Moose on the Loose

“People doing well under the current system are not inclined to look favourably on those who question the system.” !!! – Morpheus from The Matrix

From: Do You Take the Red Pill or The Blue Pill?

One day, an affiliate was speaking at a seminar to a group of non-affiliate business people who were curious why he loved the affiliate marketing industry so much, and, to drive home a point, he conducted a little experiment to illustrate to those business people something they will never forget.

The affiliate stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers … who said … “Okay, it’s time for a little quiz” and the affiliate pulled out a one gallon demijohn and set it on the table in front of them.

The affiliate also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the demijohn. When the demijohn was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, the affiliate asked, “Is this demijohn full?”

All the high-powered business people yelled, “Yes.”

The affiliate replied, “Really?”

So the affiliate reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. The affiliate dumped some gravel in and shook the demijohn causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

The affiliate then asked the group of high-powered over-achievers once more, “Is the demijohn full?”

By this time the business people were on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.

“Good!” the affiliate replied.

The affiliate continued & reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. The affiliate started dumping the sand into the demijohn and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more the affiliate asked the question, “Is this demijohn full?”

“No!” the business people shouted.

Once again the affiliate said, “Good.”

Then the affiliate grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the demijohn was filled to the brim.

Then the affiliate looked at the business people and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beavered clever ass raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the affiliate replied, “that’s not the point at all.

The truth this illustration teaches us is that …

“If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all” … “What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? These could be time with loved ones & family, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, your interests, your health & fitness, teaching or mentoring others?”

The Moral & Why I Love Affiliate Marketing

Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short parable, ask yourself this question, “What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life?” Then, put those in your demijohn first.

Affiliate Marketing allows you make the lifestyle choice which best suits you for that quality of life.

Once again let me begin with another quoted Parable: In this example assume the farmer is the merchant/agency & the donkey is the affiliate.

“One day a farmer’s donkey (the affiliate) fell down into a well. The animal lay quietly for hours until the farmer (the merchant) eventually noticed him, as the farmer (the merchant) couldn’t be bothered to figure out what to do. He finally decided the animal (the affiliate) was old & useless, and that the well needed to be covered anyway and that it just wasn’t worth retrieving the donkey (the affiliate). So he invited all his neighbours (other merchants & maybe the network) to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey (the affiliate) realised what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quietened down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer (the merchant) finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey (the affiliate) was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbours (other merchants & maybe the network) continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal (the affiliate), he (the affiliate) would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey (the affiliate) stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.”

There are various interpretations which could be derived from this little parable, feel welcome to offer yours.

But a couple which come to mind immediately are when ass- minded merchants / agencies & occasionally networks cull non-performing affiliates. Perhaps the affiliate hasn’t got round to that merchant yet or may have existing or other prioritised work in progress, especially when there are a couple of thousand other programs out there.

Rather than making efforts to communicate effectively with non-performing affiliates, culling their base (an easy & futile option) somehow makes their stats look better for example those affiliates which actually drive sales but may have a lower epc. It doesn’t cost the merchant anything and eventually that page or link might get indexed.

I don’t think culling happens too often in affiliate marketing and there are bigger issues, however it’s one of those minor irritants which needlessly occurs.

The most importantly thing I inferred from this Parable is never under-estimate the resolve of an affiliate.

Let me start with a folk tale:

“The story is told that there once was a blind beggar (the merchant) who sat beside a road, fingering the rice in his little bowl. He wore only a loin loth and sat in poverty beside the road that stretched nowhere in both directions.

The scarce travellers occasionally gave him a little rice. One day he heard the thunder of a chariot in the distance. It was the grand entourage of the king (the affiliate). This was a moment that had never come before and probably would ever come again. Surely the great king (the affiliate) would stop and give him baskets of rice.

Indeed, the golden chariot of the king (the affiliate) stopped before the poor beggar (the merchant). The great one stepped down, and the beggar (the merchant) fell before him. Then the sky seemed to fall in.

Give me your rice, please” politely asked the king (the affiliate).

A fearful and hateful scowl masked the face of the beggar (the merchant). He reached into his bowl and thrust one grain of rice toward the king (the affiliate).

“Is that all?” said the king (the affiliate).

The beggar (the merchant) spat on the ground, cursed and threw the king (the affiliate) one more grain of rice, then got up & walked away in a huff. The great king (the affiliate) then turned, entered his chariot and was gone.

The beggar (the merchant), angry, empty & crushed, fingered the remaining rice he had hoarded in this bowl. He felt something hard, different from the rice. He pulled it out … It as one kernel of gold. He then poured out the rest of his rice, caring nothing for it now … He found one other grain of gold.

Had he trusted the king (the affiliate), he could have had a grain of gold for every grain of rice!!!”

Now this was a story I sent to a merchant (the beggar) sometime back, that merchant (the beggar) was Linkword Languages who was looking for more business from affiliates (the kings), so I politely asked him whether I could have a sample of the product to learn Portugese & properly test the product. His direct response was that we will have to purchase our own via the commissions in the sales we pushed to him! So I sent the story & heard nothing more.

So for some merchants (the beggars), think about this Parable. Free product samples can go a long way.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are quite a few generous merchants (this time the kings) out there from Buyagift to Prezzybox to occassional freebies we unexpectedly receive to sponsors of Affiliates4U events … and more recently a massive thanks to the sponsors of the Affiliates4U Fantasy Football Competition which Mark at Existem has organised like Historic Papers, Best of the Best & Subside Sports.

Definition: Parable … is a brief tale intended to be understood as an allegory illustrating some lesson or moral.

Definition: Allegory … the representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.

“Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”

… kindly provided by Shane … btw look out for Shanes Blog … Coming Out Soon

“You have two ears, two eyes & one mouth. Use them accordingly.”

“You Cannot Change Free Will”

“Think Outside the Box”

“Affiliate Marketing isn’t exactly rocket science, it’s about having a certain individual mindset peculiar to oneself & a matter of application”

“No Bells & Whistles … Just Nuts & Bolts”