When I received an e-mail last week from an Internet marketer that I have been watching for a very long time and then another from a good colleague of mine about John Reese’s “Outsource Force”, I thought, “Hmm… since this is my industry and exactly what I do, I should watch this.”  So, Trina (my lead project manager) and I sat down and watched the first video.

My first thought was: another Internet marketer trying to get rich off of an age-old idea that you can buy in a $17 book at your local book store.  This person agrees:

My second thought was: why are some people still falling for the superficial videos that feature fancy cars and cool sunglasses?

My third thought was: what is a US-based business owner doing promoting outsourcing to the Philippines?

The Truth Behind These Video Series

Of course, the answer wasn’t far away.  John Reese is an Internet marketer. He’s hired some people from other countries at a rate of $2 per hour (he calls this his $2 per hour POWER FORMULA!) and is now strategically placing himself online as the outsourcing expert.

This is the same guy that got famous for his $1 Million dollar day on the Internet.

The people promoting his video series and his products are affiliates who are only seeing dollars. Want proof?  Check out this guy who is giving away an iPad if you buy John Reese’s Outsource Force product from him.  If an affiliate can afford a $600 device as a bonus, just imagine how much he’s going to rake in off of your purchase…

John Reese knows that everyone is looking for the ultimate dream…  Give away your entire business and make enough money to buy a faux-Delorean… just like him.  I’m sure that is the epitome of success for a lot of people, no?

John isn’t just giving away all of this amazing information in a video series. He’s upselling you to a course where he’ll teach you how to outsource to these inexpensive countries to achieve the “dream”…  Basically, he is going to want your money and a lot of it… for information you can find online for free or in a book.  Remember, $1 Million dollar dude on the Internet (his claim to fame).

Unfortunately, John’s videos are full of holes and full of information that I, as an outsourcing expert, give away for free.

The Problems With Outsource Force

Internet marketers promote really infomercial-type stuff all of the time and people buy it up.  Why does THIS video series in particular bother me?  Well, it’s my industry.  It’s what I’ve done for the last six years.  It’s also how I put food on my table and how the 28 people who work inside of my company put food on their tables.

When an Internet marketer, who is just trying to make a boatload of money, comes out making claims that you should never hire outsourcing firms, you shouldn’t pay more than a couple hundred dollars per month and that you should help out another economy instead of your own, it digs deep.

However, aside from all of that, I’m just tired of seeing people drink the REALLY expensive Kool-Aid.

The videos and the message is misleading. The videos teach people an incorrect and one-sided view on outsourcing.  The videos assume that every overseas provider is going to be super fantastic, speak perfect English and give you exactly what you want for only TWO DOLLARS per hour.

Do you remember when Tim Ferriss’ “Four Hour Work Week” came out?  He promoted these outsourcing companies in India like nobody’s business and sold the whole “world is flat” idea.  Unfortunately, a lot of people who then tried the whole, “let’s outsource to India” thing ended up disappointed.  Turns out, those companies weren’t measuring up.  Between the language issues and the time difference, people were finding it hard to coordinate teams and a lot of people realized that they didn’t want to be managers.  They simply needed help.

Most people don’t realize that outsourcing overseas comes with a lot of baggage that doesn’t exist when you hire a North American company.  The simple fact that John is focusing so heavily on outsourcing for the cheapest rate possible shows the VALUE he places on outsourcing. He doesn’t want a team, he wants a set of “workers.”

What I Wish John Reese’s Videos Taught Instead

What John should be teaching people is that outsourcing for $2 per hour is not a BLANKET SOLUTION but rather an option. It’s an option for those individuals who have the hours it is going to take to train those people and the hours that it will take to get past the language barriers and the time difference.

What John should also be telling people is that managing a team and building your own overseas “outsource force” is going to take TIME, MONEY and PATIENCE. This is exactly why companies like mine exist.  We don’t require YOU to manage the team but instead, we already have our own team.  We work well together.  We know each other.

I wish that John did not tell people to avoid outsourcing firms. That is a stereotypical statement and one that does not hold its weight when you look at the number of successful, helpful and well run outsourcing firms.  What John should have said instead is that you shouldn’t hire the big outsourcing firms overseas. Think of those as puppy mills but for people instead.  People there are paid poorly and the turnover rate is high.  A company like mine however has a team that is paid very well, works directly with our clients and builds relationships that last many, many years.

That outsourcing isn’t going to lead to your company’s explosion in profits and to that faux-Delorean. Nope, you’ll still have to be involved and do a lot of work yourself.  Outsourcing is about sharing your vision, leading a team, getting them inspired to do work with you and building a relationship.  Having a team of drone workers is not the answer.  Building a relationship with someone who knows your business intimately is what will create success in your business.  Believe me – I’ve seen it happen time and time again with our very own clients.

To Finish Up and Dump Out the Glass of Kool-Aid…

I really wish Internet marketers would stop trying to creep into the space of outsourcing. Just because you outsource doesn’t mean you are an expert.  How do you  know that your team is not sitting back and wishing you would do things a different way?  I get my hair done by a stylist but it by no means makes me an expert on hair care.

The real experts on this subject are those that are outsourced to.  We understand the logistics, we understand the dynamics and we’ve already been telling people about your “money making machine” that is Basecamp.  It’s not new and it’s not worth the high price tag.

Imagine for a moment that someone started a movement or an idea that YOUR customers should shop overseas and at a fraction of the prices you were charging. What if someone thought it was a great idea to support another country’s economy over your own?  We need to work on keeping our business within the economies where those people are spending money.

I really hope that these videos don’t tip the scale in terms of what is expected, anticipated or desired in the world of outsourcing. Otherwise, a lot of North American freelancers and other outsourcers will be out of work and no longer spending their money in YOUR companies.