Affiliate program recruiter: cold outreach sequence to enlist top affiliates

# Affiliate Recruiter Sequence — Stacks Affiliate Program **Product:** Stacks (PM tool for agencies) **Program offer:** 30% recurring commission for 12 months, 60-day cookie **Target affiliates:** Agency-operations consultants, YouTubers covering agency growth, newsletter operators in the 5k-50k subscriber range --- ## Email 1 — Introduction (Day 0) **Subject A:** "loved your piece on agency ops — quick idea" **Subject B:** "you + our best-converting audience" Hey [name], Read your "agency ops" guide last week — specifically the part about capacity planning. It's the clearest breakdown I've seen from anyone not selling a tool. Quick context: I run the affiliate program at Stacks. We're a project management tool built specifically for agencies (1,100+ paying, \$8M ARR, growing 9% MoM). Our audience overlaps with yours almost exactly — agency owners in the 5-50 employee range. I don't want to pitch you yet. I just wanted to ask: are you open to affiliate partnerships, or do you avoid them on principle? Totally respect either answer. If open, I'd love to send a short breakdown of the offer. 30% recurring for 12 months is our standard — but our top partners earn more, and I can walk you through how. Either way, keep writing the good stuff. — Hank Weissman Affiliate Program Lead, Stacks --- **Goal:** Start conversation, not pitch. Permission-based opener filters out low-interest prospects early. --- ## Email 2 — Value + Offer (Day 4, only if reply or open) **Subject A:** "re: agency ops — the breakdown you asked about" **Subject B:** "numbers from our top 5 affiliates last quarter" [name], Thanks for the reply. Here's the breakdown as promised. **Commission structure:** - 30% recurring for 12 months on every paid account - Average customer pays \$186/month (5.2 seats at \$29 each) - That's \$56/month per referral × 12 = \$670 per conversion - 60-day cookie, monthly payouts via PayPal, Wise, or ACH **What our top 5 affiliates earned last quarter (real numbers):** - #1: \$12,400 (primarily newsletter-based) - #2: \$9,800 (YouTube reviews) - #3: \$7,100 (consultancy recommending to clients) - #4: \$5,900 (paid ads + personal brand) - #5: \$4,200 (blog with SEO traffic) **What we provide:** - Unique affiliate dashboard with real-time stats - Copy and creative library (emails, social posts, banners, scripts) - Dedicated Slack channel for affiliates with direct access to me - Monthly performance coaching calls (optional but most use them) - Custom promo codes for your audience (10% off, rotating offer) **What makes us different:** - We pre-approve content — no surprise rejections - Your payout isn't clawed back if a customer churns after 30 days - We actually pay on time (sounds basic, half the programs out there don't) If you want to move ahead, here's the signup link: [link]. Takes ~3 minutes. I personally review every application and respond within 48 hours. Questions? Reply here and we'll find a time to chat. —H --- **Goal:** Give everything needed to decide. Kill ambiguity. Specific numbers > vague promises. --- ## Email 3 — Objection handler (Day 9) **Subject A:** "quick — are you stuck on anything specific?" **Subject B:** "3 common reasons affiliates say no (and our answers)" [name], Haven't heard back so figured I'd address the usual sticking points: 1. **"I don't want to promote something I don't use"** — totally agree. We'll comp you a 3-month account to test it before you promote anything. 2. **"My audience isn't ready for a dedicated tool"** — also fair. Start with our "agency ops audit" (free resource) as a soft intro. Conversion on that is actually higher than direct pushes. 3. **"30% sounds great but clawbacks kill affiliate programs"** — ours doesn't claw back after 30 days. The agency churns in month 6, you still keep commissions for months 1-5. If none of those are the blocker, just let me know what is. Or say "not for me" and I'll leave you alone. —H --- **Goal:** Address unspoken objections without being pushy. Self-aware tone builds trust. --- ## Email 4 — Final close (Day 16) **Subject A:** "closing the loop on this" **Subject B:** "last one — is there a better time?" [name], Going to close this thread out. A couple options from here: - **Yes, now:** [signup link] - **Yes, but not right now:** reply with a better month and I'll follow up then - **Not for me:** reply with anything and I'll stop bothering you Genuinely enjoy your work regardless. Thanks for reading. —H --- ## How to Identify High-Quality Affiliate Prospects Green flags: - Audience size 5k-50k (large enough to matter, small enough to actually know you) - Posts consistently for 2+ years (not a flash-in-pan creator) - Already recommends tools authentically in their content - Replies to their own audience in comments - Niche match: audience overlap with your ICP >60% Red flags: - Promotes 10+ affiliate products on their site (generic, low trust) - Engagement ratio <0.5% (likely bought audience) - Pushes BlackHat-style discount codes without context - Won't share basic stats when asked - Asks for paid placement upfront before testing organic fit