Sales—The Power of Mentoring

March/April 2006

If you stopped people on the street and asked them to define mentor, they’d probably say it means a wise and loyal adviser or, more casually, a teacher or coach. (Or they’d tell you to bug off and stop asking them questions.)

In Greek mythology, Mentor was the name of the loyal friend and adviser of Ulysses—the guy who went on the Odyssey—and teacher of his son, Telemachus. So the whole mentoring thing goes back a long way.

Then, as now, there are three approaches to mentoring: You can find a mentor who will help guide you through your life and/or career, you can become a mentor yourself, or you can do both. Though it might seem like you’d learn more from having a mentor than being one, I’ve found that mentoring relationships can greatly benefit both people involved.

Finding a Mentor

More often than not, mentors are simply people whom you admire and try to emulate in your career. How to choose a mentor all boils down to what’s important to you. Are you looking for someone who has reached a certain level of success, who has a degree of power you seek, who has a management style you admire or knowledge you value? Those are all ways to choose a mentor. 

My first mentor was the man I worked for as a secretary right out of high school. Ray was a general agent for 13 salespeople at a fraternal life insurance company. I liked his style of setting goals and assisting his reps in attaining them. He never took credit for his “assists,” and he shared his victories by obtaining a bonus for his performance and sharing it with his staff. He hired the company’s first black and first female sales representatives. He was an ex-Marine, and he was still giving me orders up to a month before he died. I followed his lead every time. Ray always had my best interests in mind, and it was a great feeling having him guide me through my sales career.

Mentors pop up in all corners of your life. You might have a mentor in raising a family, a spiritual mentor, even a mentor who teaches you how to lighten up—sort of a mentor of comedy. A mentor can help in any area of your life in which you’d like to improve. I once dated a guy who mentored me in what it takes to run my own business. Of course, he was history before my business ever got off the ground, and up until now, I never gave him credit for his help.

Being a Mentor

When it comes to being a mentor, you can’t just tell someone, “I want to be your mentor” or, worse, “I am your mentor.” (That’s as bad as asking questions of people on the street.) Mentoring is about respect. In fact, you might be someone’s mentor and not even know it. 

For example, I was surprised and flattered to be invited to the small wedding of a female coworker. In the receiving line, I introduced my husband and myself to the bride’s mother, who said, “I’m so glad to meet our daughter’s mentor.” I enjoyed working with this bright young woman, who had earned two MBAs by the age of 23. She often confided in me, and I’m glad I was able to help her. 

If you’re a helpful and knowledgeable manager, you’re probably a mentor. If you’re successful in your career and humble about your achievements, you’re probably a mentor. If anyone looks up to your good—and, unfortunately, even bad—behaviors, you’re a mentor. 

There are ways to establish more formal mentoring relationships, too. If you would like to volunteer your services, many business associations, high schools, and colleges offer mentoring programs that pair you with students or new professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in your field.

Five years ago, I signed up for a mentoring program at a local high school that paired me with a student interested in marketing. Because sales and marketing are always lumped together, so were Katie and I. We met a few times at events the high school sponsored. I could tell that Katie was different from the other students: She wore a suit to the planned business meetings, and her manners were impeccable. We didn’t have much of a chance to get to know each other, though, because the events didn’t give us much one-on-one time. But at the end of the year, the program organizers have the mentors take their student protégés to work with them. Katie and I spent an entire day together and really clicked. We weren’t necessarily alike, but we developed a respect for each other.

Katie is now a college junior, and we regularly keep in contact. She studied in Washington, D.C., last semester, and now she’s in Ireland. She’s a remarkable young woman and will go far.

The mentoring program at the high school recently asked me if I would take on another student, and I told them I still had the one they gave me several years ago. Isn’t that what mentoring is about? Katie and I plan to take the show on the road some day, going back to the school to share our successes. 

Reaping the Rewards

In my career, I’ve been fortunate to reap the benefits of being mentored and serving as a mentor. I still keep in touch with many of my mentors, and now I’m in a position to assist them from time to time. What were once mentoring relationships have turned into close and supportive friendships.

I’ve also tried to help others learn the different sides of mentoring. For instance, I direct a youth choir at my church. When younger children join the choir, I pair them with older children whom they call their mentors. 

 A couple of years later, these children become the mentors of the younger children.

We never know who might be looking for a mentor, so we should live our lives by setting positive examples and assisting others whenever and wherever we can. And if people have mentored you in the past, tell them. They will be flattered. 

—Judy Ferraro is president of Judy Ferraro & Associates, a sales development and training company based in the Chicago area. She has more than 30 years of professional sales experience, including more than 20 years in the scrap industry. As a hobby, Ferraro worked in Chicago’s improv and stand-up comedy circuit for several years. Her approach to sales training combines sales techniques with listening skills while making sure everyone has a few laughs during the process. She can be reached at 630/243-6860 or judy@judyferraro.com.

If you stopped people on the street and asked them to define mentor, they’d probably say it means a wise and loyal adviser or, more casually, a teacher or coach. (Or they’d tell you to bug off and stop asking them questions.)