Friday, November 27, 2015

My (Fair Weather) Amway Friends?

You hang out with friends, generally people you like and have similar interests. You have good and bad times, but your true friends are there for you when you need them. You move residences, your friends are there to help you move. They may play a round of golf with you, or watch some sporting events, dinners, backyard barbeques, movies, etc. These are folks you will likely end up retiring with and enjoying your golden years.

But suddenly, you get enticed to join Amway. You see the "chance" to get rich, with a shortcut (not get rich quick, but a "shortcut"). You sign up and your sponsor is your new "best" friend. Most of the people you enjoyed being with think Amway is a questionable venture to get involved in. Suddenly, because of what you have been told or taught, you view these same nice people as "broke" or "losers", simply because they do not share the same ambition of untold wealth working 12-15 hours a weeek. Suddenly, you friends become prospects, or people you want to sponsor so you start recruiting them. Some may join, but most won't. Suddenly you are immersed in recruitment meetings, functions, and avoiding "negative", which is people and events that do not support your Amway business. Sadly, many of these "negative" people were likely what you previously thought of as "good friends".

Now you are missing birthday parties, barbeques, and other social events. Your social events are now recruitment meetings, seminars and Amway business related events. You are taught that these events (birthday parties, etc.) can be put off and your gratification delayed. You can do whatever you want when you go diamond. (Even though there might be only one (1) diamond out of every ten or twenty thousand IBOs) Your dedication will pay off right? Sadly, for most people, even very dedicated people, all they will see is losses on their yearly tax returns, mainly due to the purchase of cds, books, voicemail and function tickets. But these are your "friends" right?

Here's my take on it. Try missing a few meetings or functions. Stop buying cds and see how many "friends" remain from the business. It is likely that your upline will claim that you walked away from the friendship by slowing down on the "system". If that happens, then you have conditional friends, or fair weather friends. They are your "friends" while you are pursuing the same cause. They are your friends when you are attending functions. Are they there for you in bad times?

A short while after I attended my last function (I was still an IBO, just not a business builder), my dad passed away. Not a single one of my IBO "friends" bothered to attend the memorial service. Not a single one of my IBO friends called or dropped by the home to pay their respects. All of my "real" friends, who saw through the AMO smoke and mirrors called to talk to me and/or attended the memorial service.

Are your IBO friends conditional friends? Mine were.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe, that is a terrible indictment of those creeps.

What would it have cost them to call you up, or send a sympathy card, or drop by for a moment of condolence?

Something very evil happens to people who are caught up in Amway. The part of their soul that handles human sympathy and compassion just gets shut off like an electric light.

Joecool said...

Like I said, they get you to trust them above your real family and friends but abandon you when you need them. Let's face it, the Amway family only cares about you when you're buying tools from them. Once that stops, they don't give a hoot about you.

Anonymous said...

I can second that. My now ex-boyfriend was deep into Amway, and I had quit going to any Amway activities because I was also in school full time and didn't have time. Not to mention that I thought Amway was all a load of crap.

Anyways, my grandmother died and do you think I heard one peep from any of the Amway people? No cards, no phone calls, no texts, not even a Facebook message. Some of my real friends came to the visitation and co-workers I didn't even know that well signed a card for me.

What I did hear from the Amway people later on was that ex's upline was upset because he missed a meeting to come to the visitation. Looking back I'm surprised that my ex actually did miss the meeting. I could count on one hand how many times he put me and our relationship ahead of Amway.

Joecool said...

Wow, that's pretty sad but I lived it so I know it's true. The Amwayers only want your friendship when they can gain from it.

Anonymous said...

As I mentioned in another post here some time ago, my cousin's involvement in Amway ruined an excellent friendship that he and I had with a thoughtful and intelligent couple. His fanatical focus in telling everyone "The Plan" and his attempt to rope everyone into buying Amway products, were finally too much for this nice couple. They didn't want to see us anymore. I never forgave him for this.

Telling people that they can't attend a funeral or a memorial service because a stupid "business meeting" of Amway schmucks is "more important"... well, that's so sickening I want to vomit.

Joecool said...

It's sad that Amwayers present themselves as being about relationships but it's clear that Amway actually helps destroy some relationships.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. At least your real friends are still intact during your tough years. Some people lost their real friends even after quitting the business.

Joecool said...

Agreed. Your Amway friends are unlikely to be around during your tough times because it's your own fault if you fail Amway.