Burke Hedges Speaks

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute!

You know, with today’s harsh economic climate more and more people
are looking for ways to  work at home and make additional income
with a business opportunities - probably something just like yours!

Many of your prospects begin their search by going to the internet. 
They may buy magazines, respond to an advertisement, or ask people
they know how to make some extra money. 

Unfortunately, this is when confusion can set in with the hundreds
of thousands of products being offered.  Not only that, but as
you’re probably well aware, there are already a lot of products and
opportunities out there that fail to deliver on their promises. 
They promise people they’ll get rich overnight, or without doing
any work.

These sorts of “scams” cause your potential prospects to have doubt
about our industry as a whole.  This doubt creates confusion which
results, sadly, in so many people failing to realize their dreams
or their true potential.

What I’d like to share with you today will help you explain your
business model - network marketing - to prospects.  It will help
you show them that with due diligence they can start a home based
business with confidence and certainty.

So, let’s get started!
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Network marketing, or multi-level marketing , involves the
direct selling of products or services through the recommendations
of people like us.  When someone purchases a product we recommend
or gets started in our business, we receive a commission on the
sales that come from those recommendations.

MLM however is much more than that. MLM is about recruiting and
building teams of like minded people who also believe in the
product and are just as passionate as you are to succeed.

Contrary to the opinion of the misinformed multi level marketing
is not a pyramid scheme, it is a legitimate and highly successful
business model. Their opinion however is understandable given the
thousands of illegal pyramid schemes that still exist on the
internet today. 

This is where your prospects’ due diligence comes in. You can
absolutely guarantee and should expect your prospects to do
their homework and research on any business that they are
considering. After all, they’re about to make a considerable
investment in time, effort and money so they would want to
make sure your business opportunity is not only legal but a
highly successful company and product, right? 

Help your prospects understand the benefits of starting a
network marketing business and working with others to make
it grow including:

* It’s a proven tried and tested business model.
* Growth can be truly exponential.
* It is up to you how many hours per day, per week you wish
  to work.
* You don’t need to worry about marketing as most companies
  provide you with sound marketing & training plans.
* You really are your own boss.
* You do not need any prior experience as full support is given.
* You really can earn while you learn and master new skills.
* Your earning potential is truly unlimited.
* The joy of helping and watching others grow their business.
* The business model is one of the few which will enable you to
  create the lifestyle you desire for you and your family.
At the end of the day it’s all about your prospect, their needs
and desires.  Help them to see how your business can get them
what they want in life, and you’ll have no trouble sponsoring them.

If you want to learn more about the skills needed to sponsor more
people into your business, visit my 21 Day Challenge site at
http://www.21DayChallenge.net

See you next week!

Thanks for joining me again for another edition of the Monday
Minute.  I’m often asked “How do you do it?” - everyone wants to
know HOW to build this business.  And it got me thinking
about something that’s even more important than “how-to”.

We’re going to discuss that today.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If How To’s were enough we
would all be SKINNY, RICH and HAPPY”? 

We all want a list to follow and someone to show us all the steps
to success.  We all find ourselves asking “How did they do that?”

>> “How did she get to the top level so fast?  Didn’t she just start
a month ago?  What’s her secret?”

>> “How does he schedule so many meetings?  Man, I wish I had that
many people to talk to!”

>> “How did they get all that money?  Aren’t we in a recession?”

>> “What did she do to lose all that weight?  How do they have such
a great relationship?  Why are their kids so well behaved?”

…and the list goes on & on… 

We look at what other people have and if it’s something we desire,
we figure they must have some hidden secret to get it.  They must
know something we don’t know - otherwise, we’d have it too.

No matter what it is, we all want to know HOW they did it.  What
are the steps?  Can you write it all down for me, so I can follow
the step-by-step system, and have the same success you have?

Well friend, let me suggest to you that it may not all lie in the
‘how-to’ but rather in the WHY. 

I could give you a step-by-step list of “how to’s” to take you
from a brand new distributor to a Top Income Earner in your organization
in 365 days.  And although that list would be very helpful to you, it
still wouldn’t get you to where you want to go without a powerful reason
WHY.

Why did you get started in your business?  What motivates you?  What
is going to happen to your family this year if you don’t do something
to turn things around?

Your why is something only you can answer for yourself. It’s what burns
inside of you everyday.  It’s a powerful driving force.

