1. Get an introduction 2. Be clear and short with your request.

I would add being direct. Let them know why you chose to reach out to them specifically and what you specifically need help with.

Through my work as an executive coach, business trainer and consultant, I've specialized in understanding why people do what they do. The key is to get clarity as to what people really want / need (not always the same thing). I am currently finishing a book on "how to find the best teachers (mentors) in life and keep them" (www.seektokeep.com). Let me share a little extract from the book with you:

Understanding people's motivations and drivers will make your life easier when looking for a mentor because you will know why they do what they do, and what they really want. Once you know what people really want, you will also know whether it is something you can give them.

From my experience, most people mentor because of a combination of the following reasons (in no particular order):

• They like you and enjoy spending time with you
• They see themselves in you
• They feel good with you because you are … [driven, funny, full of energy, calm, intelligent, caring, etc]
• They see helping you develop your potential as an exciting challenge
• They believe you may be a great asset for their business once you've grown to have the right experience
• They are happy to pay forward the help they've received
• They believe you'll be successful and they want to be part of this exciting journey
• They learn something from you

In terms of "preferred way" to be pursued, if you're talking about communication channels (ie. mobile, email, face to face, etc), that will be different each mentor. The few things to remember is:

1. Don't take it personally if they don't respond to you: chances are they're extremely busy! As I explained in an interview I gave this summer about how to find mentors, it took me 1 month of calling VISA every other day before I got the the contact I wanted > (full article here) http://bit.ly/1iFCwMq

2. You have to adapt to your mentor's style and preferences. What you do with one mentor may not work with another. The ball is always in your camp when it comes to being mentored.

Does this answer your question?

If you want to explore further how to find the right mentors for you, you can schedule a call via Clarity.