The Affiliate Offers I Turned Down (And the One I Didn't)

🚩 Unrealistic claims

• "Get rich quick"

• "Guaranteed results"

• "Works for everyone"

• "No effort required"

Real example: "Make $ 10,000 your first month guaranteed or your money back!"

Reality: Results vary wildly based on effort, market, timing, and countless variables.

🚩 Cannot verify claims

• No proof of stated results

• Vague testimonials

• Stock photos as "customer" images

• Testimonials without names/details

How I verify:

• Reverse image search testimonial photos

• Contact claimed success stories when possible

• Look for third-party verification

• Check review sites and forums

🚩 Won't provide evaluation access

• Must promote before full access

• Limited trial prevents proper testing

• Pressure to promote based on marketing materials

My standard: If I can't fully evaluate, I won't promote. Period.

🚩 Better alternatives exist

• Product is overpriced for value

• Competitors offer more for less

• Free options provide similar value

How I assess:

• Compare to 3-5 alternatives

• Consider price-to-value ratio

• Factor in hidden costs

🚩 Poor quality or outdated

• Content hasn't been updated

• Strategies no longer work

• Tools/platforms have changed

• Information is inaccurate

My check:

• Complete the entire product/course

• Test strategies myself

• Verify claims with current data

🚩 High-pressure tactics

• "Limited time" (false scarcity)

• "Only X spots left" (artificially limited)

• Aggressive follow-up

• Guilt-based messaging

Real example from declined offer:

"This deal expires in 2 hours. If you don't commit now, you'll miss out forever."

Reality check: Legitimate opportunities don't require instant decisions.

🚩 Commission-focused conversations

• They emphasize how much YOU'LL make

• Little discussion of customer value

• Trying to overcome quality concerns with higher commissions

Healthy approach:

"Here's our product. Take time to evaluate it. If it's good fit for your audience, we'd love to work together."

Unhealthy approach:

"You could make $ 50K this quarter! Everyone else is already promoting it!"

🚩 Lack of transparency

• Won't disclose refund rates

• Vague about company history

• Can't/won't provide customer satisfaction data

• Unclear ownership structure

What I ask:

• "What's your average refund rate?"

• "How long has the company been in business?"

• "What's your customer satisfaction score?"

• "Can I speak with current customers?"

Good companies answer readily. Bad ones deflect.

🚩 Questionable ethics

• Legal grey areas

• Misleading marketing

• Exploitation of vulnerable people

• Prioritizes profits over customer wellbeing

Examples I've encountered:

• "Get rich quick" schemes targeting desperate people

• Products making health claims without scientific backing

• Services violating platform terms of service

🚩 Poor customer support

• Slow or no response to issues

• Difficulty getting refunds

• No clear support channel

How I test:

• Create fake support ticket before promoting

• Check review sites for support complaints

• Ask current affiliates about support experience

🚩 Unusual contract terms

• Can't terminate easily

• Must promote certain amount

• Restrictions on honest reviews

• Non-compete clauses

🚩 Payment issues

• Long payment delays

• Unclear commission structure

• History of not paying affiliates

How I verify:

• Search "[company name] affiliate payment problems"

• Ask other affiliates about payment reliability

• Start with small test before major promotion

🚩 Requires dishonest promotion

• Can't mention competitors

• Must use specific claims

• Prohibited from sharing negative aspects

Example from declined offer:

"You must call this the '#1 solution' and cannot mention any alternatives."

My response: Nope. I determine my content.

Get the Systeme.io courses PLR package (thousands of dollars worth) for FREE. Use these materials for your education or sell them and keep 100% profit for yourself with a full resell license.

When I first considered Systeme.io as an affiliate partner, I put it through the same rigorous process I now use for everything.

Company background:

• Founded: 2018 by Aurelien Amacker

• Location: Based in France, operates globally

• Reputation: Growing positive reputation

• Financial stability: Profitable and growing

Why this mattered: I needed to know they'd be around long-term. I was considering building my business on this platform.

Market position:

• Competitor to: ClickFunnels, Teachable, ConvertKit, etc.

• Differentiator: All-in-one at much lower price

• Target market: Solopreneurs and small businesses

User reviews:

• Trustpilot: 4.7/5 (from 1,200+ reviews)

• G2: 4.6/5

• Capterra: 4.7/5

• Consistent pattern: High satisfaction, especially with support

Common praise:

• Affordable pricing

• Helpful support team

• All-in-one convenience

Common complaints:

• Learning curve for some features

• Less polished than some competitors

• Smaller template library

My assessment after research: Legitimate company with satisfied customers. Worth deeper evaluation.

