Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Joecool's 4000 PV Experience

I wanted to give people a glimpse into what it was like at the 4000 PV level and what my experience was. Although Amway and WWDB apologists will claim this doesn't happen, or that it doesn't happen anymore, I have reasons to believe that very little has changed in WWDB since I was an IBO. The only major difference was that we did call in and product pick up back then. Apparently, some WWDB leaders still talk about buying homes in cash and teaching the same old stuff.

How many hours per week did I work? I would say up to 30 hours a week was spent on business related issues. Granted, product pick up consumed an entire afternoon and evening, generally on Thursdays. I would have to call in my order to the platinum and then pick up the stuff on Thursday afternoon. Then I had to rush home and distribute the stuff to my downline. My upline platinum was not good at filling orders so it was a real pain. I'd say pick up and associated paperwork costed me maybe 8 hours a week. One good benefit today is that Amway issues the bonuses. In the old days, you as an upline had to do so. (This is an area where I agree that Amway made good progress) I did hear though, that WWDB still has call in and pick up for standing orders and such. If this is true, then they undid the progress that Amway had made. Also, as a up and coming leader, my platinum expected me to absorb some of the cost of returned tools, such as absorbing losses if someone on standing order quit. (Brad Duncan cut a true north tape at the time that basically said IBOs absorb the cost of standing orders for downlines who quit)

As a 4000 pin, I had to show the plan or attend plans for my frontline, if the platinum was showing the plan. I'd say 4 nights per week we showed the plan for a downline or a downline in depth. Of course after the plan, we might "hang out" with downline and have some night owl teaching. Some people call this association or whatever. Depending on the length of the drive, this might take 3-4 hours 4 nights per week. Sometimes it was shorter when you had no shows.

We counseled with downline and upline. I spent some individual time with my upline and also with downline who wanted one on one time to get ideas on how to improve their Amway business. We looked over their group parameters and of course, tools flow. There was a WWDB counseling sheet for this purpose. Looking back, I"m not sure what this really accomplished except for the big pins to know which leaders are selling the most tools.

Then we had open meetings and functions. One local function each month and generally one or two open meetings where a diamond or emerald would show the plan. Of course, my sponsor (platinum) did not feel right unless he augmented our function with his own night owl meetings. We also had three long distance functions on the mainland. These functions were (at the time) called Leadership, Family Reunion and Free Enterprise day. Being from Hawaii, these functions costed me, as a single, at least $1,000 or more for each trip because it was airfare during peak travel times, hotel, rental cars and the function ticket. I hate to think what couples paid.

Because of my status as up and coming leader, I had the privilege of attending special meetings where our diamond would teach or show house plans. I even had the honor or driving the diamond to a house plan. Damn, how can anyone live without such an honor?

For my troubles, I had a business at 4000 PV, with eagle parameters. I was considered a "mover and shaker". Lots of people knew me and my sponsor wanted so badly to break a downline platinum. He sat down with me one afternoon and told me I could really push to platinum and ruby easily if I would only ditch my girlfriend (fiancee' at the time). He told me that he would ditch his wife if the upline diamond told him to do so. He said a single (ruby or higher) could easily attract a lot of eligible women. It was after that meeting when I decided to quit.

I had reached 4000 PV. I was making very little or losing some money because of the tools and functions. I did not see prospects of making money even at platinum and now my upline wanted control of my life. I told my group the truth and all of them quit except 1 or 2 of them who were brainwashed enough to stay involved. That was my story and I have no regrets about my decision to quit. I truly hope this story helps a prospect or a current IBO.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Joe, for your Blog!
I came across your Blog via Anna Banana's Blog (thanks, Anna!) - my husband is a IBO of another MLM 'opportunuity' & I needed to read/hear what other people have experienced - the good & bad.
I for one are not caught-up in the 'dream' & find MLM very draining & our life taken-over & a very costly 'venture'!
Anyways...I am mainly writing to say "thank you & yes, your insights/experiences do help me as a IBO's wife"!
Cheers,
L.G./'Lady Godiva'!

Joecool said...

Thanks for your kind comments! I'm glad that sharing my experience was a help to you! It is for this very reason that I have continued to blog and share information so people don't get duped by deceptive recruiters into these MLM opportunities.

Anonymous said...

Your'e most welcome, Joe & thanks for your warm reply - which is much appreciated, as, is your Blog! Cheers; L.G.

Anonymous said...

I was platinum in the uk many years ago. The blog is a fair description. Amway takes over your life. Thats why i stopped. Only difference was there were less conventions nightowling etc and meetings were close hence not expensive. Probably as country is much smaller than _USA.

Anonymous said...

Amway takes over your life? Really? It hasn't taken over mine, how come? It's called discipline!

Anonymous said...

You could be right but my experience was there was no time for anything else so i stopped. It was not for me.

Anonymous said...

so they say...

Anonymous said...

Dear Discipline,
Can you enlighten us about the time you put in for Amway and all its affiliated stuff that keep coming every next hour. Do not giving excuses in terms of making better person and saving marriages, match making and all such craps. Can you also enlighten with the profits you made from the day of your sign up? People without brain remain in Amway because they do not even know what they have lost! You might actually be living in dreams, may be you will come down to reality when you close to declaring bankruptcy!
All the best Discipline...

Steve said...

Anonymous at 5:07... what is your current pin level?