Something to think about

I want to do a follow up to a message I sent out a few days ago. It was about having HOPE.  I will lift out some statements from the book I mentioned, The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston.

"Getting and staying encouraged is everyone's need - whether they know it or not."

"When people lose their hope, they lose their ability to dream for the future..."

"They brought me in to train their people.   What was their number one need? Fresh vision for the future. Where does that come from?  Hope."

The following is a very simple definition of the word hope I got from the internet: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

I just have some questions:

- Are you expecting to grow yourself and your business?

- Are you expecting to have new people come into your organization?

- Are you expecting your monthly PV to grow?

- Do you need a fresh vision for the future?  (I think I do)

According to Ray Johnston the answer for the way to get a fresh vision is to have hope.  When I first saw this opportunity I was hopeful it was true so it seems that having hope is a starting point for making things happen. The other word that seems to be vital is "expectations." I've heard some people say that having expectations could be negative because "what if...."  Lots of what ifs but I have a hunch that people who have that view of expectations don't challenge themselves very often.

Think about this over this weekend. Are you hopeful? Do you need a fresh vision for your future?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Simple business, but not always easy

I want to address a couple of thoughts that I know are a repeat, but then I think it's okay to continue to suggest what it might take to grow. I've always felt (and often said) that this is a simple business but simple doesn't mean easy. In order to grow we have to do things where we often get a negative response, or our thinking doesn't seem to allow us to become what we're capable of becoming.

So here is my question for today: what are the 4 or 5 things a person must do that have the best chance for you and your business to grow? As has been said in previous messages, we don't have to do 2000 things, but we must do 4 or 5 things 2000 times. What do you think are the 4 or 5 things we should be doing that have the greatest potential to grow ourselves and the business?  Here are mine:  

1. Develop my prospecting skills

2. Give simple/effective opportunity presentations every week.

3. Develop the skill for following up.

4. Keep myself inspired - it's my responsibility. That means attending every event that's available, reading good books, and talking to my mentor.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours? Please think about it and write them down - 4 or 5 things.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Are you encouraged?

I'm reading a great book about hope called The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston. The following is a question from it: "What's the single most important thing you do as a leader?" This kind of jumped off the page at me because in our business we are called sales leaders so it makes sense to learn what leaders should be like. The answer given is, "That's easy. The single most important thing I do is to make sure I stay encouraged." It goes on to say, "If I'm not encouraged, eventually nothing else matters."

This brings up a question to me. What do I have to do to make sure I'm encouraged? I would have to say that for the most part being around other people who are inspired and encouraged has really helped me. This means going to meetings, attending webinars, going to every event possible, reading good books, and having a mentor who encourages. Over the years I have lost a lot of sleep after attending a meeting and hearing someone tell their story. Very simply, stories inspire and encourage.

Now if you take the above things that have the potential to encourage and just reverse it, meaning that maybe we don't have a mentor, or don't attend events, maybe we aren't reading a good book or attending webinars. The chances are this person probably doesn't feel encouraged. Staying connected to the people who are encouraged seems to me to be incredibly important.  

Do yourself a favor and make it a point to do something every day that has potential to be encouraging for you. If you do this I can assure you it will make it easier to be doing the things we need to do in order to grow personally as well as grow our business.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Dreams and hope are still alive

Yesterday I heard the song by Celine Dion titled The Power of The Dream. I found the song on YouTube and listened to it again and again and again. I love music that inspires me. I hadn't heard The Power of The Dream in a couple of years and as I was listening to the words I had some thoughts.

Do you remember when you first used the products? Wow! They really work.   How about the compensation plan? Could it be true? Were you excited? Did you start to think of all the people you could help and how you could change your future? What would happen to our businesses if we never forgot what it was like during that time? I recall having incredible hope. I also remember starting to dream about having a business. Golly, what if it's really true? Let's go for it! We did.

Fast forward a few years or maybe a few decades. How is our thinking today? Have we allowed the disappointments or comments from some people destroy our hope and our dreams? Are we discouraged because maybe it hasn't grown as fast as we expected? The most important thing is, where are you and I today with our hope and our dream? 

