Pilot Mentor Toolkit

Access Links for On-Demand Content

• ▶️ Watch the On-Demand Mentoring Orientation - Registration required.
• 📄 View the accompanying slides for the orientation - Make sure to log in with your @scorevolunteer.org to view this resource.

All SCORE Mentors should... 

1) Make sure that you complete and maintain your profile page in Engage.

It's vital to keep your profile page updated and review it frequently to ensure its accuracy. Regularly updating your profile page ensures that clients and other Engage users have the most current and relevant information about you. Follow the steps below to edit your profile page:

• From the Engage homepage, select My Profile from the top navigation bar.
• Then on your profile page, click the Edit button.

Click on the resources below for further guidance on updating and managing your profile page.

• • • Power Up Your Profile - 1 Page Guide
    • How to: Update Your Profile (Engage)
    • Profile Best Practices - Guidelines
    • Common Profile Keywords and Phrases

2) Always Accept Direct Requests & Out of Area Clients.

Set your profile to accept direct request and say 'Yes' on serving clients outside of local area to open your profile to co-mentoring with other chapters. Edit the Mentor Request Settings in your Profile page.

The Mentor Request Settings is where you would tailor your preferences for receiving direct requests, including specifying a maximum number of requests that you wish to receive per week. Additionally, you can pause assignments from the Client Intake Coordinator (CIC) during vacations or whenever you need a break from receiving requests from the CIC. This section also provides you a function to allow your clients to self schedule by linking your scheduling tools in the fields provided. Furthermore, this section includes fields that show direct client requests, accepted assignments, and total assignments within a weekly timeframe.

 

To enable Accept Direct Request, edit your profile page in Engage and click the box.

• Accept Direct Requests: Checking this box will allow you to receive mentoring requests directly from a client. When you update your profile to accept direct requests, you will receive e-mail notifications directly from the client through SCORE’s website. When you check Accept Direct Requests:

  • Please indicate the number of requests you agree to accept weekly in the Maximum direct client weekly requests field: Leave blank for unlimited requests. 
  • Request Limit Reached: This check box will automatically be checked when your weekly request limit has been reached and automatically resets at midnight on Sunday.
  • Direct Client Requests last 7 days: This shows the number of direct requests a mentor has received in the last 7 days. 
  • It is not necessary to uncheck this field manually. The system will automatically make your online profile in our website as not available when Pause Mentoring Assignments is enabled. For more information, view this guide: Mentor Profile Visibility On the Website.

   

Select YES on Serve Clients Outside of Local Area field.

• Serve Clients Outside of Local Area: This field does not affect anything on your online profile.
  • When Yes is selected, your name will appear in the Co-Mentor list when user is searching Outside Area filter
  • When No is selected, your name may not appear in the Outside Area filter but your name will appear in the All Chapters filter.

3) Respond to client requests within 2 business days.

Ensure that you accept clients within 2 business days to initiate the introductory email within that period. When you accept an assignment in Engage, it will prompt you to send a email note to the client. Check your SCORE Email regularly for an email notification of an assignment OR check the My Client Requests - Need Action list in the Engage homepage.

Record all attempts to contact your assigned Client as a 'Note' in that file so that your Chapter leadership knows you've been in touch.

It is recommended that volunteers check their @scorevolunteer.org email on a daily basis in order to be able to respond to client requests within this timeframe. 

Click the link to review the steps on how to Accept Mentor Requests.

4) Accept ALL Requests and Conduct introductory mentoring sessions.

All SCORE Mentors should be able to conduct an introductory meeting, regardless of the client's business status, industry, and questions. Review this article on the Guide to Introductory Mentoring Sessions In the SCORE Pilot, mentors should Accept ALL Mentoring Requests. 

After conducting the introductory mentoring session, if the Mentor feels they are not best suited to be the primary mentor for the client they can transfer the client back to the Client Intake Coordinator queue with noted information on the support the client needs. 

5) Attempt to contact client at least 3 times within 2 weeks.

Confirming that you've reached out to the client on three separate occasions within a two-week span is crucial. This consistent effort demonstrates commitment and diligence in establishing communication with your clients.

Alternatively, you can send an email directly from your @scorevolunteer.org account. Use this guide to review how to send and View Messages In GMAIL Using SCORE Email.

Record all attempts to contact your assigned Client as a 'Note' in that file so that your Chapter leadership knows you've been in touch.

6) Update the mentoring request status appropriately.

When you update the status of a mentoring request, you're proactively keeping your Client Intake Coordinator informed about its progression. This step also helps de-clutter your client requests list ensuring you can focus on the in-progress cases.

Click the link to review the video on How to Update the Mentoring Request Status. You can also review the steps in this guide - Updating a Client's Mentoring Request Status.

7) Enter all mentoring sessions into Engage.

Enter your mentoring sessions in after they happen ensures accurate documentation and foster clear communication. So, make sure to enter your mentoring session in Engage. Review this guide on how to Create or Edit a Mentoring Session.

8) Use the Subject Matter Expertise field to communicate your capacity and availability.

Begin with indicating the number of RCIC-assigned MREs you are willing to accept per week on the far left followed by any special skills/experience (eg, 1 CIC/wk, Sheep farming).  RCICs will only be referencing number of clients to assign per week in the Subject Matter Expertise box.

Examples:

• 3 per week
• 5/week
• DR Only (Direct Requests Only)

9) Pause Mentoring Assignments if unavailable.

10) Be Mindful of Other Relevant SCORE services and resources that may benefit the client.

A single  first-call "discovery" mentoring session can trigger multiple additional services from a single session. During the session and in follow-up the mentor should be recommending additional SCORE resources relevant to the client Question & discussion as "homework".

A "one & done" with an aspiring entrepreneur can actually trigger the following additional services credits if you reference them in your follow-up email to the client:

• Startup Roadmap online course [Up to 12 services in course module views]
• Webinar Recording: Pros and Cons of the Popular Business Entities [1 recorded webinar view]
• Webinar recording One Page Business plan [1 recorded webinar view]