Month 1: Core features

Courses (highest priority for me):

• Created test course with 10 lessons

• Uploaded videos (27 total, 4.2 hours)

• Built quizzes and assessments

• Tested student experience

• Compared to Teachable (my current platform)

Results:

• Course builder: Functional but less polished than Teachable (7/10 vs 9/10)

• Video hosting: Fast and reliable

• Student experience: Clean and intuitive (8/10)

• Quizzes: Good enough for most needs

Email marketing:

• Imported 1,000 test contacts

• Created 3 email sequences

• Tested automation features

• Compared to ConvertKit (my email platform)

Results:

• Email editor: Simple but effective (7/10 vs ConvertKit's 8/10)

• Deliverability: Excellent (tested extensively)

• Automation: Sufficient for most use cases

• Segmentation: Good basics, missing some advanced features

Sales funnels:

• Built 3 complete funnels

• Tested on real traffic (500 visitors)

• Compared to ClickFunnels

Results:

• Page builder: Decent but less flexible than ClickFunnels (7/10 vs 8/10)

• Loading speed: Actually faster than ClickFunnels

• Mobile responsiveness: Good

• Integration: Perfect (everything in one platform)

Month 2: Stress testing

Volume testing:

• Increased to 5,000 contacts

• Sent large broadcast campaigns

• Processed test transactions

• Monitored performance

Results:

• No slowdowns or issues

• Email sending: Fast and reliable

• Payment processing: Smooth

Support testing:

• Created 5 support tickets (intentionally)

• Tested response time

• Evaluated quality of help

Results:

• Average response time: 4-8 hours

• Quality: Knowledgeable and helpful

• Tone: Friendly and patient

Comparison:

• Better than: Teachable (24-48 hours)

• Similar to: ConvertKit

• Impressive for price point

The ultimate test: Migrating actual course with real students.

What I migrated:

• Email Marketing Mastery course

• 247 existing students

• $ 147 price point

• Active email list of 4,200

Migration process:

• Week 1: Content upload

• Week 2: Testing

• Week 3: Student migration

• Week 4: Monitoring

Results:

• Student satisfaction: 9.2/10 (surveyed all 247)

• Course completion: Actually improved (34% → 39%)

• Support issues: Minimal (3 tickets, all resolved quickly)

• Revenue: Unchanged (good—meant no friction)

Student feedback:

• "Actually prefer this interface"

• "Videos load faster"

• "Easier to navigate"

My conclusion after 3 months: This platform works. It's not perfect, but it delivers exceptional value for the price.

1. I genuinely used it myself

Not a trial. Not test account. My actual business ran on it. Skin in the game.

2. It solved real problems I saw

Every week, people asked me:

• "How do I afford all these platforms?"

• "How do I stop these integrations from breaking?"

• "What's the simplest way to run an online business?"

Systeme.io answered all three questions.

3. The value was undeniable

My previous stack:

• Teachable: $ 199/month + 5% fees

• ConvertKit: $ 79/month

• ClickFunnels: $ 97/month

• Webinar tools: $ 56/month

• Total: $ 431/month + transaction fees

Systeme.io:

• All of the above: $ 47/month

• Zero transaction fees

• Savings: 384/month= 4,608 annually

Even without affiliate income, I'd recommend it for the savings alone.

4. The company had integrity

Evidence:

• Transparent pricing (no hidden fees)

• Generous free plan (genuinely useful)

• Honest marketing (no outrageous claims)

• Responsive support

• Growing by helping customers succeed

5. I could speak honestly about limitations

Things I openly discuss:

• Less polished than some competitors

• Smaller template library

• Some advanced features missing

• Learning curve for certain aspects

The affiliate program allows honest reviews. This was crucial.

6. Long-term thinking alignment

Systeme.io's model:

• Affordable entry point

• Grows with customers

• Makes money when customers succeed

This aligned with my values: I want to recommend tools that help people build sustainable businesses.

7. The commission structure was reasonable

Systeme.io affiliate commission:

• 30% recurring on paid plans

• Startup ( 27/month): 8.10/month per customer

• Webinar ( 47/month): 14.10/month per customer

Why this mattered:

• Reasonable percentage (not suspiciously high)

• Recurring (aligned with long-term customer success)

• Transparent (clear terms)

Get the Systeme.io courses PLR package (thousands of dollars worth) for FREE. Use these materials for your education or sell them and keep 100% profit for yourself with a full resell license.

Year 1 results:

• 14 Systeme.io sales through my affiliate link

• Average commission: $ 60 per sale

• Total earnings: $ 840

• Value: Modest income

Year 2 results:

• 47 sales (growing trust)

• Total earnings: $ 2,820

• Plus: Word-of-mouth referrals

• Value: Meaningful income

Year 3 results:

• 89 sales (compounding trust)

• Total earnings: $ 5,340

• Plus: Increased engagement across all content

• Plus: Higher course sales (trust halo effect)

• Value: Significant income + enhanced reputation

The pattern: Trust compounds. Short-term sacrifices for long-term integrity create exponentially better results.

