{"id":121940,"date":"2020-02-14T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T19:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=121940"},"modified":"2021-03-16T14:58:31","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T20:58:31","slug":"stop-begging-for-mentors-do-this-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/stop-begging-for-mentors-do-this-instead","title":{"rendered":"Stop Begging for Mentors (Do THIS Instead!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I saw a post this morning on BiggerPockets that nearly made me want to cry:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cI&#8217;m looking for a <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/2015\/06\/20\/ultimate-guide-finding-incredible-mentors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mentor<\/a> who can assist me with wholesailing [sic].\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That was it; that was the entire post.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look beyond the glaring typo\u2014glass houses and all that. And I\u2019m not even going to engage on why this is an entirely ineffective post that violates nearly ALL of the no-nos I wrote about in my 2018 blog post \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/member-blogs\/11344\/78533-top-5-reasons-we-pros-are-totally-ignoring-your-bp-forum-questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Top 5 Reasons We Pros are TOTALLY Ignoring Your BP Forum Questions<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s my question: What if this approach actually worked?! What kind of person likely would respond to this desperate cry for help?<\/p>\n<p>If you were a serious, successful real estate investor, wise and knowledgeable and kind, is <strong><em>this<\/em><\/strong> the person <b><em>you<\/em><\/b> would choose to shower your considerable gifts upon?<\/p>\n<p><b><em>Nope! Never in a million years!<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n<p>So, who are the people who hear this plaintive call and come running?<\/p>\n<p>The <b>predators<\/b>: the fake gurus, shady operators, and outright criminals who prey upon newbies, stealing their money, wasting their time, and leaving them broken and demoralized.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-85912\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/financial-scams.jpg\" alt=\"financial-scams\" width=\"702\" height=\"335\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/financial-scams.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/financial-scams-300x143.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And, believe me, the jackals are out there\u2014even right here on BiggerPockets. Perhaps especially here, because this is where their prey comes to feel safe.<\/p>\n<p>The problem isn\u2019t asking for help. The original poster (OP) simply did so in a way that is GUARANTEED to scare off the very superstars they were trying to engage, while attracting bad actors like a MAGNET!<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there\u2019s a simple four-step approach to effectively enlisting complete strangers in your cause.<\/p>\n<p>So, let\u2019s help OP rewrite this post to make it IRRESISTIBLE to A-team players.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related: <\/em><\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/mentor-taught-lessons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10 Entrepreneurs Share Their Most Memorable Mentor-Taught Lessons<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>4-Step Approach to Attracting Quality Mentors<\/h2>\n<h3>Step 1: The Intro<\/h3>\n<p>If you truly want help from a busy BiggerPockets investor, you need to show you\u2019re <em><strong>worth<\/strong> <\/em>helping. You do that by demonstrating that you\u2019ve already taken steps on your own to get educated on the topic, in this case \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/ultimate-beginners-guide-real-estate-wholesaling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wholesaling<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I\u2019ve already read &lt;insert Book Name 1 here&gt; and &lt;insert Book Name 2 here&gt;, <\/em><em>and I&#8217;ve listened to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BiggerPockets Podcast<\/a> episodes 1 through 100!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Step 2: The Bait<\/h3>\n<p>Education is fine, but <em><strong>taking action<\/strong><\/em> is what separates the achievers from the wannabes. Show that you know how to put knowledge to work.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I talk to five sellers a day, but I need a little guidance.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong><em>Related: <\/em><\/strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/must-read-books-real-estate-investors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 Must-Read Books for Real Estate Investors &amp; Entrepreneurs<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Step 3: The ONE Ask<\/h3>\n<p>Ask for <em><b>one specific thing<\/b><\/em> and one thing only! Once you get it, go as far as you can with it. When you get stuck or hit a road-block, only then post again asking for the next thing.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Can someone help me with getting a valid purchase agreement in Georgia?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-121446\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/chat-over-coffee.jpg\" alt=\"Two adult male friends sit talking over coffee outside cafe\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/chat-over-coffee.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/chat-over-coffee-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: The Hook<\/h3>\n<p>Zig Ziglar famously said that the way to get everything <b><em>you <\/em><\/b>want is to help others get what <b><em>they <\/em><\/b>want. (You should always listen to people named \u201cZig.\u201d) So, put some kind of compelling incentive (either recognition or money or both) in your post.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>If you can help me, I promise to sing your praises here on BiggerPockets the minute I get a deal under contract, if you want. Plus, when I complete my first wholesale transaction, I commit to pay $500 to your favorite charity!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>My Guarantee<\/h2>\n<p>So there you have it. My foolproof system for getting loads of helpful assistance from strangers!<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s my guarantee: If you sincerely try this and don\u2019t get at least one expert to come forward and offer some assistance, hit me up here on BiggerPockets. I\u2019ll either help you myself or point you in the direction of someone who will!<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because Zig told me to!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/webinars\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-91217\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"85\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-01-300x36.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Do you agree with the steps I&#8217;ve outlined above?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Let&#8217;s talk below.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seriously, stop begging for mentors on BiggerPockets! Instead, learn how to ask for help the right way to get the assistance you need from experienced real estate pros, while avoiding the scammers and sharks who prey on new investors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31541,"featured_media":122324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5524],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-for-beginners"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31541"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}