Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Amway - You Cannot Simply Choose To Succeed!

Many IBOs seem to think that success in business or in other aspects of life is simply a choice. They mistakenly believe that you can actually choose to succeed or not. They apparently believe that persistence and choosing to win will eventually land them a premiere spot at diamond club. If that were truly the case, wouldn't we see hoards of new diamonds each and every year? Instead, we see one here and one there, and while there are a few new diamonds in the US every so often, we see others quitting, dropping out or leaving Amway for greener pastures. Make you wonder if the prize is worth pursuing in the first place.

But IBOs and information seekers should understand quite clearly. You cannot simply "choose" to win or succeed. In a football game, both sides can believe and choose to win, but still, only one can be the victor. In Amway, it is common for a platinum to have 100 to 200 downline. Thus to be a platinum, you need to be in the top one half of one percent of IBOs. To be a diamond, you will need to be in the top 600 to 1200 IBOs, not counting the masses of IBOs who register and do nothing or register and do a little and quit. Only one in about ten to twenty thousand will ever reach diamond in North America.

Sure, IBOs may cite some touching story like "Rudy". Basically a nobody who dreamed of playing for Notre Dame. He busted his butt and did whatever it took to make the team and the movie ends with him getting in a game, making a sack and being carried off the field by his teammates in a blaze of glory. A great and inspiring movie. But what you don't see is the possible tens of thousands of young men who had the same dream, may have worked every bit as hard but circumstances and situations prevented them from achieving the same limited success. Uplines want you to think these kinds of stories can happen to everyone, but the fact is that there is only a little room at the top. If stories like Rudy were common, then there would have been nothing special about it. An elite athlete like a Michael Jordan or a Tiger Woods only comes along once or twice in a lifetime. It is like achieving diamond. It happens but it is a rare occasion, especially in North America where Amway appears to be shrinking instead of growing.

In the Amway business, many prospects and IBOs are motivated and driven to succeed. Many of them are fine young men and women who want more in life. But the vast majority of those who try will not achieve their dreams via the Amway opportunity no matter how hard they work and no matter how badly they want it. The reason is because there are too many variables that are not in direct control of the IBO. The Amway reputation in North America is spotty at best so sponsoring downline is nearly impossible. And when you can sponsor, chances are your downline will do little or nothing. Many new IBOs will work hard, but quit because they are faced with the challenges I just mentioned. And even if you can overcome the overwhelming odds, you still need to keeping working hard constantly to maintain the business, all for an unstable average diamond income of $146,995, which doesn't consider taxes, medical insurance and other perks you may receive at a job. All told, I believe the diamond income is not all it's cracked up to be when you consider the charade you must play to display the diamond lifestyle. Do the math and you will be able to see for yourself.

In the end, it seems as though the prize isn't as great as it seems, and the trail to success is one that most cannot endure. And even if you achieve diamond, you can lose it quite easily as others have discovered. The bottom line is that you cannot simply choose to succeed in Amway or any other endeavor. Good luck if you decide to attempt it anyway.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

After being a year in Quixtar I was convinced only those that had started in Amway 10 years before were the ones that made money. I came across this movie that is a mockumentary about Amway. It's truthful and funny! It actually helped me heal from the pain I faced with an upline I thought I could trust http://www.believethemovie.com/

Anonymous said...

Great post. The point about what the IBO actually has control over is bang on. I was in it for 3 enthusiastic years. I went to all the meetings, functions, phone teams, etc. The products are talked about 2% of the time, 98% of the time it is the system. And that is Amway's dirty little secret - most of the money is made (at least in the Britt system) through the tapes, books and functions - not the products. It took me three years to figure that out. They claim that no money is made on the tapes but that is false. Its called the 'Tape Break' which you apparently start to receive when you go direct. I started a conventional business and it has kept me employed for the last seven years. Looking back, I would have shut my Amway business down in the first 6 months. I was dumping all kinds of money on the tools (tapes, books and functions)and loads of time and there was no income to cover that cost. But you are told to ignore this basic rule of economics in Amway. Why? The tapes are sometimes entertaining but they all say exactly the same thing. It keeps you hanging on for one more month because after the next seminar things will be different. It is actually a brilliant plan. It keeps you spending money you don't have and you get nothing in return. And you actually blame yourself for this failure! I put $10000 dollars into the system not including my time. I started my current business with $6000.00 and the hope that the market would purchase my services. It was a calculated risk but I was in complete control over it. I bought business cards, letterhead and a cell phone because that is all I could afford. I was in complete control. This is the exact opposite of Amway. You are not an Independent Business Owner in any way. You are simply a cog in the system and you do what you are told. That sounds like a job to me.