The message hasn't changed, but over time the methods have. That's just how it is. That doesn't mean it's bad because everything changes and those who resist change will struggle. Let's think about the message for a minute. It's still a great company with awesome products and the compensation plan still gives people hope for themselves. Why not rekindle that hope and excitement you may have had when you first started? 

Take yourself back in your mind and restore those awesome thoughts. Read a book. Get to a meeting. Talk to someone you know will inspire you. Do whatever it takes to stay inspired. Maybe go to YouTube and find some songs. Better yet, sponsor three people this week because I know that will be inspiring for you.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

More on having and following a plan

I had a few questions about the plan I referred to in yesterday's message, so I'll take it a step further.  Basically a plan has two main elements:  

1. What am I going to do?

2. How often am I going to do it?

I've always tried to keep things as simple as possible because I learned that complexity confuses many people. Of course what we don't want to be is confused because confused people don't work very hard, so it makes sense to keep everything as simple as possible.

The following is a list I wrote for myself years ago for "what am I going to do?"

- Prospect effectively

- Learn to present simply and effectively

- Follow-up consistently

- Develop a minimum of two new first level leaders a year

- Attend meetings, conferences and all events

- Conduct small in-home events

- Keep my dream alive

- Build a large organization

The second part of a plan in my view is: How often am I going to do it? This of course refers to talking to people, how many appointments, monthly sponsoring goals, giving presentations, and following-up. There are two words that help to answer this question: frequency and quantity.

As you can see it's really quite simple. Once the plan has been decided on then that is when the work starts. If you look at what we have to do to build this business it boils down to be doing a few things. I know that some people like complexity so they work from that point of view but for me, it's much easier if kept as simple as possible.  

The next step is to get to work and start developing the skills it's going to take to build the kind of future you want for yourself. You have to put the effort in on a consistent basis to reach your goals. So what's your plan going to be? Write it out. Be willing to put in the time and effort because that's what it's going to take. Building a great Shaklee business doesn't just happen, you make it happen.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Do you have a plan/process?

Over the years Faye and I were involved in the process of building three different homes. Once we decided what we wanted to do it was clear that in order to move forward we needed a plan. We needed a method for proceeding, a blueprint, a roadmap, a game plan, a specific path to follow if it was to become a reality. I'm sure many of you have had a similar experience so this isn't anything new.

Once the decision was made to start building this business my questions were simple. What has to be done? Who can I talk to who has already done it successfully? I knew there were steps to follow so all I had to do was learn what they were and then start developing the skills to make it work. I was excited about the possibilities for a future but at the same time kind of frustrated because I not only didn't know what to do, I had never done anything like this before.

I had hope but you can't build something based only on hope, and of course we can't just wish ourselves to success. I started to ask questions of my sponsor because he was the one person I got to know fairly well; it made sense that he would help me get on the right path. As I reflect back, the best thing about my sponsor was he kept things very simple.   I remember sitting down with him and asking how he built when he got started.

The point today of course is that you need a plan - a simple plan. Then you must be willing to step across the line and start by making a list of people you're going to talk to, getting some ideas from your upline for approaching people, getting appointments, giving a simple presentation, following up, etc.   Then it's a matter of repetition. Your fifth appointment will be better than your first, and your 20th will be better than your previous appointments.  

It's a learning process. Be willing to learn as you go. Some people want to learn everything before they get started and of course that person never gets started.   You will get better as you do the right things. That's what it's all about: getting better and developing the necessary skills. Keep in close touch with your upline. Listen and be a good student.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke  

A formula for success

I believe that everyone who would take their time to read these daily messages must have a desire to grow themselves as well as their business. I am in Phoenix for a couple of weeks so I brought along some old notes to go through as I'm always on the prowl for ideas for these daily messages.

The following is an idea I heard at a meeting many years ago that really made me think: 

If I am not performing at a level I am capable of, or a level I would like to perform at, it is because of the lack of having a vision with clear goals and working from a process (plan).

