No crosslining was something that I was taught as a WWDB IBO and apparently, it is still being taught as a general practice in most, if not all LOSs. But this concept of not crosslining is just a mind control technique used by upline to control information. Uplines don't want their downline to talk to each other and have them accidently realize that they are losing money, primarily because of tool expenditues. Or they don't want them to give each other revelations about how certain practices are bad ideas. For this very reason, IBOs should be able to speak to other "Independent Business Owners". If one truly owns their own business, then it is of no business to the upline who an independent business owner speaks to.
To back up my claim, why would any IBO attend a function, open meeting, or listen to a standing order that was not in their immediate upline or further upline? If that concept is a bad idea, why is it okay for IBOs to attend these meetings, especially when there is usually a cost associated? Why in the past, was it okay for me as an IBO to attend a function with Bill Britt speaking when I was in WWDB? What good would it do listen to a standing order of Paul Miller or some other high level IBO when they are crossline?
Then your upline gives you the line that you can listen but just take what you need from it and dump the rest. Couldn't you make the same argument for speaking to crossline IBOs at a function? Afterall, who would be better to relate to a new IBO than another fairly new IBO. Does Bill Britt even know how to use a computer? But here he will give speeches on how to run a web based business, but fellow IBOs are not supposed to speak to other crossline IBOs because they may or may not be affecetd by what is said. I believe it is for this very reason that many IBOs are discouraged from reading the newspaper and/or from watching the news on television. It would appear that uplines want their groups to become apathetic and only intake positive Amway information. It is for these very reasons that some groups receive the tag of "cult" I would be wary if my church pastor told me I could not visit and listen to another pastor.
It would be odd if I owned a business, attended a business owner convention but was told not to talk business with other business owners. But that is exactly what IBOs are being told when an upline tells them not to crossline with other IBOs. It would appear that upline has something to hide or doesn't want downline to discover any information about the truth of what's going on.
If your group discourages crosslining, you should ask why the rule is in place. As an INDEPENDENT business owner, you have the right to speak to anyone you want to at an Amway convention. Amway has no rules against this. It is the groups such as WWDB or Network 21 that make up these kinds of rules, probably because they are seeking to control your intake of information. The question to upline should be "why".
> Does Bill Britt even know how to use a computer?
ReplyDeleteThat was a good one.
I always thought that no crosslining was a stupid rule. In this era of hyper-communication with social networks and such, it's even more silly to see this rule continue to be promoted.
In the article Independet Business Owner? it analyses the claim of IBO's being "independent" and "business owners", and blows it out the water as being one big falsehood. The cross lining rules (and contradictions you've shown) add to this case even more so.
ReplyDeleteFor people who are supposedly "independent" there sure are a lot of limiting rules and restrictions.
Not crosslining is a principle, not a rule or a law. IBOs are certainly able to talk to anyone they please however he principles of no-crossline is a valid one. Consider that even though a strategy presented from stage by from a successful business owner may be valid, for his group, it may not be relevant to someone in the audience and could be detrimental if applied to that person's particular circumstances. It is no different if that same strategy was discussed over a coffee or in passing between two, unconnected IBOs.
ReplyDeleteIn an LOS there is an invested interested so advice is given with a heighten degree of care and responsibility. Crosslining, when taken in a traditional sense simply translates into 'don't take advice from people who aren't attached to the result'.
Typically, crosslining occurs when IBOs are disillusioned, looking for 'greener pastures' or basically just have an axe to grind with their upline, downline or life in general. And you know what they say, misery loves company.
I considered not commenting and just continue scrolling however, I feel it necessary to point out that there are more severe consequences to an IBO crosslining. Do some more research, particularly in the area of "merging". Persons are often tempted to form personal relationships in order to advance their businesses which can lead to disastrous results and cause a lot of hard work to be unraveled. The crosslining rule is in place not to hide information, but to protect business owners and their businesses from that.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it's designed exactly to hide information. Upline doesn't want their downline IBOs to talk to each other and discover that they are losing money. In real business, conventions for business owners are to exchange ideas and concepts but Amway conventions are for indoctrination.
DeleteGood question, why call yourself a network company then? When one can't talk to another? It utterly hypocritical of the entire business. There are hidden truths and manipulation involved. That's the only truth behind it all.
ReplyDeleteI have recently been subjected to this thing called crosslining. Being someone who loves to mingle with people and interested in them, I find it hard to have a decent conversation with Amway/Network 21 members. Spotted talking to another is like suicide. This is absurd. What is there to protect? A whole leg vanishing??? Well good on this biz, one leg will soon disappear due to the disgust of this thing called CROSSLINING. Can you imagine a church member suddenly not conversing with you or an old school friend keeping her distance just because of a same business, but difference upline no talking to you. It is indeed a silly core point which will eventually be the downfall of the entire network... WAIT and SEE!!!
The basic gist of the defenses of the principle of "No Cross-Lining" as presented above can be boiled down to this: KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a valid business principle. It's just code for "Don't let IBOs know what's going on -- they might compare notes."
Also, if the advice given by someone in cross-line "might not work" for somebody in a different cross-line, what has happened to the sacred Amway principle of duplication? The Amway plan is supposed to be an infallible guide to success, if followed to the letter. So how in hell could advice about the Amway business given by successful up-line (in whatever LOS) be useless or detrimental to an Amway IBO?
The principle of "No Cross-Lining" is simply a MLM version of the old tyrannical principle of "Divide and Conquer." When cross-lines can't talk to each other, they are easier to control and to bleed dry of funds.