Posted

Mentor-Sales_Aug2016

 

Invaluable to the salesperson starting out their career, a mentor is one person who you can trust to guide you and help you to cultivate your career.

What sets a mentor apart from others in your network is their long-term commitment as well as a deep-seated interest in seeing you succeed.

For instance, someone might be able to arrange for quick introductions, and exchanges of business cards, or a few phone calls. On the other hand, a mentor will dedicate long stretches of time with you. Also, a mentor is usually at a point in their sales career that they have the authority and network to help you achieve a comparable position. They are someone you probably have extraordinarily good chemistry with who will reveal how they achieved success. An efficient mentor also isn’t afraid to give you constructive criticism.

Check to see if you current company, your alma mater or a local organization has an official mentoring program. In these structured programs, volunteer mentors are sometimes assessed to help match them with compatible people to mentor. Other organizations allow for people with different outlooks to work together in the hopes of finding opportunities for discovery.

To locate a mentor on your own, look for an individual you admire and respect. It can be someone from your own workplace, outside of it – or both, as some people have multiple mentors. Some people also pursue “serial mentors,” or a sequence of short-term mentoring relationships.

Once you are able to start working with a mentor, you should expect to see a number of benefits.

Less Mistakes

The two best ways to gain wisdom in the world are by making mistakes or gaining knowledge from the errors of others. A mentor will prevent you from making unforced errors you otherwise would have not been capable of avoiding. They will have made mistakes in their rise through the ranks, and you can take advantage of the wisdom they gained, as well as limit your wrong moves.

Honest Feedback

It seems like you can’t turn around these days without getting some kind of feedback from someone else. This constant stream of feedback can make it difficult for you to figure out which are valid suggestions or criticisms, and which should be ignored.

When working with a trusted mentor, you have an invaluable source of feedback that you know won’t be sugar-coated or loaded with resentment. If you’re going to improve as a sales professional, honest feedback is invaluable.

A Source of Encouragement

A good mentor will have your back, no matter what the situation. You’re going to face some hard times in your sales career and someone pushing you forward will give you an advantage over those who shrink from a challenge or throw in the towel.

At Cornerstone, we have access to a large network of professionals, many of whom might be interested in a mentorship arrangement. If you’re curious about the opportunities we have in store, please contact us today!

 

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