Finding a Coach
to Help You Succeed
Subject: Sales Coaching,
Success, Zig Ziglar, Mentoring
By Victor Antonio
Success can be difficult. It can
also be painful and scary if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Many years since having graduated from
college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and an MBA,
I’ve come to the conclusion that institutions of higher learning are
great at teaching students ‘ABOUT’ money, but they get an “F” when it
comes to teaching students ‘HOW’ to make money. For instance,
student graduating from a college or university can probably recite from
memory the following about money without missing a beat:
-
R.O.I. is the Return On
Investment that is calculated by in terms of percentage to see how
much one receives in return for an investment.
-
Profit is calculated by taking
the difference between total revenue and total cost.
-
Diminishing Marginal Returns is
the point at which producing a product will begin to cost you more
than you are making on the product.
-
Breakeven Point is the magic
revenue point at which you have recovered your total cost of the
investment.
 Take these same students and tell
them to go out into the real world and make a living for themselves and you'll
inevitable find that they are ill equipped or unprepared to ‘KNOW’ how
to go about it.
Knowing how to make a living is far
different from understanding how money works. This is the
most important and pivotal lesson I’ve learned since deciding one day to
the leave the comfortable confines of corporate America and go it alone
(i.e., become an entrepreneur).
Many years after having made that fateful
decision, I now have a deep sense of admiration and respect for
entrepreneur who risk it all with no guarantee of success.
Now I don’t suggest anyone just go ‘cold
turkey’ by simply quitting their job and 'going for it' like I did.
That route is littered with risk and uncertainty that only those with
the toughest of stomachs and deepest of pockets can handle.
Instead, let me suggest the following
strategy for getting off track and getting back on track with what you
really what to do. I’ve found that the best way to mitigate risk
is to find mentors who are willing to help you. The
difficulties with this approach are that:
1) Few are willing to help. Not so much because they’re mean spirited, but
more so because they’re too busy themselves building their careers and
can't stop and help the hordes of people who are constantly asking for
their help.
2) If you do find a mentor that is willing to
take the time to help, you will most likely have to pay a hefty price
for that attention. This is often called ‘coaching’ and can get quite
expensive very quickly. We’re talking thousands of dollars for their
time. If you have the means to pay for their information and time, good
for you; go for it. Having a mentor there to point out the pitfalls of
any business is a good business decision with a good chance of a R.O.I.
in the long run.
(Note: I’ll explore the pros and cons of
hiring a coach in a forthcoming article)
But what if you can’t afford a coach, a
mentor, who can show you left from right and right from wrong? Well,
let me share with you one of my closely guarded secrets on a strategy
for success without going broke! Ready? Find a virtual mentor! What’s
a virtual mentor?
Victor’s
Definition: A virtual mentor is a successful
person doing what you would like to be doing who is helping you
become successful without them being aware of it and you having to
pay them.
 For example, Zig
Ziglar the great sales motivator and trainer is one of my virtual
mentors. I can’t afford to pay Zig $35,000 an hour for his time which
is what he currently books at for a speaking event. Zig is so famous
that I’m sure he wouldn’t have enough time to sit down with me and
layout a master plan for my success. Not because he doesn’t care, but
because it wouldn't be feasible given the demands put on him by his
adoring public and the business he runs, Zig Ziglar International.
Nonetheless, I don’t let the above facts
stop me from adopting him as my ‘virtual mentor’. Whether Zig knows it
or not, whether he likes it or not, he is my ‘virtual mentor’.
7 Keys to Adopting the Right Virtual
Mentor
1) Find a successful mentor who is doing
what you would love to do
2) Make sure the mentor has the same
values you have
3) Buy (or consume) all of their
products
4) Study their website and literature
5) Understand their business model by
studying all their marketing material
6) If you can go see the person live, do
so. Study how they conduct their seminars and events; understand the
business
7) Study what products or services they
are offering to generate revenue
They say that imitation is the highest
form of flattery. I’d like to add a caveat to that statement; never
imitate people, only their successful business practices. I will never
be a Zig Ziglar because there is only one Zig. The best I can hope for
is to learn as much as I can from my virtual mentor Zig and then take
what I’ve learned and become Victor Antonio.
If you find a virtual mentor, consider
yourself fortunate that someone else is lighting the way towards your
success. Mentors not only show us the way, they also demonstrate that
it IS possible to be successful doing what we love to do. Learn from
them so that one day you’ll be in their position. They’ve already
charted the course so all we need to do is take action. Study, Study,
and then Study them some more!
Victor Antonio
p.s., If you don’t have a virtual
mentor, I suggest you start looking for one ASAP. They’ll save you both
time, money,…and some of your sanity!
Please share this article with a friend who may need a word of inspiration.
Copyright © 2006 by Victor Antonio All rights reserved. This article MAY
be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, as long as the author’s name, website and email
address are included as part of the article’s body. All inquiries,
including information on electronic licensing, should be directed to Victor Antonio.
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