The best Olympians, athletes and winners always have a coach or a mentor behind them, so the question isn’t whether you should have a mentor — of course you should! — but how to pick the right one.
Many people try to take advice from too many mentors at once. So instead of ending up with a racehorse that can move really fast and get them where they want to go, they end up with a camel. You know that old joke that a camel is a horse designed by committee? Well, it’s true. That’s the result you get when you try to implement a crazy combination of different tips from different mentors, and no single proven system or strategy ever arises.
If you want the speed and agility of a racehorse, elegantly carrying you down your business track, here are my three Ts for picking the one, right mentor for you:
1. Timing. What do you need now? Earlier in life you’re usually developing your expertise, so, ideally, you’re picking mentors who can help you down a particular expert path. But once you’ve gotten that to a sufficient level, like many of you reading this, it’s time to acknowledge that you own your expertise, and start looking for a mentor who can help you with business or sales structures.
That’s where my clients tend to be. They’re ready to put structures in place to support and empower the marketing and sales of their expertise, so they can finally make the difference they are hungry to make.
2. Trust. Even if the mentor has everything that you want to have in your life, ask yourself if you trust them. When you hear them talk, does it resonate with you? When they tell you they’re going to deliver something, even small things early in the relationship, such as a free gift or coming back to a question, do they do it?
Do you feel confident that a. you’ll get what you need from the mentor, that they’ll deliver what they promised and b. if they don’t, that they have a structure in place for you to communicate about it.
3. The Tribe. Every once in a while you run across a mentor where you not only gain their expertise but also get to become part of their vibrant community or tribe. So when considering a mentor, it’s really important to look at the value of that, from a networking and support standpoint. Let’s face it, there’s the family we’re born into and then the family that we choose. Many times the family we choose are people who have a similar level of passion and commitment to their purpose and mission as we have. So when selecting your mentor, if you can get the added benefit of a powerful tribe that can support you and offer you amazing leads and opportunities, go for it.
These three Ts are a few of the many strengths of our Sales, Authenticity & Success Mastermind. If they resonate with you, come check us out. Our brief enrollment window is open right now.