This could well be the shortest article on this site, but it could be the most important you’ll ever read, because your mentors are absolutely crucial to your success.
Let’s say you’ve picked out your potential mentor (and as to where to meet them, live networking meetings or Web 2.0 participation are the very best ways) and now you’d like to approach him/her to discover whether they might help you.
Maybe this even seems daunting to you, but the reason for that is that you might feel that you are after a free lunch, or in the position of a beggar. If that’s truly the case, then it would be inappropriate to ask, but luckily, in most cases, you do have value to bring. And this should be your mindset: don’t be a parasite – seek to add value instead. It’s not a gift, it’s an exchange.
What are some of the ways you can add value for your potential mentor? Here are some examples:
*** You may have a circle of influence that you would be proud to introduce your mentor to.
*** You may have skills or knowledge that you can offer your mentor in return for his/her time (especially if you are young and very IT savvy and your mentor has expertise in other areas, for example).
*** You may be able to do “grunt” work for your mentor that can make his/her business life a lot easier.
What Do You Say to Your Potential Mentor When You Want to Set Up a Meeting?
Once you realise that it’s your job to add value for your mentor, the task of asking for a meeting becomes very easy. Here are some examples:
“Joan, I’d really like to hear more about XYZ company so that I understand how to refer contacts more intelligently. I wonder if you’d mind a brief visit so I can find out more?”
“Peter, I was really interested to hear your comments about the ABC initiative because I’m involved in that area too. I wonder if you’d catch up with me for coffee some time so we can chat about some possibilities there?”
“Sue, when I visited your web site last week I thought it looked very professional, but I really felt strongly that its earning power could be ramped up so easily with a few simple changes. I wonder if you’d catch up with me for coffee some time so I could explain?”
Always remember that peer-mentoring in groups is the most effective mentoring you could ever receive, such is the power of the group. More articles, including an article on peer-mentoring are available on the site below.
Happy mentoring!
To learn more about this author, visit Christine Sutherland's Website.
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Christine Sutherland
(Visit Christine's Website)
Christine Sutherland is an Australian
entrepreneur, clinical researcher, author
and trainer, and the founder of My Speed
Business Network, an interactive business
community with a vast array of free
business development resources. There is
currently no charge for membership.
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