Choosing a Marketing Mentor - A newbie gets her feet wet...

Written by Alexandria Bryant on Jun 7, 2010 10:54 pm

How do you select a Marketing Mentor, and should you have more than one.....

You need to follow the mentor who has what you're looking for. So how do you do that? Initially, we need to know what a Mentor is, and what they do,

The definition of a Mentor is: (noun)

1. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

Also: Counsellor: (noun)

1. A person who gives counsel; an adviser.

First, let me say that your selection should be carefully thought out and studied. This will hopefully be a long-term relationship that will ultimately enhance both your lives. So think of it as a marathon, and not a sprint.

I have followed a few people who I thought would carry me forward to the next level in my development. But I later discovered that not to be true. And frankly, I was looking for that 'instant magic bullet' that would propel me to the 'million dollar income', that so many of the 'professionals' said was possible. If I just used their product or sign up for their course, all my problems would be over.

Coming from a background devoid of marketing skills, there was a major hurdle I had to tackle and overcome. And my learning curve was wrought with personal development issues that were like mountains in front of me. But there was a desire in me to move ahead of the present circumstances that I was in. Not to bore you with negatives, but your desire, your why, that yearning deep down inside you that won't let you rest. You know things can be better, but do you have the courage to make them better?

So you finally make the decision to get help, but who?

I started listening in to conference calls, and signing up for newsletters of marketers I thought were really good. And I listened to marketers who talked about other marketers. I learned, if you want to be a marketer, you must hang out where the marketers are. And you need to be open and teachable, so if they are coaching you on a particular skill, that you can't seem to master, don't give up. Disect what they are telling you, break it down to small portions and proceed one step at a time.

There is no pre-ordained deadline, you will make money when you provide a service that people can use, or solve a problem they've been struggling with.

This took me awhile to learn, (about 5 years), I just wanted to throw information at people hoping that they would instantly see the value of what I offered. I learned that even if they CAN use your product, they won't, because you didn't offer them YOU.

Finally, having more than one mentor is good practice. But I don't recommend more than three. Your study time will suffer if you try to follow everybody. One mentor may inspire you in your people skills, another in practical hands-on procedures, and yet another in the day-to-day routine of running a business.

So, if you discover that your mentor is not giving you what you need, try another, but be gracious and diplomatic. You must always seek to build bridges, and cultivate relationships. Your business will thrive if you do.

Alexandria Bryant

Alexmeansbusiness