Finding a Mentor: How to Choose the Right Mentor to Help You Achieve Soaring Success

A mentor can mean the difference between muddling along and achieving soaring success. That's if you find the right mentor. In fact, it seems that most successful people have had mentors or still have them, and many of them have several.

So there is no question that having a mentor can be extremely valuable. But in the internet marketing or the business world, they're not cheap unless you are lucky enough to be taken under the wings by someone at work.

And there seems to be no shortage of people eager to mentor you - for a price. In fact, in the world of sales funnels, mentorship programs are the ultimate high-end product. It's almost a required part of the product line-up, and sometimes it seems that everybody and their cousin is running a mentorship program these days. So the big question is this: How do you find the mentor who is right for YOU?

Here are seven key questions you should ask that will help you select a mentor who you will enjoy working with and who will help you achieve your goals:

1. What is it that the mentor offers to help you achieve? Does that match your goals?

2. Is the mentor in a position to actually help you with that? Does he or she have the know-how, the experience, the personal success record, and the contacts to really help you?

3. What exactly is actually offered in the mentorship program in terms of goods and/or services?

Teleconferences? How often? Will they be recorded? Personal phone conferences? Personal email support? Will the person look at your stuff? Or will all that be done by one of your mentor's "associates," if it is even available?

Whatever the answers to the above, will that work for you or would you like more (or less) contact and accountability?

4. What about references? Testimonials? Do you know people who have worked with them? How are they doing now? What is the feedback?

5. What is the price/benefit ratio? If price is an issue for you, do you see this mentorship pay for itself within a reasonable period of time? Feel free to include that point in your list of email questions (see next point).

6. If you really want to know what your future mentor candidates are like, look over their advertising materials and think of a few questions that would help you decide whether or not this might be a good fit. Send an email. Will you receive a prompt and thoughtful response? Or just more promotional materials? Or even a pushy sales pitch?

7. Do you like your potential mentor? Do you enjoy listening to his or her teleconferences? You will be listening to a lot of them over the next year. Is the person a good fit personality-wise? What this means is do you feel comfortable with them? Are they supportive or patronizing? Friendly or abrasive? Will that work for you?

If the answer is no or if this is a moot point because there will be no or minimal actual contact, run, don't walk, to find someone else.

If the answer is yes, and the answers to the other questions also pan out, you have found the mentor of your dreams. Sign up with confidence and enjoy your journey to soaring success.