Prospecting continued

Yesterday, I sent a message from Randy Gage about prospecting.

I was very pleased to read your comments and how you were encouraged. The following is the follow up to yesterday's message. Link this up with yesterday's message and I suggest you save this so when you have new people coming into your business you can give them some direction on prospecting.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's not about convincing people or changing their beliefs, as much as it is about finding the people who are open to what you have. 

It is a sorting process, divided into stages, where the prospect indicates their level of interest and commitment at the appropriate level. 

Along the way, you will meet people who believe all network marketing opportunities are pyramid schemes. Why spend all your time trying to convince them otherwise when there are legions of people who are open to what you have?

The objective of your sponsoring process should be to weed out the non-prospects, and get the true prospects the information they need to make a decision. Everyone we know and meet is a suspect. They may be a candidate for the business; they might be a retail customer; or they may be neither. Our job is to sort through the suspects and discover the real prospects. 

Randy Gage   

Recruiting the best prospects

The following is from Randy Gage who is a very popular network marketer.

Recruiting the Best Prospects

In his brilliant book, "A Brief History of Time," Professor Stephen Hawking opens with the story of a well-known scientist who gave a public lecture on astronomy.  The scientist described how the moon orbits the earth, the earth orbits the sun, and how our solar system orbits around the center of the galaxy.  When he finished, a little old lady got up and said, "What you have told us is rubbish.  The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise."   

The scientist gave a knowing smile and replied, "What is the tortoise standing on?"

"You're very clever, young man, very clever," she replied.  "But it's turtles all the way down!"

We all know people like that little old lady.  The point is, why try to convince them otherwise?  If they believe that the universe is a big stack of turtles - or that all network marketing opportunities are illegal pyramids - nothing you present to the contrary is going to change their belief.  

So as you go about building your business, don't try to convince, persuade and sell negative people. SORT your prospects, and look for the ones that are open to opportunity.  

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make, is thinking that sponsoring is a one-shot, all-or-nothing event. Actually, it's a process. One that takes different amounts of time for different prospects. Your goal shouldn't be to sell or "close" anyone, but rather to give the prospect enough information, so they can make the best decision for them. Unlike sales, where often you are taught to manipulate or close people, in Network Marketing we are looking for people motivated enough to take action themselves. We simply want to expose them to the opportunity, and see if they are open to it. Some people are open to new concepts, and others are stuck with the preconceptions they've been taught. You want to look for the open-minded ones, and steer clear of the others. They are too much work, and they're no fun to be around. 

It's a fact

I've been reading some highlights from a John Maxwell book titled Developing The Leader Within You. John Maxwell has written several books on leadership and is viewed as one of the best teachers about  leadership.  The following is from his book:

One fact is true:  Leaders who effectively communicate goals to their followers achieve far more than those who don't.

This excerpt is talking about communicating about goals, which comes after a leader has set their own personal goals, worked to achieve them, and learned as they went. Then they teach and/or talk about goal setting to people in their organization.   

Goal setting is a subject most people are somewhat familiar with. But I have learned that while most people have some knowledge about setting goals, research by John Maxwell and others indicate that most people never put their goals on paper. Do you have your goals on paper? Just think about this for a minute or two, a major step towards achievement is just to take time to put your goals on paper.

It is easier to communicate about a subject once a person has taken the time to learn by doing. By setting goals and then teaching what you've learned means you and your downline will achieve more than if you don't do it.    Want to grow and be a more effective leader? Get your goals on paper, work hard to achieve them, then teach your followers what you've learned.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Another principle

As I've mentioned in the past couple of messages, I try to keep my eyes and mind open to principles or ideas thatgrab me. So today I want to share an idea I heard many moons ago. My purpose is to try to influence you to think about what you want and what you are doing about getting it.

Here is the principle: You will always grow according to your commitments. As you can tell, simple things seem to attract me in some way. So the thing to think about is this, what do you feel committed  to in this business?