Some people are motivated by fear.  “If I don’t turn things around
quickly, my family may lose our home.”  Or, “My children are going off
to college in 2 years and I have no way to pay for it.”  These are very
powerful reasons why.

Other people are motivated by desire.  “If I work really hard this
month, I’ll be able to go on that trip with my family.”  Or, “Once I
reach the next level, I’ll be able to quit my job and go full-time!”

No matter what your burning desires are, once you’ve discovered and
connected with the reasons WHY you want to succeed, then you can
start planning HOW you’re going to do it. 

You didn’t join your organization because the company has great
offices. You joined because you saw an opportunity out of the rat
race.  You joined because you envisioned spending more time with
the ones you love.  You joined because you wanted to design your
own life instead of living a life on the defense where you simply
react to everything. 

I encourage you this week to take a serious look at your motivation
and the desires of the heart.  I think if you start looking at
everything this way, you’ll quickly realize that all those people
you meet who have what you want got there the same way - They
started FIRST with a very strong and powerful reason WHY.

Be your best & have a great week!

Hello again & welcome back to the Monday Minute!

I hope those of you in the USA had a wonderful Thanksgiving
holiday weekend!

Last week I told you about a great year-end sale I’m having
on my 21 Day Challenge program.  For those of you who haven’t
taken advantage of it yet, I want to encourage you to go to
http://www.21DayChallenge.net right now and get started.

Enter in coupon code GETINGEAR and you’ll save $20 off the
regular price and get instant access to the course.

Now, let’s get into this week’s topic, which is: Make a “Stop
Doing” list…

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This week I want to talk to you about setting goals and some of
my personal strategies for looking back on the year and measuring
success.

When you set your objectives for the year, set them in concrete. 
You can change your plans through the year, but never change what
you measure yourself against.

When I look back and measure what I’ve accomplished this year
with my list of goals I set for myself, I do it with a rigorous
midset.  I look at exactly what I said was going to happen.  I
don’t adjust or finagle with it.  I don’t say, “Well, I really
didn’t intend to do that anyway.” I don’t readjust my goals to
make myself look or feel better.  I don’t justify.

No, when I look back on my year, I never focus just on what
I’ve accomplished.  I focus on what I’ve accomplished relative to
what I SAID I was going to accomplish.  It doesn’t matter if the
measure is tough.  I force myself to look at those tough issues and I
encourage you to do the same this year as 2009 comes to a close.

What did you set out to do in January?  Have you done it?  If not,
how close did you get?

So many of us will make New Year Resolutions this year.  You’re
probably already thinking about some reolutions you plan to make
for 2010.  Here’s a tip for you:

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Instead of making a “To-Do” list of goals for 2010, try making
a “Stop Doing” list instead.
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Begin by listing out all the projects and activities that aren’t
serving you or getting you closer to your goals.  If they’re moving
your further away- get rid of them. 

Checking your email is a huge example of this.  How many emails do
you get each day with videos, articles or links to click?  How many
of those links do you click?  And is the information helping you &
moving you closer to your goals, or is it just sucking your time?

If it’s not helpful and useful to you RIGHT NOW - put it on your
“Stop Doing” list and be rid of it.  Take that time and use it for
productive business building activities instead.

Look back on your year and get honest with yourself - no excuses. 
Where are you in relation to where you planned to be last January? 
Make 2010 YOUR year.  Plan big goals and get rid of everything that
stands in your way of achieveing them!

…and make sure to get a jump start by taking advantage of the
next 21 days.  Head over to http://www.21DayChallenge.net and get
started on your 21 day challenge right now!

Make it a great week!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute! 

I have something a little different to talk to you about this
week.  As I was going over some great ideas for topics to write
about in this weeks issue of the Monday Minute, and a thought
kept coming back into my mind. 

Have ready are your for 2010?

I don’t know about you, but every year around this time I look
back at what I’ve accomplished over the last 11 months.  The
holiday season is a great time to pause, take a breath, as see
where you are.  Did I reach my goals this year?  What are some of
my goals for next year & what are my plans to accomplish those
goals?  (In other words, I make a plan of what I’m going to DO
and I put that plan into action.  That’s the key - stop thinking
about what you want to do, and just go do it!)

So many times, we end up spinning our wheels - especially in
our business.  We set goals and then life gets in the way. 
Sometimes it’s downright scary to look back over the year!  We
determine that 2010 is going to be better than 2009!

