THE TRICK TO FINDING A MENTOR IS TO NOT NEED ONE!

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR APPRAISER TRAINEES!

Unlike many other businesses, the appraisal business still follows the mentorship model, so it requires any new entrants to find a willing mentor to take them under their wing, so to speak, to teach them the ways of the business, as well as the technical aspects of appraising real estate. That’s not to say that Realtors, loan originators, or the variety of other related industries don’t need some kind of mentorship to be successful, its just that finding a mentor in those industries is not the bottleneck to entry. The real estate sales side will take anybody with a heartbeat, as we know. The lending side is a bit trickier, especially as regulations and licensing have expanded, but both of those are sales jobs that just require somebody in the chain to have some technical knowledge. Anytime you’re entering into a sales role, the barriers to entry tend to be very low and, especially in real estate sales, the requirements to remain in the industry are extremely low. The average real estate agent in the United States made $10,000 and sold 3 homes. The median income is around $41,000 for agents who’ve been in the business more than 2 years and actually aspire to make it a career, but that’s the median, or the middle of the pack. You can get into real estate as a salesperson and pop off a few sales per year and still keep your cubicle. Lots of things are optional in that field and I know because I was in it for several years, and because we coach agents. We love the good agents we work with; I’m just making the point that its an easy business to get into and stay in with very low production. 

The appraisal business, on the other hand, has a bit of a bottleneck in the process, which is the mentorship model. The mentorship model says that you’ve got to find a crotchety old guy whose been beat up, is more than a tad jaded, hates the sunlight, and doesn’t like people if you want a chance to enter the appraisal business. Well, it doesn’t actually say that, but, if you’re a new entrant to the industry, you’re not exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to potential mentors willing to take you on as an apprentice and show you the business and the technical side of appraising. In fact, it seems the most active discussions in that growing community of people surrounds that very topic, “how the heck do I find a mentor?!” So, I figured I’d share my Input again on the topic, not just to share some ideas for finding a mentor, but also maybe to offer a little bit of hope, inspiration, and creativity to those of you who are struggling to break into the appraisal field. This is a great business with lots of opportunity for the right people and the future is very bright, in my opinion, for those with the right outlook and vision. So, with that said, lets get into some of tips and suggestions for appraiser trainees. Before, we jump into these tips, however, I should point out that I have done a couple episodes already for trainees so seek those out at some point and listen to those as well. I’ll undoubtedly repeat some tips and advice in this episode that was shared in those, but I’m adding some updated and expanded advice in this episode. I should also point out that the advice I share in this episode could easily apply to almost every industry out there. These are more tips on how to be the absolute pro in your field, customized a bit for appraisers. 

So, here we go, the first suggestion for trainees is to study your target market. Now, I know, this one sounds like a no brainer. However, I’m not talking about your geographic market that you’ll likely be working in, I’m talking about the market of potential mentors and business owners you’re trying to impress your way into an apprenticeship. Your target market is the market of certified appraisers who have the ability to sign your log to the state on your way to becoming fully licensed yourself. Now, before the pitchforks from all the veterans in the industry come out, I’m not saying that’s the only requirement a trainee should be looking for, or that the ability to sign an experience log is the only requirement for teaching and training, just that its relatively easy to gather a list of licensed appraisers in your area who have the legal ability to do what you like to have done. That’s not to suggest that all of them have the ability to teach, coach, train, and mentor you, or that you’d even want to work with many of them. Just that you’ll be wasting your time talking to anybody who doesn’t have the ability to legally take on a trainee. You’ve got to study your target market of potential mentors first, and then dig deep into what their pain points are. What do I mean by pain points? Pain points are all the reasons they might give you for not wanting to or being able to take you on as a trainee. It’s been said many times before but deserves to be said early on in this discussion, opening your conversation with, “I’m trying to find somebody so I can get my hours”, is the absolute wrong way to go about your search. If all you want is hours, you’re very unlikely to find somebody willing to take you under their wing because that line alone speaks to one of the greatest pain points, and fears, of most potential mentors: the fear that they’ll pour their experience and knowledge into a trainee only to have that person take off as soon as they reach their minimum number of experience hours and become a competitor. It’s a very real fear with statistics to support it. In fact, every one of the listeners can relate because almost everyone listening, if they are an independent appraiser, had a mentor that they left at some point. Maybe it wasn’t as soon as they could, maybe it was mutual, maybe their mentor passed away, but whatever the circumstances, we all had a mentor that we no longer have. So, one of the biggest pain points for a potential mentor is that their time will not only be wasted, but it will also be used against them in the market as soon as the trainee can leave.

