Here is the secret for getting better...

Yesterday, Faye and I were on FaceTime with our daughter and her two kids, Griffin and Eve. This is the best thing about cell phones as far as I'm concerned because they live in New York and we are in Minnesota and thanks to Rachel we do FaceTime about 4 times every week.

 

Rachel was reading from a list of things to do for 5 year old Griffin. As she was reading the list one of the things to do kind of jumped out for me. Rachel is teaching Griffin some values she has created for him to learn and here is one of the values that caught my attention: Practice makes things easier!

 

Faye said, "there's a message for dad to use."  Of course, I agreed because it's a great value to learn for anyone - especially in our business. Getting better at building a Shaklee business takes time, effort and practice because practice makes things easier.

 

Practice getting in conversations. Practice getting appointments. Practice giving a nutrition presentation. Practice giving a opportunity presentation.  Practice doing meetings. Practice having a great attitude.  I think you get it.

 

Here is the point. It's about things you need to know and do to strengthen your mind so you can consistently make progress.  Practice!

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

You have what it takes

I've been thinking about what it is that helps people do more of what they want to do? My bet is that everyone, and I mean 100%, of people want their business to be larger than it is and earn more than they are earning. I don't have all the answers but I think I know part of the answer is having purpose.

 

Having purpose is a major reason people seem to get motivated and involved to take some action.  When there is no or little purpose, what goes with that is low activity. "I'll do it later." With purpose, "I'll pay attention because I care about my future."

 

I have a suggestion: why don't you get a pad of paper and sit down and write the reasons you got involved with this business? What inspired you? A person? A meeting? New ideas? The products?  A new future?  Lack of the income you dream about?  Why did you get involved?

 

Do you still get excited about the possibilities for your future?  Are you still inspired to put yourself to work? It's worth it. It's about having that purpose, that feeling of succeeding. It's not going to be easy - it never is. It's about accepting the challenge.

 

You must assume you have what it takes to reach the goals you want to reach. Never stop believing in yourself.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

What do you expect?

When I think about the kind of opportunity we have, it really makes me feel very fortunate to have found Shaklee on May 1, 1970. There has been a lot of water over the dam and all of us have faced adversities of some kind. But being an "over-comer" is a part of life on the ranch. 

 

In this business you can't hope for good things to happen, you have to expect good things are going to happen. I believe that people with positive expectations have various adversities just like everyone does, but there is a difference because those who expect good things to happen seem to experience good things taking place.

 

What are your expectations for the remainder of this week?

Do you have a simple plan for your activity?

Maybe a new prospect has crossed your path.  Now what?

Maybe there are people in your area that need to feel better.

 

Think about it!

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

There are no secrets

There aren't any secrets about building this business. Some people look for that secret but it's never been found that I know of. But the good news is there is a process and when a person learns that process, works at developing the necessary skills, it's amazing how everything seems to come together.

 

What is that process? Asking questions and being a good listener. Learn how to get an appointment to share the products and/or the earning opportunity. Give a simple presentation. Follow up. Attend or conduct as many meetings as possible. Talk to your mentor and ask questions. Have a great attitude.  And don't be discouraged when someone says "No."

 

The best advice I can think of to give you is to make sure you do something every day about your future. Set some goals. How much do you want to earn 2 to 5 years from today? How much time can you invest every week for building your future? 

 

Think big! This opportunity will give you exactly what you want if you are willing to learn what to do and how to get it done.

 

Enthusiastically, 

Gary Burke

How it gets easier to build

Here is a simple idea that makes sense to me. 

 

The more experiences a person has in building this business, the easier it gets. So: if you want it to get easier, you should be working hard to have more experience.

 

Have you been looking for people who want what Shaklee offers?

 

Are you asking questions? Are you having appointments to talk about the products and/or the earning opportunity? Is giving a nice simple presentation on your schedule for this week? Do you have a schedule for when you will be holding a meeting?

 

It takes work to get the experience, but it is well worth taking the time to develop your skills and to have that needed experience - because, as it says above, it gets easier to build your future. It's something to think about.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke  

From a 91-year old Shaklee sales leader

 

Today's message is from a long time Shaklee sales leader in our downline who is always a fun guy to be around because of his terrific attitude. His name is Murray Cox and he makes some comments about what Shaklee has meant for him. Enjoy!

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

 

Hi Gary:

 

I meant to communicate sooner but that age factor of mine you mentioned on last Mondays webinar seems to affect the speed at which I now do things. I apologize. I tell people now I’m not slow, or not fast, just halfast.

 

 Anyway, GREAT webinar as usual, and I thank you for doing them. As you have taught us, staying connected is so important in this business. Even at my age, which reached 91 last January, and even to “maintain,” if there is such a thing!  I do think staying involved and “connected” in this business has contributed to my longevity with the necessary mental and physical activity, as well as the value of these wonderful products. So thank you again for the guidance and encouragement over the years (where did they go ?). God has truly blessed me by leading me to Shaklee.

 

  Hello, and also thanks to your lovely wife, and happy Fathers Day to both of you,

 

   Murray

  (looking forward to 92, the Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise)

Action steps are what it takes

The following came in our mail yesterday, and again, not many words but a powerful idea.  

 

                            "If you can't fly, then run.

 

                            If you can't run, then walk.

 

                            If you can't walk, then crawl.

 

                            But whatever you do, you

                            have to keep moving forward.

 

                                     Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Moving forward is the secret to business growth. Little steps are better than zero steps.   Being consistent with what is important is a major key.  People are looking for what Shaklee offers and our job is to give people the gift of Shaklee. 

 

When I refer to steps I mean action steps. Talking to people, having appointments, sponsoring people. Activity is one of those secrets. Anyone who is looking forward and wants all the benefits Shaklee offers must accept the idea that taking action is what will move you forward.

 

Think about it.

Enthusiastically,

 

From where you are to a better place

Here are some simple thoughts to think about.

 

From....just making it

To....prosperity  

 

From....poor thinking

To....being future driven

 

From....wondering if it will work

To....growing and leading   

 

From....a doubtful attitude

To....a renewed mind

 

From....inactivity

TO.... growth and explosion  

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

How to catch a new vision for your future

We have about two full months before the annual conference will begin in Atlanta. There is plenty of time to keep working at inviting and encouraging others to do whatever it takes to attend. It's going to be worth it.

 

Faye and I have attended 45 annual conferences and here is what happens at this conference.  Inspiration! Encouragement! It's the place to be for catching a new vision for you and your future.  The other thing that happens for all the attendees is catching a dream. New thinking!

 

If you want to grow, you will do whatever it takes to invite new people to attend - history has proven that when new people attend this conference change happens. They go home with that new dream in their heart and mind and are ready to build their future.

 

Also, for those of you who have been in this terrific business for months or decades but haven't registered yet, I encourage you to do it today or this week. You'll catch that new vision and create that new dream.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's about one word

Here is a short message to think about over the weekend. I found these words from notes taken over 20 years ago.

                                          

ATTITUDE:

More than any other factor, it is our attitude that determines our success or failure.  An attitude that says, "I can do this" will do more than any other factor to get the job done.

 

How's your attitude about yourself? Approaching people? Sponsoring? Meetings? Making appointments? Work ethic? Earning more than you need?

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Gary Burke

Clarity and the strength of the idea

The following is another gem from the book The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith. 

 

"People tend to be focused on looking for the how, thinking that is where the answer lies. But it's not.  Yes, you need to learn all sorts of hows, but the real key to building your dream business lies in the clarity and strength of the idea - the seed. The how always comes after the vision and decision."

                             -------------------------------------

 

Kind of interesting isn't it. How clear is your vision in your mind of what you want your business and future to look like? The strength of the idea is referring to resisting doubt, ignoring failures, and keep moving forward regardless of what happens. When your vision is clear and your decision has been made about your future business, there is no way you'll fail.

 

Think about it. 

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's just an idea but...

The following is an excerpt from one of the better books I've read.  The title is The Answer by John Assaraf & Murray Smith. 

 

"Thought is the most powerful force in the universe.  Our thoughts are the controlling factor in what we create in our lives. The idea precedes the thing."

 

"That is at the heart of how my dream house showed up, as well as every business I've built, and the same thing happens to every business person who has a vision and applies these strategies and tactics.  It starts as a picture, an idea in my mind."

                                 ---------------------------

 

The simple point here is that everything starts as an idea.  The first time I saw the Shaklee opportunity it was an idea.  Simple isn't it!  After that it was up to me to decide what I'm going to do with this new idea.  The question that kept coming at me was, "what if it's true?"   What if those products are as good as it sounds?  I wonder if it's true about the idea that I could build a business?

 

What are you doing about the ideas you've heard?  Are you keeping the good ideas alive?  Have you thought about becoming a Shaklee Coordinator or maybe a Master Coordinator?  It's always up to the individual to decide what ideas they will keep alive.  What positive ideas have you had recently?   Now what?

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Change is what it might take

One of the most difficult things people face when they come into this business is making the necessary changes to develop the skills that will be needed to build a successful business. Change is probably the most difficult thing we face because we have to start doing things we've probably never done before, or that we haven't done in the past few months or maybe a couple decades. 

 

Change isn't only for new people, it's also for those of us who have been in this business for a few years or longer. If your business is growing like you want it to grow, this message probably isn't for you. But if progress isn't taking place maybe it's time to think about making some changes.

 

What changes would you have to make in order to get your business on track and moving forward?  My guess is if you're reading this message you know what the basics of this business are and you also know what you have to start doing again to get your business growing.

 

We're five days into June already so the question is, what changes do I know I have to make in order for June be a terrific month? My suggestion is to ask yourself that question and sit down and make a few notes and make a list of what you know you want to change.

 

Change isn't easy but it is necessary at times to take inventory of what you want your Shaklee future to become.

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Something to think about

This will be a short message today but I believe very meaningful for many people.  Read slowly. 

 

If you want to accelerate your rate of achievement rapidly, you must search out and vigorously employ new behaviors.

- Price Pritchett

 

You might want to make a short list of what you might want to change that will help you succeed to high levels. What new behaviors can make a difference for you?

 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke