How mentors can improve your networking and contacts
A mentor is basically an individual who is willing to guide you in whatever path you choose to follow. This is preferably somebody who’s been there before. The advantage of this relationship is that you will learn from somebody who had achieved what you still wish to achieve. The three benefits are: • A mentor …
A mentor is basically an individual who is willing to guide you in whatever path you choose to follow. This is preferably somebody who’s been there before. The advantage of this relationship is that you will learn from somebody who had achieved what you still wish to achieve.
The three benefits are:
• A mentor can introduce you to industry leaders/ contacts;
• A mentor can keep you focused and help you to keep moving in the right direction, and
• A mentor will help you avoid pitfalls of the first-time entrepreneur.
Relationships are hard to start and nurture. Mentors who have years of experience can assist you by connecting you with great contacts in your industry and actually save you the time and effort you would have incurred in trying to meet that contact.
The most challenging task is how to communicate with contacts once you’ve been introduced. Communication is everything. You may be afforded an opportunity to meet the president, but if you do not have the tools to communicate at his level, your meeting with him has no meaning. No matter how smart you might be, the bottom line is that you will need some form of help from others.
You need to be extremely selective with the people you associate with because you will ultimately become like them, no matter how resistant you might be in the beginning.
Mentors can keep you focused and moving in the right direction. Your mentor will certainly ensure you avoid the many common pitfalls that most business owners fall in to, especially as a first time entrepreneur.
We are living times of great uncertainty and if something you are using is not broken then why change it or fix it? In other words, if there is a proven system available for you then why not use it and if you are still not happy with the results, then you can improve on it.
Take advantage of a mentor and boost your businesses’ success potential.
Kholofelo Pholafudi, author of The Psychology, Science & Art of Turning Contacts into Connections. Email: kholo@afr8.co.za Cell: 0723082554, www.networkingbreakthroughs.co.za