A good commission rate can be a big consideration when you’re looking at affiliate products to promote. A nice big commission sure feels good to get, after all. But the little ones can add up too.

In my experience, large commissions are nice. Sometimes very, very nice. But they don’t do a bit of good if you can’t make the sale. In fact, the one high commission product I do really well on is the one I understand the best. That shows in how I market the product. I’m enthusiastic and honest about it.

That’s what it really comes down to. Can you sell the product? Can you sell enough of it to make your efforts worthwhile.

For a lot of high cost products the answer is no, not unless you can find a way to stand out from all the others who really do understand how to sell that product.

The higher the cost of the product, the more sales resistance you’re going to have to beat down. You still need to be honest in what you say, at least if you want people to still respect you after making their purchase.

Fortunately honesty can make the sale rather than break it. If a product has a weakness, admitting it shows that you aren’t just in it for the money. You find it worthwhile despite whatever the problems may be.

When you’re earning less per sale you need to look more at your potential sales volume. Selling a lot of little stuff can be more profitable than selling a few big items.

This is where conversion rate comes in if you’re comparing two very similar products that will pay you different amounts of commission. Just as if you’re considering which kind of product overall to sell, you want to sell the product that is going to earn your the most overall.

For me, that includes looking at whether I’ll keep the respect of those I sell to. If I don’t, I lose out on potential future commissions from people buying other products from me. This makes quality as much of a consideration as immediate earnings potential.