only lose you money, then it is difficult to negotiate.
On the other hand, if you are working with an affiliate network promoting an offer that is also on five other affiliate networks, the network will know that if they don’t give you competitive commissions, you can take your traffic elsewhere.
Another factor that gives you leverage is the volume of traffic you are sending. In general, the more traffic you send, the more you will be catered to. When sending a lot of traffic, asking for bumps becomes a lot easier.
Finally, the quality of your traffic also matters a lot, especially on CPA and CPL offers. If Match.com is paying you $4 a lead for a six-form submission and they are making $10 a lead from you, they will gladly give you a bump to $5.
On the other hand, if they are making only $6 a lead, after paying the affiliate network they most likely won’t have any room left to give you a bump.
Your Relationship with Your Affiliate Manager
How much your affiliate manager likes you also plays a large role in whether or not you will get a bump. You should always be on a telephone call basis with your affiliate manager. Affiliates who only interface by email will always get lesser treatment than those who take the time to introduce themselves by telephone.
When you ask for a bump, your affiliate manager is often the one who has to make your case to the actual network managers for a commission increase. How hard they will fight to get you a bump depends almost entirely on how much they like you.
Build a relationship with your affiliate managers. In fact, if they are going to a major affiliate conference, make it a point to meet them in person. Take them out for a drink or dinner if you can. Making friends with your affiliate managers can really pay off in the long run, both in bumps and in other advantages.
Know What is Normal
Always keep your finger on the pulse of what’s “normal” in your particular field. For example, if you are an Amazon.com affiliate, you have basically zero chance of getting a bump. That is just normal with Amazon.com, since they are a major company that can’t play favorites to certain affiliates.
On the other hand, ClickBank.com has a cap of 75 percent commission yet major affiliates sending more than $1,000 a day in traffic can often get their commissions up to 90 percent “under the table” by having the merchant send the extra 5-15 percent by PayPal.
Again, that is especially true if the traffic could just be directed to other offers. The merchant has every incentive to bump the affiliate’s payments, even up to 90 percent, and still be taking 10 percent on $30,000+ a month rather than lose out to another merchant who is willing to make that deal.
In CPA and CPL marketing, know what each network is paying and what kind of bumps other affiliates are receiving. This will give you leverage to negotiate with your affiliate manager.
Negotiating for increased commissions isn’t hard if you have all the pieces in place. Build a solid relationship with your affiliate managers, know your space and send lots of good traffic. Do this and your affiliate managers will respond favorably when you ask for a commission increase.
