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What is the fastest way to get to the top of your game or career? By W. Roger Salam
The one word short answer to that is, “MENTOR” or a “COACH.” Although they have different nuances, for this article I use the words almost interchangeably. Most of the successful athletes, singers, CEOs and actors have coaches. Now, many Real Estate Investors, Entrepreneurs and Information Marketers do, too. The coaching experience and results can vary as with any experience, but the outcome depends on how the individual works. In my personal case, my experience was invaluable and I wouldn’t be where I am without the direct help of my mentor and coach (I've had multiple). At any given time, there are hundreds and over time thousands of books have been written on this subject. Any given weekend there are hundreds of seminars being given on becoming successful. Then the question is how come more people are not wealthy? Because there’s more to building wealth than technique and strategy. If you are going to become wealthy, you need to know more than the mechanics of whatever wealth-building vehicle you choose. It means understanding the technical side of the deals and the psychology of the process. It means knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and figuring out what you were meant to do. It means getting past your fears and doubts and all those negative messages that have been drilled into your brain all your life so you can move forward. Seminars & trainings and books & home study courses are great for gathering knowledge and getting started. They are also good for motivation, inspiration and networking. Every kind of educational forum has its place and effectiveness. As I said, you’ll gather lots of good information from books and manuals and CDs, but you’ll not learn much while reading or listening. Learning happens in the real world mostly by doing it. People think that they can go to a weekend seminar or two in any other wealth-building program and know everything and become rich. It’s this wrong expectation that is the primary cause of all frustrations. Would you go to see an attorney, if he or she said, “I went to a weekend seminar on how to become an attorney, I’m sure I can do it?” Or let’s say you need heart bypass surgery, when you ask the surgeon about his education and experience, he or she says, “I bought a set of books and tapes on how to do bypasses. Let’s get you into the operating room.” Do you think you’d willingly get on that operating table? Do you know of any profession where you can earn an annual income of six figures or more that you can learn in a weekend seminar? Investing in any wealth-building program takes serious effort. If you’re looking to get rich quick and easy, then buy lottery tickets and hope you win. When you do something because you’re passionate about it – when you are willing to learn how to do it in the best possible way – then money is a natural result. Another element of the law of cause and result is time. There is no such thing as an overnight success. If you love what you do, you have to be willing to invest the time to learn how to do it well, and then keep on doing it so you can get better at it. When you do so, the rewards will come. I’ve learned over the years how critical the right education is for successful wealth-building. Mentors and Coaches can provide the education and training, but their role is more to fill in the gaps of your education and training that you got from all the schooling and seminars. And success lies in the gaps and failure is falling through those gaps. The best way to learn anything is to learn when you need it, right at that moment. Having a coach and a mentor is like having that teacher when you need them the most. There’s no substitute to this form of learning. Most people are great at gathering knowledge, but not good at implementation. So, if you’re looking for help with implementation of what you already know and learning, a coach is indispensable and most importantly a coach can hold you accountable. Few people understand the concept or the power of accountability. Of all the reasons to get a mentor and coach, this is the most important. Accountability by definition means, “Responsibility to someone or for some activity” and you need another person involved. Most people confuse it with discipline, evaluation, and criticism. Accountability is a very powerful and personally enabling process. The greatest successes and the highest achievements almost always are due to accountability. Gary Keller wrote in his brilliant book “Millionaire Real Estate Investor,”