I can't tell you how many times I have read this little idea over the years.  Another belief I have is that you are capable of doing and achieving much more than you have. There have certainly been stretches of time over the years when I didn't do much. But the point here is that all of us are capable of doing greater things. What is your vision for your future? Do you have clear goals written on paper? Also, do you have a simple process (plan) you're working from? Three simple questions. Having a vision just means you have a good idea what you want your business to look like in the next three to five years. Writing them out is a simple step but having a process/plan is simply "what's my next step?"

So this is a simple formula. If you start doing the above three things you will inspire yourself and then just take the next step. Keep in mind that you can't do everything, but you can do what's next.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What do you emphasize?

The following is a quote from a Minnesota Vikings football coach talking about coaching:

"It's like being a parent. If you emphasize to your children about looking both ways before they cross the street, they're going to do it. Coaching is like that. You get what you emphasize."

It struck me that in our business it's about teaching and coaching. That quote is obviously elementary, but very accurate. I sat for a few minutes and kind of thought it through about what it is that we emphasize in this business. What Faye and I have emphasized over the years is this business is building a future, teaching and coaching, building consistent volume, finding people who want what we have and are willing to do what we do. It's about building a unique lifestyle.

Kind of simple, isn't it? "You get what you emphasize." Think about it for a few minutes. What is it that you emphasize when you're talking to people about this business? Put another way, what do you focus on when talking to people? For me, this simple principle has huge potential to affect this business. It is what it is. What we emphasize is what we're going to get.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Do you want to change your life?

I know that many lives have been changed thanks to this great business. For one, it happened to us. Little did we know what was in store for us as we got started many years ago. It's been an incredible ride to say the least. For some their lives have changed because they have regained their health, for others they are using these great products as a safety net for building and maintaining their personal health. For many the changes have been financial and improving lifestyle. I hear these things almost every week in one form or another.

It's never to late to start or to re-start.   The best time to start was yesterday but today will be yesterday tomorrow. If you would like your life to change you have to know there is a formula for you to follow.  John Maxwell has been writing about leadership and personal growth for many years, and the following is a formula he wrote that if followed will help to create change for anyone and everyone who takes it to heart and works at it. 

1.  When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.

2.  When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.

3.  When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.

4.  When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.

5.  When you change your behavior, you change your life. 

There is a great future out there for people who work at the above 5 steps. Yes, it will take work. Change isn't easy but it certainly is worth whatever effort it takes. Why not you?  Why not now?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

How to develop skills

I've been thinking about the fact that this business gets easier once a person has developed the necessary skills. When a person is just getting started, this is more of an attitude business than a skill-based one. I say that because to most people, everything in this business is new, and there is always a learning curve when something new is started. There are new words, concepts, and of course new activities to be doing.  

What I want to talk about today is getting to that point where you will feel confident about doing what needs to be done.  Having confidence in the process for building is where the battle is. It's so much easier once you get to the point where you've been doing the right things and your skills are improving. It's all about getting better every week. In order to get better it's about DOING the right activity. Asking questions, discovering needs/wants, getting appointments, telling the Shaklee story, sponsoring, etc.

You can learn through webinars, listening to CDs, watching a DVD, attending events, and of course talking with your mentor(s). Those are all potential learning situations. Not skill building. The following is what I learned years ago from Terry Slattery who is very skilled in teaching and training people about improving their skills in sales.

To develop skills you must put yourself in situations so you can:

1.  Practice

2.  Gain knowledge

3.  Gain experience

4.  Gain confidence

Do you want to become a highly skilled person in this business? Above is the answer for that becoming a reality. Are you willing to put yourself in situations where maybe you don't feel 100% comfortable? The mother for skill development is repetition. Believe me, when you're doing something for the fifth time, it will be better than the first time.    The twentieth time will be better yet.  Once you have more experience and knowledge your confidence will grow.   Be willing to practice. It's one of the secrets for your personal growth.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

Do you have a prospecting philosophy?

