Mentorship is an important element of any professional’s life, and especially so for salespeople. This is because it is through a good mentor that the sales person is able to see his/her potential career trajectory and pursue it both actively and relentlessly. In effect, having a mentor helps to effectively accelerate the salesperson’s career. In the process of sales recruitment, here are the top 4 ways in which mentors are highly beneficial:
1. Learning from Past Experience
Ideally, a sales mentor is a professional who has successfully worked in the sales industry for a prolonged period of time. This is because one of the main benefits of having a mentor is being able to learn from the experiences that they have had in the industry. On one hand, positive experiences enable the salesperson to apply similar strategies in order to obtain successful results. On the other hand, having information about the mentor’s negative experiences makes it possible for the salesperson to avoid the same pitfalls. All in all, both of these aspects help to hone the salesperson skills and expertise, putting him/her at the top of the ‘Most Wanted’ list for companies and headhunters during sales recruitment.
2. Source of Actionable Information
For salespeople, mentors are one of the most reliable sources of relevant and actionable information. While a sales mentor may not tell the sales candidate what to do or which offer to accept during the process of sales recruitment, they are in a unique position to objectively analyze different offers and provide the candidate with the pros and cons of each. Additionally, sales mentors are able to offer insight and guidelines on how to negotiate a great deal that is tailor-made for the sales candidate, once he or she has demonstrated that they are the best candidate for the sales position.
3. Networking and Contacts
Having a mentor puts you in their network, which in turn makes all of their connections available to you. This puts you in a position of great power during sales recruitment; and with great power comes great responsibility. The main responsibility here for the salesperson, is to utilize and optimize these connections without abusing them. For instance, when seeking help from any of the contacts within this extensive network, it is important to be very specific as to what your job placement needs are. This communicates that you are decisive and that you recognize the value of your connection’s time.
4. Recommendations
Mentors act as a recommendation, implied or otherwise. During sales recruitment, your mentor may recommend you to certain recruiters and headhunters, which essentially means that they are backing you up with their name and reputation. This demonstrates that they are confident in your skills, abilities and qualifications, which in turn helps to give the sales recruiter a positive impression of you; prompting them to give you a closer look.
In seeking out a sales mentor therefore, it is important to consider their reputation, as well as ensuring that they can be available for you. Availability is an essential aspect because mentorship is an ongoing journey requiring a strong professional relationship.