The reason I’m sharing these pain points with you is because you must know all of these pain points if you’re going to be able to speak to them early on in a conversation with a potential mentor. In fact, knowing these pain points and speaking to them may be your only shot at even getting a 5- or 10-minute conversation, heck, even getting a call back, from one of them. If I was going to be coaching and teaching you on the sales side of things, I’d say the same thing: know the pain points of your target market so that you can address them early on in a discussion. Bring the pain points up, address them honestly, and you have a much better chance of opening a closed mind. Fear of wasted time and new competition is probably the biggest pain point and complaint of potential mentors. As a potential partner, how are you going to put this individual at ease on this issue? If you haven’t thought about it yet, I highly suggest you do! It’s going to come up. Again, it may be the very thing you leave on your voicemail message when you’re calling around to try to find a mentor. You may have to say, ‘listen, I know that one of your biggest fears is training somebody and then having them leave you, but I want to assure you that, if you’ll just give me 5 minutes of your time, I’ll share with you that’s not my plan. I’m looking to contribute physically, mentally, and financially long into the future to whomever is willing to even talk with me about this opportunity.” Now, if saying something like that sounds like too much for you, it doesn’t mean there’s no hope for you, it just means your chances dropped by 47%. We’re talking about increasing your odds of success and one thing won’t guarantee you 100% success, but 10 things might increase your odds by 10% each. Just as I can’t teach you one thing that will guarantee you can sell to 20 people; I can teach you 20 things that might help you sell one person with each. Knowing every one of these pain points doesn’t guarantee a single thing for you, but it greatly increases your odds that you’ll at least get a meeting with somebody. And, by the way, that’s all you’re going for! So many of you are out there trying to find a mentor when what you should really be trying to find is a conversation. I’m going to be talking about a creative idea for this later in the show, but for now just know that you’re likely going about it all wrong. Stop trying to find a mentor, instead just start trying to have conversations that may lead to further conversations. 

The way most of you are going about it is equivalent to meeting a girl for the first time at the bar and asking her if she’d like to go back to your apartment for sex. The odds are not in your favor because the request is a massive request that most reasonable people simply aren’t willing to accept. Not to mention that the person who would answer yes to that question is probably not your best choice for a partnership. You haven’t introduced yourself, gotten to know each other, broken down barriers, found common mutual interests, created desire, or any of the other vital steps toward having some kind of relationship. Stop asking for sex at the first meeting folks! Ask if its ok to sit next to them first. Strike up a conversation and then make it about them. Don’t be creepy or pushy, and don’t ask for anything. If the conversation goes well for an extended period of time, maybe you suggest having another conversation at another time. That’s it! Your odds go way up that good things will happen and the relationship will be mutually beneficial. Coming out of the gate with, “I’m looking for a mentor!!” is a huge turn off, stop doing it. Spend a little more time researching the pain points and potential barriers you’ll have to overcome just to have a conversation. I’ll give you a few more pain points for many that might make good mentors. Be sure to write them down because the next step in the process is to come up with answers and objection handling techniques for each one of them. You may not need to use all of them, but why not be prepared? 

