Business vs. ICQ etiquette?? + (PICS)
 

OK so I need some opinions here and for taking the time to help me out..............I will post some hot pics. :-) Deal?

Here is the question:

Obviously I own an affialite program www.BiminiBucks.com and I have my ICQ# on the site as well as in my sig here on GFY. So I get hit up pretty often from people that have questions and requests for eveything from content to help promote our sites...........to legal question............to complaints..................webmaster questions.................you name it and I get it. I don't mind and in fact enjoy getting to know those that we are in business with. I pass on the webmaster stuff to Mikie and the affiliate questions I can't answer I direct them to Punker Barbie.

Now here is the issue.............I am old school in my business practices and believe that even though we enjoy this great laid back business we are all in, we still need to remember that though we have fun...................this is still a business and for some of us a very big one. So when I am online working and I get an ICQ from someone I do not know, I expect that they will introduce themselves to me.................i.e "Hi I am Joe and I am a new affiliate just getting started. My site is www. whatever .com and I would like...................."
For the most part this is what I get. Affliates and traffic pushers young and old acting lke they have there shit together and are in this to make $$$$$.
But every once in a while (like this morning) I get someone that hits me up on ICQ and gets right to "I need a password to your sites"
My response " Ahhhh ok and you are who?"
His reponse is always something like "an affiliate why you asking?"

I try very hard to be gracefull in my request to start this relationship off on a good footing but in the end you just can't win with some and it ends up being "Im am just trying to promote your fucking sites why are you being such and asshole to me???"
And this is ussually after 20 or 30 messages back and forth with me asking what the URL for his site is that he wishes to promote from. And still after argueing, explaining, and cursing at each other, he doesn't tell me his name...............or the URL's for any sites he can claim as his.

Another scenario is the exact same approach form the affiliate (no intro no nothing just give me what I want asshole) and in the end he gives me the URL's for some little traffic sites that he claims to run. But still doesn't make any attempt to make nice with me or even tell me his name.

My reaction to this is always the same......................If you want to do business with www.BiminiBucks.com than you need to handle yourself in a more proffesional manner and NOT act like a 15 year old trying to get into porn. If you don't want to act an adult and extend some common courtesy to me when you approach.....................than you don't have to push our sites, move on and best of luck to you.

I had this guy tell me today............."You met a friend of mine at a show and he said you were a nice guy in person and can't understand why you are such a dick on ICQ."
Well I can only imagine when I met him at a show we introduced ourselves and talked about what it is we both do for a living. I can promise you he didn't come up to me in the loby of the hotel and demand a password to my sites.

What are your thoughts.

Oh yeah and for taking the time to respond here are some pics for you!

Thanks and have a great 2005!!!!!

Pics comming next

http://www.biminibucks.com/ashely.jpg

Sorry for the link, but GFY is not allowing me to insert pics!

Enjoy!

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-1.jpg

I need free promo pics. Send immediately or I'm moving on.

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-2.jpg


And a few more!


http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-3.jpg


http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-4.jpg

Now that I think about it, its funny that you mention this.

Selling hosting I really don't get too many assholes. The biggest problem, if any, is a language barrier. Most people are fairly nice and talkative, makes everything so easy and nice to handle.

Now when I think back to dealing with affiliates, you're right, some are just plain assholes and never have the courtesy to say "thanks". I don't get those guys. Maybe they aren't really affiliates after all?

u know niko i agree man, what u expect is not asking much from affiliates. I actually would fucking find it rude if someone msged me without introducing themselves if i have never met them before. Any respectful biz person would understand this. Then again there are young ass kids promoting programs and they obviously dont have the same respect, which is sad. Your doing the right thing, and i think its pretty much unavoidable. What ur asking is not much and if they cant respect that, then u dont need them.

Yeah Sly that is what I am thinking too. The guys that send me real traffic and real joins don't ever approach me like this. Good point!

Thanks Davie! I appreciate it since the guy today was in your age group so I started thinking I was just an old grump.

But I don't think I am asking too much for some common courtesy.

First off, I don't give passwords out until they have generated their first sale.

I will bend over backwards to help new affiliates, but if they were to ever come at me with an attitude my cooperation would terminate immediately.

Judging by the description you provided I highly doubt this guy is going to be some affiliate that is going to make or break you.

BTW, to insert your images, try

http://www.biminibucks.com/ashely.jpg

THE INDUSTRY itself is not known for it's professionalism.

Overall I've found everyone on ICQ to be at least somewhat friendly, and it's rare that I get someone who is rude.

Its the kid sitting in moms basement that dreams of being a big shot. I ignore them. If they come back and make an effort to develop a business relationship then great.

Dont give him the time of day man. Put him on ignore.

:winkwink:

Workarounds
 

There are several solutions to this.

One is to use a SEPARATE ICQ which you use on your webmaster contact page. This separate ICQ address is set up WITH an Auto-Responder that nicely states that your affiliates must introduce themselves ...followed by your REAL ICQ address. The affiliate reads your instruction/request, then proceeds to contact you via the real ICQ you normally use.