Here are some possibilities:

A title - Executive, Key, Master

Monthly PV - 5,000, 10,000 

Higher earnings

Becoming a better leader

Helping others build so they will become leaders

...on and on it goes

I will try to be an example here. What I got committed to was to develop a minimum of two (2) new first level leaders a year until we got to Master Coordinator.  Two a year. Kind of simple. We developed two a year for eight (8) consecutive years so that gave us 16 first level leaders. It took 15 to be a Master Coordinator. The leaders that were developed went on to grow their business and that is what helped our business to grow and grow. The results were we had higher earnings, averaged over 5000 PV ourselves and many of our downlines did the same thing.

It took consistent effort but the way I explain it is that I can honestly say that for me I haven't worked for the past 45 years. This has never felt like work for me because I love this business. But, over the years I've been disappointed, discouraged, upset, and confused. I learned that's just part of doing business. Are you committed? To what? To whom?  Go for it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Two more ideas

Yesterday I shared some thoughts that have made a difference for me. I received a few comments about them so I decided to send you a couple more.   Hope they make you think as they have me.

#1 - It's important to remember that a huge daunting task is really just a series of small steps.

#2 - Don't compare yourself with highly successful people who have years of experience. Learn from them. 

It's really about being consistent and disciplined and just keep on keeping on.   Take it one step at a time and time will be on your side. What helps is having people to talk to who have already made the journey and are successful. These people usually like to help others to understand what it's going to take.

Have a great day!

Enthusiastically

Gary Burke

Four ideas to think about

I have been reading some notes I have saved so I would like to share a couple ideas with you that come from reading, listening and saving. These nuggets make me think and inspire me, and I hope they will do the same for you.

#1 - Where there is little discipline, there is little reward.  

#2 - Everyone has a future and each individual gets to decide what theirs will be.

#3 - Has my behavior caught up with my intentions, goals or purpose?

#4 - Never let your small business make you small minded.

If we just took these simple, powerful ideas and made a decision that we are going to pay attention to them, it could change our futures. What if all of us decided to be more disciplined, to make better decisions on what we're going to do, to make it a point to start doing new behaviors, and to make sure we have a inspiring picture in our minds about the kind of business we really want - and were willing to work hard to make it happen?

It's your choice. You have to decide what you want and whether you are willing to have fun building your new future.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Just lead

The following is a very simple short course on becoming a leader by Randy Gage who is a very popular network marketing guru. He certainly keeps things simple and of course that attracts someone like me.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

People ask me for advice all the time on how to be a better leader. I don’t have any advice. Stop aspiring to be a leader, stop training to become a leader, stop asking questions about becoming a leader, and start leading. If you’re leading someone, you’re a leader.

Lead like you don’t have the rent and the landlord is coming tomorrow. Lead like your prospects don’t have the rent and the landlord is coming tomorrow. Lead like your products are amazing and people really need them. Lead like your prospects have mortgages, car payments and credit card debt and are looking for a way out.

Please. Lead like you really believe in the business, your company and your products. Lead like you believe in the power of people. Just lead.

Randy Gage 

Here is a great story

Let's start this week out with a story of growth and commitment that is very inspiring. Examples like this are what have always inspired me personally because if someone else could grow and reach dreams, why not me? Why not you? Why not now?   

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Lauren & Brad Napoli - New Key Coordinators, New Jersey

There wasn’t a dry eye during this month’s Shaklee Leadership call, as new Key Coordinators Lauren and Brad Napoli shared their heartfelt story of how they found Shaklee and what that has meant for their family.

“Four years ago, I was working long hours, all the while just wanting to be home with my children. Like many couples, my husband and I were fighting over finances, living paycheck to paycheck and had lost sight of our dreams. I was exhausted, and I found myself in a dark and scary place. To make matters worse, when our son turned 3, he began to suffer symptoms that prevented him from enjoying the normal activities any child should look forward to. My heart broke every single day for him. Looking to renew my faith and my strength, I started going back to church. There I met a woman who had a blog, and shared with me that the chemical cleaners I was using in my home could be a contributor to my son’s issues, and told me about Shaklee.

When I researched Shaklee, I was thrilled to find a company whose values were completely in line with mine – I fell in love. I ordered a Get Clean® Kit…and that Kit changed everything. But, when I excitedly told Brad I’d decided to quit my job to sell the products, he said, 'No way!'