The biggest pain points for most potential mentors are, not enough time, too busy to train somebody, lack of trust, low attention span, they don’t know how to scale the business, no room in their house for a trainee, not a good manager, not technically savvy, too busy actually doing the work to take somebody on, impatient, don’t think they have enough knowledge and experience to teach somebody else, and don’t like other people. Obviously, some of these you can’t overcome, and wouldn’t want to waste your time trying to. But knowing them could save you lots of valuable time. Either way, come up with responses to these and you’ll increase your odds of a second conversation, which is all you’re going for! Your initial ask is for 5 minutes of their precious time, that’s all. That’s one of the biggest hurdles most of you are facing, you can’t even get a meeting with somebody and its because you’re trying to have sex on the first meeting, stop it! Go for a 5-minute phone call. If you can get somebody on a 5-minute phone call, the door is open. It might close quickly from there, but its at least open. I’ll teach you something that may at first sound sneaky and underhanded, but its not. It’s called a ‘time constraint’ and I use it daily. It might be a real time constraint, like a meeting or another call you have in a bit, or it might be a false time constraint you just made up to make sure you don’t get stuck on the phone forever. A false time constraint is used to control your own day, as well as to put others at ease that a conversation with you won’t take up too much of their own time. When someone wants a meeting with me, there will always be a real time constraint, or a false one. I will either have only 15 minutes to chat because I’m headed into a meeting, even if I’m not, or I’ll have a real time constraint on my calendar, like an upcoming call or appointment. This makes people get to the point quickly. On the other hand, because I know how the human brain works, If I’m trying to get a meeting with somebody else, I will almost always say, “I just need 5 minutes of your time”, or “hey, I have to head out for an appointment by 2, but if I could chat with you just before that, that would be great!” That subconsciously lets the other person know that there is little risk of getting stuck on a call or in a meeting for an unreasonable amount of time. Always give a time constraint when setting a meeting or a call. Put the person at ease that you only need a few minutes of their time. If they want to extend the meeting because the call is going well, that’s on their terms. 

So, study your target market a little better than you’re doing now. We get a fair number of inquiries in our office from trainees, or potential trainees, and we see lots of them in facebook groups looking for mentors. They typically just post about themselves and primarily to a group of people that have little ability to help them. Maybe they’ll get lucky, and somebody will see their post and reach out to them, but its really low probability effort. Its lazy and extremely uncreative. You must keep in mind that those with the ability to offer up some kind of apprenticeship to you is spoiled for choice in the market today. There are more people that want what they have than there are people looking for you. If you’re going to stand out in a crowded marketplace, you’re going to have to get educated on your target market, the mentor market, and you’re going to have to do some work. It would seem that most potential trainees think that sitting through classes and getting their first level of licensing earns them a seat at the table, it doesn’t! Earning your first level of licensing no more earns you the right to be heard than getting a college degree earns you the right to be interviewed at Deloitte, and Andersen, or Bane. It doesn’t! You’re just one more person with a degree screaming in the crowded marketplace. C’mon friends, lets get creative! Study up on who you’re talking to and who you’re trying to impress. Learn where they hunt for food. Learn their habits and patterns. Learn what keeps them up at night and what their most pressing issues are. You’re going to have to be able to speak intelligently about all of those things if you want a shot at even getting a phone call. 

The next suggestion I have for trainees, and it’s a subcategory of studying your target market, is to start making a list of all the appraisers and appraisal companies within the acceptable geographic area you’re looking to train in. Find them on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and wherever you can gather information. Look at their websites and start making notes. If there is an ‘about’ section on the website and some info about the owner and chief appraiser, study up! This is low hanging fruit folks! Learn about their history, training, designations, qualifications, and anything else you can glean from this part of your research. Cross reference that info with any additional information you can find about their personal life on social media. Do they like to fish, drag race, play softball? What do they post about? Write it down! By the way, secondary tip on this point, if there are multiple appraisers at a firm, research all of them. Your greatest opportunity is to reach out and befriend one of the junior appraisers. The chances of you getting to the big boss, or even finding any interest from them, goes down exponentially when there are others in the chain. The chances of getting to me or sparking my interest in a trainee, although not impossible at all, is lower than if you were to reach out to one of my other appraisers. Why? Because I’m busy, I’m not the main person training at this point in my career, I have other things going on, and I want my other appraisers to take charge of that process.

