If you have dealt with many people in the Internet marketing field, you have undoubtedly run across "The Whine". This is an attitude filled with self pity, the desire to have the rewards of Net marketing without paying the price, and often a great deal of hostility. It is an almost 100% certain path to small business failure.

If you aren't familiar with The Whine, two examples will clarify this deadly attitude that you want to avoid at all costs.

I reward those who subscribe to my auction ezine with a free ebook that I wrote. One morning when I opened my email I found two emails from new subscribers - apparently the link to my book was broken. One subscriber simply explained the situation and asked for a remedy. The other sent me the email below:

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Subject line: SPAM Complaint

I WAS PROMISED "HOW TO SUCK UP CUSTOMERS FASTER THAN A VACUUM CLEANER ON STEROIDS" FOR SIGNING UP FOR 'AUCTION GOLD' BUT WAS TAKEN TO A PAGE TELLING ME THE ITEM NO LONGER EXISTS...

DON'T YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD NO ABOUT THIS ON DISCUSSIONS BOARDS EVERYWHERE? I DO!

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My response was courteous and professional