Free Lead Magnet

The 5-Question
Affiliate Course Filter

Run any affiliate course through this checklist before you buy. A "no" on any single question is a red flag. Three or more "no" answers? Walk away.

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How to use this: Think of a specific course you're considering right now. Answer each question honestly. Check the box when you can answer "Yes." Tally your score at the bottom. Save or print this page to reference later.

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Question 01
Does this course teach ONE specific strategy — not "everything about affiliate marketing"?
Courses that promise to teach you every platform, every traffic source, and every niche are selling distraction. The One Offer Rule says: pick one thing and master it. A course should do the same. If the sales page mentions 12 modules covering 8 different strategies, that's a signal, not a curriculum.
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Question 02
Can you realistically implement this with your current time and budget — within 30 days?
Most course failures aren't about content quality. They're about mismatch. If you have 5 hours/week and $50/month, buying a course that requires 20 hours/week and a $500 ad budget is not an investment — it's an aspiration purchase. Map your real constraints before you buy.
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Question 03
Does this course build assets YOU own — a list, a skill, a brand — or just rent someone else's platform?
A TikTok affiliate strategy is only as stable as TikTok's algorithm. A course that teaches you to build an email list or a content asset gives you compounding, durable leverage. Platform-dependent strategies expire. Skills and audiences don't. Ask: if the platform shut down tomorrow, would you still have something?
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Question 04
Are the instructor's results transparent, documented, and recent — not 5-year-old screenshots?
Affiliate marketing changes fast. Results from 2019 using Facebook organic or Google search arbitrage may be completely irrelevant today. Look for dated proof, ideally from the last 12 months. Testimonials from real students (with names, not just first initials) carry more weight than screenshots of an instructor's own Clickbank dashboard.
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Question 05
Does buying this course solve a real gap — or is it delaying action you could take right now?
The "procrastination purchase" is real. We buy courses to feel like we're moving forward while avoiding the discomfort of actually doing the work. Ask yourself: what specific thing am I stuck on that this course will unlock? If your answer is vague ("I just want to learn more"), that's not a gap — that's a delay. Start where you are. Buy when you're genuinely blocked.

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This checklist filters. The full Focus Filter scores.
The paid framework includes a weighted scoring system, the Safe Offer Test, One Offer Rule Manifesto, and execution calendars. Everything you need to not just pick the right course — but actually finish what you start.

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