How To Get A Sales Mentor And Advance Your Sales Career Path

Every day is a grind if you are in sales, and you will know it after only a month. Even if you don’t feel like working, you still have to show up and interact with prospects and leads who may rather not speak with you. You put in a lot of time trying to convert potential leads and acquiring new customers to advance your career in sales. Being an SDR (Sales Development Representative)is indeed challenging, but how can you prosper when facing adversity?

Introduction

Finding a mentor is one of the finest strategies to advance your sales career. Since a sales mentor has been in your shoes and has walked the path 5 times more than you have, they may be an excellent source of inspiration when you are feeling down.

Perhaps more crucially, a mentor can provide you with constructive criticism, sales advice, and other strategies to explore when your current approach isn’t working. They may be seen as an example of how to triumph over hardship, cope with challenging individuals and make difficult choices. A sales mentor is one that will tell you why sales automation is important or why tools like SmartReach increases your chances of booking more meetings

Below is everything you need to know about where to look for a sales mentor and how to get the most valuable experience out of your time with them. Let us dive into how you can advance your sales career with the assistance of a sales mentor.

It is first important to understand the difference between a sales coach and a sales mentor.

Imagine this,

You are driving late at night, and the only light on the road is your car headlights. You can see where you are headed because the headlight shows you the next 350 ft ahead at most. Sales coaches play a similar role by guiding you through your daily tasks at work and best practices for hitting your following targets.

On the other hand, a sales mentor will help you see the bigger picture not only about your present job but your career in sales in the long run. Your mentor will help you identify your potential as a salesperson, leverage your strengths and guide you with the skills you need to develop for this field.

While both a sales coach and a sales mentor are several steps ahead of you and have a tonne of knowledge, both roles are different, yet both will continue to play a significant part in your career.


The Importance of Finding a Good Sales Mentor

Finding a sales mentor will not be easy, but it is worthwhile. You will find many people who will be more than happy to become mentors in your sales profession. If you want a mentor, you may have to ask someone for mentorship since it may not fall into your lap.

Finding a sales mentor is simple; check up a level or two in your organization and locate someone crushing it in ways you can only dream of. Given that you have a common understanding of your objectives and may run into each other often at events like conferences, it’s to be expected.

Consider inquiring about a mentoring program within your organization. If you are still stuck, try the following tools:

  • The University you graduated from
  • Professional associations in sales
  • Groups on Linkedin or Facebook.

Leave no stone left unturned. In today’s world, being in close physical proximity isn’t necessary as long as you have access to online resources and a phone. To ease up this process, it might be beneficial to start small by asking for assistance with a specific problem; if that goes well, you can ask if they would mentor you formally.

In other cases, such as when a firm has a formal mentoring program or mandates mentorship for upper-level management, you may feel more at ease asking for a mentor immediately. If you are approaching a stranger with the request for sales mentorship, you may use soft approach techniques to have a better chance at landing the mentorship.




Ways to Get in Touch with a Possible Mentor


Think About High Achievers Already on the Staff 

To achieve your desired result, you should first survey your entire company to identify the individuals who best embody the traits, performance, and position you wish to achieve. When you have decided on one or two potential mentors, contact them immediately.


Try Searching Outside your Company 

Many established sales leaders would happily share some time with ambitious newcomers (budding SDRs). You may find many influential people in many professions on LinkedIn and similar platforms, which might be what you are looking for in a mentor.

Many influential people work in fields like SDR/BDR, field sales, and sales management. Participate in specific organizations and pay attention to the people who make contributions. Examine what they say. They might be a suitable target if they consistently produce helpful capabilities.


Create the Groundwork for a Discussion by Having a Preliminary Chat 

When approaching a person or group, be clear about what you want. More access will be given to you inside than to an outsider. Have a meeting with your mentor once a month, and keep discussions to no more than 30 minutes. Getting to know the other person at the beginning of a mentor relationship is essential.

Be prepared before you get on the call. We recommend coming up with a list of questions to ask your future mentor. Use the questions below to give you a head start.