But that all changed when I dragged Brad to our first Regional Conference where he met Roger Barnett, and saw the true business opportunity that Shaklee can provide. Together, Brad and I committed to FastTRACK, and earned every trip and bonus along the way – all the way to Executive Coordinator. And thanks to Shaklee, I have been able to replace my corporate income and to live my dream of being home with my kids.

How did we do it? Not by ourselves! I worked closely with my best friend Heather Hirsh (Senior Executive Coordinator, NJ) to build a great team. Then we had some dynamic people who joined us and took our group to a new level – people like Jeannine Mihalak, who recently promoted to Executive Coordinator (New Jersey). With their help and the support of our uplines Brooke Thomas (Key Coordinator, NC) and Jenni & Nathan Oates (Senior Key Coordinators, TN), we have created a community of moms and dads committed to the health and well-being of our families, leading with love, and generating an amazing pathway for all of us to earn a healthy living in a way we never thought possible.

None of this would have happened had I never bought a Get Clean Kit from a person I didn’t even know!  We are committed to getting to Master Coordinator by the end of 2015, and I truly believe I was meant to find this company as the solution and purpose in my life." 

Great example of leadership

The following is a message from Bonnie Donahue about her growing business.  Believe me folks, it is happening...GROWTH! This is a great example and a very inspiring message that is a wonderful example for everyone that.  Read, enjoy and be inspired.   Thanks Bonnie and Scott for being great examples.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

I am so proud and pumped for these amazing women and friends that earned the New Director's Conference to California!! They leave tomorrow and will be recognized, wined and dined, will tour Shaklee's headquarters, get some of the top training so they can continue to rock their Shaklee businesses, lead others to do the same and have a BLAST!!

Claire Leighton, mom of 3 boys and cancer survivor, is exploding her business! She jumped 4 ranks over the last year, earns car payments, earned a free trip to Maui and brought her husband J. Clark Leighton, is paying cash for her son's college, and loves what she does!! She is a top leader in Project Dream and is helping so many families!! She's the real deal! Claire works with passion and perseverance! She is growing fast and will be an Executive Coordinator by August!

Allison Lopez is a supermom on Claire's team! She is a mom of 3 boys also and decided to give this business a go! With little time and a busy family, she has been able to grow a huge business in just one year! I met Allison last year at the Long Beach Conference and I knew she was going to be awesome! She works very hard and does what she needs to do to reach her goals!

Amanda Donohoe is a mom and former Physical Trainer! She fell in love with the business and wanted to share it with others! The first person she talked to was Candice Anderson Reimholz and Candice said no way, haha! (That happens.) But that didn't stop Amanda from working and sharing her dream! Now, Amanda is close to being one of the top sponsors in the company!! Woohoooo!

Well, after watching Amanda for a year, Candice decided that she needed to be part of this! She was a full time Massage Therapist and wanted more time with her kids and for herself! She grew her business using Facebook and now earns enough where she doesn't need to work full time! She cut back on her hours to part-time and spends every Friday showing us her awesome #freedomfriday lifestyle!

I'm so excited because Scott Donahue and I will also be going and speaking at this event! Yay, I need to see my team, Shaklee sisters, and visit with the home team again!! Shaklee has helped so many women, men, and families! I'm honored to know and work with these talented partners that are my close friends now!

CONGRATULATIONS TO CLAIRE, ALLISON, AMANDA, CANDICE AND ALL NDC ATTENDEES!!!! I can't wait to see you all tomorrow!!

Laura Evans - newest Senior Key Coordinator

This is an update on the progress that Laura Evans has on her journey to Master Coordinator. We received the following message from Laura and knowing that progress is being made is always high on my list for my daily messages. I look forward to the day I know that Laura has qualified as Master Coordinator. It will happen!     CONGRATULATIONS Laura!

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Hi Gary and Faye!

Our business team achieved SR KEY!!

One step closer to Master coordinator. Very exciting!

This business is like a garden. Seeds (leads, clients) planted last year which have had tending, sunshine, water (caring follow up and support) are blossoming and ready for harvest.(referring others, gaining confidence). Im so glad I never gave up and they didnt either!  God is so good.

Now I am learning more how to manage distractions to become more productive. And choosing what I will spend time on versus not to honor my priorities.

