Identify Common Goal (generate 3x more revenue month after month) + Discover Common Interest + Establish bond + Build rapport= Profitable, Long term relationships with your affiliate partners. How do you build profitable, long term relationships with your affiliate partners? Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory offers a promising method of looking at interpersonal interaction and achieving a common goal. The simplicity of the Symbolic Convergence Theory can be applied to your affiliate partner marketing methods for 2005.
Bormann's main premise is the idea that common interest with other individuals is a good beginning to establish bonds and achieve a common goal.
Let’s say that you have a new affiliate partner and have decided that your common goal with this person is to grow the relationship from a monetary perspective (ex. generate 3x more revenue month after month) over the course of 6 months to one year. If you would like a long term and mutually beneficial relationship, the key is to build a rapport with this person by asking questions, (discovering what their hobbies are, where they are from, etc.) and finding common ground, i.e one trait/interest that you have in common. From this one common interest, you already have established a bond, an instant connection. For example, during the holiday season, upon my conversations with some of our partners who had told me they were going on vacation, I always asked them where they were going. The experience of travel to me is a symbolic convergence- as I have found in my professional life that every time the topic of travel/vacation comes up, I have always discovered common ground with clients/partners. From this common ground (whether it be having traveled to the same countries, or having gone through similar travel experiences), a bond is established. From this bond, a relationship has started to build. And from the relationship, comes the process of achieving the common goal, working together to generate and increase revenue month after month. Think about all the current partners that you love to do business with. Aside from the monetary aspect it is probably because you have developed a rapport with this person and you enjoy talking to him/her.
So it’s simple: Ask your partners questions, find a common interest, establish that bond, build a relationship, and achieve your common goal.
By alerting affiliate marketers of the symbolic convergence theory, it is possible to generate change due to what the theory suggests. People may be more open-minded toward others' attempts of "ice-breaking" conversation and begin building profitable and satisfying relationships.
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