Relationships are a two-way street. When most people approach someone in search of mentorship or partnership, they often don’t take into account that in order to be taken seriously, they must bring their own value to the table. Great relationships are formed when you provide value mutually. Mutual value can mean a number of things, most of the time more feasible than you had ever thought possible. Another misconception is that in order to provide value to someone, money is the only solution. Value can be provided in any number of ways. The most important thing to do from the start is analyze where your future mentor or partner may need help and then provide that help to them with your own skillset. The value created by this is invaluable!
Solving other people’s problems
The best way to provide the most value and to get serious people you want to mentor you, work with you, or just simply form a cordial relationship with is to solve one of their problems. Communication is key here. Do more listening than talking and see what your future mentor mentions the most that gives them an obvious amount of stress. If your skillsets match the criteria to solve this problem, then it really is as easy as that. Most people have tons of things that they can’t or won’t do on their own. As a real-life example, many new real estate agents seek mentorship from top producers. The best way that these agents get the top producer’s attention is by offering help in a task that needs to be done, takes up time, and the where the top producing agent’s efforts would be better suited elsewhere. This can range from cold-calling, running open houses, taking buyers out to see homes, and many other tasks. This not only give new agents some field experience, but it gives them a great mentor in the process. Even though some of those aforementioned skills are not too highly skilled and more on the grunt-work side, it demonstrates the new agent’s drive to learn and provide value to someone they want to learn from in any way they can!
business partnerships or teams
When entering into a business partnership, it is important to identify the roles of every party beforehand so each individual knows what their responsibilities are. This ensures that each team member provides the best value they can with the group because their responsibilities are extremely clear. In order to have a symbiotic team, this is a must because if this isn’t established from the beginning, team roles will eventually overlap and create conflict. This in turn destroys the mutual value that each individual provides in a group. I myself have some knowledge in this field where I have first-hand experience of a failed partnership, and have taken lessons and learned from my mistakes in the past. To avoid this setback, make sure you plan the value each team member will be providing from the beginning, otherwise it will cause a rift and create overlap of roles as well as tension.
Everything is about providing value
Every healthy relationship is about value. As an employee, you are providing value to your employers by doing the tasks that you specialize in which in turn makes you more valuable to them. Most people don’t look at employment this way for one reason or another, but is the same concept we have already talked about when looking for mentors in any field you may want to get into, your own business or not. When you go to an interview for a job, a potential employer goes over the responsibilities of the position with you, and is looking to see if you are qualified and eager to take on said responsibilities. This is extremely similar to approaching a top producing agent or a standout real estate investor and having a conversation with them to see where you can provide them value. The biggest difference between the two of these options is that as an employee of a corporation or any other sort of business, your ceiling is limited. On the other hand, access to mentorship and relationships in a more entrepreneurial field will give you outstanding mentors with no ceiling to speak of. For some reason, people view interviews with big corporations as a part of life, and on the other hand are too scared to ask top producing individuals in their entrepreneurial sphere of interest how they can provide value for their mentorship. This phenomenon needs to be shifted, and people need to be able to face their fears of starting something as an individual and creating something truly great in any sphere of their choice.
Do not bargain
Looking for a mentor is not a bargaining negotiation. You simply want to provide the most value you can, and in turn this mentor will be in your corner when you need them most. They may see your drive and offer to invest in your ideas. They may bring you onto their team full-time. They may teach you all of the insider information about an industry and how to be successful in it. These great perks are all open to anyone who is willing to put themselves out there, and provide value for the right people.
Why a vivid vision is so helpful with this
For those of you who may not have read one of my recent blogs, Vivid Vision The Book Practice In Premise, you may be unfamiliar with this concept. In simple terms, a Vivid Vision is an outline of what your company, business, or life will look like, feel like, and act like 3 years down the road. This is an important tool that may be useful in having mentors buy into your vision after seeing your planning, ability to captivate an imagination, and drive for success. I strongly recommend you give Vivid Vision a read!
Get the book!: Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future