What makes a perfect affiliate manager?

[NaughtyAce]

Originally Posted by Panky

An affiliate manager who actually knows what the hell they are talking about. One where the lightbulb is actually on. One who knows the ins and outs of the industry, understands the different marketing methods in which to get traffic, has knowledge of the company they are representing as well as the site(s)/product(s) the company offers, the niche(s) they fit into (the target market), and any tools offered, and who actually responds to ICQ, email, or whatever contact method in a timely manner.

It's one thing to be able to whore the boards, schmooze at shows and what not to generate business, it's another one to be able to actually assist affiliates when need be.

Panky makes a very good point here. There's sometimes the representatives out there that don't really know the business, but then again sometimes you gotta give them the chance to prove to you what they really know or can help you on.
I've been doing this six years but I still come across affiliates that know more than me because they are the ones out there hustling the hardest. They are the guys in the trenches using the latest software or latest sites, where as myself I try to find as much time as I can to look at the latest from the industry but dealing with day to day work in the office holds us back as reps.