  • Why did you choose a career path in sales?
  • What are the three core values you commit to?
  • What were the obstacles you faced when you started your journey into sales and how did you overcome them?
  • What about your job do you love the most?

We understand it is uncomfortable to approach someone and ask them to mentor you. You may think, ‘Who am I to even approach XYZ? I wouldn’t want to waste their time.’ or ‘What if my questions are silly?’. Don’t be intimidated by your mentor. Once upon a time, they were in your shoes – this makes them the best person to help you get through this. 

If this makes it any easier for you, some top leaders wouldn’t be where they are today without a mentor. Warren Buffet had Benjamin Graham, Napoleon Hill had Andrew Carnegie, and Russell Brunson has Dan Kennedy.


How You Can Make the Most of Your Sales Mentor

How You Can Make the Most of Your Sales Mentor

Since you know how to contact a sales mentor, it is crucial to understand how to make the most of your time with them to advance your sales career. Your sales mentor is not there to offer you positive reinforcement and a prize for showing up. To maximize your growth under a mentor, you must also be prepared for some rough times.


Have a Learning Attitude

Initially, you should seek their guidance. Remember to have a learning attitude and focus on building a solid foundation for your partnership. After that, you should provide them with an update to your mentor about how their recommendations/suggestions worked out. How did you apply it? In what ways did this serve you? Where did you run into trouble?

Don’t miss out on this chance to express your appreciation to them. Asking for someone’s expertise and showing gratitude is the best way to get their help.


Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Be open-minded, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes in front of your mentor. Show them how things work for you with the downfalls and ups. 

As a result, they may provide you with quite frank and open criticism. Pay close attention while your sales mentor gives you this feedback. Consider any feedback a precious gift and appreciate that they care enough to prioritize your achievement.




Take your Work Seriously and Give it Your All

Remember that the only thing standing between you and your sales career goals is the information and expertise you lack. You will succeed if you put in the effort and seek a mentor to guide you. In a numbers-driven field like sales, it’s easy to see whether your efforts have paid off. By taking the assistance of a sales mentor, you may continue the cycle of personal growth and development.


Conclusion

It takes time and effort to find a good sales mentor. To succeed in the company or your sales career, finding a mentor who has been there and done that might be helpful. 

Hopefully, the above information has provided valuable insight on how to find yourself a mentor and level up your sales career through their guidance and knowledge.


About SmartReach

SmartReach is a sales automation software designed for sales teams that are looking to increase revenue, productivity and team collaborations. It has state-of-the-art software built for prospecting on Linkedin, cold outreach via email and multiple other channels like Linkedin WhatsApp, etc. Also provides a Shared Inbox for teams to collaborate and close deals faster.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What defines a good sales mentor?

An excellent sales mentor has been where you are now and is aware of the obstacles you will face during your sales career. They are knowledgeable, kind, and patient. They may have benefited from a mentor in their younger years and now wish to “pay it forward” by offering guidance to someone in a similar position. For the sales mentor, mentoring is a means to give back to the community after achieving professional success.

To locate a mentor, you must demonstrate that you are dedicated, curious, interested, driven, and a quick study. No one wants to be wasting their time with a mentee who isn’t committed to the relationship or who has the skills necessary to be successful. Find someone whose opinion you value, whose advice you will implement, and with whom you can build a meaningful, supportive working relationship; this person might be a trusted colleague, senior, successful SDR, or more experienced friend.

2. What are some tips for finding a sales mentor?

Here are some tips which you should keep in mind when looking for a Sales mentor to help you find a better match for your sales profession:

  • By writing out your objectives, you have an idea of where you want to be in your sales career.
  • Ideally, your sales mentor will be someone you already know, such as a trusted colleague, senior, or successful SDR. Finding a stranger willing to be your mentor is difficult (though not impossible), but finding someone with whom you currently engage and have a great connection is considerably more straightforward.
  • Help others and share good vibes online. Encourage those you like and admire by liking and sharing their posts and commenting positively. You can direct potential customers or clients their way and give your insights, knowledge, and connections to help move things forward.

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