Sometimes, your message to a potential mentor goes unanswered. It may leave you feeling disappointed because that person appeared to be a good match; but you give up and chalk it up to that person being too busy to respond. But, when it comes to building mentoring relationships, it takes more than just a quick message to get things started. The following tips will get your mentoring meeting requests noticed and increase your likelihood of getting a response.
Asking someone to be your mentor is like asking someone to marry you. It can be an intimidating question and can feel like a big commitment. Instead, ask them if they would like to grab a quick cup of coffee or have a short 15-minute phone conversation.
When you are browsing their MentorCity or social media profile, you may find that you admire some of their initiatives and projects. Let them know these things. It shows that you have done your homework and that you have selected them because of their unique achievements.
Give them a sense of your goals and why you feel that a meeting with them will help you achieve them. Potential mentors will feel valued knowing that their skills and experiences will be helpful to someone else.
If you don’t hear back from them, it’s ok to follow-up with them a few times. This kind of perseverance will impress them and leave a positive impression about how driven, dedicated and committed you are.
When your invitation is done right, the potential mentor will feel honoured that you reached out to them and they will be just as excited about the meeting as you are.
© 2014 by Shawn Mintz. Shawn Mintz, the Founder and President of MentorCity, an online mentoring program, has spent over a decade in the career and employment services sector. Realizing the importance of mentoring, Shawn has been driven to develop award winning mentoring solutions that have helped thousands of people to achieve greater success, personally and professionally. In recognition of his efforts, Shawn has received George Brown College’s Career and Work Counsellor Crystal Award for Innovation and been profiled in Canadian Newcomer Magazine as a Canadian who has demonstrated commitment to helping new Canadians succeed. He has also published an eBook called MentorCity: How a few minutes with the right person can change your life. For further information, please visit www.MentorCity.com
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