Anonymous said...

We're all sorry to hear that you have a negative attitude for life. As a full time student, I've been in Amway for 6 months, I've been to two functions, and spend 30 bucks a month on CDs. If you add that up with the amount I've spent on products for myself (As nutrilite, artistry, and XS are way superior to anything else I've tried), I've spent a little over 900 dollars. My first month in business I made 500, and it grew to 2000 this month. I have more than quadrupled the amount that I have spent total, in cash earned... most of which being through retail sales and immediate gross profit, with only some of which coming from a small team of 5, whom I've helped get similar results.

the fact of the matter is, you wasted money in a system that thought would do the work for you, probably never made a lot of sales, or helped people. your attitude is a prime example of why not everyone goes diamond. and of course you follow up your failure with a blog.

Joecool said...

Your story reeks of BS.

Anonymous said...

roasted.

Anonymous said...

WOW!! YOU JUST CANT FIX STUPID!!! We have been in the business for 9 months now and loving every minute of it! We make more in the business than we do at our stupid jobs everyday. Its called being persistant and having dreams and goals! YOU ARE AN IDIOT!

Way said...

Commenting and being anonymous cannot prove anything. I take all the Anon comments above as INVALID.

I am considering buying my last batch of Amway products that I will buy. It is too expensive without the new IBO bonus.
and then I will wait for a couple of months doing and buy nothing.

Personally, I think 5 hour energy is working better than XS. XS works only for 1 to 2 hours. 5-hour energy are more concentrated and thus delivers more value. A few very little sip (total of less than one fourth of the bottle) of 5-hour energy works for 1 to 2 hours for me.
and my downline has tried to sell artistry and the girls said that Artistry is bad, and they already know. The girls says that Artistry made up does not last and only good on the stage...
The entire glister line is not ADA approved. The Glister oral rinse. I tried it, it is cheaper than what is out there, however, I use it before I sleep, I feel weird taste when I wake up next morning. That means, the oral rinse does not work too well.
Nutrilite, you can buy it in Amazon if you really need it. There is no need to be an IBO to get like IBO price.

Amway has been a distraction so far.
Amway business - it is like you are doing the business, but it is not a real business, because it is hardly profitable for all IBO.
Amway business - it is like you are going to the swimming pool, but the swimming pool don't have enough water in it for you to swim in.

The problem of Amway products in general, either they are not up to par on quality, or they will be more expensive. Then 500000 products are down to a handful of them are sellable. Then a handful of them is not enough to make money. yea, 500,000 that is not high PV though.
that will down to a handful few.

I believe that I can find a substitute that work as good and cheaper. If there is no replacement, I can buy from ebay and amazon.

Upline: don't you think that is also the case with apple laptops?
me: Hype based products. Do you think macbook is good? I don't think so. No seperate backspace and delete, touchpad is hard to use, apple being sued for things that really don't work. Apple care is good though.

Upline: i don't but it's my product
i would love it and i can see why people would love it. don't you think you would feel the same? don't you think you have a lot more ownership of it than a product you buy from a normal store?

me: In Amway, I cannot control how I price the product, then it is not MY product. I would love to feel the ownership, but what you think that are yours are not really yours. You don't have full control. You go with the drift. The patents are not yours, and the products are not yours.
it is pretty much the same as you buy things from Costco and sell it at a higher price.
Except Amway is lack of choice.

Upline: structure is not there right?

me:
I will start a new business of my own later down the road, and that I can make sure that my service can really sell. Amway 9.2 billion vs. Walmart 178 billion - then you know the business model is going to a wrong direction - if you think Amway is successful. Structure may not be required for a successful business.

Upline:
you forgot about the 25%, 4%, 6% delay gratification? you already have 5 downlines. it can only grow more. you only have to follow the upline and he'll work for you
don't you think it's worth it to try and meet the upline half way. he's willing to do anything to help you succeed

me:
I actually talk about the 25,4,6 with someone just a moment ago. I believe that the upline people are genuine (because they are victims as well.), but the flaw of the scheme too big. Since I know the turn over rate for new IBO is high. they should realize the problem exists.

