This is a great post. I think a large part of the affiliate marketing world is very limited in their scope because they get into it via someone’s affiliate network link and then they think “oh, I’m limited by what CJ or SAS or whatnot have to offer.”

In reality you are just taking a more direct approach and taking out the network middleman which saves the merchant money.

For my newest project I’ve been talking directly with the company and while they use CJ, I’ve expressed interest in partnering directly. This has led them to offer me a free 800 number to use for my site, additional higher convering creative option, and contract flexibility down the road in terms of payment terms and commission (ie. switching from a CPA for new customers model to a rev-share model).

At the end of the day the best business deals tend to be the ones that give you the most flexibility and going the route of person-to-person communication will give you infinitely more options than browsing through the merchant list on CJ.