Get the Systeme.io courses PLR package (thousands of dollars worth) for FREE. Use these materials for your education or sell them and keep 100% profit for yourself with a full resell license.

✓ Personal use requirement

The standard:

• I must actively use the product/service myself

• For at least 3 months before promoting

• In my actual business (not just testing)

Why: I can't authentically recommend what I don't personally rely on.

Systeme.io: ✅ My entire business runs on it (3+ years)

✓ Problem-solution fit

The standard:

• Must solve real problems my audience faces

• Not creating demand for unnecessary products

• Addresses pain points I hear about regularly

Systeme.io: ✅ Solves cost, complexity, and integration problems

✓ Value exceeds cost

The standard:

• Product delivers more value than price tag

• Justified investment for target audience

• Better value than alternatives

Systeme.io: ✅ Exceptional value (saves $ 4,000-10,000 annually)

✓ Honest communication allowed

The standard:

• Can discuss both strengths and limitations

• No restrictions on honest reviews

• Can mention competitors

Systeme.io: ✅ Full freedom to discuss openly

✓ Company integrity

The standard:

• Ethical business practices

• Transparent pricing

• Good customer treatment

• Sustainable model

Systeme.io: ✅ Consistently ethical and transparent

I score each potential affiliate offer on a 100-point scale:

Quality (25 points):

• Does it work well? (10 points)

• Is it reliable? (8 points)

• Is it regularly updated? (7 points)

Systeme.io score: 22/25

• Works well: 8/10

• Very reliable: 8/8

• Regular updates: 6/7

Value (25 points):

• Price vs. competitors? (10 points)

• ROI for users? (10 points)

• Hidden costs? (5 points)

Systeme.io score: 25/25

• Much cheaper: 10/10

• Excellent ROI: 10/10

• Zero hidden costs: 5/5

Support (15 points):

• Response time? (5 points)

• Solution quality? (5 points)

• Customer treatment? (5 points)

Systeme.io score: 14/15

• Fast response: 5/5

• Good solutions: 4/5

• Great treatment: 5/5

Ethics (20 points):

• Honest marketing? (7 points)

• Fair practices? (7 points)

• Sustainability? (6 points)

Systeme.io score: 19/20

• Honest: 7/7

• Fair: 7/7

• Sustainable: 5/6

Fit (15 points):

• Right for my audience? (10 points)

• Solves real problems? (5 points)

Systeme.io score: 15/15

• Perfect fit: 10/10

• Solves major problems: 5/5

Systeme.io total: 95/100

My promotion threshold: 80+ points

Other products I promote:

• Product A: 87/100

• Product B: 82/100

Products I declined:

• AI writing tool: 62/100

• Instagram course: 48/100

• Crypto bot: 15/100 (immediate disqualification)

Before promoting anything, I ask myself:

1. "Would I recommend this to my best friend?"

If my closest friend asked for advice on this exact problem, would I suggest this solution?

Systeme.io: Yes, absolutely. I've already recommended it to actual friends.

2. "Would I pay for this myself without the commission?"

If affiliate programs didn't exist, would I still invest my own money?

Systeme.io: Yes. I was paying $ 564/year before becoming an affiliate.

3. "Can I discuss this honestly, including negatives?"

Am I comfortable sharing both what works and what doesn't?

Systeme.io: Yes. I regularly mention its limitations.

4. "If this fails my audience, will I regret it?"

How would I feel if someone followed my recommendation and it didn't work out?

Systeme.io: I'd feel fine because I know the value is there for the right use case.

5. "Does this serve them or serve me?"

Is this recommendation primarily to help my audience or to earn commission?

Systeme.io: Helps them. The commission is a bonus.

If I can't answer "yes" to all five questions, I don't promote it.

If I'd said yes to all 47 affiliate offers:

• Potential short-term earnings: $ 150,000-200,000

• Long-term reputation: Destroyed

• Audience trust: Lost

• Sustainable business: Impossible

By saying yes to only 3:

• Current affiliate earnings: $ 12,000-15,000 annually

• Long-term reputation: Strong

• Audience trust: High

• Sustainable business: Thriving

Plus indirect benefits:

• Higher course sales (trust halo effect)

• Better testimonials

• More referrals

• Stronger community

The math:

• Direct affiliate income: $ 12,000-15,000/year

• Increased course sales (attributed to trust): $ 30,000-40,000/year

• Total trust dividend: $ 42,000-55,000 annually

Selectivity created value.

Year 1:

• Careful with recommendations

• Building trust foundation

• Modest affiliate income

Year 2:

• Reputation grows

• Recommendations carry more weight

• Affiliate income increases

Year 3:

• Strong trust established

• Recommendations highly valued

• Affiliate income stable and growing

The pattern: Trust compounds. Every good recommendation makes the next one more valuable