An example would be

------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, thank you for promoting BiminiBucks!
Please contact us directly now with your name and your site name on ICQ# 12345678
and let us know how we can help you grow your business.

Please understand that passwords are issued sparingly and only to serious webmasters.

We are online right now so contact us directly at ICQ 12345678

-------------------------------------------------------------------

You can change the wording of course but I think you get what I am saying.

:)

Kroy

per Niko's request

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-1.jpg

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-2.jpg

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-3.jpg

http://www.biminibucks.com/rebeca-4.jpg

Just grab my ICQ from my profile and send me those passes, I need them bad!

yo i need a mofo pw to that facail site so i be sending you some mad traffic peace

"Hi I am Joe and I am a new affiliate just getting started. My site is www. whatever .com and I would like...................." ???

lol oh please!! I agree you need some info for a password for exemple.. but if I have a question.. I will just ask it.. whithout telling you my name, who am I.. bla bla bla.. There's a difference between doing real business deals, one on one.. and asking a sponsor a question ...

Hmmm well thanks for the opposing view. So you just throw common courtesy and manners right out the window and approach business with more of a "fuckit this is me, take it or leave it" attitude?

Interesting.

And if you approached me with the manner you just posted and talked to me the way that you just posted............I would do everything in my power to help you and I make money together.

And thats the bottom line.

In the five years I've been in adult, I'd say manners, professionalism, or even common courtesy, have ever been on the top of the list.
Dealing with affiliates takes thick skin, much tact, and a good a sense of humor.

Courtesy? What is in your view good manners or courtesy might not be shared by the rest... Saying something on ICQ like "Hi, I cannot find your banners in the webmaster area.." Is not impolite and perfectly fine for most people...

"approach business with more of a "fuckit this is me, take it or leave it" attitude"

I guess it's you that want things YOUR way... :2 cents:

http://www.biminibucks.com/ashely.jpg

NASTY NIPPLES!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do want things in MY business to be done MY way. And if introducing yourself to the person you are doing business with is somehow out of line to them or too much to ask than I guess we don't have to do business. That simple.
And really if you are more than just a surfer or someone looking to steal content than they would understand that.
What is the URL for the site you are going to promote my sites from is not really asking for alot is it?

Exactly!

Besides the brush off when you ask the url for his sites, he was frinkin rude. If someone wants passes to my site they had better at least be business savvy enough to understand I may have a few quick questions for them. We have every right as program owners to view the sites or ask how a webmaster will be representing our program. What webmaster does not want to show off his site anyways? hmmmm let me think... one that would cheat?

How hard is it to say: "This is blah blah from blah blah... can I ask you a question?" I cant see anything more basic then that.

Bimini,
I absolutely totally agree.

If you ask me who I am.. I'll tell you.. But if you don't want to do business with someone that hasnt properly introduce themselve to you (name, site, etc..) before asking you where were you banners.. Then let it be known! Good for you.. if you don't want their traffic.. so be it... But please stop trying to convince yourself that those "impolite" webmasters cannot send you decent traffic... I get around 15 millions hits to my galleries each month... I know "polite" ones that barely get any.. :2 cents:

This is how I've learned to contact webmasters. I normally email them or PM them at webmaster boards and I don't feel it is needed to say my full name but if I know them from a board I will introduce myself by my username and then state my ccbill affiliate code for their program so they can look up my info to verify my websites..

Like it was stated before affiliates are very busy people too so I don't think I should have to tell webmasters my 6 freesite urls but I do understand it would be nice to know their affiliate ID atleast

also as a paysite guy I treat the people that contact me the same way. If someone asks me for promo I will help them as much as I can as long as they give me a litle info like affiliate ID

From hearing this story on another board it seems as though either "Niko's" first language is not English in which case he may be excused. Otherwise it sounded like he was pretty rude or just plain stupid. Either way, there are more important things in life to get worried about at the moment. At the end of the day it's the program owner who is losing the sales. The affiliate will simply send their traffic elsewhere.

so i was talking to this guy on icq, and asking him for a pass cause i was in a promoting mood :) i know shit loads of people and a lot of people know me, so i showed him that my icq was on

http://www.richcash.com/contact.php

he saw that and was happy , makes me a pass, then turns around 2 seconds later tells me the pass is cancels, asks what the fuck is my deal , basically treats me like a thief

So yeah i work in adult, and i own paysites, and free sites and i have 250 webmasters on my icq list just so i can get passes to his sites god knows why???

also man fix your icq, cause you have the anti spam thing going so our first conversation was going something like that:

Nik:
ok who are you with?
ME:
i'm Omar with www.richcash.com we want to upsell you from members area
nik: so who are you with?

etc etc etc and this shit happens it's icq's fault but i told you about it and you got all defensive and said you have no problems recieving urls and of course accused me of not sending you anything and being fishy

You're right, there should be some common courtesy given when communicating with someone who you want to do business with. The problem I'm having is that it's not just affiliates that are assholes but some sponsors as well. I have found business etiquette to be the lowest in this industry than any other I've worked in.

