On May 21, Mentor Michigan offered the first of what will be many webinar trainings in the Men in Mentoring Toolkit.
In this webinar, we discussed the five components of a complete recruitment message. For those who missed it, here’s a recap:
1) Awareness: Making the Case.
Men need to know that the need exists and that they are able to do something about it. Statistics are important – for example, how many young men are on your waiting list? But statistics alone can sometimes feel cold or even daunting. Make the statistics personal. You can do that by telling a story…
2) Understanding: The Role of Stories.
Stories help all of us internalize things. For example, if there’s a young man on your waiting list named “Kyle,” you might tell his story to help the statistics feel personal. Who is Kyle? What is his life like? Does he share things in common with the potential volunteer?
3) Comfort: You Can Do It.
What are the potential obstacles that would keep a man from becoming a mentor? Is he worried about the time commitment? Is he worried about how he will be perceived by others? Does he wonder what he will do with his new friend? The specifics will differ from person to person, but most men will have a question like this somewhere in their minds. Listen to them carefully and respond in a way that will increase their comfort level. Assure them that they are already equipped with the skills necessary to be a friend and that they will succeed by just being there.
4) Commitment: Let’s Be Clear About Things.
Be clear from the get-go. “We need you for one hour a week for a year. That kind of commitment will make a tremendous difference in ‘Kyle’s’ life…” Being clear from the start will ease the mind of the potential volunteer and will help you determine which potential volunteers are really serious about it.
5) Success: The Ability to Win.
Men tend to be competitive. We want to know that a new venture like mentoring is a winning proposition, and even though we might not admit it, we’re afraid of failing. Reassure the candidate’s skills and abilities by saying something like, “You are the right person. You already have all the skills that you need. You will succeed… and we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.”
We were pleased to have mentoring program staff from across the state join the call, and we are looking forward to additional webinars in the future. Stay tuned to the Mentor Michigan Listserv for details.
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