Finding Mentors For Your Business
Remember that teacher from school who you really liked? The one that motivated you. The one you never wanted to disappoint. Well, that was your first mentor.
Of course, many of you could cite older family members (parents, wise uncles etc) as being mentors but I’m referring specifically to outside mentors here.
Unless you are fortunate enough to have family members who are highly successful in business (especially the property business) you are going to have to look beyond the guest list at last year’s New Year party. That applies to probably 95% of the people reading this. The other 5% have no need.
Ideally, you should get to know as many people or groups as you can who will be able to offer you (preferably free) guidance and advice exactly at the time that you need it.
We can all learn from each other and, even though you might not think you possess the kind of skills that other people are demanding, you could be surprised.
I was a working journalist for many years and I assumed the ability to write in a grammatically passable way would only be something that was of interest to newspaper and magazine editors, but I was very wrong.
In the modern age, very few people can actually write properly. I don’t know why this is the case – possibly it’s down to an overall drop in educational standards, people bitching at each other in the comments sections of online media, or the ubiquity of Smartphones.
I don’t really know the reason but I don’t really care either! The point is, I have a marketable skillset and so do you.
The people you start working with will naturally become your mentors, assuming you connect on a personal level, too. And, with your natural charm, that’s definitely a given.
I have mentors who own publishing houses, play professional sport, own nightclubs, control international businesses etc etc. Those guys are out there and some of them might already be part of your contact base. Check the contacts in your phone right away!
Your mentors don’t necessarily need to be property people. If they’re successful in any way, they can be good for you. And I don’t just mean financially successful – people in the caring profession or personal trainers can be great to have as mentors. You need to nurture your soul and protect your health just as much as you want to be a success in business.
A mentor is someone you can continuously learn from and someone who can help steer you in the right direction when things aren’t quite going as planned. You should be aware that this will happen a lot more than you think, hence the need to surround yourself (metaphorically speaking) with good people living good lives.
Always be on the lookout for people who can provide business advice, family advice, fitness tips and spiritual direction. They are everywhere and this quest should be never-ending.
I don’t necessarily mean you have to have these people on speed-dial, and neither should you badger them so much that you become an irritant, just have people you can contact when the days are dark. Sending a text to someone when you need advice is unintrusive and you should be patient when awaiting a response. If they don’t respond at all, you should move on and find someone else.
Never, ever give up the precious hours of your life by ‘stalking’ people who just aren’t interested in dealing with you at any level. This applies in all areas.
You should always be in the process of expanding your contact base (I can’t stress this enough) so get hunting.This is what you should look for in a mentor: Success, ability to pass on their knowledge, good contacts, patience, serenity, experience. There’s a lot more but you get the picture and everyone has different definitions of all of the above. Go for it. Today.
