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Do you want to be a millionaire? You're reading Entrepreneur, so I'm assuming that's on your bucket list. To get there you've got to build your business and your network. Almost none of us get there alone, so you're going to need a mentor. If you target someone who's already hit the bullseye you're aiming at, you'll have a huge advantage.
It's been said that, "your net worth is the average of the five people you spend the most time with." That's why I hang out with people who increase my value and it's why you need a millionaire in your life. Associating and spending more time with successful people is the fastest way to accelerate your professional growth.
Millionaires get tons of people who constantly want their time and money but offer nothing of value in return. Many of them want to help motivated up-and-comers, but they have to put up a wall to block out all of the people who want to take without first proving their worth.
Here are three ways to get over that wall and find your millionaire mentor. All of them involve sending an email that captures their attention. How do you do that? Sometimes even a cold email will work, but here are three better ways.
1. Send them a gift.
You want to know how to get the attention of someone who has to brush away countless people asking for money/freebies? Give them something of value. Most millionaires don't need a $25 Chili's gift card, but your gift shows that you value their time.
What's a good gift? A bottle of whatever booze they prefer. Scotch is traditional, but research your target. A Moleskine notebook with a handwritten note placed inside. They always get used.
Get a good email address for the guy or gal you want to reach, and then send them a short flattering email asking for their mailing address so you can send them a gift. After you send it, make sure to follow up to confirm they received. Then a month later you can make a brief (think less than five minute) request of their time.
When I was getting started I found a lot of success doing this. Now I'm on the receiving end for these type of gifts and they totally work. Why? Deep down, most successful people love to help others, but they have little time, so you putting in a bit of work differentiates you from the 99 percent others who just email.
Related: 11 Ways To Be Frugal Now So You're Rich Later
2. Interview them
People with egos love to talk about themselves. Most millionaires have egos. I know I do. Make a list of five people you'd like to meet. Send them an email, use this template:
Hey,
Huge fan of your work! I run a podcast/blog called X about Y. I really love your {fill in here} and I'd really like to grab 7 minutes of your time for a short interview to talk about it. The podcast/blog has a growing audience and is geared toward Y. A quick interview with you would make my audience go wild.
If you're lucky, they'll agree and you'll get an hour of their time. If you're really lucky, they'll promote the interview on their social network and maybe respond to emails afterward. Win-win. The idea is to make it as easy as possible for them to help you and let them know the benefits.
Related: 8 Tips to Become a Millionaire This Year
3. Buy their friendship
If you're trying to become a millionaire by starting an online business, the kind of mentors you're looking for might have a blog or podcast that sells sponsorships. Go sponsor it for a month or more. It puts you on their radar and it'll help drive traffic to your business.
By sponsoring Tim Ferriss' blog, I was able to build a relationship with him. This has led to a LOT of benefits. It may not be the cheapest solution, but it sets the status that you are serious vs just a window-shopper. Plus almost every email I send with Subject: Sponsoring Your Site; gets a response.
Even if they don't have a blog or podcast, they probably have a pet project or charity they care about. Go find out what it is and offer to donate your money, time or audience in exchange for a few minutes of their time.
This approach puts you on a much different level than 99 percent of people who want their time for free.
Related: 4 Habits of Millionaires That Work for Everyone
Okay, I've got their attention. Now what?
Now that you're on the radar, find a way to hang out with them. If they're in your city and you know they love sushi, offer to take them out for a lunch at wherever the hot new place is for raw fish on rice. Jim Rohn talks about why poor people are poor because they don't do this.
The idea here is for you to add value to their life until they eventually want to help you out.
Keep doing this and you'll get a chance to share your site or product with them. Getting their top-down view of your business and how it can scale is extremely helpful. Think of it like a garden: you're planting seeds and adding fertilizer. You can't eat your seeds right away, they'll take time to grow.
Not all of them will sprout, but some of them will, and it'll be a great investment of your time and money while you're getting your ball rolling.