Alright, so you’ve done some research, you’ve made your list, you’ve learned lots of info about your target market and you’re ready to reach out via email or social media, right? Wrong! You’re not even close! You’ve done the minimum level of work at this point and have not earned the right to ask for even 1 minute of time from somebody who has been toiling away for 10, 20, or 30 years. Your research has just begun grasshopper. Now its time to start researching the tools and techniques used in your field of interest. There are at least 2 more things you need to be able to speak fairly intelligently on before increasing your chances of being heard. And that is hopefully one of the takeaways for you from this episode, among other things, that this is not about earning the right to be heard, its about increasing the odds that you will. I know I mentioned earning the right earlier, but I’m really just trying to convey to you how to increase your odds of success in your search. I’m an investor. I invest my time, my money, and many of my other resources in the hopes of some kind of return on my investments. You do too! We’re all traders of some sort. Do you trade your time for dollars? Do you trade your time for education? What are you investing in and what what kind of return are you seeking? The best way to mitigate risk as an investor is to do your research. You learn about the asset class you want to invest in first. Then you learn what kinds of things affect that asset class. Is it real estate, a Fortune 500 company, cryptocurrency, gold, cars? What kinds of things affect the value of that asset class? Then you have to learn how to read the charts. You have to learn how to read sentiment in the market through the candlestick charts, the relative strength index, the moving averages, the volume of trading on any given day, and several other things to know if you want to increase the odds that you’ll make good decisions. Not the ‘right’ decision every time, just greater odds that you’ll lessen the wrong choices and mitigate the risk involved in the decision process. We’re trying to increase the odds of a positive outcome and lessen the odds of a negative one. 

This is the research and risk mitigation part of your growth process friends. Most of you are going at this with little to no research having been done. I know, I know, some of you will say that you did a ton of research on the industry before taking your classes or getting your first level of licensing. Researching the industry is the 101 level of the research. It’s the most basic thing you can do. That’s like saying you did your research on climbing Mount Everest by reading a Wikipedia entry and thinking you’re ready to make the climb to the summit. Its time to learn what software and tools the appraiser uses or should be using. This is an important one, not only because it will help you speak more intelligently about the business when you do finally get a chance to talk with a potential mentor, it will also potentially put you in a good position to add some real value to a mentor by helping them step up their own tech game. There are lots of potential mentors out there still using pen and paper, a measuring wheel, and file folders. And while that isnt necessarily a bad thing, it does speak to how that appraiser operates and how they might benefit from evolving through technology a bit. All of you old timers who just got upset at me for saying it, cool down. We still have an occasional file folder laying around the office too. Mostly just to remind ourselves how far we’ve come since those days, but sometimes there will actually be some valuable info inside the folder. What you won’t find in the folder, however, are printed out MLS listings, and maps, and pages from the appraisal. Those are the old days and the old ways and, as a trainee, you might be able to help a company up their technology game and make them more efficient and profitable. But you have to know the process, the different software options, tech tools, applications, and different methodologies for getting things done. 

I know what some of you are saying at this point: “But Blaine, how can I learn all that stuff if I can’t even get a chance to work in the industry. Nobody will even give me a chance!” This is an unacceptable line of thinking friends. We live in the information age. You can Google anything. You can search YouTube using the keywords ‘appraisal’ and ‘appraiser’ and learn about Anow, Spark, Datamaster, AlaMode, ACI, laser measuring units, cameras, drones, tablets, cell phones, methods, and processes of an appraisal business. Soak up the terminology, familiarize yourself with how things work so, when you do actually get somebody to return an email or call you back, you’ve got something to talk about instead of just holding your hand out waiting for somebody to put a few shekels in it. We’re talking about bringing something to the table and increasing your odds of a successful interaction. We’ll talk in a bit about what a successful interaction looks and feels like, but for now, research. Your only job is to build a dossier of all your potential options in the market and be the most educated participant possible. What I’ll also recommend researching on this topic is what goes into the whole process of appraising real estate. Of course, this info should be fresh in your head because you had some classes on all of this. But what I mean is learning a couple variations of a typical appraiser’s process from order acceptance to signing and sending the report. I’ll toss out one variant of the process, just know that there are variations to all of this. The point is not to know how to do something the right way, its to have an understanding of the steps in the process so you can speak intelligently on it when you do get the chance to talk to a potential mentor. Get ready to write because these are just words that you’ll need to know, and then do a little more research on. 

