Burke Hedges Speaks

Thanks for joining me this week for the Monday Minute!  Last week I
started off a series on overcoming objections.  We talked about having
the right outlook on objections so you can feel confident when a
prospect throws one at you. 

We’re all aware of some of the common objections like “I don’t have
the money” or “I don’t have the time”.  But objections also come in
the form of stalls and put-offs like, “I need to think about it” or
“I like it.  I’ll call you next week to get started”. 

Sometimes an objection is just a put-off- and then you find yourself
chasing around a prospect for weeks trying to get a solid “yes” or
“no” out of them.  It can be incredibly frustrating, can’t it? 

In this issue, I’m going to share my 6 point strategy for handling
objections, stalls and put-offs the right way- every time. Then,
we’ll spend the next couple of weeks going over each one & I’ll
even give you some ‘real world’ examples to help you in the field. 
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You’re going to be faced with objections, stalls and putt-offs all
throughout the recruiting process and even when selling your products. 

>> You may be faced with an objection when you invite someone to take
   a look at the opportunity. 

>> You may be faced with an objection sometime in the beginning, middle
   or end of your presentation. 

>> And you can also hear objections AFTER the prospect has made the
   decision to get started and you’re filling out the enrollment papers. 

Knowing how to confidently overcome those objections is essential and
the following 6 point strategy will help you:

1) Listen

When your prospect gives you an objection, listen carefully without
interrupting.  Are they just giving you an excuse, or do they have a
valid reason for objecting?  Listen to them and let them finish their
objection completely.

2) Validate

Validate their objection.  Appreciate it by repeating it or paraphrasing
it back to them.  Then, ask them if there’s more. 

3) Use “feel, felt, realize”

If you’ve been a networker for long, you’ve undoubtedly heard the
“feel, felt, found” technique.  If you haven’t tried using it before,
I’m going to teach you how and strongly encourage you to try it
because it’s a wonderful way to communicate with your prospect.

4) Find the reason for the objection

Saying, “I don’t have the money” isn’t enough.  Why doesn’t your prospect
have the money?  What’s going on in their life that they don’t have the
money to get started?  The real reason  is never the reason your prospect
first gives you- you’ve got to dig deeper to discover it.
 
5) Offer a solution

Providing solutions is really your mission in this business.  Your prospect
already has enough problems.  If they see your business opportunity as
just another problem or hassle they’re going to have to deal with, then
they won’t be interested.  However, if you can show them that the business
is a real solution to problems they’re facing, then their minds open to the
possibilities. 

6) Ask for a commitment

After you’ve gone through the 5 steps, the final step is to ask again for
a commitment.  This may seem terribly obvious- but you’d be surprised
at how many distributors just leave those “closing questions” hanging
there.  They’re afraid to ask for the sale- so they rarely never make
a sale!

There are some very effective ways to wrap up a presentation and get
your prospect started without sounding pushy or feeling uncomfortable. 

Next week I’m going to go into depth and explain each step
in detail- I look forward to seeing you next week!

Last week, we started a series on Objections- they’re one of the
reasons so many people give up & quit in this business. We talk to
a few people we love and respect, they say “No”, and so often we
crumble and fall. We give up on our dreams before we’ve even begun.

But if you recall, objections are MUCH different that rejection.
An Objection is simply a call for more information- your prospect
has some valid concerns that need to be addressed before he/she
can make a decision.

My goal over the next few weeks is to give you a solid understanding
of the different types of objections you can expect to hear while
you’re out building your business, and most importantly- I’ll give
you the tools to overcome them. Your confidence will increase,
your outlook will improve, and you’ll have a lot more fun building
your business.

Here we go!

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So, why does hearing the word “No”- or some other version of it- hurt
so much? Objections are emotionally uncomfortable because we take
them personally, that’s why.

You want something so bad that you can taste it and then when you
don’t get it, how do you feel? You feel hurt and disappointment and
in some cases angry. Right?

Often times, we spend hours, days, weeks or even months trying to
recruit a prospect into our business, only to have them tell us
they’re not interested- and it hurts! Why?

Because our expectations are not in line with reality.

Why does this happen to Network Marketers? It happens when we allow
our “Outcome” (our expectations of the outcome) to take the place
of the process. Let me explain…

If you have no expectations of an outcome can you be disappointed?
Of course not.

If you measure your expectations by the quality of the process to
arrive at an outcome then either a Yes or NO is acceptable, Right?
Why? Because, you’ve redirected your focus from you to them. You
are no longer attached to the outcome. You are focused on the process.
After all, you are not just looking for anyone to join your business,
are you? You are looking for quality people who are looking to be
their own boss, looking to change their lives, and to enjoy the benefits
of your products. You are looking for someone who wants to live their
dreams not just talk about them.

