Before you jump into promoting a product you’ve found on say… Clickbank or Commision Junction there are a few things you should know that will same you time, money, and lots of heartache.

First, choose a reputable coach to learn the ins and outs. When I first began marketing, I ended up on so many e-mail mailing opt-in lists that I didn’t know which “guru” to listen to and ultimately got firehosed with TOO much “free” information. In fact, if I had a nickle for everytime I heard, “This is the most important thing you need to know!”, I wouldn’t need to be in business anymore! Free information is GREAT! But, if you don’t understand how to apply that fantastic free tip in your business you will end up frustrated instead of making money. So, getting back to the basics… choose a reputable coach and BUY their program.

Start with just ONE coaching program at a time. The reason I say this is because each instructor has their own system that will walk you step-by-step from beginning to end. This will keep you from the inevitable “paralysis by analysis” syndrome of too much information coming to you at once. Learn one strategy at a time. Another benefit of buying a coaching program is that you will learn the critical details of being successful that you won’t find amongst the myriad of free tips you read about on various sites. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many credible marketers that are giving away incredible information that will be priceless to your business, and I can think of three or four such people off the top of my head. But, until you understand the basic process of affiliate marketing, you won’t know how to apply the awesome new tip you just learned. So, again, go out and purchase a coaching program!

Okay, so now you’ve chosen the program you want and you’ve listened to all the cd’s and watched the dvd’s. NOW WHAT? Don’t do what 90% of all new marketers do… NOTHING! Make a committment to yourself that you will do one action item a day. If all you can spare is one hour a day, then do one action item in that one hour. But, do SOMETHING! Affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-quick-overnight scheme. However, the potential to earn a ton of money in a short period of time DOES EXIST if you learn a strategy and put it into action. Though it will require DEDICATION and ACTION on your part!

So, what do I mean by “action”? Doing an action item can be anything that begins building your business. Examples include: opening a clickbank account, buidling your website, incorporating your company, finding a hosting company to host your website, creating a banner ad, installing adsense, ect… You get the picture? It doesn’t matter if you only do ONE action item a day, soon you will see results of your efforts and the sales coming in faster than you thought possible!

Don’t be discouraged that your learning curve takes a little while. Learning the ropes is all part of the process. I am a perpetual student, and I carve out time in my daily schedule to stay on top of the current techniques of affiliate marketing. But, all the learning in the world won’t send me a paycheck if I don’t apply that knowledge. So be sure to find a nice balance between learning and application – hence taking Action!

I hope you found this article useful. Soon, I’ll provide a list of reputable coaching programs and reviews of each to help you choose one that best suites your needs and interests! Not to mention help you save your hard earned dollars!!