I've been reminded again how vital it is to have new people coming into your business on a regular basis. There are lots of reasons but to put it very simply what I heard at meetings very early in the business still makes sense to me: 

What you can do as an individual is limited. What you can do through duplication is unlimited.

The following is a prospecting philosophy:

1. Look for people who want what Shaklee offers and are willing to do what we do.

2. You can't say the wrong thing to the right person and you can't say the right thing to the wrong person.

3. My job is not to convince or persuade to get into Shaklee. My job is to tell the Shaklee story in a very simple manner to as many people as possible.

4. Become the best listener possible.  The job is to ask questions and listen. Don't be afraid of the answers.

5. You need a system for meeting people you don't know. Giving in-home presentations is a system to learn.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Cracking the growth code

In the Sunday paper there was an article that caught my attention because it was about a coach at the highest level of basketball, talking about how he's working with his NBA players concerning  shooting the ball. You would think that since these players are at the pinnacle of the sport they wouldn't need as much coaching as they might need direction for their talents, but this coach believes he can change the players' lives by working daily on changing their mechanics and their minds. He further believes the only thing stopping a player from stardom "might be the thoughts between his ears." 

Of course I thought about our business. One of the greatest challenges we have is seeing beyond our comfort zone, and the easiest thing to do is to not allow anything to interfere with that comfort zone. Another way to think of this is most of us have to change something if we are to reach our God-given potential.  Change? Ugh! Many of us have to change our mind, view, or perspective.   For example, what is your view of the word "sell," approaching people, prospecting, making calls, making appointments, following up, failure, or giving presentations?  

Moving forward and making progress is about accepting challenges and facing obstacles - or maybe it's just that we have to start doing some things that make us feel somewhat uncomfortable.  Here is my suggestion for this week: think about your thinking. Are you stopping yourself from growing and achieving because of doubt or feeling uncomfortable? Do something today that challenges your comfort zone. Better yet, repeat it at least 5 times this week and see what happens.  

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

FDA warning letters to nutrition companies

Please take the time to read this message, passed along by Rod Larkin. 

 

Note-  I sent this to Shaklee's legal dept for approval regarding accuracy before sending, and I received a reply back that this information is accurate and ready to be passed on.

                                          Rod Larkin

FDA Sends Warning Letters To Nutrition Companies

 

The FDA has recently been conducting some sting operations and is really beginning to crack down on companies that are making unauthorized health claims for their products. The most recent sting operation involves the Ebola virus and companies that are making unauthorized claims that their products can prevent it (Ebola) or protect you from it.

 

We in Shaklee see this crackdown by the FDA as a good thing! This is why Shaklee has ALWAYS been so careful in what is stated on our labels, our literature, our web sites etc. If you stick to what Shaklee claims, you are safe. However, if you put things on literature and on the Internet that are unauthorized health claims, you will fall away from the protection of Shaklee and a person could personally come onto the radar screen of the FDA, which no one wants to do.

 

Stick to what Shaklee says about their products and you are GOLDEN!

 

The biggest culprits today when it comes to companies making unsubstantiated and/or unauthorized health claims seem to be companies that are marketing essential oils, herbal products, and botanicals. In most cases, there is no long-term clinical studies and science to substantiate and back up the claims these companies and/or their distributors are making about their products. Many of the independent distributors for these companies make outlandish health and "cure all" claims that are mind blowing.

 

In the spring of this year, Danette and I did a number of trade shows with Shaklee 180. I was listening in on a conversation that a distributor at her booth was making about one of their essential oils. "Take just 2 drops a day and your "health problem" will be gone"-- claiming that 2 drops of their product will cure that person's illness. At another show, we were next to another weight loss product booth. The distributor claimed that their "miracle drink" will have the pounds melting away-- up to 25 lbs a month-- 6 lbs a week. Really? Seriously?

 

As you will also note-- these letters have been generated mostly as a result of things being published on web sites which means--- web sites are being watched and policed and you must be careful what you say on the Internet. You'll also see where the FDA knocked on some of these companies doors for a dreaded "surprise inspection" of their facility.

