Everyone knows that the key to making sales with Clickbank products is to write product reviews, landing pages, comparison landing pages, or pre-sell pages.

Latest Screen Shots - Not Bad
Each of these pages offers a different benefit. However, the main idea is that you still need to see the product before you can write a believable review.
How do you go about doing it? Do you really need to purchase every single product that you review? The short answer is…no. So then, how do you write a review without actually seeing the product?
Starting out, I wrote reviews without seeing the product. It worked.
However, one day I contacted a vendor who’s product I was promoting, just to ask them a question about their product.
A few email messages later, they sent me a copy of their product. I was extremely excited to get a free copy of the product. Sure, I felt special. But that was when I realized the power of being an affiliate.
Vendors need us just as much as we need them. However, at that moment, I did not think to ask vendors for a review copy of their product. I just went on and depended on vendors to send me a review copy as I promoted a product.
Not anymore. I’m much more proactive about my business. In fact, just this past week I’ve contacted at least 10 vendors, and was able to get review copies of 8 products.
A good vendor will be happy to send you a review copy, or at least a sample of their product. But, there are some things you must keep in mind:
Tip #1: It Helps If You Have a Website
The moment vendors see my website, they know I mean business. They see all the product images on the sidebar. They browse through all the in-depth product reviews I write.

Vendors Know I Mean Business
They can see this site gets traffic. If they want to double check, they just go onto Alexa.com and check my traffic rank. But, you don’t necessarily need a high-traffic website to get free review copies.
If you don’t wish to spend $110 per year on hosting and domain name (which comes out to less than $10 a month), then you can use a free blogger.com blog.
However, any business is an investment. And I’d rather you spend your money on setting up a decent looking blog rather than on PPC. I still haven’t conquered PPC marketing, and I’ve been doing this longer than you (I’m guessing).
Tip #2: Be Nice and Be Honest
Don’t send out an email and say, “May I please have a copy of your product?” On the flip side, don’t say, “It would be really nice of you to please, maybe, if possible, but you don’t really have to send me a review copy.”
Be professional, but be honest. If you’re a beginner, say that you’re just starting out and you want their product to be one of the first products you promote.

I just Think this Image is Cool
Here is a sample email template for individuals who already have a few products on their website:
Hi (Vendor Name),
I own a website, (Website Name), devoted to (describe your website).
I would be honored to have your product added to all the high quality (describe type of products) products I promote on my website.
I usually like to see the product before I promote it. Is it possible to get a review copy?
- (Your Name)
Here is a sample email template for individuals who have no products on their website:
Hi (Vendor Name),
I own a website, (Website Name), devoted to (describe your website).
I would be honored to have your product as one of the first high quality (describe type of products) products I promote on my website.
I want to start off my Affiliate Marketing career on the right track, and would like to see the product before I promote it. Is it possible to get a review copy?
- (Your Name)
#3: Look for Brand New Products
There’s a four-month window you should be familiar with: 1 month before the product is launched, and 3 months after the product is launched. Three months after a product is launched, there is very little guarantee that the product will be able to give you sales.

Open the Window at the Right Time, and You could be Looking at the Solution to all your Financial Problems
This is the biggest mistake newbies make. They try and sell products with a high gravity. Yes, high gravity means that lots of affiliates are making sales of the product.
But high gravity also means that it’s been around for a while. Very few vendors are able to get 100+ gravity within a few weeks. So, keep a look out for brand new products.
This is also the time when vendors start looking for affiliates. They want lots of affiliates sending traffic to their site 1 month before the product is actually launched.
You really shouldn’t start promoting a product that’s not going to be released for another 3 months because if you send traffic to the website, and the vendor is capturing emails, then you have 60 days to make a sale, or else it won’t be credited to you.
1 month before is the best time, since the buzz about the product will be at it’s peak. On launch day, you can easily grab 5-10 sales for a high end product, or 20-30 for a lower end product.
There are three ways to seek out new products:
Method #1: Instant Affiliate Accelerator
Antone Roundy has a product called the Instant Affiliate Accelerator. The product helps you perform a lot of affiliate marketing tasks such as delivering bonuses and creating squeeze pages.
But, the product didn’t really work for me, so I canceled my membership. However, they kept me on their newsletter. Antone’s weekly newsletter is a great resource to find new products.
He focuses on four types of products:
#1 – Rising Stars

Reminds you of Kindergarten
These are products that have seen a boost in their sales, gravity, and are offering high commissions. They also see low returns. Usually, these are the products that have just experienced a huge launch. This is where you want to choose most of your products from.
#2 – Falling Rocks
These are the products that are doing poorly in the Clickbank marketplace. Their commissions are not that good, sales are plummeting, and refund rates are rising. It’s not uncommon to see a product a rising star one week, and a falling rock the next. If a product you’re promoting is on the Falling Rocks list, abandon immediately!
#3 – Dinosaur Killers
These are the products you want to avoid like the plague! The focus is mostly on refund rates. The market has clearly rejected the product, and if you’re promoting them, it’ll damage your reputation.
#4 – New Products
This is just a list of brand new products. This is where you will most likely find a product that is about to be launched. Most of the new products are still in the testing phase.
I’ve also found vendors of new products are the most difficult to convince to give away a free version of their product. This is because for most this is their first product, and they are not seasoned Internet marketers yet.
Method #2: CBengine
If you do not want to sign up for Instant Affiliate Accelerator (I think there’s a 14-day free trial), then you can simply use the myriad of free Clickbank – tracking websites such as CBengine.

Is this your Goal? Then do your Research!
These websites will give you listings of brand new products, and specific information about the product. Frankly, I don’t use the websites too much, so I can not tell you how best to use them.
However, I thought I’d mention them.
Method #3: Relationships with Vendors
I advise you to get on the mailing list of as many vendors in your niche as possible. Now, I’m not talking about their affiliate newsletters. I’m talking about their customer newsletters.
Most good vendors will have an op-tin form on the front page of their site. Get on that newsletter. This is because most vendors stick together, and you can get a sense of an upcoming product launch if all of a sudden you’re getting emails from a vendor promoting someone else’s product.
In addition, some of the vendors who’s products you’re currently promoting will eventually create a new product in the future. If they know you by first name, and if you’re making them at least 3-5 sales per week (very doable), then they’ll most likely contact you and inform you of an upcoming launch.
There are more than enough methods here to 1) help you choose the right products and 2) to get your hands on a review copy of the product you’re promoting.
Getting a review copy will also help you make a better decision on what products you want to spend more time promoting. I feel kind of guilty not promoting a product once I have a review copy (unless the product is an absolute piece of junk, in which case the vendor should be punished for being so lazy/sinister (whatever you want to call it)).

Can you Imagine this Lady Writing a Fitness eBook?
But on a side note if you come across a product that you do not agree with 100%, then write a review of it, put it on your site, and let it sit there. If the vendor asks you why your sales are low (which they won’t, ever), then you can just say you’re trying your best.
Of course, this strategy is only useful for people who have a guilty conscience. If you don’t care, then you don’t care. Sometimes not caring is better for your business.
For more Clickbank Marketing Tips, check out my free eBook, The 2 Grand Per Month Clickbank Formula (click here).