First, open with a personal remark, preferably a compliment. Flatter the reader a little by praising his website, his newsletter or his product. The point is to make the compliment specific to that person. It not only makes him feel good, but it also lets him know you are writing to him as an individual.

Next, establish common ground. Let him know you share a similar interest in that you are both working in the same niche. By informing the prospect you are like him, you'll instantly create a bond and naturally be able to transition into the reason for your letter in the first place.

Third, explain the reason for your letter. Simply tell him that you're writing to create a win-win working relationship.

Fourth, inform the prospect what his role in the affiliate program will be. Stress the fact that you'll do most of the work, and all your prospect will need to do is utilize his resources.

Fifth, show the prospect what's in it for him. Although it's easy to get excited about your product and your affiliate program, keep your excitement in check. And keep your focus on the benefits for the prospect. Let him know exactly how he will profit from joining your program: commission percentage, profit per transaction, conversion rate, etc.

Sixth, if possible, mention some names of experts in your field who are promoting your product, have worked with you before or who referred you to this prospect. This establishes instant credibility. If your prospect trusts you, he is immediately open to the idea of working with you.

Finally, close the letter with an open-ended question because it prompts a response. If you don't ask him to respond, he probably won't even if he was initially enticed by your offer. So make sure you ask for some type of response.

Now that you're armed with a template for contacting all prospective affiliates, you are ready to begin the recruitment process. This includes taking action like subscribing to lists in your niche, enrolling in joint venture partner networks and frequenting the same forums where your prospective affiliates hang out.