Burke Hedges Speaks

Just about every network marketing company has developed their
own training systems and methods for building the business.
Everything from learning about the products to prospecting and
recruiting people into your downline.  All this is usually
covered by a series of trainings or a “system” that’s easy
to understand and follow.

However, if you’ve recruited more than few people into your
organization, you know for a fact that sooner or later you
come across someone who thinks they know better.  Maybe that
someone is you!

You know, the two most common statements made by people who
come into the business and then aren’t as successful as they
think they should be are, “I don’t do it that way” quickly
followed by “The system doesn’t work.”

Of course, these statements fail to take into account the many
successful people who are doing it “that way” and using the system. 

We all want the people on our team to be successful.  After all,
a successful team means that your business is growing which
translates into money for everyone.

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But how do you handle those people who just refuse to follow the
system, re-invent the wheel, and do everything outside the box? 
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You know this person wants to be successful and you’re passionate
about their success as well.  You know they’ll only have success
if they follow the system. 

So, here are a couple of ways to address it:

>> First, the “I don’t do it that way” complaint. This can also
mean, “I won’t do that” or “I would never be able to do that”. 
You’ll often hear this statement when you begin coaching a new
teammate on how to make phone calls to prospects.

Start off by having your teammate think about his/her success
up to this point in any company. What worked?  What didn’t work? 
Did they follow a set series of steps? 

Ask them what part of the current system would they don’t like
and would do differently?  Find out why there is opposition and
see if you can come to a compromise.  Often, someone is simply
opposed to the way something is said.  For example, they don’t
like the prospecting script because it makes them feel uncomfortable. 
So, see if you can compromise on the wording a little and let them
try doing things their way.  After all, you really can’t stop them.
And when their way doesn’t work, they’ll be back.

>> The second complaint, “The system doesn’t work,” can be a little
   more complex. 

First, you need to do some careful questioning to see if the person
is using the system correctly.  Sometimes it is just a matter of
retraining or changing something.

More often, however, the system isn’t working because the person
really isn’t plugged in and following it.  They’re varying it a
little bit here or there.  Instead of calling their prospect, they’re
emailing or texting instead.  That sort of thing.

Maybe you’ll discover that they don’t even totally understand the
system because they haven’t been attending training calls or other
training opportunities.  Find out why and get a commitment from
them to begin taking action in their business.  By not getting proper
training, they’re setting themselves up for failure.

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You know, there will always people that expect something for
nothing.  They look at this business like a lottery ticket.  They
get started on Friday and if the money truck doesn’t show up by
Saturday morning with their buckets of cash, they call you and
complain that the “system isn’t working”.  That’s okay.
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One thing you should always remember is that the teammates that
refuse to plug-in and use a proven system are really not an asset
to you.  They can take up a tremendous amount of your time and
energy. Sometimes you’re better off if they leave the business
sooner rather than later. We’ve all had experiences with a
teammate that constantly complained, but never worked.  It’s
exhausting.

Be firm in your belief that the system can work for anyone that
is willing to do the work and you will keep the people that you
really want in your organization and weed out the others.

Make it a great week!

You’ve probably heard this analogy before:  Starting a business
is a lot like getting married.

If you’re married, or have been, then I’m sure you can think back
to the time leading up to your marriage - your “courtship”-  and
see several thing that are similar between the start of a marriage
and the start of a business.

1)  Attraction   

They call it “chemistry”.  That initial attraction to someone.  And
behind the initial “chemistry” are other thing like your dreams,
emotions and values.  Just as we are attracted to one person instead
of another, we’re also attracted to a business that appeals to our
dreams, moves us in some way and plugs into what we find important
in life.

2)  After Attraction

Soon, we begin to spend time getting to know the other person.  It’s
here where we discover whether or not that attraction will stick.
We talk to this person about our dreams - the way we want to live,
what size family we want, what our faith is and other ideas and
desire we have about our future.

We discover if there is an emotional connection between us and
the other person.  How do we feel with them?  Do we stir up
feelings in each other that go beyond that initial attraction? 

We talk about our values-what do we think is important about a
marriage and a family, about religion, what we want to accomplish
in life and what matters most to us at the end of the day.    

So many of the things we do in a relationship have a parallel to
starting a new business.  And it’s vitally important to think
about and discuss these issues when we first get going in our
business:

>> What are our dreams (or vision) about the business?
>> Does the work we’re doing move us in some way?
>> Does it have emotional appeal that will last?
>> Am I really passionate about this or am I just in it for the money?

I know for many of us, the initial decision to get started in
our network marketing business was for the money.  But over
time, once the “money part” is taken care of, your desires and
goals should switch a bit to other things like your belief in
the product, or your passion about helping others make an income
from home, or seeing people’s lives change.