This is why a warm body is not good enough. The homeless shelters are
full of warm bodies. You must redirect your focus to the PROCESS - not
the outcome.

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Here’s a good example: If you were selling life insurance do you
think it would be important to ask your prospects if they have had
a heart attack, cancer or a stroke in the past? Can you imagine
spending two hours on a presentation about how great your product
is and never asking the most important qualifying question of the
process? And that is, “Have you had any past medical problems?”
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Are you beginning to see why the process is so important?

People often ask me if I can provide them with “guidelines” to measure
their progress. The answer is yes- and that’s what we’re going to
be focused on over the next few weeks.

Your first guideline is The Rule of 70/30. It’s used by Major League
baseball players in the United States and it basically says this,
“If you accept failure 70% of the time, every time you go to bat,
then you will earn at least $3 million per year.” When you accept
a 70% failure rate you are also 30% successful aren’t you?

Likewise, when you use effective and professional recruiting techniques
and EXPECT to fail 7 out of 10 times you will accomplish your goal
which is 30% success. The key here is to re-direct your thinking. Learn
to accept the 7 out of 10 “No’s”. Don’t take them personally. And run
with the 3 out of 10 “Yes’s”.

Separate yourself from the outcome. Stop thinking only about sponsoring
that prospect or getting a new customer and instead, focus on how well
you qualify your prospects by asking them the right question and listening
to their responses.

Next week, I’m going to give you a 6-Step Formula for overcoming
objections. But before we move into that, I want you to remember
these 3 key points:

First… Don’t argue with your prospects. When someone gives you an
objection, don’t sit back in your chair, cross your arms, and puff
up like a rooster. Keep an attitude of harmony- not conflict. Smile,
lean forward and really listen to your prospect. No one likes to
deal with conflict or difficult people. Most people tend to move
away and avoid situations where there is conflict. So always keep
your mind focused on “harmony” with your prospect.

Second… don’t tell prospects your problems. Why? Because 80% don’t
care and the other 20% are actually glad to find somebody worse off
than they are.

Finally… stay enthusiastic. Always be genuine and enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm on fire is better than knowledge on ice. Be enthusiastic
about your products, company and opportunity.

That’s it for this week- see you next week with my 6 steps to
overcoming objections!

Facing objections is one of the biggest reasons most networkers
never get past the planning stage in their business. It’s easy to
sit and plan how successful you’re going to be, redo the company’s
power point presentation, read books and listen to tapes on how to
prospect and sponsor- but when it comes down to building a big
business, let’s face it- it’s dirty work.

You’ve got to be willing to face a little rejection in this industry.

Today and later throughout the coming weeks I’m going to delve into
this topic in detail.

I believe one of the best ways to overcome the fear of rejection is
to face it head on by equipping yourself with proper techniques and
training so when you’re out in the field, speaking to a prospect who s
tarts serving up the objections, you’ll be equipped to know exactly
what to say and how to handle it.

Proper preparation is a huge factor to overcoming your fears in this
area…so let’s get started

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Objections and rejection are NOT the same thing.

Many people get this confused. They hear a common objection from a
prospect like, “I don’t have the time for this”, and immediately feel
rejected. Fear springs forth, your heart starts racing, and you freeze.

After the meeting is over you determine you never want to face that
kind of ‘rejection’ again- so you avoid showing the plan for weeks
because of your fear of being rejected again. But what so many
networkers fail to realize is that common statements such as:

“I don’t have the time”
“I don’t have the money”
“I need to think about it”
“I’m not a salesperson”

They’re all objections- not rejection. An objection is simply a
question in your prospects mind that hasn’t been answered. They’re
legitimate questions. A rejection is the outcome- it’s the end
of a process. And how you handle the objections you get will
determine whether or not there is a rejection.

So, what are the 3 most common reasons for objections?

1) You didn’t explain your product or opportunity clearly enough
for your prospect to make a decision

It’s very important that you’re able to paint a clear and exciting
picture about your opportunity, the products and the industry. If
you’re not a good presenter, then use the tools your company provides
like DVD’s or a website presentation. Use the products so you’re
better able to explain to your prospects the benefits to them. And
finally, become a student of the industry. Read books about the
direct selling industry, free enterprise, and leadership. Become
a “better you” so you can present your opportunity in the best
light possible

2. Your prospect has preconceived biases against the network marketing
industry, your products, or even being self-employed.

It’s impossible for you to know in advance all the past experiences
of your prospect. It’s possible they’ve had some negative experiences
in the past, or have known someone who has. If your prospect is
misinformed in any way, then naturally they’re going to have some
objections and it’s your responsibility to know how to handle them
properly.

I’ve found the best way to overcome these types of objections is by
giving facts. Documentation beats conversation. Educate yourself
about the industry and come prepared with the facts. Go to websites
such as the DSA.org, or bring books with you that show the legitimacy
of the industry. Learn the facts about this industry so you can give
your prospects credible information.