A very common appraisal process or flow, doesn’t matter if its residential or commercial, goes like this: order acceptance, order entry (starting the file in your system), data research (subject, market, area, comps, etc.), the actual site visit to measure, photograph, and inspect the property, data entry, narrowing comps, adjustment methods and research, narrating your rationale and the process, reconciliation of your rationale and all the methods used, signing, and sending the file to the client. Learn those terms and make them part of your vocabulary. Every if you don’t fully understand how and where it plays a role in the overall picture, if you use any of that terminology in a conversation with an appraiser, you’re going to sound more educated than somebody who expects me to teach them all of that. Every one of those terms used will help you put a potential mentor at ease that they’re not going to spend inordinate amounts of time teaching you all of that from square one. Remember at the beginning of this episode we talked about one of the biggest pain points of people like me is lack of time. There are other pain points, for sure, but lack of time and concern over how much time its going to take me to get you up to speed is a big one! I’m not saying you won’t find an opportunity if you don’t know all that stuff, I’m saying that knowing it will help you relate better and increase your odds of creating an opportunity for yourself. Remember, all of this is about decreasing the odds of failure and increasing the odds of success. 

The last suggestion I’ll give you, at least for this episode, is simply to get creative. I’ve talked in those prior podcasts for trainees that making a video resume and introduction should be the bare minimum effort you put in to get an introduction. Now, before I go into more detail on this point, let me say again for emphasis, you’re not trying to gain a mentor or a mentorship opportunity, so stop trying!!! The reason so many people struggle, and this goes for veterans in many businesses, not just new people, is not for lack of trying. Its for trying too hard! The first lesson I learned when I got into the real estate sales business is to not need a deal in order to eat. As soon as you need that deal to close, its not going to. There’s a great book on my bookshelf by the author, Stuart Wilde, with probably one of the best titles I have in my collection of books. It’s called The Trick to Money is Having Some. Stuart is out there a bit for most people because he talks and writes a lot about metaphysics and the power of the mind, but there are some real gems in that book about this topic of not needing something in order to attract it into your life. The title says it all! If you want more money, more success, more of anything, the best strategy is to already have some it. Now, you might be saying to yourself: if I already had a mentorship, Blaine, I wouldn’t be looking for one. If I already had money, I wouldn’t need it. If I already had food, I wouldn’t need that thing!” The point Stuart makes in that book is that money is just energy and the way we tend to think about that form of energy either attracts it to us or repels it. Most people are repellant to money and abundance based on the goofy hang ups we tend to have from our childhood and life experiences. Some of you might even make great money, but if you have limiting beliefs about it, there won’t ever be enough. That is until you recognize that you have enough and don’t really need it, then more comes to you. You find yourself saying, “awesome, I don’t need it, but awesome!” You keep reassuring yourself that you have no real needs in that regard, and it flows naturally to you because you aren’t repelling it. 

Whenever you give energy and attention to something you don’t have, you’re saying that it exists outside of you and, therefore, isnt part of your natural make up. It is, therefore, separate from you and you will bend over backwards to prove to yourself that you don’t have that thing over and over and over. You want it so badly, which is further recognition and a reminder to your subconscious that you don’t have it, so, what do you do? You pursue it harder, and it moves away from you. Its only when you adopt the attitude of not needing it or recognizing that its already part of who you are, that things tend to flow to you with ease. Ok, so how does this apply to getting a mentorship opportunity? Its because you’re seeking a mentorship that you are having trouble finding one. Stop seeking a mentorship and one is considerably more likely to make itself available to you. Does all this sound a little weird to you? Am I asking you to give up your search for a mentor as some kind of trick? No! What I’m saying is to simply stop needing and begging for a mentorship opportunity! Its not a mentorship that you need, it’s a 5- or 10-minute conversation that you’re really looking for! People needing something tend to take the first thing that comes along, and that may not always be the best choice. If you’re lucky, great! If not, you’re in the majority. So, make a video resume going for one thing, and one thing only, a 5–10-minute conversation, that’s it! In fact, if somebody asks you if you’re looking for an apprenticeship, I would say no because it’s the truth. You’re not looking for an apprenticeship, you’re looking for the right opportunity and to add value. Get that in your head and get the idea of an apprenticeship out of your head. 

