Copyright (c) 2010 Suzan Schmitt

Seeing clients several times a day and keeping up with your Internet marketing tasks can seem like all the work you can handle on a daily basis but doing so would leave one key element to success out of the equation.

Business is still all about people and relationships so you have to get to know the movers and shakers in your target niche. Go to conferences to learn but more importantly go to meet the key people in your target niche.

You can go far further far faster when you have the help and support of a successful person who has gone before you. If you buy a program make sure it is from someone you want to get to know while you are studying with them. Email them and ask them questions. Make sure they know you are a part of their program and that you are eager to work hard and learn.

People who are already successful at doing what you want to do can help you along a great deal by helping and promoting you but you can't just walk up and ask them to do that right off the bat. The best way to do that is to do something for someone else to benefit them before asking for anything in return. If you do that with enough people, you'll be well on your way.

When you are at a conference you need to talk to as many people as possible and find out about their business. Follow the old saying and be interested not interesting. Ask them questions about their business and their life rather than touting your own successes.

Look for people who have similar businesses and people who could be potential joint venture partners. It is even a good idea to talk to your competitors and become their friend. Remember the Internet is a very big place so there is room for all to be successful. You have no reason to avoid or alienate your competition. You can even find ways to work together to benefit each other. This is sometimes called "co-competition".

Many people tell me I am too shy to go out and talk to all those people. My response is if you want to make money in your business then you are going to have to get over it. If you want to be successful then you are going to have to learn to develop relationships with people. You can't do that sitting behind your computer everyday!

Get out and get to know people and leaders in you niche because the world is different but people still work best with those that they have established great relationships.