I need a password to your sites

In that case, make it very simple....

guy: I need a pass to your sites now!

you: who are you ?

him: I'm a fucking affiliate!

you: please give me your affiliate id or email and I will send you one.

him:
a) he gives you it, you can send him access
b) he won't give you it, just put him on ignore.

Time saved, case closed :thumbsup

Yo Niko.. I talk to people like this everyday. I have a very simple technique. I'm always professional and try to learn about the person w/o being overly direct. In my experience a lot of foreign webmasters have a language barrier to overcome, so sometimes what they say, or what I say, can come out brash.

Talking casually can extract enough info to know whether or not it would be mutually beneficial to give out passwords. If they jump right at the password question, I usually tell them it's not a problem, and then begin to inquire about their sites, traffic sources etc.

If it's a porn surfer, well then that's easy, you can spot em a mile away.

Wow there is so much spinning in this I am dizzy!!! :1orglaugh

I seriously doubt Niko wants someone to introduce themselves before he tells them were his banners are. The point is over passwords, and I would NEVER give a password to anyone who does not introduce themselves to me fully!!!

I also do not see where Niko is trying to convince himself that rude webmasters do not have good traffic.

Are you just trying to push buttons with this or something???

I agree, with foreign webmasters sometimes it takes patience to get what they are trying to tell you.

However in most cases, if the guy says he's already an affiliate, asking for his id will let you know who he is. If he refuses to give you it or keeps avoiding, he's prob a surfer.

If he's thinking about promoting you, then that's a different case and probably requires some time talking with him. Although if he's constantly typing in caps and swearing at you, he's probably not worth the time.

Wow!

So I didn't post the log when asked because I didn't want this to be a "name the asshole" thread. I simply wanted opinions on if I am asking too much when I expect an intro. I didn't see the point and still don't in draggin your friend from today out in public (I guess that is my proffesionalism again).

Now you post this bullshit ICQ log trying to come after me in public??? When Scooter just convinced us to put 3 of your fucking sites up on our exit?????

Talk about the asshole move of the night!

Thanks to all for there input I really was looking to get everyones opinion, even those opposed.

HAve a great night everyone!

Thats a bit too much. People dont have time to do all that.

This is my ICQ convos:

Me: Hello, my account ID is webmaster69 i have a question
Them: Whats the question
Me: I need blah blah blah


No need for a full intro.
They can check my account ID and thats it

Amen. Can you imagine the havoc that would be wreaked if we just started handing out site passes to anyone without some verification? I ask people a few dozen times a day who they are and what they're plans for promotion are...never really had a complaint on that front.

Think some are missing the point here.............these guys wouldn't give there first names or there URL's and didn't know there affiliate id. I am not looking to take them to dinner and let them sweatr talk me..................I would just like to extablish that they are dong business and not blowing smoke up my ass.

Make sense? If they gave me affiliate ID I wouldn't care what the fucking name was!

No you didnt say that.

You made it known that they need a formal introduction before you talk biz with them.

A first last name and ID should be enough

Same here, I have never had any problems with people who want a password. Most people give the info needed for a password without any problem. If someone is having trouble giving any info, then something else is going on!!! :2 cents:

Uh.. sorry.. read my posts and his responses and tell me again that Im spinning... Did you even read my posts.. ? lol

Okay he did say that he liked when people introduce themselves. But let's not get off the point here okay!!! I seriously doubt if someone contacted him because they wanted to know where his banners are he wouldn't demand a full introduction.

Niko says the guy wanted a password and didn't introduce who he was or who he works with. The fact that Niko would prefer that all people introduce themselves no matter what is not really the point!!!

God I love GFY!!! You would think everyone on this board was Italian with the way we bicker over little things!!! :1orglaugh ?You think I?m funny??? Funny How??? Like a clown, do I amuse you????

Hahaha....thank you for the comic relief :) I just heard a bing goombah voice coming outta your pretty mouth....hahahah

You'e reminding me of my high-school :1orglaugh

I think it was 99% italian or atleast people trying to speak like sicilians :disgust

You're just siding with him becuase he posted naked pics.

as long is people are friendly

Show me where he said people who are impolite have no decent traffic to send???

Show me where he said if someone wanted banners they should introduce themselve???

I do not want to bicker with you about this it's really not the point. I like Niko and know he is a very nice guy who treats people with respect, for the most part, and would bend over backwards to help anyone. :2 cents:

:1orglaugh You got me!!!

Oh my, I just figured it out!!! Those pictures where a bribe so my opinion would go his way!!! I've have been played!!! :1orglaugh

"Yeah Sly that is what I am thinking too. The guys that send me real traffic and real joins don't ever approach me like this. Good point!"



AGAIN.. read my posts .. and his responses...