More and more people are entering our industry everyday.  For
many of you, this is your first issue of the Monday Minute.  And
many of you have been avid readers every Monday for the last year
or longer.  You may be new to the industry or an old pro.  But no
matter where you are on your journey, it’s always important to
push for great results these last 6 weeks of the year and also
plan for your results next year.

I created a program called the 21 Day Challenge specifically
designed to help people get a jump start in their networking business. 
If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look here:
http://www.21DayChallenge.net

When I came out of retirement after having 20+ years of success
in this industry, the one thing I consistently saw was that distributors
across the board were lacking in the basic skillset needed to grow a
large & thriving organization. 

There’s a science to being successful in this business and it
doesn’t matter if you’re brand new, or if you’ve been in direct
selling for years - I honestly believe the 21 Day Challenge can
help you get “back to basics” and learn a systematic approach to
prospecting, recruiting and sponsoring. 

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It’s about learning what works best for you and your personality,
creating a step-by-step SYSTEM around it, and putting that plan into
action.
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Over the next couple of weeks, I want to strongly encourage you to
finish out 2009 strong and plan for an incredible 2010 - set BIG goals
and plan to change your life next year!   

To really help you do this, I’m offering a “Get Your Year In Gear”
special on my 21 Day Challenge program.  For the next 14 days, you’ll
be able to take advantage of $20 off the regular price of $97…making
your tuition to the program only $77!

I know many of you have been thinking about taking this course, but
haven’t made the leap yet.  My number 1 goal is to help you succeed in
your networking business.  And I want to encourage you to take that leap
and get a head start on 2010.

Head over to my website right now –> http://www.21daychallenge.net

When you get there, simply enter in coupon code GETINGEAR on the
order form, and you’ll get instant access to the 21 Day Challenge
Members Area where you’ll be able to listen and download all the
course contents.  You can get started right now & use this “off-time”
that so many of us have during the holidays to really focus and
get a clear plan for 2010. 

Listen, there are only 38 days left until the end of 2009.  If you
get started today, you can finish the entire course before the end
of the year, have your game plan for 2010 mapped out, and have the
training needed to move forward with your plan and see results!

I look forward to seeing you there!  For those of you in the US -
Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute.  I hope you’ve
enjoyed the last few weeks and gotten a lot of good tips to use when
overcoming objections, stalls and put-offs with your prospects.

This week, as promised, I’m going to share some of the most common
objections and stalls you’ll hear and give you the specific responses
I use to overcome them.
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Objection 1:  “This sounds like one of those pyramid schemes”

I know this objection well because it was the objection I first
used when I looked at the business almost 20 years ago. I didn’t
understand the legitimacy of the industry and immediately discounted
the financial potential it had to offer me.

My ignorance and pride almost got in the way of me earning millions
of dollars.  I’m extremely thankful my sponsor had done his homework
because he knew exactly how to handle my initial objections and was
able to take me through the process of skeptic to believer like a
real pro.  

Let’s say your prospects name is Tom.  You’ve just shown Tom the
presentation, and you’re in the middle of explaining the compensation
plan when he raises the pyramid objection.

“You know, I don’t think this is for me because it looks like one of
those pyramid deals.  I can’t participate in any business that in any
way would jeopardize my credibility.  I don’t do pyramids.”  

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Sound familiar?  Okay, let’s go through the 6 step process I described
over the last few weeks. Step one, you listen closely without interrupting. 
Step two is to validate him by repeating his objection either word for
word or by paraphrasing and ask if there is more.
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It may go something like this, “Tom, what I am hearing you say is your
reputation and credibility is far more important to you than any amount
of money you could earn as a result of being in this business and you
wouldn’t ever jeopardize it for anything in the world?  Is there more?” 
Tom responds with, “No, that’s it”

Next is step three:  Feel felt and realize.  It goes something like
this, “Tom, I really appreciate how you feel because when I first
looked at this business, I didn’t want to put my reputation and
credibility on the line either.  I like to make my decisions based
on solid facts and not false assumptions so I researched the industry.
And what I found or what I realized was that pyramids are illegal and
people go to jail for running illegal pyramid schemes.   The real
pyramids are in Egypt.  As I did my research I found that the industry
has a fifty-year positive track record of growth with almost 100 billion
dollars in worldwide sales. I learned that there were publicly traded
companies like the multi-billion dollar conglomerate Citi-Group
participating in the industry. Gillett and The Sara Lee companies are
all in the industry. In fact, I learned that Billionaire Warren Buffet
owns a network marketing company.  Tom, I knew that these publicly traded
companies would not stake their reputation in an illegal pyramid scam. 
When I realized these facts I knew I was dealing with a high integrity
and legitimate industry.” 

