3 Benefits of Having a Marketing Mentor
ByAs a solo professional, one of the best things I’ve done is to get a marketing mentor. Each week I check in with her to report on my efforts. Here are the top 3 benefits of having a mentor:
1. Accountability. Before I had a mentor, it was so easy to put off marketing tasks. I thought of them as chores – something to be avoided if possible. Even if I marked off time on my calendar to do it, without accountability it was so easy to let it slide and fluff it off. With a mentor, I know that if I report no effort for the week, I’ll hear that pregnant pause before the question comes, “Tell me exactly how taking no action will bring you clients?” Plus, I’d feel like it was a waste of money.
Like an alcoholic the day after a bender, I promised to take action while resisting the structure, like AA meetings, needed for support. So there it is. I need to pay someone to nag me – or to offer the possibility of being nagged. Add in a dose of possible shame and I seem to be totally motivated. With that motivation, I can accomplish my marketing plan and stay on track because I’m aware of having to account to my mentor.
2. Not Reinventing the Wheel. By having a mentor, I don’t have to chase after every fad marketing idea. She’s been around and knows what works. Plus, she knows so many shortcuts! I can take advantage of all that she’s learned and refined through the years.
My mentor has built a successful online business that I would like to model mine after. She’s been through all this before – including the idea that some proven marketing methods are out-of-date. And she can reframe my whining from “I don’t want to hype up a fake deadline for registering” to “I have a registration deadline because I want you to take action and be committed.” It’s that power to push me forward just a bit that makes having a mentor so worthwhile.
3. A Third Eye. And a fourth too 
Having someone outside your business provides a broader perspective on what you are doing and how you are doing it. It’s always easier for someone else to see the underlying problems from the outside, isn’t it? Having a mentor can give you this outsider’s perspective in a supportive manner.
It’s this third eye perspective combined with her marketing experience that provides the real juice. With it, she can hone in and focus on things even before they become issues. That’s provided another benefit – having less stress about marketing and online technology.
If you are interested in having a marketing mentor, you can start painlessly by joining my Inner Circle members monthly teleseminar program. I promise not to nag, just to keep marketing on your mind. Each month I’ll share more DIY marketing tips and strategies with you on the Third Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm (ET). Plus, you’ll get get access to a special “Members Only” resource area on this site when you become a member. Click on the tab above to learn more about my Inner Circle.
