How to Get Help From an Experienced Mentor

Post Written by Rob Minton
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Last week I was working away at my home office when a fax came through from my assistant. All incoming faxes go to the office first and she sorts out the faxes that need to get to me directly. Here is the fax I received that passed the sorting test by my assistant…

(Click on the image to enlarge)

This fax came from Andrei Crudu from Romania. It is awesome for several reasons. Here are the reasons why this fax is so good:

 1. It is a fax, not an email. A significant number of emails do not get delivered. 100% of faxes get delivered. If you want to get to someone, send a fax – not an email!

2. It got passed my gate keeper.

3. It is really a form letter. Note the top where he wrote my name by hand. This means he probably sent this same fax to dozens of other entrepreneurs. I'll bet many of them will respond with answers to his questions. He could have taken the time to type my name at the top, but his fax still worked and got my attention.

4. In the first paragraph, he bonds with me by explaining he is just getting started. I can certainly understand his situation, because I was once in his shoes. He includes details about my work which shows that he has paid his dues at the library and he asks me to help him so that he can help others in the future.

5. He realizes that I have had mentors in my life and these mentors have helped me enormously. He uses this to his advantage by asking me to help him simply by answering a few questions. He didn't ask for a phone call. He didn't ask for a meeting.

6. At the bottom in the "P.S.", he offers to give something back to me by expanding overseas.

Well guess what?

His faxed worked because I'm going to answer his questions. I figured that his fax might be helpful to others who need help from experienced mentors. You might want to copy his idea and send a similar fax to people you would like to be mentored by. Here are his questions along with my answers:

What are the business lessons that changed your business and increased your profits through the roof?

A few of the general business lessons I've learned, in no particular order, are as follows…

• To niche your business around a segment of the market and then dominate the segment.
• To focus 100% on generating and converting leads for your business. Too many people get distracted from this within their businesses.The only shiny object you should chase are new leads for your business.
• Surround yourself with great people. Great people do not come from "help wanted" advertisements. They are found working somewhere else and must be recruited to join your team. If they are looking for work, you instantly know they were replaceable in their previous position(s). 
• Work your ass off to create systems that consistently convert prospects into clients or customers. Once the first lead conversion system is working, begin work on a second conversion system. Build lead conversion back up plans throughout your business. If you can't consistently convert leads, you don't have a business. You're simply a sales person.
• Focus on creating recurring income to increase the value of your business.
• Make testing a critical aspect of your business. Constantly test new advertisements, new sales letters, new lead conversion ideas. Track and compare results of each test. Over time you'll generate more clients for less money.
• DO NOT INCREASE YOUR LIVING EXPENSES AS YOUR BUSINESS SUCCEEDS. Live below your means. Save as much money as you possibly can because things can change very quickly. Live in a small, lower priced home. Buy used cars and drive them forever.
• Do your best to keep your overhead low.
• Learn to delegate so that you can stay focused on lead generation and lead conversion.
• Use compelling sales letters to automatically deliver sales presentations to each prospect.
• Don't be afraid to invest into a good mentor.
• Participate in mastermind groups of like minded individuals.
• Work hard to eliminate dependency in your life and in your business.

What are the books that inspired you and gave you the biggest boost in your life?

To be honest, I learn something from every book. The trick is taking the time to ask yourself the following question when reading:

"How can I use this idea in my business?"

This one question allows you to turn every book you read into money.

Looking back, I've gone through stages in my reading. I tend to concentrate my reading around one topic and read everything I can get my hands on until I completely master the topic. In the late 1990s I focused entirely on investing and building wealth. I read everything I could get my hands on and implemented what I learned. I tried every investing strategy I read about. I made a ton of mistakes and learned a great deal. I'm a better investor today because of these mistakes. I now know which investments work for me and which ones don't. I can now concentrate my time, energy and $$$ into the highest yielding investments. For example, the single best investment I can make right now is buying more clients for my business.

From 2000 to 2004, I focused on leadership. I read every book I could on how to become a better leader. This was because I started my own real estate brokerage in 2000 and needed to learn how to motivate people. I listened to John Maxwell, I attended seminars and I implemented what I learned. Slowly but surely I learned how to lead people. Many entrepreneurs don't take the time to study leadership. I think this is a critical mistake.

In 2004, I began reading books on marketing. I read and devoured everything Dan Kennedy wrote. I also purchased, studied and read everything Dan recommended. I have books on marketing from every top marketer throughout history. I attended seminars. I networked with other marketers. Most importantly, I applied what I learned to my business.

In 2006, I began reading books on how to sell your business. I didn't read just one book, I read many books. I then used what I learned to sell my real estate business.

Now I'm focusing on books about the economy, the value of the dollar, inflation, and government spending. How will all of this impact us going forward? What can I do to protect myself from loss and profit from the various opportunities available?

The goal when reading shouldn't be to read what sounds interesting or fun. The goal should be to select a topic that will have the biggest impact on your business/life and then focus entirely on this topic until you've mastered it. Then you repeat this process with a new topic. For example, don't read a book on investing today and a book on marketing tomorrow and then a book on selling your business next week. There is no focus in this process. You'll get distracted and won't make any major improvements in your life or business. Focus your reading around your biggest challenges.

As you read multiple books around the same topic, you'll be able to see trends or commonalities. Pay attention to these commonalities. They are shortcuts to your success. Don't make the mistake of saying, "I already know that…" Instead say, "Ok, I've now seen this idea or strategy 8 times in the last 10 books. I must focus on this because it is a common theme running through every book." For example, you might read biographies of the richest people throughout history. Look for commonalities from person to person. Leverage these commonalities by copying or applying them in your life.

Andrei even though I don't know you and haven't talked with you, I can easily see that you will be successful in life. This is evident simply from the fax I received from you.  I wish you the best and I hope that my comments will prove helpful for you!

Rob Minton