We all need Mentors! Whether you are just starting out in life or have achieved awesome success, I believe everyone needs that human connection and guidance in their personal and professional lives.  We all have times that we feel stuck in certain areas and need guidance on what the best path is to take.  I totally believe that as individuals we need to do the work, but we must have the best mentors to get the best guidance, so we are not spinning our wheels and wasting time.

With that said, before hiring any mentor, you want to make sure that you do your research! I am sure you have had a time in your life that you have wasted money on a service that didn’t meet up to the expectations you hoped it would have. When you do your due diligence; you are being your own investigator to ensure the person you are considering to spend hard earned money on is the right fit for you.

[bctt tweet=”Before hiring anyone, do your due diligence and ask the hard questions! -Cynthia Bazin ” username=”thesmartchic”]

So here are 4 things I encourage you to research before hiring on a mentor or other expert:

4 Things To Research Before Hiring a Mentor 

  1. Experience –  Prior to hiring a mentor, make sure he or she has the experience that is important to you.  I am all about people having a great education, but personally I would want to have someone that has significant life experience in the area that I am needing help with. Wouldn’t you? So for example, if you want to be a paid speaker, you would want to verify that the person you might be mentored by has the experience of paid speaking engagements. I encourage you to not be afraid of asking the mentor questions to verify information you are wondering about. Ask for testimonials and don’t be afraid to ask to talk with people that have worked with the mentor you are considering to hire. Remember that the money you might spend is hard earned money, so you want to make sure you would be getting what you pay for.
  2. Do They Offer What You Need – Have you ever had a time in your life that you paid for a service that quite honestly was not exactly what you were looking for; meaning that perhaps you spent more than you had originally wanted because the offer was too good to turn down with the amount of bonuses (extra material) they offered? But in keeping real, once you received the information, it was either too overwhelming or you simply didn’t use the information provided to you. Let’s be honest. It is sometimes really easy to get caught up in the emotions of an offer. Also, sometimes certain professionals have limited services that might not fit into exactly what you need.  The next time you are offered something, be sure to take a step back and just make sure that the mentor has services you really need.
  3. Availability To Have Access To Them –  Prior to hiring a mentor, you may want to look into what the availability is going to be with them. So, researching how long it takes to get an appointment with them and what access, if any would you have with him or her in-between sessions if there was an emergency. You just want to make sure you are well aware of how much live time you will have with them going forward. Again, this is your money, so you want to make sure you are spending it wisely and getting the services you want and deserve.
  4. Your Comfort Level With Them – Prior to committing to a long term mentoring relationship, I encourage you to make sure you get along with the potential mentor. So for practical purposes, try your best to book one session initially to make sure the energy is right. You want to avoid a scenario which you pay for long-term mentoring and in the short-term find out that you don’t like the energy of that mentor. Be smart and just commit to short-term first. You can always extend!

[bctt tweet=”Everyone needs to have a mentor! The right one is out there for you! -Cynthia Bazin ” username=”thesmartchic”]

I would love to hear from you! Have you ever had an experience in which you didn’t get the services that you anticipated you would have received? Based on my 4 things above that I encourage you to research prior to hiring on a mentor or other expert, which ones resonate most with you?  I appreciate you taking the time to comment and share with someone that might need this information right now!

 

Cynthia is a keynote speaker and laser focused mentor that helps men and women in personal development, business branding and strategy. If you are ready to invest in yourself and are looking for a mentor, please reach out to her! She will inspire you and provide laser focused strategies for you to reach your greatest happiness and success!