After you have paraphrased the objection, asked if there’s more, used
feel, felt, realized, I want you to immediately go to step four -   find
the reason for the objection by  isolating it, which might go something
like this “Tom, now that you know this new information what part of the
pyramid question concerns you most?” 

Tom will either be satisfied with your response to his objection, in which
case you skip step 5,  the solution, and go directly to step 6 and ask
Tom for a commitment to join your business.  If Tom wants documentation
to support what you just said to him, then make sure you have the
information in form or articles, books, or websites ready to provide him.

Once you’ve offered the solution in step five, go to step Six and ask Tom
to join your team so he can  start to earn more money to eliminate his
debts and to start enjoying a better quality of life he and his  deserve.

Here is an example of step 6, “Tom  based on what you learned, are you
now prepared to make a commitment to join our team, so you can position
yourself to earn a serious six figure income, while helping a lot of
people in the process?  

Here’s another good objection:

Objection 2:  “I’m not a sales person.”

You might say something like this, “I know how you feel, I used to feel
the exact same way. Until I realized that the majority of the highly
successful people in this business have absolutely no sales background.” 

Objection 3: “I don’t have any money.”

Now this is one you will get a lot so you better know how to answer
it. Since money is always a sensitive issue, let me suggest the following:  

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When someone tells you they don’t have any money to get started, here is
what I want you to do.  I want you to propose to them this question. 
“Peter, if you were mistakenly arrested and you were put into jail and
for you to get out of jail all you had to do is post a $500.00 bond,
what would you do or who would you call?”
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And more often than not Peter would mention the name of the person
they would call.  At that point, I would hand them the telephone and
say, “Make the call.” 

Now this is a pretty aggressive approach, but let’s face it, $500 is
not a fortune and if someone does not have $500 to investment in a
business they are excited about then this is pretty good indication they
need the business.  
 
Objection 4:  “I know people that got involved in network marketing and
quit, they didn’t make any money. ”

Your one line response could go something like this.  “Everyone knows
someone that dropped out of high school, does that mean kids should stop
going to school?” 

Objection 5:  “This sounds to good to be true?”

Your response is, “It might sound that way, but while people are telling
us it’s too good to be true, people like you and me are making fortunes.”

That’s it for this week’s newsletter!  We’ve covered a lot of information
over the past few weeks and I hope you’re feeling more like a Pro in this
industry. 

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to teach you the art of overcoming
objections, stalls and put-offs and I look forward to seeing you next
week for another edition of the Monday Minute!

Last week, we started discussing the details of my 6-step formula
to overcoming objections, stalls and put-offs.  I went through
the first 3 steps in detail and shared with you some really
specific ways to use the “Feel, Felt and Realize” formula to
connect stronger with your prospects.

Let’s go over the final 3 steps today…and at the end, I’m going
to give you some homework!

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My 6-Step-Formula for overcoming objections:

>> Step 4:  Learn the reason for the objection 

The first objection a prospect gives you is usually not the REAL reason
they’ve objected.  The real reason lies underneath, and you’ll connect
with your prospect on a much stronger level if you discover what the
REAL reason for the objection is. 

When finding the reason for the objection you should always isolate
the objection first.  If you remember last week, we talked about your
hypothetical prospect named Sally.  Sally said she needed to “think
about it”.  So, in Sally’s case, isolating her objection it might go
something like this:

“Sally, just so I can better understand, what part of the business is
it you need to think about most?  Is it the more money you will be
earning in your own business?   Or is it the integrity of the company
or the industry… or is it the quality of the products?      

At this point you are just looking for the reason why she wants to
think about it by asking her to help you understand what exactly she
wants to think about.

Whatever answer Sally gives you, always reply with something positive
like,  “Great” or “thank you” or “I see” and go directly to step number
five.   Provide her with the answer or the solution to her dilemma or
objections. For example, Sally may respond with, “I need more time to
think about if the business is for me.”

You respond with, “Great Sally. Is it ok if I provide you with information
that will help you better determine if the business is for you or not?”

If Sally objection is genuine, then she’ll welcome any information from
you to help her decide. 

