Small Business Today Magazine MAR 2016 AMERICAN SERVICES | Page 25
EDITORIAL FEATURE
Networking with Mentors
By Gail Stolzenburg
I
f you asked successful networkers
what was the most important action
they took to learn how to network,
many of them would tell you it was
finding a mentor. Why a mentor for networking? Networking is about making
connections and exchanging information to develop mutually beneficial relationships. Does it make sense that someone who could help you understand the
process, increase your self confidence,
and determine the best places for you to
network would be beneficial?
So, begin by asking yourself, “Why?”
What benefits would you derive from
having a mentor? You may just want
someone to guide you or show you how
to eliminate making the same errors as
others have. Maybe you want introductions to other entrepreneurs or groups.
You may have heard the saying, “It is
lonely at the top”. There are many successful people who are willing to share
their secrets for success just to have
someone listen.
How do you find a mentor for networking? The obvious answer is networking to find a networking mentor.
That means attending networking
events. But first, you need to determine
what type of person you want as a mentor and why they will want to spend
time with you, particularly if there is no
compensation.
The qualifications for a mentor, for any type
of mentor, shoud include the following:
•
Someone who has started in a lesser
position than you and become successful.
•
•
Someone who is involved in the
same or similar business as you.
Someone who is willing to share
their experiences with you and give
you direction.
You may have difficulty finding all the
attributes you want in one person. There
are no rules which say you are unable to
have multiple mentors, if you find you
need them. It would be like having an
advisory board of directors.
Some people have found going online
is a very helpful starting point in finding
mentors. You’ll find webinars, virtual
mentor chats, community events, and
local workshops in major cities. Using
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google can result in finding mentors at no cost. Many
successful people have used online mentors without ever meeting them in person. Search for specific groups that have
similar interest to yours. Once you have
found them, meeting them face-to-face
will be most helpful. Think of it like a job
interview. Put together the list of questions you want to ask and learn everything you can about the person before
you broach the subject of mentorship.
There are also organizations such as
SCORE that have volunteer advisors to
help you develop a practical action plan,
education, and tools you need to open your
doors and establish a networking base.
One alternative is a mastermind group
or peer group which can be very helpful
in networking. The final suggestion is to
volunteer your services to an organization
whose membership contains the type of
mentor for which you are searching. As
You may have difficulty finding all
the attributes you want in one person.
There are no rules which say you are
unable to have multiple mentors, if you
find you need them.
you work together on projects helping
others, you can build a relationship which
may develop into a mentorship.
How do you ask someone to be your
mentor? Instead of asking someone outright to mentor you, use networking philosophy – the law of reciprocity. Find out
what is important in their life, something
they need, and then help them get it. It
may be as simple as providing small services for them so you’ll come to their attention. Then you can ask their advice
on some aspect of networking and the
relationship can build from there. Relationships which develop gradually can become stronger long term relationships.
A word of caution - some mentor/mentee
relationships may be unsuccessful. You’ll
need an exit strategy to utilize without
damaging the relationship. That’s a good
reason to have a number of people (prospective mentors) on which you can call.
So, during your next conversation,
start asking questions that will lead you
to getting the mentor that is best for you.
SBT
Gail “The Connector” Stolzenburg’s new book, “CONNECTIONS:
Contacts to Clients”, was recently released. For more information, Gail can be contacted by phone at 281-493-1955, by
email at [email protected], or visit his website at
www.GailStolzenburg.com.
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