1.

Respect the mentor's time -Successful entrepreneurs are busy by nature, so naturally,

they do not like their time being wasted. Do your homework in advance and demonstrate
what you've already accomplished. This helps to show the mentor that you are serious. In
many ways, all of the following points contribute to this central theme.
2. Share your vision - One of the main reasons why entrepreneurs mentor others is because

they'd like to make the world a better place. Help them to visualize the story that they
will be participating in by contributing a small amount of their time and knowledge.
3. Define your problem/opportunity well - One of the cardinal mistakes that entrepreneurs

make when approaching mentors is being too general or vague about the help they would
like to receive. Mentors wont offer to help if they don't know how they fit in to the
equation. If your problems are huge and all-consuming, mentoring you will seem like a
rabbit hole, and mentors will run for the hills. First, figure out specifically where the
mentor can add the most value, and then express this well.
4. Build trust by following through - Trust is earned. So if you are lucky enough to earn a

first conversation with a mentor, you have only passed the first test. You must build
credibility by following through promptly on everything you promise. In a mentoring
relationship, you should be doing the heavy lifting, and only checking in periodically for
steering.