At this point what I recommend you do is provide Sally with the a list
of 3 or 4 people with similar concerns to those of Sally whom have become
successful with your company or in the industry.  People identify with
other peoples success stories. 

If Sally’s question is about the credibility of the company or the
industry then provide her with that specific information to put her
mind at ease.   This might sound over simplistic-and it is!  Don’t
over complicate the simple.   Provide the answers to your prospects
questions and ask them to join your team or purchase your products.

Remember to focus on the process, not the outcome.  The faster you
can resolve your prospects dilemma or objection the faster you can get
to a yes or a no. 

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The last thing you want to do is to make someone do something they
don’t want to do, right?   You are much better off with a prospect
giving you a NO early in the process than to have them string you
along for days or weeks with maybes. Remember, when you redirect your
thinking to 7 out of 10 NO’S means 30% success then you are well on
your way to earning a fortune in this industry. 
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>> Step 6:  Ask for a commitment

It’s time to ask Sally for a decision.  If you have properly gone
through the previous 5 steps then step 6 should be relatively easy. 
The number one problem 95% of new distributors face in the Network
Marketing industry is they fail to ask for a commitment. They fail to
ask for a decision… to ask for the order.

It goes something like this: “Sally, based on the new information
you’ve learned are you now ready to join our team? Or benefit from
our terrific product?” 

Another example is: “Sally, Based on this new information are you
now ready to enjoy the piece of mind that will come as a result of
earning an extra $1000.00 a month by getting started today?” 

Or, “Sally, Are you beginning to see why so many sharp people are
joining the company to achieve financial peace of mind?”  

Now, to wrap up this series- I have a homework assignment for you.

Don’t be casual about completing it because it’s very important
to your success. I want you to come up with 5 reasons why people
should join your company and 5 reasons why people should purchase
your product or service. 

Then I want you to write them down on a piece of paper or 3 x 5
index card and memorize them.  This is going to help you tremendously
when it comes to asking your prospect for the commitment.

Most people simply don’t understand the industry much less
appreciate the limitless power behind the leveraging factor of
network marketing.  Why? Because most people have been conditioned
to get up in the morning, go to work, put in their eight, ten or
12 hour days and their mindset is to trade one unit of time for
one unit of money.  

Their paradigm, their belief system will often not allow them to
explore anything other than what they are accustomed to.  People
often fear what they do not understand.  So, it is very important
that you are professional when answering objections. Don’t be casual,
get serious about learning these communication skills  and you
will start to earn the serious money that this industry has to offer. 

Next week I’ve got a bonus for you- I’m going to give you my
specific answers to some of the most common objections, stalls
& put-offs. 

Make it a great week!

Last week I introduced you to the first 3 steps in my 6-step formula
for overcoming objections, stalls and put-offs in your business.  I
shared with you why it’s so important to keep an attitude of harmony
and not become defensive when an objection is thrown your way. 

I also shared with you the “Feel, felt & found” strategy, which
you’ve probably heard about before, but it’s so effective it’s
important that you know how to use it and put it into practice.

This week I want to put these first 3 strategies in the 6-step
formula together in a real world example so you can think about
objections you commonly hear in your business, put this formula
into practice and see some real results!

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Let’s use the example of a prospect who says, “I want to think about it.” 

If you’ve been building an organization for any length of time at
all then I’m sure you’ve had to deal with this objection, many times.

Your prospects’ name is Sally, and you’ve just asked her to make a
commitment to join your team.  Her response is, “I’m not ready to make
that decision quite yet John, I want to think about it some more.” 

Well, here’s your plan. 

>> First, make you sure you listen to Sally’s objection carefully and
without interrupting her.  Second, validate her by repeating her
objection back to her, “Sally what I’m hearing you say is, you’re
really not sure if you want to join the company based on the information
you’ve received. Am I right? Sally, is there more?”

At this point Sally might give you a second objection, like, “Yes
there is more, I don’t really think I’m a good sales person”.   When
there are additional objections, what you want to do is embrace the
second objection just like you did the first one by repeating it to
her and making sure to ask if there is more at least one time!   Most
of the times your prospect will simply say, “No that’s it” and they
will appreciate that you heard them out.

Remember, in this step you want to embrace the objection. In Sally’s
case, when you asked if there was more you found out that maybe the
first objection was not the real one but rather it was the second  
objection that was the real one.  