 

In the mid-1990s, Shaklee Corporation actually invited representatives from the FDA to tour our manufacturing facility at the time in Norman, OK. They came, were given a presentation about Shaklee's good manufacturing practices, and then given an open tour of our entire facility. The members of the FDA left greatly impressed with what they saw. While most companies would shudder and hide from having the FDA walk thru their doors, Shaklee opened our doors and invited them to come take a look at us and what we do.

 

Take a look at some of the FDA Warning Letters below sent to some of our competitors and to some of their distributors for making unauthorized claims and what the possible consequences can become. If these companies to not adhere to and comply with the warnings, they run the risk of being shutdown. You don't need to take the time to read the entire letters as they are quite detailed. Just read the first couple of paragraphs and you'll get the message that is being delivered.

 

Young Living Essential Oils   http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm416023.htm

 

doTerra Essential Oils   http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm415809.htm

 

Calcomp Nutrition  http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm416253.htm

 

Natural Solutions   http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm416051.htm

 

EnerHealth Botanicals   http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm410131.htm

 

Multimmunity   http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2014/ucm417431.htm

 

Very Happy To Be Representing Shaklee Products!

 

Rod Larkin

A great example

Below are some comments from Terri Hofsommer in our downline. Terri is a Senior Director in northern Minnesota.

As you read this I think you will feel her attitude and commitment to her personal growth as well as business growth. This is what it takes. Enjoy and learn from this message.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

 

I praise God for the opportunities (from health, wealth, personal growth and friends) Shaklee has provided me! The products and Company don’t stand alone, however, in my wonderful experience.  It has been an on-going self-development  - because opportunities make us dig in and develop ourselves - as opportunities come, we are forced to have self growth and grow with the opportunity! My personal self growth is not something I talk about much but it has been such a huge part of my Shaklee journey! Working with people and the need to be confident, patient, steady and consistent with some wisdom and self-control has been a growing journey for me! Growth and leadership gives us new responsibilities and for me requires constant self growth and wise self talk.

One thing I have learned a lot about from you is about my self talk.  My nature likes to be safe. It is easy to talk myself out of things I allow my mind to doubt I can do. I feel stronger because of a habit of new self talk that I learned from your constant teaching on that issue. I now practice talking to myself in ways that promote growth instead of bring it to a standstill! I ask myself that question you mentioned a lot; what is one willing to do to achieve what they want. Need has often spoken to my heart and influenced me stronger than my want. It motivates me so I exchange the word want for need.

I continue to have the desire to keep putting one foot after the other in forward motion, and strive for growth and accomplishments I can feel good about and achieve with that right frame of mind.

- Terri Hofsommer

The next 7 weeks could be your best ever

The following message was sent to me from Mike & Jo Coogan who are first level Master Coordinators. The quote by John Mason requires reading two or three times. Enjoy and benefit from the message.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

"Mediocrity is a place and it is bordered on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by lack of vision."  -- John Mason

The above quote might help you to make a decision that starting today you are going to work hard and do whatever it takes to have your best couple of months EVER.

We have October and November to take action like never before, work hard for the next 7 weeks before Thanksgiving.  Do the things you know how to do; have two conversations a day about Shaklee; do some in-home events; invite people to the Monday Night Wellness Webinars; call your members and say "hello." It's about getting into action...making things happen.

If you do this, it will get you to your goals before the end of the year.  And...set the stage for you to have an incredible year in 2015!

All our best, Jo & Mike Coogan

How's your belief?

One thing that is vital for growing this business is having a strong belief. I remember very vividly when my belief about building a large business became etched in stone. It was the month when we broke out our fourth first level sales leader which was about two plus years into the business. I would have to say that until that time I kind of wondered if we would ever have the kind of business I dreamed about. I thought it would be great to have at least 100 sales leaders in our downline. At that time it was a thought, not a belief.

