It’s common practice for a VA to be a member of various affiliate programs, and rightly so.  We find this and that awesome product that works really well and we recommend it to lots of people, so why not become an affiliate and earn some revenue?

That’s all well and good, as long as you don’t let your affiliate perks colour your judgement when it comes to what your client really needs.

For instance, let’s say that your client, Jane, is looking for a program that does X.  No problem, you’ve worked a lot with something called Program Q and it is an excellent program that does exactly what the client is looking for, and it just so happens that you are an affiliate of it as well.  Perfect!  But, Jane tells you that she’s also heard of Program Y and it also would take care of her needs, and she wants you to check it out and compare the two to see which is better.

This is exactly the scenario where you should always have an open mind, and not even consider the fact that you are an affiliate of Program Q.  Think about it; the only reason you’re an affiliate in the first place is because it is a product that you think does a good job, right?  Well what if there is something else better?  New and improved products are always popping up, and it’s your job to find what works best for your clients, not what works best for your wallet.  You must remain impartial when you’re considering recommending a product you’re an affiliate of.

So, don’t get caught in the rut of blindly recommending only those products that you are an affiliate for, regardless of whether it’s the best solution for your clients.  Trust me, I have seen VAs who do this, and thinking only of their profits are setting up any clients they can with programs that don’t really fit for them.  I know of some that don’t ever recommend products that they are not an affiliate of.  Talk about selfish!

Become a truly successful and valued VA by keeping your eyes peeled for new and improved products, and ALWAYS put the client’s needs first.