Looking forward to seeing you in Cleveland!!!

Laura Evans 

Where is your focus?

Here are some very interesting comments from the book THE HOPE QUOTIENT by Ray Johnston.

A teacher in the 6th grade made a comment to a young boy named Howard  Hendricks. Howard says the fifth grade was the worst year of his life. Sixth grade became the best.    

Howard described himself as a "troublemaker, a hell-raiser." His fifth-grade teacher called Howard "the worst behaved child in this school." When the next school year began, his sixth-grade teacher, Miss Noe, went down the roll and called out his name, then looked up, only to see him sitting there with his arms folded, "just waiting to go into action." She studied him for a moment and said, "I've heard a lot about you." Howard said he immediately thought, "here we go again." She smiled and added, "but I don't believe a word of it." "Suddenly someone believed in me. For the first time in my life, someone saw potential in me," says Howard.

Here is the point the author is making about what happened to Howard: when a teacher focuses on what a student can become, rather than on what he or she is, the future is liberated from the past. 

When a business focuses on what it can become, rather than on what it has been, new and exciting opportunities can be pursued.

When we finally start focusing on what something or someone can become, rather than on what or who it is, everything changes.

Where is your focus?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's really all worth the effort

Today's message is going to come from a book about basketball - Hard Work Isn't Fun, by Rick Pitino - but it relates to anything a person does.

We all have a point at which we want to quit. We all have a time when we question what we're doing, especially if it's difficult. You must understand this and realize that at some point it's going to happen to you. You must understand the power of these psychological traps and do everything you can to combat them.

You must keep telling yourself that all the pain you're going through is worth it and that if you keep to your plan of attack, there is going to be a great payoff at the end. But this will only come if you stay the course and keep to your plan. You must tell yourself this is not always going to be fun; but what you are looking for is to reach your dreams, and this is the price you must pay.

I feel compelled to send this message as there might be some people who are thinking about throwing in the towel. Here is what I have said at many meetings over the years: I have been disappointed, frustrated, discouraged, upset, and wondering if our business will ever be like those who have made it. I asked that question many times but I also have to say that to me, working at this business and looking forward to everything this business offers has never felt like work.  That's right, when you find something that you love to do it never feels like work. I can honestly say that I haven't gone to work in over 45 years.  

My hope is you see the potential you have inside of you and believe that you too will make it work and never give up on your dream.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

It's about daily victories

Goals versus dreams - what's the difference? Rick Pitino is one of the most successful basketball coaches in the country. He says, "Dreams are where we want to end up. Goals are how we get there. Dreams are our vision of where we are after our struggle, the prize at the end of our journey. Goals are the individual steps we must take to experience the dream."

Succeeding isn't an event that just takes place. There is no such thing as an overnight success. The so-called secret is having daily successes. I've read it over and over for years that long-term success is the result of the daily victories.  What does it take to build a brick wall? One brick at a time. Same concept. Simple but true.

So the question is rather simple as well. What will you do today in your pursuit for reaching your goals? To me the best part of the quote above is "dreams are our vision of where we are after our struggle, the prize at the end of our journey." Yes it's true that we will probably have struggles of some kind. Maybe it's asking questions, or getting the appointment, or giving presentations, or being consistent with our effort.

What we have to do is accept the notion that we will struggle, but the more we do the right activities the better we will become in developing the necessary skills to build a highly successful Shaklee business. Focus on the idea that you are developing skills. Succeed at something every day. Get those daily successes.   Why not you? Why not now? Why not today?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

What it will take to build this business

At times I get asked questions. How did you build your business? What was the key factor for you building this business?   Do you think a person can start today and build a large Shaklee business like you have? I'm just getting started, what steps should I be taking?  Had this last question yesterday.  

First I want to say this, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that people can build this business to whatever size they desire. But they have to understand there aren't any secrets. Like the message I sent a couple days ago about Ty, the 12 year old - he was given opportunities and challenges from his parents but he had to "figure it out." What was very interesting to me personally about that message was the number of responses I received.   The "figure it out" idea hit some kind of a nerve which I thought was great.

The following quote by Tom Landry will help me to tell you how our business was built.

"My job is to make people do things they don't want to do, so they can achieve what they want to achieve."