That month when we broke out number 4, something clicked in my mind. For some reason that is when I knew that we could have a large business. I just knew it. My belief was sky high. I think it was because we now had four first levels and a few second levels and I felt that we have paid our dues. We had learned what it takes to build this business so now it was just a matter of having the discipline of continuing to do the right things. 

This business is not about who believes the fastest, it's about who believes the longest. We never grew as fast as many people did during those years, but then I never bought into the idea that I was in a race. I knew that we were doing the right things and that we would grow. I had the belief, now I just had to be consistent with my effort.  

How's your belief regarding the dream and goals that you have? Has it arrived yet? I think the example of how my belief came over two years into the business is a clue of how it might work for others. I had belief in the products and the company very early. But the belief in myself that I could build a large business came after a series of taking the right steps. Major point: stick with it. Don't give up. Be consistent with your effort.  Keep working hard. Do the right things.   Believe me the day will come when all of a sudden you will know that you know you can have the dream you're after.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Find something scary

I subscribe to SUCCESS magazine and received the November issue yesterday.  Darren Hardy who is the publisher wrote a interesting article. Darren's father, whom he calls coach, told him two money rules:

 Rule No. 1 -  "Find something scary.  Find something most don't have the courage to do. The scary things pay the most."

Rule No. 2 -  " Training is always worth the price. You don't have any money to show for it, but you got  something much more valuable - important skills to use over and over. If you continue to apply them, you'll make millions."

Darren says, "Sure enough I have repeatedly used everything I learned that uncompensated day: overcoming objections, facing rejection, making a sale to a moving target, people skills and perseverance."

For those of us who came into this business with little or no experience, many things seemed kind of scary.  Approaching people with an idea that could change their lives is scary for some people. Speaking in front of people, giving a presentation, follow-up, etc.   I for for one am one of those persons who felt fear when I got started because I had never thought about being involved in this kind of business. But once I learned what this business offered, I decided if other people could do it, so could I.

How about you? Ever felt fear? It's been kind of scary at times. What I have learned is it's worth the effort to be an "over-comer" and to fight through those scary things because once you do, your life will have been changed. Go for it. Fight through those scary times. You'll never regret it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

4 ways to grow this business

My good friend Terry Slattery introduced me to a friend of his who is a very successful sales trainer. I sat down with Al Strauss for a couple of hours a few years ago. The following idea came from that conversation.

4 Ways to Grow This Business

A. Sell existing products to existing members.

B. Sell new products to existing members.

C. Sell existing products to new members.

D. Find new people to do A, B, and C.

When you look at the above four ways a person can grow, which ones describe how you are currently working at Shaklee? Which way(s) do you think will create excitement and growth? If someone asks you today how this business works, the above is the most accurate answer I would give. Very few words are needed but each way describes some form of activity.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

You have the potential

I want to write about potential this morning.  Everyone has potential inside of them. The question is, how do we take advantage of it? Something has to take place that really encourages us. I know that when I feel encouraged I start to think differently; for me, that means thinking bigger and that makes me to raise the bar mentally of what it is I might want to make happen. So maybe that is the answer?  Very simple, just be encouraged.

Now, that brings up the question of how often does a person feel encouraged?  I always felt encouraged when I attended a good meeting. Hearing about other peoples' success was a major encouragement for me as I would think, 'if they can do it why can't I do the same thing?' I have some CDs that I have listened to many, many times just because they get my mind going on a good track. I also get encouraged as I'm reading a book - and I get new ideas.   When I have new ideas I feel inspired.

As I'm writing this message, one other thing comes to mind: my expectations always seem to raise as I read, listen to a excellent CD, or attend a meeting. The point here is that one of the things we in this business have to do is to put ourselves in the right environment so we can be encouraged. I also know that it's so much easier to do the right activities when we feel inspired and encouraged.

So, what are you reading?  What CD do you have that you want to listen to again and again and again? Are you going to attend or conduct a meeting this week?   Who is your encourager? Who are you listening to? Do you do something that lifts your spirit every week? Remember, in this business we are all independent contractors, not employees, and that means that it is each person's responsibility to do things that are encouraging and inspiring. What will you do today that inspires you

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke