My plan this morning was to wake up at the crack of dawn and write something thoughtful and thought provoking about facilitating better communication among all parties in the performance marketing space. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.

This morning was all about communication for sure. Unfortunately, most of it was me having a very loud, one-way dialog with my malfunctioning computer. There was some creative language used that would have made some salty old sailors blush.

This annoying situation just underscored to me some points about the art of communication. It’s hardly communication if there is only one party is involved in the discussion; not getting help or support when needed only raised frustration levels and creates resentment among parties; and not having a method to give and receive feedback doesn’t help anyone involved.

The whole topic of communication is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I was prompted to write a story about it after getting an earful on the subject from merchants, affiliates and network folks over the last several months. So, I’m working on an article for the May/June issue of Revenue and I’ve already talked to dozen of people about why communication is so important, where the breakdowns seem to occur and what possible solutions can be used to rectify the situation.

It’s been fascinating hearing the wide spectrum of responses, opinions and ideas. Some are simple and based on common sense, some require complex technology systems to be in place to work, and still others are hybrids that take the best elements for existing solutions (instant messenger, forums, message boards, emails, etc.) and apply some new processes.

The common thread is that all were born out of frustration. Merchants want more efficient communications with affiliates. Affiliates want a better way to wade through the mountain of message they receive from hundreds of merchants as well as the networks without missing the important stuff. The networks want better ways to communicate with all parties.

While everyone agrees about the need for better, more efficient communication methods, there is always the sensitive issue of privacy. Once you throw that into the mix, things start to get a little hairy.

Anyway, here’s were you come in. Let me know your opinion on the topic of creating better lines communication. I know you’ve got something to say and I want to hear it. We still haven’t fixed the situation with our blog comments, so you’ll have to send your thoughts to me at lisap@revenuetoday.com. Include your contact information and I’ll get back to you to set up an interview.

If you don’t have an opinion on this topic there are still a couple of other areas of Revenue where you can also get involved.

• If you have a technical question you can ask Dave Taylor. Send an email to askdavetaylor@revenuetoday.com with “Ask Dave Taylor” in the subject line. Dave will check out the submissions and answer at least one question in our Revenue newsletter every month.

• We are always accepting submissions for Inside Track, the new personnel section of our newsletter. To submit a candidate for consideration, send an email to InsideTrack@RevenueToday.com with “Inside Track” in the subject. Please include the candidate’s name, their new title and full company name, the date they started their new position, and their previous title and company. We will also be accepting photos. They need to be jpeg or gif format, and should be no larger than 200 dpi.

• And finally, if you want a redesign of your home page, it’s simple and free. Our design guru and columnist Pedro Sostre is always looking for candidates for his next Revenue By Design Makeover. You can get your site in the running by following these easy steps.
1. Send an email to ByDesign@Sostreassoc.com.
2. Put “Revenue’s By Design Makeover” in the subject header.
3. Include your name, company and contact information (phone, email, etc.).
4. Include a brief description of your business and its goals.
5. Include the URL for your home page or landing page for Pedro to review.

What are you waiting for?

lisap@revenuetoday.com