Many books offer you information about mentor/protege relationships. I’ve recently finished a book titled, The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt, which offers several section in it on this very subject.

By reading this book you can find out why some of the world’s greatest achievers believe one of the best ways to improve your business is to enlist the aid of people who have experience in areas where you need help the most. The authors tell you that one person you want to have on your team is a trusted mentor. I have to agree wholeheartedly, as would my mentors.

A mentor is a personal tutor to help guide you in your life. Some people have several mentors, each one assisting them in a different area of interest. Whether you are talking about a life-coach, a religious counselor, or a financial advisor, choosing your mentors is an important task and not one easily accomplished for many new business owners.

Tips for Building the Right Mentoring Relationship

Identify the right person: When identifying who you’d like to develop this special business relationship with - it’s best if you align yourself with a person who has experience in the same career field as you and one who’s willing to share their knowledge and experience with you on a regular basis. So look specifically for a professional working in the digital scrapbooking industry or someone in a related industry (digital photography, etc.)
Select your mentor candidates carefully: If you are looking for a business mentor, consider those who are exceptionally experienced or talented specifically with the business side of things. If you are looking for a mentor to assist you with designing or some other aspect of the business, look for folks who stand out from the crowd for that specific piece of the industry. Build a list of 3 or more possible mentors. Do your homework and make sure the candidates you are considering have a proven track record and are truly successful.

Start Making Connections: If you don’t already know the individuals personally, decide how you are going to go about locating the person and then contacting them. I read in The Power of Focus how you are probably never more than 6 people away from any mentor you want to meet. I had never heard that before.

If it’s true then you can figure there may be six doors you need to open before you have all the info you need. Who could open the first door for you? Proceed from there and keep asking until you’ve made enough contacts and opened however many other doors necessary to reach your proposed mentor. Keeping in mind that it could take you as many as 6 before you finally reach your destination, will hopefully keep you from getting discouraged if you don’t touch base with them the first time you try.

Get in the right frame of mind: This can be the scary part for some. You may be thinking something like, “I don’t know this person and she doesn’t know me. If she did, she’s probably too busy or wouldn’t even consider giving me the time of day.” Those thoughts are only going to hinder you from developing the relationship you are wanting. So find some way to get the negativity out of your head and move forward instead! It’s like any other sales call you make, if you get a no answer - it’s okay. Simply call on the next person on your list.

Make Contact: Even in this day of heavy computer communication, a telephone call is probably still the preferred method for contacting a possible mentor. How ever you choose to make contact, keep your request short and simple. It might go something like this:

“Hello, Mrs Smith, my name is Cindy. I’ve been a long standing member of your community forum - but we really haven’t met yet. I know you’re a busy woman, so I’ll be brief. I’ve been digi-scrapping for a year now and I recently opened my own digi-scrap business too. I’ve seen how over the years you have done a fantastic job building your business into one of the largest in our industry today. I’m sure you had some real challenges when you were first starting out. Well, I’m still in those early stages trying to figure everything out. Mrs Smith, I would really appreciate it if you would consider being my mentor. All that would mean is spending ten minutes on the phone with me once a month - so I could ask you a few questions. I’d really appreciate it. Would you be open to that?”

When you ask that closing question you’ll usually get a straight yes or no answer. If it’s yes, settle your nerves a bit and ask when would be a good time to call in the next few weeks. Then confirm a specific time for your first mentor meeting. Be sure to follow up with a handwritten “thank you” note right away! If the answer is no, then politely thank the person for their time. Then call the next person on your list.

Remember: Keep the contact short and to the point. Busy people appreciate that. Don’t socialize, stick to a well-prepared script using a relaxed conversational tone. Stay focused. Say what you want to say, ask the closing question and then stop. Let your potential mentor speak.

Helpful Things to Know

When you ask someone to be a mentor, it is the ultimate compliment. If they aren’t willing to share their time and expertise, it’s not a reflection of you. It’s a reflection on them. It could be that they don’t have the time. Maybe they have never served as a mentor before and are unsure about the relationship. Possibly they are new to the business world and are fearful of sharing their expertise - which honestly is a clear sign to you that they would not be a good mentor for you at this time.

Business owners are rarely asked to serve as a mentor. If you make your request with total sincerity, having reminded them of their own meager beginnings, you will often get a positive response.

Yes - It’s Worth the Effort!

These relationships can dramatically accelerate your business progress. Trying to do everything your own way with trial and error is always an option. But it’s the hardest way to do it. Tapping into other people’s successful formulas and adapting their ideas is a lot smarter way to gain experience and achieve success much quicker!

The Right Personal Advisor = Your Best Investment

Mentors are one-on-one tutors. Many times your efforts and willingness to ask, will gain you this powerful relationship at no cost, other than the time needed to make the contact and then follow up with approved question/answer sessions. If you have been unsuccessful with finding a mentor this traditional way - don’t let that stop you from stretching out and paying for the experience of another. Many business owners now sell their mentoring services. But if you go this route I highly encourage you to make sure you hire a consultant who you feel completely comfortable with and who will provide you with adequate one-on-one services.

Action Challenge:

I challenge you to sit down and develop a list of possible mentors. Then set out on a course to contact them and find one that matches your personality and your business needs. Then see how your business will grow faster and stronger than if you had done it all on your own! If you’d like more advice about focusing on specific areas for change and improvement in your your business, do what I did and pick up The Power of Focus and see if you can find a few nuggets of wisdom.

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