3. The third reason prospects object is because they’re too scared
to take a risk

It’s very easy for people to get complacent with their lives. Many
stop dreaming and believing and they simply live their lives playing it
safe. But I believe that inside every person lies a dream and it’s our
job to show our prospects how they can live out that dream through our
business opportunity.

When dealing with objections, it’s vitally important that you maintain
an attitude of peace and harmony. Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated
and go into “defense mode”. That’s one of the biggest mistakes you can
make. When you hear an objection, lean forward, smile, and remember
that it’s just a request for more information. Your prospect isn’t
saying “no”, they’re simply telling you they don’t have enough
information yet to make an educated decision.

Next week I’ll share with you my 6 step process for handling specific
objections with ease. Make it a great week!

Thanks for joining me again for another edition of the Monday Minute.

We’ve been talking about the 10 biggest mistakes distributors make
that sabotage their success in this business over the last couple
weeks. Today I’m going to share with you what I believe are the
final 3 mistakes & I’ll give you some tips to overcome them & get
back on the right path in your business.

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Mistake #7: Terrible prospecting skills

I think one of the biggest problems distributors have when trying to
build a business is total incompetence. They just don’t know how.
They don’t know where to start, they don’t have the skills, and
they have no experience.

Imagine if you took a 3 hour workshop on how to fly a plane. You
bought the DVD’s on how to fly a plane and you did everything the
instructor told you to do. Let me ask you a question: Would you
take your child out to fly solo in that airplane? No. Why?
Because you’re not competent yet- you haven’t been completely trained.

What comes first- the results you want in your business or the training?
The training comes first, right?

Competency is very important. So, for those of you who want to grow
a business, you’ve got to be competent in prospecting. And across
the board, so many people always want to know HOW to find more
prospects for their business. If you don’t know how to prospect
like a pro- like the million dollar producers of this business- then
you need to plug into a training system that will teach you HOW.

Mistake #8: Terrible recruiting skills

Now, you might be asking me, “Burke, what’s the difference between
prospecting and recruiting?” And I would say, “Everything in the world!”

When you’re prospecting, you’re looking for people who are looking. Now,
you may be saying, where do I find them? You find them everywhere. They’re
your family, your friends, co-workers, people you meet while out and
about, etc.

Recruiting is when you take someone who is looking- someone who is
curious- and we take them to serious. We do THAT through the process
of presentation and follow-up. And the process of presenting your business
and following up is also a skill that must be learned and mastered.

It’s a methodology that works and it helps keep people from sucking up
all your time and emotions.

Mistake #9: Terrible sponsoring skills

Again, you may be asking me, “Burke, what is the difference between
sponsoring and recruiting?” And again, my answer is, “Everything!”

Sponsoring correctly helps your people become successful as quickly
as possible. But there is a fine line between leading someone to
water and forcing them to drink. Don’t try to do it for your people.

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How many of you have wanted success more for your distributors
than you’ve wanted it for yourself? You make phone call after phone
call. You spend hours training them. You drag them to company events.
You call to remind them about the conference call. And they do nothing.
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You know what you need to do? You need to fire every single one of those
people and tell them that they’re not worthy of your time.

We’ve all heard the saying, “I can’t hear what you say because what you
do speaks so loudly”. I want to teach you how to outperform your
organization. And when they watch what you do, you’ll be amazed at how
you will light a fire underneath them.

Mistake #10: No accountability

Many of you have lost accountability. No one holds you to the fire. I
know that many of you are struggling. Many of you hold full time jobs.
Many of you have gone to all your company’s conventions and conferences
and you’ve seen all the success stories of other people and you wonder,
“Why not me?”

You may have already plugged into a number of training programs but
you’re still no better off. You MUST believe that all that was necessary
to bring you to where you are today. You MUST believe that you can change
this. You just need some help!

Get a mentor- get a coach- that’s how you avoid making these 10 mistakes.
Building a business is never a solo sport. It takes a team to get the
job done.

Recently, I hired a personal trainer to help me in my quest for better
health and fitness. And I asked my trainer one morning, “How long does
it take to lose 10lbs?” His answer was, “Burke, how long does it take
to use up a tank of gas?”

Well, that depends, doesn’t it? It depends on where you’re driving,
how fast, the terrain & conditions, etc. And my trainer said, “It’s
the same with losing the 10 pounds…it’s up to you how long it takes.”

So I ask you, how long does it take to change a bad habit? If I’m
heading east and I’m looking to find a sunset, I don’t need more
motivation and inspiration to find that sunset- because I’m never
going to find the sunset heading east!

What I need is more knowledge and education to turn me around- and
it’s the same for you.

Visit my website at http://www.burkehedges.com for lots of
downloadable articles and training to help you turn things around.

I’ll see you next week!