System flow

The System Flow is a guide used by associates of the World Team division of the North American financial broker-dealer World Financial Group (WFG) to help WFG agents through the process of building a sales organisation. Its design, development and motivation comes from Xuan Nguyen, a chairman of the company.

Because it is unconventional (and in part because of the World Team's almost-fanatical adherence to it), new trainees or the uninitiated do not grasp the rationale behind the system. To appreciate the System Flow, one must understand its simple rationale, duplication, that is:

1. there are four stages (let's call them A, B, C, D).
2. to reach stage B, you need to build a sales organisation who copy you doing A.
3. to reach stage C, you need to build a sales organisation who copy you doing A and B.
4. to reach stage D, you need to build a sales organisation who copy you doing A, B and C.

Four Blocks

The System Flow consists of four progressive blocks; an associate masters the skills or finishes the tasks of each block to prepare him or her for the next block. In other words, Nguyen has compartmentalized business-building to four distinct cookie-cutter stages. Also, an associate's mastery of the second or higher blocks includes his or her mastery in teaching and running the first or lower blocks through his or her team.

MD Trainee ("People Gathering")

A new associate, called an Marketing Director (MD) trainee, receives seven task assignments on his or her first day.

1. Submit U-4/LLQP. Get licensed fast.
2. Meet the Spouse. Let WFG meet your family members.
3. Prospect List. Develop your market.
4. Field Presentation (BMP). Gain experience.
5. Personal Financial Strategy. Learn about the products.
6. Recruit 3 Direct. Learn how to grow and lead a team.
7. Duplication. Learn how to teach others to do the same.
   

   MD Club ("The Big Push")

An associate with three direct associates is called an MD Club member. All MD Club members need to do is grow and train their team into MD Club members themselves.

MD School ("The Baseshop Building Machine")

TASK: Qualify for MD: The MD Club member's next task is to qualify for MD.

The Marketing Director (MD) designation of World Financial Group is the lowest vested position. MDs enjoy supervisory overrides, renewals, trails and can qualify for trips and stock options.

The objective of MD School is a solid organisation of producer/agents. According to the System Flow, an associate achieves this by maintaining 10 to 20 MD Club members in one's group.

MD Factory ("The Hierarchy/Outlets Building Machine")

TASK: Qualify for EXECLUB: The MD's next task is to qualify for EXECLUB.

An MD associate with three direct MDs is called an EXECLUB member. All MDs need to do is to grow and train their team into MDs themselves.

Influences and Development

Beginnings. Nguyen announced the System Flow in the middle of 2002, to replace the Business Format System, the earlier business-building system of WFG. This defunct Business Format System bears great resemblance to the business-building systems of Network Marketing companies. Nguyen saw how disadvantageous it was to identify WFG as a network marketing company like Amway and Herbalife. Instead, he envisioned WFG as a breakthrough worldwide distribution system for financial services.

The earliest form also consisted of four blocks. The first block made WFG a 'buyer's club' wherein licensed associates looked for people to sign in as members and then sell them the products. An associate's first assignment then was "Do the 1, 2 and 3 to qualify for Upstart school."

The UPSTART Program

Complete the following 3 steps in the first 10 days: