I remember when I was an IBO, it was common for certain "movers and shakers" to earn time with upline. For example, I remember one time when our group had some kind of contest where the winner got the incredible priviledge of driving our upline diamond to the airport. There were other types of qualifying contests as well, where the winner got to "win" some time with upline, even if that meant it would actually cost them time and money.
Thus, IBOs who already spend their hard earned money on products, to earn PV, and then spendmore money buying materials such as cds and function tickets, get the priviledge of driving the diamond to, or picking the diamond up at the airport.
I also remember certain IBOs winning the priviledge of getting to run product pick up for the diamond when he was out of town speaking at a function or something, It's almost like paying someone for the priviledge of doing a task for them.
At functions, the directs (platinums) worked the function as ushers. I'm not sure if they had to pay to attend these functions, but I am certain they they had to pay for travel to get to the function. Imagine having an unpaid employee who pays their own way to work in another city?
Basically, downline IBOs are like slaves. They serve and edify the upline diamonds, they open doors, chaufeur them around, give them gifts and other perks, all for the priviledge or spending a few minutes with them. In my book, that makes IBOs uncompensated slaves. At least slaves were fed and given housing. LOL
Commercial
ReplyDeleteCults that use commercial gain as their base are called "cults of greed". They will promise you that if you join them and follow their special programme for success then you will become very rich. Often they will hold up their leader as an example and explain that if you do what he or she says then you will be successful too. Commercial cults use mind control to get you working for them for free, and to make you pay for an endless stream of motivational tapes, videos, books and seminars all of which are supposedly designed to help you succeed, but in reality are designed to enhance the cult's mind control environment and keep you believing in their almost impossible dream of success. Of course they never mention that the primary way the leaders make money are by selling these motivation materials to their group! For more information see below under the section, "Pressure Selling".
Makes sense. I can remember some of my upline and crossline leaders doing exactly as Joe had stated and looking at them in awe. How lucky for them to have earned that position. I look back now and shake my head!! That system is pervasive, and dangerous!!
ReplyDeleteBut why should you need an upline for permission to sell products? If you don't like your upline then do without them you are not bound in any contract to converse or follow thier practices. Most Ibo's are just made to belive that without your upline (aka mentors) you will never succeed.
ReplyDeleteLevi, while you are technically correct, your upline leaders hold much influence and power. "Rebel" IBOs can be dealth with in harsh manners. Look up Eric Scheibeler.
ReplyDeleteThat depends on the team you are on. Some will let you go, for sure, as you do your own thing. Others may not, and make an example of you to the rest of the team. We also need to remember what most people are like when they join the business. Do some join out of sheer greed? Yes, some do indeed. But there are a good amount of hard working good natured people who see a way out of the rat race and simply remember that the Spiritual people they knew growing up, or know are very honest.
ReplyDeleteIf they say that they want the best for you and this will make you some money, enable to give your family the things you would LOVE to give them but couldn't afford too, well, we all know what happens next.
But I am not a Rebel Ibo nor do I teach one to do so. no where in my contract does it say I will listen soley to my upline as to what to do in this business. I am not told either by my upline that I need to buy CD's or go to meetings. I enjoy good products and recommend them to other people and make a profit how ever slow because I don't giltz and glamour everyone I show this opportunity.
ReplyDeleteLevi, as I said, if you operate in the manner you just described, then I have no argument with you.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered that myself as I watched my upline direct and ruby work the tables selling books/tapes/etc, driving the big pins around, and be gophers getting food, drinks, etc. - all the while missing the speakers and "teaching" we all "needed to see". Although they smiled and said what an honor it was "edify" upline, in the end they were unpaid labor.
ReplyDeleteI also remember our Q-12 describing the trip to Hawaii they had earned from our Double Diamond for achieving Q-12. Of the 3 days they were in Honolulu, the first 2 days and nights were meetings and training at the hotel (plus waiting on the big pins) - the privilege to tour the Presidential Suite the Diamond was staying in - and the 3rd day they got the afternoon "off" to do a hurried Jeep tour of the island - followed by a night session before going home the next day.
Needless to say - that didn't get me "fired up" as the trip was sold at the functions as "3 days of fun in the sun" for acheiving Q-12.
Bait and switch indeed.
"Levi, while you are technically correct, your upline leaders hold much influence and power. "Rebel" IBOs can be dealth with in harsh manners. Look up Eric Scheibeler."
ReplyDeleteEric is the David Koresh or the Dali Lamma of the Anti-Amway Blogging Culture. Eric claimed he decided to retire on 37K a year as an Emerald, over a decade ago and some 15 years later hasn't been able to dig him self out of "financial destitution" from the bad decision that he made. His 15 minutes came on a Date Line expose hosted by the Crypt Keeper looking guy, where he exposed, at the time, the secret...which had been a non secret for the previuos 5 years...that there was profit in the system money. It was incorporated into many 6-4-2 meetings a few years earlier. Eric is not the brightest bulb in the house, yet for many bloggers he remains...The Burning Bush
And who exactly allowed Eric to retire when he did? Who would he have consulted with before hand? Who was present as he ceremoniously shot his alarm clock? Who was supposedly responsible for him achieving or not achieving success?
ReplyDeleteThat would have been his upline "Zack", aka Fred Harteis?
ReplyDelete