Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Amway IBOs Empty Promises?

One of the things I often thought odd as an IBO was how our upline would keep teaching us that the Amway business was all about "helping people". Somehow, our upline felt that showing someone the plan or talking to them about the Amway business was helping someone. That is because our upline felt that everyone was ultimately doomed for financial failure if they didn't join Amway. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth now that I am looking back. In fact, I would have to say that building the business and purchasing tools was the CAUSE of financial disaster for some of my fellow IBOs. I remember reading about more than one home foreclosure and a couple of bankruptcies out of my cross line group.

It's like IBOs held some dark secret and they could save the world by sharing this secret with prospects. So the theme of many voicemails (Amvox at the time) was about how IBOs in the group were saving the world by helping people. I used to wonder how we were helping people when we basically only "helped" IBOs who wanted to build the business. If someone declined to join, they were forgotten and referred to as broke losers. Our upline said we threw them a life preserver but they rejected it, so we are moving on. it was often compared to a church activity where IBOs are saving souls. I actually found this extra weird because we were often taught that we could give the church money in the future ($10,000 checks) and we could serve in ministry after we were "free" because we went diamond. I find this ludicrous now, but at the time, we were told that this was delayed gratification. After I left Amway, I spoke to the senior pastor of my church and he opined that Amway was harmful to many because it simply held too many empty promises. In other words, they promote big dreams and wealth, but very few ever attain any success, for whatever reason. The pastor said the reason for the low success was not relevant. The fact that it was rare to see success was enough to conclude that Amway was not a good opportunity. He said MLM in general basically sold false hopes and dreams.

In fact, some diamonds can be seen as prosperity preachers. They speak about wealth attained through Amway when in reality their wealth may come from other source, such as tools income, yet they falsely promote Amway as their primary source of success. Then they bait and switch IBOs and tell them that the tools system is the only way to succeed, all the while profiting handsomely from the tools. They then justify their conflict if interest by claiming that IBOs are helping people and/or doing God's work by joining Amway. I believe many IBOs are giving false hope and promises to prospects as taught by upline leaders. All the while they themselves are losing money while thinking they are supporting a noble cause. I hope they awaken before it's too late.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This phony song-and-dance about "helping people" is at the heart of the Amway lie.

The purpose of running a business is to MAKE MONEY. If the business prospers in this way, it is fulfilling its purpose. If it isn't prospering, it has failed. This is universally true, world-wide.

"Helping people" is a charitable act that takes place outside of business activity. You do it freely and without any of the constraints that apply in a business situation. It has nothing to do with making money. Helping people is an act of love, not profit-seeking.

When Amway peddles the absurd bullshit that its primary task is "helping people," it's a dead giveaway that Amway is either:

1) a fake business
2) a religious cult masquerading as a business
3) a group fantasy

or what is more likely

4) a simple rip-off that pulls the wool over the eyes of IBOs, by telling them that their financial losses in the Amway "business" don't matter.

Personally, I think it's a combination of all four. Amway is a fake business because it really doesn't concern itself with retail sales; it is a religious cult because of the vicious coercion and propaganda that keep it alive; it is a group fantasy because of the way in which IBOs are brainwashed; and it is a simple rip-off because the lie about "helping people" is just a cover story for preventing IBOs from rising up and rebelling against the way up-line sucks money from their pockets.

Amway avoids dealing with these contradictions by pushing what is called "The Prosperity Gospel," a completely anti-Christian and false theology that says if you are blessed by God, He will inevitably make you rich. This "Prosperity Gospel" is rejected by every serious Christian theologian in every denomination, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox.

Joecool said...

Excellent analysis and comments. Thank you!