Speaking from an Account Managers point of view, I feel that not only timely responses, accurate information and honesty should be attributes, but equally, a personality and genuine interest in the welfare of their affiliates. To me, my affiliates are not just a portfolio of websites, but are a collection of people striving to develop their businesses. And if I can act in a way that will help, then I will.
There’s an odd thing about Affiliate marketing though (and having had Affiliate, Consultancy, Affiliate Network and now Account Manager hats on at diferent stages in my 7 years in the industry), I find that it is much easier to build up these relationships if Affiliates are also responsive to me. Thats why I try and encourage all my affiliates to add me to their MSN – plenty of people dont work in the same time zone as me (I am in London), but we work in a 24hour global industry, so if you need to talk to me in the eveing or weekends, then at least I can be contactable (obviously I am not connected “Matrix-like”to the web all day everyday, my skin would go all wierd, but you know what I mean!)
As an example, I have sent out over 200 emails this month asking for information about the sites that my affiliates run, and received 16 responses. Obviously, these affiliates are the ones that I have built relationships with quickest, and as such some of them are now working on projects or promotions that they wouldnt have done.
This “non response from affiliates” approach isnt unique to the gaming side of the industry, and I fully understand why Affiliates would want to keep details of how they deliver their traffic, who they promote and at what rates secret. However, at the end of the day, I can only work with the information I have – and if you dont give me information I can only provide a service that is on a par with what would be expected as an Account Manager. And I am not asking for the earth here, just the basics.
So, to me, the key to being a good Affiliate Manager is actively taking an interest in the people who you work with and for. Honesty, timely reponses and everything else come as a result of that.
Did that sound a bit ranty? Wasnt meant to!
Neil Mitchell
Account Manager
Blackpool Club Casino
MSN – [email protected]
email – [email protected]
old skool – 020 7838 9399
ps – If anyone is going to Cyprus for Spring break, then *please* hunt me down (pm me for mobile number) – I am not hard to spot – I’ll be the one who looks like Wolverine from Xmen trying to avoid being rolled back into the sea by GreenPeace 
Yay!