Page 97 - The Bootstrapper Bible

ChangeThis To find a mentor, you need to take some initiative. Finding the right person in the right in- dustry at the right stage of her career takes some homework. Lester Wunderman, the father of direct marketing and the most influential person in his industry, has been a tremendous teacher for me. So has Jay Levinson, the original guerrilla marketer, along with several other less famous but no less influential mentors Iʼve found. If you feel as though youʼre alone out there, go get some help. Not everyone will say yes (most of us are way too busy to mentor everyone weʼd like to). But if you can find the right people, odds are some of them will be happy to assist you. I recommend two steps in acquiring a mentor: 1. PICK THE RIGHT PERSON. Famous people arenʼt always your best bet. Theyʼre busy, theyʼre in demand, and they may be hard to reach. And, believe it or not, theyʼre not always the smartest people in town. The mentor you choose should be convenient (a mentor 5,000 miles away isnʼt going to help you much unless e-mail is the interaction mode of choice). And he should have life experi- ence and a network of connections that really help your business. Picking a willing mentor isnʼt nearly as important as picking an effective one. 2. MAKE IT EASY FOR THE MENTOR TO SAY YES AND EASY TO SAY NO. Youʼre asking for a favor here. A big one. For that reason, you canʼt feel defeated if the men- tor doesnʼt have the time or the interest to help you. If that happens, overcome your natural bootstrapper desire to persist, and graciously move on. | iss. 6.01 | i | U | X | + | What are the most talked about manifestos? FIND out here. h 97/103 f