It’s about having a emotional purpose & being moved by what you’re
taking part in. Ask yourself the following questions:

>> Does this business have emotional meaning to me?
>> Will it touch the hearts of people who I share it with?  
>> How can I get that message across to prospects and team members? 

Your prospects and teammates are searching for that deeper meaning. 
It’s a cause, a mission, that will keep the day-to-day work from
getting hollow.

So, what does this mean to you?

I encourage you to pay attention to planning and reinforcing a strong
vision for your business.  Make certain that your core values - those
things that are most important to you in life - are tied to your work. 

If you’re a leader, and one of your core values is family, and you
constantly “preach” how important your family is to you - then make
sure that value lines up with your actions.  Don’t say your family is
#1 if you’re always gone, always on your cell phone, always running
around like a crazy person. 

Be busy and get the job done - yes.  But make sure you take the time
for the things in your life that you say are important. 

What will guide you for the long term in your business is not just
how good you get at it.  It’s the connection to it, the bigger
picture and the dream we hold onto that makes us happy as a person. 

If you discover this about yourself and can share it with others,
it will set your business up for long-term success.

I’ll see you next week!

Welcome back to another edition of the Monday Minute! This week is
the final segment of a 3 part series on my recent trip to China.
For the last 2 weeks I’ve shared some of the experiences from my trip.
I also posted photos from the trip on my blog. Make sure to check out my
previous posts here on the blog.

This week I’m going to share with you some business building insights
I learned while I was in China. I got so much out of that trip. I
met some amazing people and even though I was there to teach them, I
learned a lot in the process as well.

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My visit to China was an incredible experience. I had the privilege
of experiencing some of their culture, visiting the Great Wall- one
of the 7 wonders of the world, among other things. But what impressed
me the most were the people. And today I’d like to share 4 traits
that really stood out for me while I was there working, training and
teaching.

1) Direct Marketers in China are DEDICATED

In my first training seminar, there were about 400 managers there.
I was told there were at least 6 people at the seminar that had traveled
12 hours just to get to that 1 day workshop. That’s called sacrifice!

Anyone who travels 12 hours to get information, to get plugged in, to
learn how they can get that “slight edge” for their business is someone
who’s dedicated to their success.

You must be willing to make sacrifices for what you believe in. I
always say you can either have excuses or results, but you can’t have
both. Many of those folks could have given excuses why they couldn’t
travel that far- but they didn’t. The made the sacrifice to come and
learn in order to build a better future.

2) Direct Marketers in China are EXCITED

They have incredible work ethic. One of the trainings I did started
at 8 am and didn’t end until 11pm that night! Talk about excitement!
The room was packed and the people were hungry for information. They
weren’t looking at their watches wondering when it would be time to go.
They wanted to stay as long as possible to get the information they
needed to go out there and build a huge business.

Everywhere I went I noticed how much genuine enthusiasm the people had.
They come from the perspective that Direct Marketing is something they
GET to do, not something they HAVE to do. And they show it with their
smiles, their passion, the way they dress, and their genuine enthusiasm
for what can be in their business. You could tell they were excited
about being self employed and about the benefits of earning the residual
income that comes with the Direct Marketing industry.

3) Direct Marketers in China are FOCUSED

They’re system is based on using the tools: On personal development
and educating yourself on the industry and the “how-to” of building this
business. They let the business improve their habits, goals and dreams.
They believe in what is possible. They keep focused on the system by
reading books, attending seminars and making sure they get the coaching
needed to be successful in this industry. They plug in and they really
work that system & they don’t deviate from it. They copy success; they
don’t leave it to chance.

4) Direct Marketers in China like to LEARN

One interesting fact that I learned is that Direct Marketers in China
are avid readers. Because most people don’t have cars- they use
public transportation- they don’t listen to a lot of cd’s there. In
the US, we always talk about filling your car with cd’s and using
the hours you spend driving each day as educational/motivational time.
Not so in China.

They are however, veracious readers because they know that a mind
expanded never returns to its original form. I think that’s a great
tip. If we all read a little bit more about taking responsibility,
time management, people skills, how to leverage, how to lead people-
we’d all build a bigger business.

Those are the 4 tips that I learned- what I noticed while I was in
China & what stood out for me. As you can see, we’re all very similar.
All of us, no matter where we are in the world, are Dedicated, Excited,
Focused, and love to Learn about this industry and how we can change
our lives!

Next week we’re going to get right back on track with nuts and bolts
training to help you grow your business. We’ll be talking about
Prospecting- so have a great week & I’ll see you next Monday!.

