Monday, August 10, 2009

Amway - Defending Amway?

Many people who comment here call themselves "Independent Business Owners", or IBOs. They seem to think that joining Amway and their tools systems will make them nicer people and that they will be wildly successful, financially. Yet, based on the comments I see here, I find that very difficult to believe. This is evidence of some of the cult like teaching by the Amway Motivational Organizations (AMOs), such as BWW, WWDB, and/or Network 21.

Just as Amway, the corporation's success or sales figures have no direct bearing on the success of an IBO, neither does the criticism of the AMOs or Amway have a direct bearing on an IBO Some IBOs run a perfectly ethical sales based business. but is seems that these businesses are the exception and not the rule. The bigger groups apparently teach the prosumer or buy from yourself techniques, which almost ensures failure for most IBOs and then you factor in the expenses for tools, and the problem is compounded.

But surpisingly enough, these IBOs, even those who are losing their shirts, have been trained to think they are successful, and will defend Amway continuously and fiercely. But it begs the question: Why does Amway need to be defended? They made their billions and the corporation is successful, and Amway has paid corporate bloggers to maintain internet PR for the company. What makes individual IBOs think they can do more good than harm by running blogs?

And conversely, what has Amway done for their IBOs? It's been pretty well known that some AMOs have taken advantage of their downline IBOs, but what has been done to curb the abuses? Accreditation was implemented, but what significant changes have occured as a result? Where is the transparency in the tools compensation?

The best defense for an IBO is to make a profit and show that their downline can actually duplicate it. In nearly every group in which I have spoken to IBOs, there may be an IBO who profits, but only with downline suffering losses. But surprisingly and apparently, those who lose money, defend the business the hardest.

A regular visitor here recently posted a profit loss statement from her business. I challenge an IBO to do the same. Success is the best defense.

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