What do you put in that video? Put whatever you want, just don’t put too much info about you and your desire to get your hours and start an appraisal company in a couple years. That one will get you exactly zero call backs! I had somebody reach out via our website a few weeks ago and say that very thing: “is this the place where I can get my hours? I want to start an appraisal company once I get my license.” We asked for a name and an address before telling him that we were not the place that gives out hours. Now we know his name in case he listens to this show and decides to get creative. Sorry Burt, wrong method to try to find a mentor. What I would say in a video is something simple like, “hello there, my name is Blaine Feyen and I just wanted to introduce myself. I’ve been talking to some people in the real estate community and your name kept coming up as the expert in the appraisal world. I’m an appraiser as well and would love to get some advice and chat for just 5 minutes or so. Everybody said I’d get the best advice from you if I asked. Thanks for being willing to at least watch this video, I know you’re super busy. I really look forward to hearing back from you when its convenient for you. By the way, I’ll apologize in advance, I’m persistent, but also respectful, I’m definitely going to follow up in a few weeks, I know you’re busy and your time is valuable. Again, I look forward to hearing from you.”  Use those words, or your own, I don’t care. What you’re not doing is saying, “hey, my name is Blaine and I’m a brand-new appraiser looking for a mentor. Are you the lucky schmuck who gets to take me on as your next massive responsibility and time suck?” And, although you wouldn’t use those words, that’s what any request for an apprenticeship sounds like to a seasoned and busy appraiser. Follow up in 2 or 3 weeks with another video simply saying, “hey, it’s Blaine again, as promised, I just wanted to follow up and see if you had just 5 minutes or so to chat. Just looking for some advice and you came highly recommended. We can chat whatever time of day or night its most convenient for you. I look forward to hearing from you.” No response? That one wasn’t for you, move on! 

Now, what do you say once they do follow up and are willing to give you 5 or 10 minutes? Great question! You ask questions! What do you do? You ask questions! What do you do? You get it… Don’t come out of the gate screaming that you’re looking to apprentice under a mentor to get your…. You simply ask questions. “Hey Blaine, thanks so much for taking my call, I know you’re really busy and your time is valuable, I wont take too much of it, I promise. I decided months ago that this was the industry for me, so I jumped in head first and got licensed. I did my research and I know that I can’t be of any value to anybody until somebody decides to take me under their wing a bit, and that’s not what I’m calling about. The reason I sought you out was because I’m just trying to expand my knowledge a bit more on this path and I know you’re an expert. Do you mind if I ask you, as an appraisal business owner, what the biggest challenges you face on a daily basis? Mmm hmmm, that makes complete sense. And where do you see the industry going in the next 10 years or so? Mmm hmm, that’s very interesting! Do you think the industry needs more appraisers or less? Mmm hmmm, that’s a good point! What would your recommendation be for somebody like me just getting into the field?… That’s great advice Blaine, listen, I really appreciate your time, that means a lot to me! Would it be alright to reach out to you from time to time if I have any questions as I navigate this path?” That’s it! Did I ask for an apprenticeship? Did I talk about getting my hours? Did I ask for an opportunity? No, why not? Because he just gave me an opportunity with his time. Seed planted. Now do that 10 more times with 10 other people. Stop asking for an apprenticeship! Apprenticeship and mentorship are huge words that carry lots of baggage for most people. Saying those words without a relationship is like calling somebody and just blurting out, ‘marriage, struggle, pain, discomfort, hemorrhoids, headaches, disappointment, suffering, sleepless nights, and divorce! Thanks for taking my call!’ Stop it! 5-10 minutes of getting to know ya chatter, that’s it. Plant the seed and move on. 

“Well Blaine, how am I ever going to find a mentorship if I never ask for it? You find it by not asking for it! Weren’t you listening this whole-time grasshopper? You get stuff by not needing it! You plan a second call a week or two later and you ask more questions. The call might go something like this, “hey Blaine, jim smith again, I appreciate you taking my call. Hey, I got thinking after our last call, I think there might be some ways for me to add some value for you and your company, if you’re opening to at least entertaining the idea.” Do you see what we’re doing all the way along this process? We’re disarming, friends. We’ve planted seeds, now we’re fertilizing them. Are you going for the apprenticeship now, on this call? NO! Why do you keep asking about that? We’re never going to ask for an apprenticeship again, ever! We’re going to offer our way into a mutually beneficial relationship. Ok, so we’ve asked for another 5 or 10 minutes to plant some more seeds, not ask for anything, accept maybe a few ‘maybes’ and a few ’yeses’. “What I got to thinking after our chat a couple weeks ago was that, if your biggest challenge is X, what if I could help you eliminate that challenge? Would you be open to entertaining a deeper discussion on it? I think I can possibly bring something to you that won’t end up costing you a dime, in fact, I’m positive it will end up making you $20,000 to $50,000 within the first year or so. Would you be open to having a chat about that?” 