Welcome back to this weeks Monday Minute.  I’m doing a 3 part series about my recent trip to China.  Last week you read my interview with one of Chinas top Direct Marketing magazines.  If you didn’t get a chance to read that issue, make sure to check out the issue, it’s posted on my blog at  http://burkehedges.com/blog/?p=177  - it’s posted there. 

This week I’d like to share some of my highlights from the trip.

First, I think it’s important to recognize the international magnitude of the Direct Marketing industry. As of right now, the industry boasts over a billion dollars in sales worldwide.  In China alone, there are over 40 million independent direct marketing distributors.  It’s definitely a booming market with huge financial potential all over the world.

This was my first visit to China and it was an incredible experience.  I’ve got lots of photos to share with you so keep reading & enjoy!  

Ok, now to the highlights of the trip…

April 10^th - I left Tampa, Florida and arrived into  Beijing 30 hours later at 10:30 pm where I was greeted by my host and colleges Jack , Tony, (their American names) their wives and my interpreter YingYing (Anita). I was blown away by their humbleness, generosity, smarts and work ethic. What great friends and business colleagues Jack and Tony have become.

April 11^th. I did my first seminar before 1200 or attendees. I spoke on The Power of the Pipeline for creating residual income and the importance of having a system for building a business.  

April 12^th. I visited Tiananmen Square in downtown Beijing. You can really feel the history here.

April 13^th. I toured the home office of Flyer- one of Chinas fastest growing Direct Marketing companies. Then I did a two hour press conference where I met with some of Chinas most distinguished experts on the industry.

April 14^th. We took a flight to Shenyang which is north of Beijing. We were greeted by our clients, Mrs. Tau, who has organization of over 800,000 distributors. She knows a thing or two about residual income. In the afternoon we visited the old city where the emperor and his family lived.

April 15^th. I did a 8 hour seminar for approximately 500 of Mrs. Taus’ top managers. There were managers who traveled 12 hours to be at the seminar.  Now, this is commitment!

April 16^th. I traveled back to Beijing and had the privilege to visit the Great Wall of China- one of the 7 wonders of the world.  It was spectacular!  I ended the evening with another magazine interview and more meetings. 

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April 17^th. I flew to Nanjing which is south of Beijing. Here I visited the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. He’s considered the father of modern China. The grounds are immaculately kept and you can tell that he was dearly loved and respected by the people of China. On one of the buildings engraved was his philosophy on democracy: “By the people…for the people…of the people”. Sound familiar? 

 April 18^th. I started my day at 7am where I had breakfast with my interpreter, Johnny.  Then I was off to do an hour long seminar for over 1000 independent business owners for the Flyer Corporation. The evening ended at 11 pm with a entertaining fashion show for the Flyer product line and speech by the company’s founder, Mr. Who.

April 19^th. I flew back to Beijing where I had a meeting with Jack and Tony to discuss my future cooperation in China. Then we enjoyed a wonderful home cooked meal at Jack’s house where Tony and I celebrated our birthdays. This was a great way to spend my final evening in China. 

April 20^th. It’s my birthday and up at 5:30 am to catch my flight back home.   

As you can see my schedule was pretty hectic and it was a lot of work, but it was filled with many learning experiences. What made all the difference in the world to me was Jack and Tony’s gracious and caring hospitality.  They paid attention to every detail…first class all the way.

Next week I’m going to share tips I learned in China that you can use to build your business. Until then make it a great week.

10 Days In China
“Lessons Learned On Life, Success And Network Marketing”

We are going to take a break this week from the grind of “how to”
build your direct marketing business and over the next three issues
I’m going to talk about my recent trip to China.

In fact, when you get this newsletter I’ll be in the air on my return
flight from Beijing.

But first, I hope by now you’ve learned how to do a PBR to grow your
business, but more importantly you’ve scheduled a Grand Opening Party
(Re-Grand Opening) on your calendar. If not then do it. You will see
that it’s the best way to introduce your products and opportunity with
the most people, for the least cost while having the most fun. It’s a
no brainer.

Now, to my China trip… From April 10th to April 20th I visited 3 cites,
did 5 seminars, one press conference, one magazine interview, autographed
1000 books (or that’s what it seemed like), visited Tiam square, climbed
the Great Wall of China and most importantly forged new relationships
that I know will last a life time. Not bad for 10 days in China!

I’ve got so much to share with you over the next 3 weeks. Here’s what
to expect:

>> In this issue, I’ll be sharing my interview with “Business Times Magazine”
which is China’s #1 magazine for direct sales.

