Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Amway Tools?

When I was an IBO and even now, I see IBOs and others claiming that the tools are vital. That tools are necessary to achieve success in Amway. When I was an IBO, and I suspect even now, that uplines tout tools as a defacto mandatory part of being an Amway business owner. That nobody can succeed without tools. That tools are optional, but so is success. Noone has ever succeeded without tools but you can try to be the first. But if an IBO stops and turns on their critical thinking, one should ask, what value is in the tools?

For hardworking and dedicated IBOs, the tools are likely to cost on average $200 a month or more. If you have to travel by plane to attend functions, then your cost may be even higher. Driving the miles to show the plan, standing orders, voicemail, website fees, books and other materials basically become the business. I would bet money that most IBO spend more time listening to cds or voicemail than they ever do selling and/or promoting products.

Can you learn from some of the tools? Yes, I believe you can, but what value do they add to your efforts as an IBO? If you are a real business owner, you don't spend more on tools than your monthly income for very long unless the tools will directly result in your ability to make more profit. Most IBOs don't even make enough income from Amway to cover the cost of their monthly voicemail bill, let alone the other materials and the functions. Most IBOs never sponsor anyone, which is the key to attempting to achieve the residual income that many are chasing but few (if any) have ever achieved.

I mean if you handed out 6 cds and the result was 6 people sponsored, I would say you had a great deal. But I personally don't know of anyone who ever handed out a standing order or any tape or cd that resulted in sponsoring a downline. I don't know of anyone whose business was profoundly affected positively because of the tools. Those who achieve in Amway appear to be natural leaders with a degree of charisma. It is why people gravitate towards them and are motivated by them. Lacking that, most other IBOs simply play a game called Amway that becomes expensive over a period of time. It is why there are stories of people losing tens of thousands of dollars in a business where there is "low risk". Your moneyis drained on function at a time, one standing order at a time. Thousands of people spending $200 a month on tools equals a nice income.

But do the tools have value? I don't see much there, unless you are selling the tools.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, the tools ARE vital to making money in Amway. For the tool sellers, that is. Because unless you are one of the "grandfathers" sitting at or near the top of the Amway pyramid you are never going to make any real money trying to actually sell that crappy overpriced Amway junk. You can't make anything trying to sell a two dollar energy drink that you bought for three dollars. But you can make some good jack selling fifty cent B.S. motivational CDs to gullible Amway IBOs for twenty bucks a pop.

Joecool said...

Yes, you are spot on. For some diamonds, the tools are the only business. The Amway stuff is a bait and switch scam.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joecool, I'm in total agreement with you. Are the tools still in full effect today? I know it got horrendously out of hand in the 90s. Some site even have IBOs claiming WWDB build it different nowadays. I really doubt it.
I also noticed there are many IBOs fighting back by creating youtube videos or websites with the heading Amway Scamway only to be hard core Pro once you visit it. Unbelievable.

Joecool said...

Thanks for your comment. Yes, the tools are if full force but I believe they ask the sponsor to pay for a few tools until a new recruit commits then they raise the bar and talk about how a serious business owner needs to buy their own tools. Still a scam though.

Anonymous said...

I see. As I recall, when I was in it in the 90s, the big pins would actually encourage husbands and wives to get their own standing order EACH! And also buy extra tapes to give it away to prospects! Can you imagine? My goodness! Of course my wife (ex now) and I wouldn't do either but strangely enough, it didn't even occur to us what was actually happening. Eventually we quit in '97 and in late '98 was the first time I discover Sidney Schwatrz's website. My jaw drop. And despite having left the business already I was still depressed to find out that the tools are pure scam. I immediately went and told one remaining downline to stop their tools but guess what? They were so brain washed that they actually defended it and branded me as the bad and negative guy. Unbelievable? The husband barely gets off his ass to show the plan in all the years but they remain on standing order tapes. I send them Schwartz's website to read but who knows if they did the research.
However, my greatest joy was after I quit at the end of '97. I can't even explain to you how happy I was. The feeling was so incredible and exciting. But 7 years of my life and thousands of dollars wasted.

Joecool said...

Exactly! We were told to get out own standing order. I wonder WTF? We can listen to the same one in the car. I quit in 1998. about the same time you did. My upline sponsor who started in 1993 is still active. It's sad because he wasted his life chasing the Amway dream. He's a physician and made good money but he really believed Amway was going to lead to financial freedom.

When I quit I realized I had so much more time and money as well. Plus the relief of not having to go to all those meetings.

Anonymous said...

Oh ya, if only the IBOs know the truth but again, they may not accept it. I'm sure you remember all the expenses incurred - Amvox (absolute garbage), tapes, books, videos, Profiles of success (truly WTF!), then Opens, Rallies, Regionals, then the big money grabber-Dream night, Family Reunion, FED and one more I forgot - the one after Dream night. Also, not to forget more tools and merchandise being sold there including that Amway band's CDs!! (Can't remember their name) SIX out of that seven years, we faithfully commit to ALL. Not forgetting gas and wear & tear on my car in the distance travel. Today I do everything I can to discourage people from this business. I enjoy life so much more today. Btw, at one point, my wife (then) got a pair of free tickets for us to Hawaii from her boss and guess what? I turned it down. The business was more important and I dare not accept it for fear of what my upline will say. Truly regret some things I did.
Your physician friend should check out www.Amquix.info website thoroughly and listen to the Directly Speaking tapes by Rich De Vos.

Joecool said...

The function after dream night was called "Leadership". That's where the new direct distributors were supposed to speak.

After I quit Amway, I sort of just forgot about it but one day I came across some websites and found all the dirty secrets my uplines had. I participated on some forums and later decided to start this blog to share my experiences.

Another lie that WWDB folks tell prospects is that they have changed for the better. They teach the same garbage now that they did back in 1998. They still talk about buying homes in cash and Amway saves marriages.

My former sponsor and I have a friend in common who sells real estate. Some years back my sponsor told the real estate agent that he refuses to buy a house unless it's in cash. The old teaching dies hard.

Joecool said...

The Amway band was called the "Goads".

Anonymous said...

Oh right, The Goads - funny. And "Leadership" - how could I forget. Anyhow, I'm just glad I got out and most of my group's gone too. Anyway, good job on the site and glad we both saw the light on time. At least you were way ahead of me. Cheers ;-)

Joecool said...

Thanks! Your posts brought back memories for me. Over the years, many people have visited this blog and were able to get questions answered and information provided. I'll eventually abandon this blog but it will serve as a memorial and a long standing place for people to get Amway information.