Let me ask everyone of you listening, if I called you today and said what I just said, would you be open to having a longer discussion with me? Maybe some will say yes, and the nos wouldn’t be open to it under any circumstances, and that’s ok. We’re not looking for every yes, we’re looking for one yes in a sea of maybes. The whole market of potential mentors is just that, a market of potential. But maybe not for you! In fact, you don’t need one mentor, you need the right mentor. In fact, I would incorporate that into your phraseology, “I’m not looking to get my hours and just move on, in fact I’m not even looking to get any hours. I’m on the search for the right opportunity for me to bring value to a company like yours, or one like yours.” Then add some ‘what if’ questions to your repertoire. What if questions start off with exactly that: ‘what if I could…” “What if I could show you how to…”, “what if I could help you do X, Y, or Z in the business?”, “What if could help you shave off 10 hours per week of your time?”, “what if could help you make more money in less time? would that be valuable to you?” Now, you might be asking, “Blaine, what if he or she says yes?! How do I do those things I asked in the what if questions?” To which I’d say, do you want me to come do all the work for you too?! C’mon man, you gotta do some of the thinking in this relationship! I’m giving you some of my best stuff here! Seriously though, you’ll figure it out. I would recommend, of course, getting some coaching and we’ll show you how to do that, but you’ll figure it out. In fact, let me ease your mind a bit. If you get some yeses, or even some maybes on this type of call, all we’re going for here is a face to face meet up. We’ve successfully parlayed a 5 minute phone call into a face to face meeting. Maybe over coffee, breakfast, lunch, or beers. Once you’re in that situation, the world is your oyster! The deal is as good as done! If you can get somebody to the point of committing their physical time in that manner, they’re serious. Why would you do this? Because you have standards, and you aren’t going to choose just anybody. Remember, you don’t need it and that comes across. You’re seeking to add value, that’s it. 

Ok, I’ll give you all one last nugget and we’ll see in a few months who’s listening and who’s creative. For the most creative and hungry amongst you, I recommend doing a little journalism project. What you’ll do is take the list of potential mentors you’ve already compiled and you’re going to make a quick video for them. In the video, you simply state that you’re doing a project for one of the industry magazines by compiling the opinions of industry experts on the topic of trainees. You’re going to ask them 5-7 questions and you’d love for them to take you up on the offer to possibly be mentioned in the magazine. You’re going to compile the answers and write a short article in a positive light. You’re going to have to reach out to quite a few appraisers to make this happen because the response rate will be abysmal. If you follow up with an email or two, and possibly a phone call or two, you’ll increase the response rate by 20-30%. What questions do you ask them? That’s up to you? Be creative. “But Blaine, isnt that being disingenuous? What do I do with the answers?” What do you mean, ‘what do I do with the answers?’, you write an article for one of the industry magazines! Our industry is not that big and there are only a couple industry magazines, and they’d all love to have content from you, trust me on this! As soon as you become a published author, you have something else to talk to potential mentors about. You also have a reason to follow up with them afterwards. You’ll gain some awesome insights into who not to work with under any circumstances, and who might just be the right ones to reach out to again for a deeper chat. 

There you go my friends, never ask for an apprenticeship again, ever! You’re only seeking 5-10 minutes of time, 2 or 3 times, until you can get a face-to-face meeting. This is about being strategic and respectful at the same time. Its about not needing it in order to get it. The trick to getting into the business is to not need to! The trick to getting an apprenticeship is by not needing one. And the trick to getting an opportunity is by creating one for somebody else. Figure out how you can create value out of thin air and the world is yours. Until next week, my friends, I’m out.