>> In next week’s issue I’ll share some highlights from my 10 days in China.
You’ll read about what I did, who I met, what I learned and I’ll give you
pictures of it all. What a ride it was!

>> In the final issue, I’ll give you tips you can use to help you build your
business.

Lets get started with my interview from China’s “Business Times
Magazine”. I’ve posted it directly to my blog as well- if you’d like to
read it & send me a comment, go ahead and click here:

http://www.BurkeHedges.com/blog

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China Business Magazine Interview
with Burke Hedges
March 19, 2009

~ 1.As we know, you have worked for 20 years to spread the concept of
finance intelligence and individual venturing. And what you did has
a great influence around the world. Can you tell us what made you get
into this field?

“Over 20 years ago I had a cellular phone business where I earned a
million dollars by age 25, but sadly it cost me $ 1.2 million to earn
it! I was broke and upset but not broken.

Fortunately, in 1988, I was introduced to the industry by a stranger
who purchased 2 cellular phones from me. Like most people who see the
business for the first time I was skeptical, but curious about the
possibilities of residual income and the opportunity to become
financially free. I signed up, worked very hard, was 100% coachable
and reached the top position with the company. Today I’m more excited
about the future of the direct marketing industry than when I first
started 21 years ago. It’s truly been an amazing journey.

The reason I got into teaching and lecturing is a result of the books
I’ve written. My message is simple: Direct Marketing is the best
industry in the world to achieve personal and financial independence.
I feel people need to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth about the dynamics of the industry that is changing the
quality of people’s lives all over the world and especially in China.

One of my mentors said to me, “Burke, help people solve their problems
and you will enjoy many rewards. The bigger the problem you help solve
the bigger your contribution will be and the greater your rewards”. This
is exactly what I’m doing with my books and lectures. Helping people
solve their economic problems. As we all know, money is a very big problem
for most people worldwide and it’s my(our) duty to spread the message of
financial intelligence to everyone who is struggling financially or who
desires to enjoy a higher quality of life.”

~ 2. What is your view about the success theory? As we know, although
many people know about this theory, why has nothing changed about their life?

“I believe that today more than ever success in our industry is a choice.
Success used to be reserved for the privileged, but not anymore. Success
is for those individuals who are hungry, coachable, and are willing to
work hard and make sacrifices to make success as they see it a reality.
It’s reserved for those who refuse to give in or give up. Let’s face it,
success in our industry is not rocket science. Do what successful people
do and get what successful people get.

I believe the reason people don’t change is because they get comfortable.
They get comfortable feeling UNCOMFORTABLE. They get comfortable settling
for less in life when a bright new world of possibilities exists right
under their noses. It’s our job to encourage those individuals who want to
do more, have more and be more in their lives, that success is possible if
they follow their dreams, work hard and plug into a system of personal and
economic achievement.”

~ 3. There are many other experts in the success theory in America, such
as Zig Ziglar, Robert T. Kiyosaki, and Anthony Robbins. What makes your
personal achievement study subject distinguished from theirs?

“First, I have learned a great deal from Zig Zigler, Robert Kiyosaki, and
Anthony Robbins, and many other great teachers here in America. I believe
in the philosophy “When you’re green you’re growing, and when you’re ripe
you’re rotten.” Anyone who knows it all has nowhere to go. The more I learn,
the more I realize how little I know.

However, what makes me unique is my years of hands on experience in this
industry. I’ve built two successful organizations. With my first company I
built a $10 million business my first full year with the company and with my
second company I became the #1 income earner. Not only have I studied and
researched the industry a great deal, but I know firsthand the challenges
new business owners face and how to overcome them.

If you want to learn to fly an airplane, you take lessons from an experienced
pilot- not someone who just read a book on aviation, right? Success leaves
clues. For 20 years I’ve focused on helping people achieve success in our
industry either as distributor, author or lecturer.”

~ 4. The readers in China came to know you because of your book “The Parable
of the Pipeline”. Is this your first book ever published? In what
circumstances did you finish writing this book? And what message would you
like to deliver to your readers through this book?

“The Parable of the Pipeline” is my 7th book. My 8th book is “The Servant Soul”
and it will be released in April of 2009. I’m very excited about my new book
and I believe it will inspire many people to do more with their lives.

The message I want to deliver with “The Parable of the Pipeline” is simple,
but profound. Leverage! I believe that once people really understand the
power of leverage, they’ll never go back to the traditional ways of earning
a living which is trading one hour of time for one hour of pay. Leverage is
about trading an hour of time for 10 hours of pay. Or a month worth of work
for a year of pay.

For example, if you had $1 million dollars in the bank at 10 percent interest,
you’d make $100,000 dollars a year whether you woke up in the morning to go to
work or not. You’re not working for your money your money is working for you,
right?

