But how would you know in advance? Sign up and keep your fingers crossed? That can be very costly.

Not only should you make sure that the mentorship program offers what you need, but you might also want to find out what will happen if that mentorship program should fail to deliver on its promises.

Here are a few questions to ask before you sign up:

What happens if the mentorship program changes course or fails to deliver for other reasons? Will you lose your investment (which can be substantial)? Is there a money back guarantee?

And no, I don't necessarily mean money back for services delivered, but money back for services not yet delivered if those that have been forthcoming so far fell short of expectations. Simply put: Can you bail? Or are there other provisions for working things out in ways that will work for both parties?

Usually, those questions are not being addressed in the various mentorship programs advertised online. So you'll have to take the initiative and address them yourself.

Before you can do that, however, you'll need to be very clear about what it is you want from a mentor.

Look over the mentorship programs you're considering and figure out what it is specifically that they're offering and what it is that you want. If they offer the chance to make $50 million a year yet are vague on the way they'll get you there, be very wary. In fact, with exaggerated promises like that, be very wary, period.

For obvious reasons, no ethical mentorship program can make any promises on exact sums of money you'll earn. But they can and should promise the specifics of the kinds of services and materials they will provide.

So look for those specifics. What will they do? What exactly are their responsibilities? What are yours? Also figure out which of these features are the ones that are most important to you. You may already have a good part of the knowledge that will be part of the mentorship program.

Don't pay for a rehash of the basics when you're already at the advanced level. Or at the very least, if you must pay for the basics too, make sure there will be more than enough for you at the level that will help you to offset that investment.

Also be sure to check how much of an investment you're really expected to make. Some so-called mentors require ever-escalating additional outlays of cash to implement their "advice." Ask exactly what you're expected to purchase in addition to their mentorship program (and for how much money) in order to successfully accomplish the things that their mentorship program teaches you how to do. You may be unpleasantly surprised.

Before you sign up and whip out that credit card, be sure to find out what you'll really get and what will happen if you don't. Look for part two to discover the specific questions to ask of your prospective mentors to ensure that you'll get what you pay for and that your mentorship program really will be your path to success.