What do you do if you're an outside sales professional seeking industry mentors?

1 Identify your goals and needs

Before you start looking for a mentor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and improve in your outside sales career. Do you need guidance on specific skills, such as prospecting, closing, or presentation? Do you want to learn more about your industry, market, or competitors? Do you need support with your motivation, mindset, or work-life balance? Having specific and realistic goals and needs will help you narrow down your search and communicate your expectations to potential mentors.

2 Research and reach out to potential mentors

Once you have your goals and needs in mind, you can start researching and reaching out to potential mentors in your industry. You can use various sources to find mentors, such as your company's internal network, your existing contacts, industry associations, online platforms, or social media. When you reach out to someone, be respectful, professional, and concise. Explain who you are, why you're interested in their mentorship, and what you hope to gain from it. Don't be discouraged if you get rejected or ignored; keep trying until you find someone who is willing and able to mentor you.

3 Establish a rapport and trust

After you find a potential mentor, you need to establish a rapport and trust with them. This means being respectful, honest, and appreciative of their time and expertise. You also need to show genuine interest in their background, achievements, and challenges. Ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and give feedback. You can also share your own stories, challenges, and successes to create a connection. Remember, mentorship is a two-way street; you need to give as well as receive.

4 Set expectations and boundaries

Another important step in building a successful mentor-mentee relationship is to set expectations and boundaries. This means agreeing on the frequency, duration, and mode of communication, the topics and goals of each session, the feedback and follow-up process, and the confidentiality and privacy of the information shared. You also need to respect each other's time, availability, and preferences. Setting expectations and boundaries will help you avoid misunderstandings, frustrations, and conflicts in the future.

5 Be proactive and accountable

As a mentee, you need to be proactive and accountable for your own learning and growth. This means preparing for each session, completing any assignments or tasks, implementing the advice and feedback, and tracking your progress and results. You also need to communicate regularly with your mentor, update them on your achievements and challenges, and ask for their input and support. Don't rely on your mentor to solve all your problems or spoon-feed you all the answers; take ownership of your own development.

6 Show gratitude and appreciation

Finally, don't forget to show gratitude and appreciation to your mentor for their time, effort, and wisdom. You can do this by expressing your thanks verbally, in writing, or with a small gift. You can also show your appreciation by applying what you learned, achieving your goals, and sharing your success stories. You can also offer to help your mentor in any way you can, such as introducing them to new contacts, giving them feedback, or endorsing them. Showing gratitude and appreciation will strengthen your relationship and make your mentor feel valued and rewarded.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?