Of course, goals and plans are important, but accountability is paramount. Accountability means having someone else with whom you review what you have done, evaluate the results you have gotten and commit to the next things you are going to do. This process must involve another person and that person can be a mentor, a coach, a consultant, or a peer-partner. Self-discipline is great, but you cannot hold yourself accountable over the long haul. There must be another person. That’s what makes it work and makes it so powerful. Coach’s role is to keep you on track, to make sure that you are doing what you set out to do and are looking at the results you are getting. Accountability is about getting feedback and using it to inform and motivate our future actions. It’s about not letting ourselves get too far off track or out of balance. Find the best accountability partner you can, and allow the accountability process to work for you. Once you experience the life-altering power of accountability, you will never stop using it. Always remember that “feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Like many investors I started my real estate investing journey by attending a seminar. And then I went to more seminars. Several months have passed and I’ve not done my first deal. I was getting ready to get ready – if you know what I mean. Looking back, it was not lack of knowledge that was holding me back, but it was lack of confidence and fear that was holding me back. It was not that I wasn’t taking action. I was very active, but the actions were disjointed or busy activities that do not necessarily lead to productivity. I was too new to know which actions I should focus on. I needed the assurance that I don’t need to know everything before I acted. I had analysis paralysis and most of all I was afraid and downright fearful. In my case, I had lost my job and didn’t have any savings, so I had every reason to be fearful. Mentor to the rescue! I was getting desperate as I was living with borrowed money and getting deeper into debt, but I knew in my heart that I needed one on one help. I took a leap of faith and borrowed more money to hire my coach. He got me focused, laser focused on revenue generating activities and within three days of starting with my mentor, I got my first deal that put twenty thousand dollars cash into my pocket. It was like oxygen to me. The truth is that I had the knowledge to do this deal before I started with my mentor. I did all the number crunching and it made sense, but I’d not have the courage to pull the trigger to do that deal without my mentor. He was my confidant and security blanket and he held my hand (and it was shaking) every step of that first deal. I still own that house and it has appreciated almost 100% in six years. No matter how many deals you do, you’ll never forget your first one. For most people starting out need help with doing their first deal, because the first one is the hardest one. I wish I had started sooner with my mentor and shorten my learning curve (and increase my profit). The greatest gift my mentor gave me was the confidence to move forward without fear and knowing that he’s there if I need help. Once you can do one deal and prove to yourself that you can do it, the subsequent ones get easier. I used to do 8 to 10 deals per month without breaking a sweat, but not without my mentor. I don’t know you and I don’t know whether you’re a beginner or an experienced individual, a Mentor and Personal Coach could be invaluable. If your goal is to move your business to the next level, you need to get yourself a I’ve always believed that the best way to learn is to teach. Now it’s my turn to teach and pass on to others the gift that I’ve received. Teaching also sharpens my own skills and keeps me on my toes to continuously learn and grow. Today, the most satisfying part of being an entrepreneur and Info-marketer comes from reading the many letters and testimonials from others that I’ve been able to help in some way. As I stated in the first paragraph of this article, the coaching experience and results can vary as with any experience. One of the best ways to make sure that you have a better experience is to hire the right coach. The first thing to look for in the coach is the outcome that you’re hoping to accomplish and is the coach capable of delivering that. Has the prospective coach/mentor gotten the results himself/herself that you’re trying to get? If want to make money, don’t take advice from broke people. If you’re looking for business systems, make sure that the coach/mentor has run successful businesses. If you’re looking for real estate advice, make sure the coach/mentor is an active real estate investor himself/herself. The advice above is fairly obvious and it’s a good start. The next obvious thing is their testimonials from current and past clients/students. The proof is always in the pudding. Find out how satisfied are the existing clients and have they gotten results that you’re hoping to get. Don’t just read the testimonials, get few phone numbers and ask permission to speak to them. What you should avoid are coaches who have other motives, who try to sell you other products and services or goes after your clients/customers for their products and services. Ask me how I know that? Yes, they’re no longer my coaches. So, don’t be afraid to fire your coaches and get new ones if you’re not getting the intended results. “A Master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always seems to be doing both” I’ve had the privilege of coaching students from many walks of life and I’ve also realized that coaching is more art than science. Effective coaching requires more than talent. It requires trust, respect, understanding, empathy and resolution. Anyone who wants to achieve more can benefit from coaching. But if you don’t want honest feedback, are not candid or won’t follow through on corrective action - you won’t reap much benefit. If you wonder whether you need a coach, you probably do. Nothing you can do or learn will have a greater impact in your career, then having a personal mentor and coach!
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