I think James hit it on the head the best. Affiliate Marketing should become a passion for a product, service and its supplier. The two need to work together.
One meeting the needs of the other with each understanding that they have the same objective but need to use different methods to obtain satisfaction.
You begin with a courtship, develop into an engagement and if it looks like a good relationship it is time to propose.
Many small companies have built on this until they were at the place of a merger.
HeyLanny