Way said...

upline sponsor: don't you think that there's a reason why the people who go platnium and above are the strongest believers
don't you think they all had to go through a doubtful phrase? how many poeple do you see at the gym that have abs??
how many people you think wants abs? don't you think they all do??

me: you are assuming the Amway formula is 100% working.
Since, the downline is at disadvantage, and the upline get a lot better for their situation because they get more profit than the downline.
Amway - a system that make 4000 diamonds happy, exploit the rest of the a million IBOs underneath.
Since it is hard to convince people to buy Amway products, retail is sparse.
you will not make any commission and bonus if you don't get more than 100PV.
if you get 100PV, you will get paid $3, $5 in the check?
If a product is very very very good, and most of the customers don't realize the benefit of added cost. Then it is an uncompetitive product.
Since it is Amway, their price should be consumer friendly. or it will be a hardsell. Conclusion: Amway products are not for priced properly the mass.

upline sponsor: I am not assuming. don't you think that it is 100%, that's why so many can become diamonds
there have never been a record of an IBO. who goes hard 5 nights a week for 2 years. and do not become anything. do you ever see anyone quiting? and did that??

me: Diamonds quit, Rubies weep.

upline sponsor: yes, but they did not quit becuase the business didn't work right?

me: there were.
A recent lawsuit brought against Amway by a group of its top level distributors claimed the Amway is an illegal pyramid, that its products are too highly priced to be retailed and that less than 4% of it products are ever purchased by retail customers. All others are purchased only by the distributors, who are on the pyramid chain.
That is just one of the TLD groups that complains. Now it comes to: is it moral to support a company like that. Even you are at the top, the IBOAI board don't work well for you. I don't even trust the US justice system.

Politians lobbies all the time. Law changes because of the politians. and politians are controlled/affiliated with companies. Court rulings are base on the laws.
Law does not stop Amway and that does not mean Amway is working great. BBB is all about how a business resolve complains. That is it. Are the customers/IBOs are happy for the resolution, we don't know. Amway gets an AAA at BBB is not the prove of a great business.

The truth is in the tax returns of the IBO victims and Amway/Quixtar may soon be forced to make those public. If that truth is out, Amway is game over.
All good MLM members are taught to stay away from negative people. Ignore the naysayers. They’re just losers who wanted a get-rich-quick scheme and didn’t work hard and are generally lazy. They want to steal your dreams. It’s all a grand scheme to convince Amway members that they should not listen to logic and reason. After all, they have to pretend Amway is a good business or they couldn’t sell it to others, right?

Anonymous said...

patrick, you have spoken!

Anonymous said...

Amway: It's just like anything else in Life. You can succeed if your only willing to do whatever it takes & If you "Love" what your do. People should however stop blaming Other reasons for their own downfalls. It's not that the Products are too expensive, it's that they don't have enough money. Rich Devos said Your a Sales-Man Clearly. It's these Distributers who don't research on Rich Devos teachings. Many people come in with the Intent Of Business ownership, but don't know the foundation of any business & Listen to the Uplines All the time. Just In any field, business, or organization you always listens to The Guys who came once every lifetime or legends of the games. If you listen to the Nows, right before, you'll be screwed. If you going to try to make it to the top in anyway in any field, if you don't fully "love" what you do, or is willing to do whatever it takes, you won't make. Research any Giant or any group, business, firm, or Government. They were all told it's nearly impossible. So if your going to do multilevelmarketing, your own business, sports, or anything, millions of people are always doing the same thing as you, and only a few make it lol. In any group a coward blames everything for his failure, a winner does not.

(Ask yourself this, why in any Organization, business, group, or any association, it's really few people who make it to the top) & Those are the one's who can tell you, it's possible. My point here, whatever your doing in life, If your considering going to the top, Life is going to Smack the shit out of you, but how much are your going to be willing to succeed, because most people quit. It's your choice

Joecool said...

No, it's not like anything in life. It's a scam. Rich Devos doesn't recruit IBO's. It's done by IBO's in the LOS such as WWDB or BWW who misrepresent the opportunity and Amway turns their head the other way when it's done that way.