How to find the right mentor for you
Are you ready to get started? If you aren’t sure who to look for, here are some tips.
Find the special person you admire
It is not difficult to find a mentor. There are several things you can do if you don’t have a mentor to guide you.
- What would you like to be in 10 years’ time? Time for some daydreaming. What would your life look like in 10 years? What do you desire to be?
- Find out what you are looking for in a mentor. Are you looking for someone who is easy to get along with, or someone who can be a challenge? Do you want someone who can help you overcome the difficulties you are facing?
- You can make a list of people that you admire or know and then find the person who matches your criteria. It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone you personally know. You could find your dream mentor on social media, or even an author of your favorite book about business.
Find out everything you can about them
After you have made your decision, it is time to get to know as much about the person as you can. It’s best to do so in a non-creepy way. While you don’t have to know their coffee habits, it is important to learn about their past. Find out about their life experiences, the path to success and how they got there.
You will be able to approach them in a very positive way. The information you have learned here will help you succeed in the next step.
Approach your dream mentor
It all comes down to how you approach your dream mentor. Let’s first look at what not to do.
When someone asks for a mentor, the most common reason they are rejected is:
- They seem desperate or strange.
- They are arrogant, and they can be irritating
- They are lazy and don’t do their research
There is a good chance that the person you are asking is very busy. You need to make an effort to grab their attention and not waste their time. You won’t get a reply if you ask bland or vague questions.
Email is the easiest and most direct way to contact a mentor. These are the three steps you need to take to reach your mentor and get their approval.
Step 1: Concentrate on them
In a sea of thousands upon thousands of emails, you want to grab their attention. Your opening should be punchy, concise, and about them.
There are many ways to do this, but 1-2-3 Choice Technique makes it easy to introduce yourself. It works in this way:
“Hi, [mentor’s] name, I loved your talk at X/your book/blog and especially liked the part where it said XYZ. It’s something I am trying out, but I don’t know what to do. There are three options for me to choose from next:
- Choice 1
- Choice 2
- Option 3
Your thoughts about what I should do next are welcome.
This accomplishes many things. This shows that you have done your research and are putting their advice into action. It also shows that you value their opinions and desire more.
The best thing about the mentor’s perspective is that they only have to choose one option and explain why. This direct question will get a better response rate and leave a lasting impression.
Step 2: Get them to be interested in you
Next, spin it around for you. What makes you unique? What are your skills? What is your background?
Don’t just email your mentor. Engage and be specific. Give examples of work or give them examples when you tell them about your job. You don’t need to say, “I’m great at creating sales emails.” This second line is harder to overlook. It’s clear, specific, and instantly shows your value.
This will be even more valuable if you can relate it to the mentor’s current business needs or business. The mentor is interested in who you are and how you can make their lives easier. What’s in it?
Step 3: Make an offer that they won’t accept
It’s important to be able to say yes to whatever you ask for. What can you offer?
You could offer to do some work in exchange for your mentor’s advice. It’s easy to convince your mentor to accept you if you help them with a side project that they don’t have the time for.
As a side note: If this seems overwhelming to a potential mentor, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t mean you have to write your entire life in one email. If you are able to prompt your mentor to respond in Steps 1 and 2, you can follow up with Step 3. If that feels more natural, you can also add Step 3.
You can be the best mentor
Congratulations if your potential mentor agrees that you work with them. This is a great way to grow professionally. The work does not stop there. It’s important to be a good mentor.
Mentor-mentee relationships are all about giving and taking. Listen and then put the advice into practice. Good mentors will hold you accountable and push for you to succeed. Don’t waste your time. This is the key to a long-lasting mentoring relationship that works well for you both.
You now know how to find a mentor. Go on… Find your Mr. Miyagi or your Dumbledore.