One thing many IBOs will talk about is how they were told that they would have to work hard and that they would not get rich quick in the Amway business. That Amway was not a get rich quick scheme. I do believe this, but what many Amway IBOs and Amway enthusiasts will not mention is that somewhere in the plan or when they were recruited, they were either directly told or implied that they would eventually "get rich" by joining Amway, whether it was "quick" or not.
If people were told that they would not get rich/wealthy and that they would have to work hard and that they would have to overcome the name reputation, how many people would join? As evidence to prove my point, many IBOs and former IBOs know about a major function occuring around this time of the year called "Winter Conference" or "Dream Night". A handful of diamonds would host a dinner and they would show slideshows of extravagant wealth. Since in my days, IBOs were told there was NO PROFIT IN TOOLS, it was implied that all the luxurious trappings were a result of Amway income.
The slide show was shown while the song "I wanna be rich" was playing in the background. There were pictures of jet skis, yachts, boats, jets, fancy cars, golf courses and designer suits and mansions. The audience was told that diamonds paid for everything in cash. The diamonds would stand on stage and tell the audience that they will work 24/7 but it was so worth it to go diamond. That you could catch up on sleep when you are a diamond. That the IBOs in the audience needed to hurry up and join them so they would have more playmates.
Looking back, it was a nice function. It got people to dream of having all of this material wealth. Sadly, I don't think a single one of the audience I was in ever got close to achieving that kind of success. In fact, the LOS I was in, WWDB, didn't have many new diamonds since I left Amway and in fact I think some diamonds have disappeared! Maybe they became negative losers?
Yes, when you are prospected in Amway, the speaker may tell you that Amway is not
get rich quick.
What they don't tell you is that you probably won't become rich at all.
To get rich you need to build a group of many thousands downline. This is just not doable. Then you would have to maintain it. Tgats why only a few people gkt rich. And all of them had the leadership and motivational skiĺls needed. These are rare skills. The ordinary guy joining just cant do. He is there to use some products to keep commissions going to the upline. Then he quits and is replaced.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention you probably have to lie a bit to keep a group like that together when they are losing money
DeleteLooking back at my brief stint in "multiple level marketing", I think I might have been the only person there who wasn't obsessed with getting rich. I just thought I saw an honest retail business opportunity that would provide a decent income. I signed up for a modest amount and then was told I needed to take a three day brainwashing oops I mean "business training" seminar. Looking back I can't believe I paid for my own brainwashing. It was about twenty hours long the first two days (sleep deprivation) and then they kept us up all night long, brought in a dynamic (pure bullshit) motivational speaker who told us to go out there and find the money to make your commitment to the "business" RIGHT NOW. That's where they set the hook. The product wouldn't sell but they told me that's only because the public is just too blind to see how great it is yet, but that doesn't matter because "we don't have time right now" to sell retail because we need to build our sales downlines to handle the huge sales that will come later. Just like that I became another sucker looking for other suckers just like the sucker who recruited me. That poor man in the end virtually destroyed his life with his family because he was in too deep and was too brainwashed to see it but that's another story.
ReplyDeleteThe 99% who lose their money at this (and even most of the remaining 1% don't make as much as they would make for their efforts in an honest business or job) are mostly just gullible but decent people who let down their guard to follow their dreams.
But as for the very few who are actually making real money at this, if I had to shake hands with one of them I would wash my hands with lye soap (not Amway's) and take a shower afterword just for being in the same room with them. If you take away the bells and whistles, props, b.s. and brainwashing to examine this thing as an actual business model, which is like heresy to Amway for obvious reasons, you can see these people for the ruthless, conniving and predatory people they are. They want only your money. Don't let the warm smile and handshake deceive you. An Ambot and his money are soon parted.
Great comments. I agree. They get you hooked. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes they might mention you can work Amway and earn $250 a month to help with the bills. But then they promote the function and things seem exciting and all, Then you wake up with empty pockets one morning. Most quit before they sink too deep but some people like my former sponsor, gets sucked in deep. My former sponsor is still active and he joined in 1993.
Delete@Joecool: I agree, most people like you and myself wake up from the spell and get out with our shirts still on our backs but I can't believe how many people do it for years. You do get a kind of a buzz from the cult meetings but that's hardly worth the money you put into it, let alone trading your friends and family away to hang with your fellow cult members because they are the only ones who "see the light" just like you (think you) do.
ReplyDeleteFor the uninitiated, if you see a nicely dressed person get out of a car that looks like it was just saved from the compactor and he or she initiates a conversation with you and then switches gears to talk about "this thing" they do for extra money, hold onto your wallet.
You're right. I remember seeing old beat up cars with guys in suits driving them at functions. Looking back it's pretty sad to see guys in need working hard and doing what it takes only to get hosed by upline via the sale of tools. My former sponsor was sold out in 1993 and is still sold out. He was platinum but last I heard he had fallen back to 2500 or so. My former sponsor was a physician so imagine how much money he's lost by closing his practice to travel to functions each year.
DeleteFunny thing, Amway tells you your job is no damn good because you could lose it but that an Amway "business" has lasting value. Like most everything else they say, the truth is the exact opposite. Your boss pays you to learn marketable skills which have value that you can use to either get another, better paying job or you can use those skills to start your own legitimate business and compete with your old boss and maybe even take away some of his old customers that you used to take care of.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, even if you spend years of your life and tons of your $$ hustling for these guys to build any real downline it could all go "poof" any time. The government could shut it down, greater public awareness would dry up the money coming in from the bottom, and even a fire in the company records office could destroy your Amway business LOL. You see, your Amway business is actually worth no more than the piece of paper that shows your place in the pyramid. Burn that piece of paper or shuffle the deck and what's left and two bucks will buy you a Big Mac.
Spot on comments! Thanks!
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