>> Next, you are going to use feel, felt, realize to handle the objection. 

“Sally, I can really appreciate how you feel, Did you know I felt the
exact same way when I first looked at the business.  I just wasn’t
sure if the business was for me or not. And I didn’t feel comfortable
 making a relative quick decision at first.  But, what I realized was
once I got to know the people in the business I found that there were
so many people less talented than me, who were a lot busier in their
lives than I was and they were earning over a $1000 per month part
time. This is when I realized it wasn’t the speed of  my decision that
really counted but the accuracy of my decision that was most important.
Does this make sense to you Sally?”    

What did I do here?  I gave Sally a reason to join instead of a reason
to wait, didn’t I? That reason was that the accuracy of my decision was
far more important than the speed. I also included other reasons like,
money and talent. 

I hope the first half of this 6-step strategy has already helped you. 
Next week we’ll move onto steps 4, 5, and 6.  See you then!

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?”
*********************************************************************

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!

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.
*********************************************************************

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!

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Welcome back to the Monday Minute! Last week I started a series on
some of the biggest mistakes I see distributors making in their
business. We talked about destructive daily habits, fear and dreaming too
small.

Today I’m going to continue this series by giving you the next 3 mistakes
and also some of my tips for overcoming them…

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Mistake #4: Allowing your past experiences effect your current reality

So often, I see distributors allowing negativity and bad experiences
from the past stand in the way of their current success. They recall
a painful experience or reaction from a prospect or a bad reaction
from a family member. That rejection and disappointment hurt, so our
brains start to believe that every experience in the future is going
to be just like the past. But this is simply not true.

The past is just a lesson on how NOT to do it again- that’s all it is!

So, I’m here to tell you right now that regardless of what happened a
year ago or a week ago in your business, it does not have to happen
again as long as you learn from the past.

Mistake #5: Wrong focus

What do I mean by this? People put their focus and energy on thoughts
of rejection when approaching a prospect with their product or
opportunity, so guess what? That’s exactly what they attract!

They feel that they’re going to fail- so guess what they get? Failure!
They think that if they call someone to introduce them to their
wonderful products that they’re not going to get on your service- so
guess what happens?

That internal dialog you have- that focus- has gotten you exactly
what you’ve given your energy to.

I teach on “process” thinking vs. “outcome” thinking. I want
you think for a second about your current situation. Think
about your circumstances and where you are right now in your life.

Now, I want you to visualize yourself standing in the middle. Look
to your right and see Success. Now, look to your to left and see failure.

The thought of failure is what stops people dead in their tracks. They
want to stay away from it, so they stay exactly where they are
figuring if no one moves then nobody gets hurt. They decide not to
do anything because it’s too painful to experience that failure.

You may look at failure as being WHO you are as a person. But this
is also a lie. You are NOT a failure. Failure is only an event.
Look at Thomas Edison- he failed 10,000 times when trying to build
the light bulb. He found 10,000 ways not to do it!

Let’s go back to that mental image for a moment of you in the middle,
failure on your left and success on your right. What I want you to
do now is shift your thinking and put failure to your right- between
success and you. Put it right there in your path towards success.

Now, when you turn to your right, you can clearly see that in order
to get to success, you’ve got to go through failure. That’s the
only way to do it!

Spend time focused on the process- what is it that you need to
do to become better? Don’t simply try and make the business easier.
Everyone is trying to do that. But those people who focus on
making themselves better are the ones you see at the top.

Mistake #6: Limiting beliefs

Let me share something with you: Some of you are not 100% sold out
on this industry. Some of you are not 100% sold out on your products.
Some of you are not 100% sold out on your company. And if you’re not,
you need to be.

If your intention is to go out there and turn a profit and build a
distributorship- you better get 100% sold out on your business
because this is what your problem is when you struggle to recruit
people to join your team! They can see through what you say and
they can feel how you feel.

So if there is any doubt whatsoever in your products or business,
you will communicate that in volumes to the person you’re trying
to recruit.

Spend time working on your belief system, taking it from limited
belief to 100% belief with certainty. And with that belief will
come passion. Who in the world has ever achieved anything of
greatness without passion? They wanted something so bad that
they threw away the TV- they dedicated themselves with 100% focus,
they put the blinders on and got to work.

So many of us have lost that passion and we need to regain
that edge. It’s vital to your success.

I’ll see you next week with the final 4 mistakes. Until then,
be your best!