Tom Landry was the head football coach for the Dallas Cowboys for years - one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. If you read the above quote again you can see that he knew what it would take to win. He had to get the players doing things they didn't want to do. Of course, in our business we aren't employees so no one can make us do the things we don't want to be doing.  But I have had this thought many times over the years, if I could hire you I would guarantee you that you would become an Executive Coordinator and be earning a minimum of $5000 a month in a couple years. Of course if you decided you didn't want to do the things I would suggest, I would fire you. SMILE!

Here is my explanation of how Faye and I build our business: I didn't want to prospect, but I did. I didn't want to be in sales, but I am. I didn't want to stand in front of people and give a presentation, but I did. I didn't want to hear rejection from people, but I did. I didn't like to recruit, but I did. Never in a thousand years did I ever think I would be sending out messages like I do. But I do it. That is how we built our business. I decided I really wanted what Shaklee offered.   I mean I REALLY WANTED what this business offered, so I decided that I had to do some things that I didn't want to do and didn't know how to do. That my friends is how our business was built.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Three steps to succeed

Yesterday I received the July issue of SUCCESS magazine. On one page is the following and will be the message of the day. Simple. Concise. But part of the answer for becoming successful in life and in business.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS are the key to everything. - Sam Walton

The secret of getting ahead is GETTING STARTED. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into smaller manageable tasks and then starting on the first one. - Mark Twain

Whether you THINK YOU CAN or think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford

What do you think? Will June be a great month for you? Why not you? Why not now?

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

The battle is within

As I was working out and reading today's newspaper I read a very inspiring article about a 12 year old boy. These are the kind of stories that inspire me. 

This 12 year old's name is Ty. He plays catcher, pitcher, and first base, shooting guard in basketball, soccer, and tackle football. He's not the best player on any of those teams. But no kid plays harder than he does. By definition, Ty has a disability. He was born with a limb deficiency. His right arm stops 1 1/2 inches below his elbow.

His mother says Ty is very fearless. "If you put him in any situation he figures out how to do it." His parents, Bart and Tracie, never worried about their son's ability to play sports. They never wanted him to be treated differently. Their philosophy: "Give him opportunities and he will figure it out." Occasionally he will use his arm as an excuse. He'll say, 'remember I only have one arm,' but his mother says, "We don't go there here.  So what if you only have one arm? Figure it out." Ty refuses to put limitations on himself.

In my opinion Ty is so incredibly fortunate to have the parents he has. They have what I call tough love. REALLY TOUGH LOVE. They encourage him with opportunities and challenges and he figures things out. As I sit here right now I am truly inspired as I've read this article three times.  

How does this relate to this business?  People say, "I can't sell." Figure it out. "I don't know many people." Figure it out.  "I'm not very good at sponsoring." Figure it out. "I'm not very good at giving presentations." Figure it out. "I'd like to earn $5,000 a month but...." Figure it out.   I would love to work at building but I just don't have any time." Figure it out. "I don't know what to say for getting appointments." Figure it out. I think you get the message. We've all been given a great opportunity and what we have to do is just figure it out. No excuses. No what ifs. Think about it. 

The Battle Is Within!

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Will June be better?

Today is June 1st so I want to encourage you to take some time this morning or whenever you find yourself reading this to think about what you want your June business to look like. Getting started in the right frame of mind is a key factor for creating a simple plan of what you intend to accomplish.

I think a good approach is to ask yourself some questions. What was my PV for May?  Did I work from a plan or was I just "doing Shaklee?" Am I doing the right things in order for my business to grow?   What are the right things? Do I want to be on a growth track? How much of a PV increase would make me excited for the month of June? What if I would decide to make June my best month of the last three months? How many appointments will I have each week? How many new people do I want coming into my organization?   

Growth is a simple matter of accepting challenges. In this business we aren't accountable to anyone but ourselves. No accountability means it's easy to always say we'll "do it tomorrow." The biggest thing about getting started is that first step is the big one. If you really want your June to be one of your best months, make that first step be a decision. Talk to yourself and convince yourself to work from a simple plan.  

Think about it. Plan it. Be accountable to yourself. Make it happen. Get yourself started.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke