I’m a big fan of mentors. I have mentors, and mentor others as part of my consulting business.
I firmly believe that you should build a team of professionals, coaches, mentors and partners as you build your business.
RULE ONE OF ANY GAME: You can only get smarter by playing with a smarter player
However, a mentor is not the answer to every problem. Take the email I received this morning from Joe:
You name it and I probably have come across it, but am I making any money at it?
No Siree bob! Zippo money!This is so pathetic, this last Sunday was our 24th wedding anniversary and because of different things all coming together at the same time, we ended up spending the day eating peanut butter sandwiches and watching reruns on TV.I read the emails and the advertising gimmicks are all very attractive but I just don’t seem to make a blasted cent anywhere I turn.
So, here’s where you come in:
I’m looking for a mentor or joint venture partner to help me generate a couple of thousand dollars from my site. That’s all. I don’t have all that much to spend at one time but can come up with $50 per month. (Actually more like a $75 but am using $25 on website hosting.) Obviously my goal isn’t to spend any more money or I would have taken the wife to a decent restaurant already and you wouldn’t be seeing this message.
You may recognize Joe in yourself and your own frustrations. Frankly, I recognized and identified with the position he’s in. I’ve been in a similar situation many times myself.
My first inclination was to delete the message and move on, but I got thinking about how Joe was feeling, and how I wished someone had responded to me when I was grasping for help.
Here’s what I came up with for a reply. What do you think?
JoeGreat idea.
You can’t make money, so you want someone to make money, and give some of it to you.
If you find someone like that, and they actually do anything but ask for money, send them my way. I’ve got web sites and partners making a lot of money that could use some more with such leverage.
Sorry if this offends, but I’d rather tell the truth than ignore your request.
You need to stop talking about what you know, learning more, and get to work. No mentor is going to do it for you.
There are hundreds of ways you can use your TIME to build traffic, create relationships and get off the peanut butter. (serious, if it’s that bad, a part time job would add enough to treat your wife to a dinner occasionally).
You know what to do, you don’t need another course. For instance, I would suggest joining http://ZeroCostPromotions.com and using our promotions to build your list. You have to have a list, but you know that right?
Mentors are great, but there is a good reason that great mentors cost money…
The MAJORITY of those mentored waste the time of the mentor and don’t do what he tells them. Assuming that mentors are making money themselves, the fees you pay them are clearly just a fraction of what they could make… and the frustration of trying to help someone that won’t follow through is almost as bad as being broke.
Good mentors are never in it for the fees they charge.
You think you are not like that, but you also state that you haven’t done anything yet (Zippo money!) How is THAT going to change? What are you going to do to change yourself?
Are you going to be the one in 100 that follows through? Are you ready to prove it?
Here’s my test.
- Subscriber to http://BookMarketingStrategy.
com (where I talk about “books” you can insert “ebook” or “website” or even “blog”) - Do all of the steps I tell you about. Each and every one of them. Most are free or very low cost.
If you do, I know I’ll see you online.
Your friend,
Warren
I looked up Joe. He’s a subscriber and been reading the free information I provide to readers of RichProsperity and some other blogs and sites in our network. He hasn’t yet sign up for my free course, so I will be able to go back and see if he signs up.
Since many of the steps involve free sites where I ask you to link to me as a friend, I will know if Joe follows through. I hope to report good news here soon.
What do you think? Was I too harsh? Should I have sold Joe another ebook or course? (I know more people take action if they pay.. maybe I should have taken his $50 to help him).
How about you? Have you been in “learning mode” for too long? Just what is holding you back? Take the simple challenge above and let me know you are the 1 in 100 that is ready to do something to make a difference in your life.
Post a comment here. I read them all, and will respond in future posts with any information or help I can share.
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I believe in growth and learning, but as my grandmother used to say, “you can wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets full first.”
I would have pointed him at free community mentoring resources, like SCORE (http://www.score.org/index.html) or suggested he spend his money on a business course at a community college or maybe even a personal finance course! I take ghostwriting and copywriting gigs that I don’t necessarily enjoy, but I like to have money.
The reason I suggested something like SCORE is because people need to learn to interact “live” before they can interact successfully via the internet. Being able to build a website doesn’t make you a whiz at building relationships and the myth of “build it and they will come” not coming true has popped many a person’s bubble, both in brick and mortar and e-commerce sites.
Any investor is going to want to see a business and marketing plan, as well as past successes, or a promise of success based on facts. So if he was looking for you to hand him money or dole out your services free based on an email and a sob story, no, you weren’t too harsh.
Grate post warren!
I to have more than one mentor as well even some of my mentors are a client of mine.
I too have been in pretty bad situations.
I developed medical problems and got to the point I was unemployable. After not paying bills for 5 months, my wife left me for supposedly greener pastures. She was not one to be a nursemaid.
With my house in foreclosure and more than 10,000 behind in bills, I had a choice of giving up or fighting for my self-respect and dignity.
Not being a fan of pride holding me back I made arrangements with the bank. Called all the utilities and worked out payment arrangements. All this without a job!
Being in ecommerce years ago I got back online and started my info marketing business. With the bank accounts gone and no credit cards it was not an easy task but I did what it took to make it happen.
I am not an internet guru and don’t claim to be. But you can’t sit on your laurels you have to do what it takes to get to your goals.
When I fly the glider I can’t stay in the air for over three hours without learning where the rising air is and using it’s lifting power to keep me aloft.
It’s the same way with making an income.
Kenneth E. Barrow
Millionaire Video Coach
Hi Warren,
You were not too harsh, you were just being realistic. Some people need more hand-holding than others, and some just need to take the action they know they need to take.
I’m all for accountability partners and having a common mentor who can provide injections of wisdom and technical advice. You might also call this a mastermind group.
Having someone or a group of people to bounce ideas off of on a regular basis is a great benefit for most of us. The difficulty is finding one or more people who share your level of experience and knowledge but who can also complement one another. A great example of this is Ed Dale’s Thirty Day Challenge, which is one of the ways I got started with developing my internet marketing skills.
I’m fortunate in that I have found a couple people to work with in this way. Skype Rooms are a good way to facilitate communication between group members. Twitter may also prove to be a good resource as well.
Thanks for your post.
Too harsh? Not really. But there is a difference between a mentor and a coach. Coaches draw the best out the leader and focus on behavioral changes … the very kind that Joe clearly needs to make. Whether or not Joe is coachable is another matter, and of course you’ll know that by his response, or lack of one, after your note. But if he IS coachable, then he’ll begin to set specific and measureable goals and identify, with the encouragement of his coach, to achieve those goals. As he does, he’ll get off the pb&j.
But as you point out, great mentors (or coaches) don’t come cheap. But Joe’s investment in another course or book isn’t going to help him any … just knowing something doesn’t change our lives. It’s only what he’ll put into practice that will make a difference.
Bill Tenny-Brittian
Sr. Consultant
Easum, Bandy & Associates
Church Growth and Leadership
I don’t think it was too harsh, but I’m also not sure it was all that helpful. I kind of understand Joe, and I think one of his issues is the same thing I struggle with, that being who to listen to because there’s just so much out there, and one tries to weed through all of it only to find that most of it is the same, only with different people saying it.
Course, I’m not the mentor or coaching type, so I’d never ask for help that way, which may be one of those male pride things I have to deal with. Still, I’m lucky to make the bulk of my money offline, so that anything I may make online will be nice, fun money, not anything I’m dependent upon. But one day, that is kind of a dream, a long term dream when I feel as though I’m getting too old to travel like I am right now. When that day comes,… we’ll see.
I just discovered you yesterday and will be trying out your suggestions myself. I do have one question please: I know I have *writing talent* and certain knowledge–but how do I KNOW
what market to write a book for before I write the book?
I REALLY WANT to write a book–I just don’t know who to write it for (besides my amour and I)…and yes, it must make $.
Mentors, Lists, clear to me however,are terms used in your product and information action for something other than definition. I am not sure if crasping there definition is the key to the whole scheme of this. Website Building with promotion is this the basis for this? If so marketing a website is only successful if you have a product to flood the mass with a purchaseble product? One desired both by nature and finance. I would be interested in a more clear definition.And information
Thank You
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