Quote from James A.Hart on July 8, 2025, 8:08 am

What’s the most essential skill for succeeding in affiliate marketing?

Most people would quickly point to things like copywriting, analytics, problem-solving, or split testing.

But over the years, I’ve discovered one incredibly important skill —
one that often flies under the radar and rarely gets the attention it deserves.

Communication Skills

Here’s what I mean:

Want higher commission rates or access to exclusive offers?
You need communication skills.

Want to learn and collaborate with other affiliates?
You need communication skills.

Want to build and manage a team?
You absolutely need communication skills.

Unfortunately, most affiliates aren’t great at this.

And there’s a reason for that:

Affiliate marketing tends to attract a lot of quirky, independent thinkers.
We sit at home all day and rarely talk to other people.
Most affiliates are also quite young —
and developing strong communication skills takes years of experience.

But no matter what,
you need to level up your communication.

Because when you do,
affiliate managers will want to help you succeed.

And when you become a strong communicator,
you’ll naturally connect with smart, talented people —
and those people can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

Here are four ways to start improving your communication skills.

Think About Others First

Sometimes, that’s all it takes to build stronger, longer-lasting relationships.

They have something you want.
You have something they want.
Both sides can grow — if they help each other.

But here’s the problem:
Most people only focus on what they want.
And that’s a big mistake.

If you want someone to help you,
you should help them first.

So the next time you need something from someone,
start by asking yourself:
“How can I help them hit their goals?”

For example:

Scenario 1:
”Hey, can I get a pay bump?”

Scenario 2:
”Hey, I’m breaking even on an offer right now.
Another network offered to give me a pay bump,
but I’d rather work with you.
If you can increase my payout by $1,
then I can increase my volume
and I’ll keep the traffic with you guys.”

In the first scenario, you’re only thinking about yourself.
You’re asking for a favor right out of the gate.

In the second one,
you’re showing them that their offer is valuable —
and that you’re willing to bring more value by scaling up.

Same end goal, totally different vibe.
And most affiliate managers will be much more open to the second approach.

Because you’re offering value — not just asking for it.

So, always focus on the other person first.
Because let’s face it — most people in this world aren’t thinking about you.

Always Give Value First

I once met an affiliate who complained to me.
He said that whenever he went to conferences,
no one would share any valuable info with him.

And I thought to myself…
Hmmm, that’s odd.

So I asked what kind of conversations he usually had.
How did he approach people? What questions did he ask?

Here’s what he told me:

• “What’s working right now?”
• “How much revenue are you doing?”
• “Do you have any tips or tricks you can share?”

And he genuinely didn’t see anything wrong with those questions.

But honestly, if someone asked me those things,
I wouldn’t want to answer either.

Because there’s no value being offered.
There’s no attempt to build a relationship. It just feels like an interrogation.

He was trying to take value from people —without offering anything in return.

Naturally, most people sensed that.
They saw him as selfish, and they kept their distance.

If you want to succeed, start by giving value first. It really is that simple.

Build relationships.
Get to know people.

Ask yourself:
“How can I help them?”
“What do I have that might be useful to them?”

It’s no different from everyday friendships.
If you had a friend who always borrowed money
but never lent you a dime, you’d avoid them too.

Relationships — in business or in life —are built on two things:
Give and Take.

And it all starts with the give.

Talk About Things Outside of Work

A few years ago,
I had dinner with someone I deeply respected —
someone I’d looked up to for years.

Naturally, I asked him a lot of business questions.
He was so good at what he did,
I honestly couldn’t think of anyone better to learn from.

Toward the end of the dinner,
we started talking about friendships and relationships.

I asked him:
“How do you go from being casual acquaintances
to building real, meaningful friendships?”

His answer stuck with me:
“Don’t just talk about work.
Bring up other topics.
Show people that you care about them,
not just the business side of things.”

At that moment, I felt a bit embarrassed.
Because I had spent the entire dinner
asking one business question after another.

So we shifted the conversation —
talked about travel, food, movies, and life in general.

And just like that,
the atmosphere warmed up.

That’s the thing —
if all you talk about is work or affiliate marketing,
you’re missing the bigger picture.

Ask people about their lives.
About their families, their hobbies, their stories.

That’s how real, lasting relationships are built.

Meet in Person

Telegram, WhatsApp, email, Facebook.

I’m guessing that most of your communication is stuck in one of those platforms.

Now think about this—how are the top performers communicating?

And how can you grow beyond your current level?

The answer is: meet people in person.

Nothing builds real trust like face-to-face interaction.

You can start small—just by picking up the phone. In the affiliate world, even a phone call is already a big step.

But you can go further.

If you want to truly stand out, invest time to work with people directly.

I know, I know—you’re probably an introvert. And yes, it can be uncomfortable. But trust me—it’s 100% worth it.

Even if someone lives far away, you can always take a flight. Don’t just wait around for affiliate conferences—many people are swamped during those events.

If you’re going to a conference, invite people to dinner.

Pro tip: schedule it three weeks in advance.

If you wait too long, their calendar is probably already full. So reach out early—and make sure you’ve built rapport online before the meetup.

One-on-one in-person meetings help you build deeper relationships. And when a new opportunity shows up, you might be the first person that comes to mind.

When you need help, there will be people who are genuinely willing to support you.

And most importantly, meeting in person will sharpen your communication skills—which is always a good investment.

Don’t Be a Lone Wolf

When you get into affiliate marketing, it’s easy to just sit at home all day and avoid meeting anyone.

But if that’s all you do, your communication skills will barely grow.

And weak communication skills = less money.

Strong communication skills give you a serious competitive edge.

A lot of affiliates are glued to their laptops, living like hermits. So if you take the time to level up your people skills, you’re already ahead of the game.

So close the laptop, find a friend, grab a coffee—or a drink—and go connect.