Not long after the birth of my youngest child in 2003, I made the decision to try my hand at internet marketing. Honestly, I had no clue what I was getting into. I had no idea exactly what the industry was like or how difficult it can be to make money. I read all of the ads and hype about how quickly I would be raking in the bucks as long as I followed such and such plan or bought this or that 'guru' book. One concept that did catch my eye and made more sense than most was the idea of affiliate marketing. Given the fact that the reason I chose to quit my job was to be with my son, creating passive income appealed to me. So, I did find one or two really good books on affiliate marketing and began my new adventure. I had no idea that there would be so much to figure out, and that it would take quite a bit of time and effort to start really seeing results.

Time and effort. These are the two schools of thought that seem to escape many people who go into affiliate marketing with the idea that putting a banner on a website or blog will be enough. Since that's not the case of course, they become disgruntled and start blaming the industry rather than taking more time to learn and try new techniques. What are the most important skills and attributes that a person must embrace before they can expect to succeed in affiliate marketing?

A) First and foremost, and as mentioned above, a person interested in affiliate marketing must be willing to invest time and effort into building their new business. The desired outcome will not occur overnight, there will not be immediate results, but consistency and determination do produce positive results.

B) Anyone just starting out in affiliate marketing must have a strong desire and let themselves be coachable. Affiliate marketing is to most people, totally foreign ground, so the learning curve can be long. Finding qualified experts in the field and following their advice and using their tested methods is a must. To make it, a person must have both the right mindset and desire to learn new skills.

C) Along with the ability to work hard and be trainable, new affiliate marketers should be self-disciplined and consistent in learning and applying new tactics in their affiliate marketing business. I've found that consistency has proven the most useful skill.

D) Not too far from discipline is determination, and that too is a much needed quality to make it in affiliate marketing. Never resting on the current success for too long, and finding even more niches and target markets is how successful marketers grow and build their internet businesses.

E) Last, but not least, newbies should always keep a positive and optimistic outlook while applying the previous four characteristics of a successful affiliate marketer. Just as in any new business venture, having a pessimistic attitude will stop anyone dead in the water and make it harder to achieve the dream of a good passive income. Keep in mind that being ones own boss is what brings people to internet and affiliate marketing in the first place; there's no one else steering the ship or creating accountability.

The qualities and thoughts above aren't new, nor are they special only to affiliate marketing. These are basic characteristics of successful people in general. The will to succeed, a strong work ethic, determination and a positive outlook are all attributes that an entrepreneur should possess if they can expect to achieve their goal and dream of financial independence and security. Affiliate marketing is not for everyone, and there are many other required skills that new marketers will need to learn, but by putting the above tips to work from the get go, anyone who desires it can become a skilled affiliate marketer.