This is a short excerpt from a YouTube talk by Jason M. Lemkin advising first-time VPs of Sales to obtain mentors. Lemkin emphasizes the value of paid mentors (e.g., compensated with shares or small cash incentives) over unpaid ones, suggests asking for a budget or equity to secure mentorship, and notes that many VPs have at least one former boss or CEO who could serve as an effective mentor.
Okay, next mistake I see so many first time VPs of sales make is they don't get a mentor. We all need mentors. I still need better mentors myself. A lot of the whole point of saster is to help give you a mentor but go find one. Ask can I have a budget? Can I have a few thousand shares for one mentor? Not 10, not 20 maybe it could be your old boss. That's often a great one. If you're a first time VP of sales you often worked at least for one great VP of sales in your career. It could be a great CEO you know who has been through the next stage of the journey. But but get a mentor and unpaid mentors are nice but they're not the same someone with a few shares and maybe a few nickels if they want cash. They one person to go the extra yard to really coach you to see things you don't see. It's a gift. And not enough CEOs have mentors but absolutely not enough BPOs have formal mentors so.