Although most people don’t have $1 million dollars in the bank working for
them everyone does have time. Regardless of nationality, age, experience
or education everyone has 1440 minutes each and every day. Everyone knows
that you can turn time into money. Then the question becomes, how can we
leverage time to get the same results as having $1 million dollars in the
bank? You need to have an economic model that allows you to leverage time
exponentially which will generate residual income.

In “The Parable of the Pipeline” I use the metaphor of bucket carrying
(a job) and pipeline building (financial intelligence or residual income)
to illustrate the power of leveraged income. This is the message I want
to spread with “The Parable of the Pipeline”.

One last point on building a leveraged business — leverage is a privilege
we ‘get to do’ not ‘have to do’. We must not take this privilege lightly
or for granted.”

~ 5. Can you tell us what inspired your ideas about pipeline, system and copying?

“Education is the first step to transformation. When I first got started 20
years ago someone taught me the do’s and don’ts of the business. Now it’s
my turn to give back.

Also, I believe common sense is not so common anymore!

Common sense says, “Residual income is better than temporary income”.
Common sense says, “Having a proven system and support team to help you
achieve success is better than having nothing at all”
Common sense says, “If you can get rich doing something you are already an
expert at then don’t reinvent the wheel”. We’ve been copying our entire lives.
We copy the way we eat, speak, write, dress and work. Unfortunately, most
people have copied the wrong plan for wealth creation.

My objective is to educate people who want a better life to use common
sense and seriously look at direct marketing. It’s a big time business
opportunity and for many it’s been a dream come true.”

~ 6. All your thinking, such as pipeline, system, learning for life,
and copying is related to the line of marketing somehow. Is this just
coincidental? Or have you planned this based on your personal career?

“There are no coincidences in life. You choose the path you want to
follow or the path chooses you. I have chosen the direct marketing
path as my profession. I speak the truth and teach the principles of
success. Teaching on building pipelines of residual income, plugging
into and working a success system, and learning to become a leader
is all part of the plan, my path, if you will.

Water is wet regardless if you live in China or America. This is an
indisputable fact. The same is true for the principles of success.
Whether you live in China, Africa, Europe or America, the principles
of success and achievement are the same. I’ve learned this and this
is what I teach.”

~ 7. As we know, you worked with Amway and Internet Service Corporation
as a consultant. Is that your first time to work in the line of direct
marketing when you were with Amway? What’s your opinion about direct
marketing? Do the distributors in this industry need more inspiration
than those in others?

“Before I started speaking to the various Diamond organizations in Amway
I had almost 10 years of experience in the industry. I’ve learned a great
deal about their system and I believe it’s the best system in the industry.
There is nothing like it!

My opinion on direct marketing is simple. It’s the absolute best model
for creating wealth and enjoying quality of life in the world. I say
this because I believe it and can prove it. Where else can you get in
a business for little upfront money yet have such huge residual income
potential — not to mention the incredible support system and mentoring
available to insure your success. The only reason you would not do the
business is because you don’t understand it or you’re lazy.

Does this industry need more inspiration than others? It needs no less.
People as a rule have a need to be respected, appreciated, recognized,
validated and encouraged. It’s a human value and is as natural as
breathing. The opposite of encouragement is to humiliate, punish,
embarrass or to publicly ridicule someone. Who wants this?”

Additionally, we are in business for ourselves and we are paid for
performance. A system of learning and encouragement is needed because
things don’t always go the way we expect it to go. Just like an athlete
who loses an event and needs to be encouraged and reassured that there is
always another day… or the student who fails a test… or an employee who
fails a task. They need encouragement as well and so do the business
owners of our industry. They are building a team and encouragement and
belief in one another is instrumental in the success of their business.
Encouragement is a core value of a team - united we stand and divided we fall.”

~ 8. Is this your first trip to China? Did you know anything about China
and its direct marketing industry?

“Yes, this is my first trip to China. And I’m very excited about my visit
and I look forward to meeting many new friends at my seminars.

I have, however, spent a great deal of time in Asia, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia.

Regarding my knowledge on Chinese direct marketing, here is what I know
for sure: It’s one of the hottest countries for direct marketing in
the world. The timing to build a direct marketing business is perfect.

I believe it’s better to be at the right place, at the right time with
the right company, product, leadership and system than it is to be smart.
What you need to succeed in direct marketing is vision and wisdom…to
see what is possible for you and your family. Those who do will leave a
financial legacy for their children. Those who don’t will miss out on
what I believe to be the greatest wealth building opportunity in the
history of China.”

See you next week for Part 2!