One of the things that Amway leaders use to attract new IBOs is to talk about the dreams that these folks have. They may talk about how having a job will wear you out and dreams that you once had as a child or young adult gets suppressed and/or completely forgotten. They try to revive some of these dreams in the hopes that they can convince prospects that Amway is the only way, or the easiest or best way to accomplish these dreams. They also try to instill the notion that people can choose to succeed in Amway. Being that success in Amway has so many variables out of the direct control of an IBO, nobody can simply choose to make it big in Amway anymore than they can choose to win the lottery. And by the way, the chances of going diamond and maintaining it is about as remote as winning a lottery.
What is somewhat cruel is reviving dreams that for many, will never come to fruition, no matter how much work is done, and no matter how many tools are consumed. There are many instances where no matter how big the dream, it will never come to pass because of physical and financial limitations. For example, as a child, many of us had dreams of playing professional football, hockey or basketball, and living in the glory of winning. However, no matter how many hours you put in and no matter how hard you work, the vast majority of people will never be pro athletes. And even out of the ones who become pro athletes, very few are considered "elite".
Yet the Amway promoters will have people believe that just buying a few products and selling a few products and 2-5 years of "hard" work, people will join the financially elite in the world. As if home care, beauty and nutritional products moved from person to person is going to make you achieve your dreams. That you will quit your jobs and walk the beaches of the world while the cash rolls in by the barrel full. Sadly, many young people become attracted to a proposition that allows them a shortcut to retirement instead of working until age 62 or whatever the standard retirement age is. They are basically promoting false hopes and promises to the vast majority of people who get involved. I believe those who are deemed as "dream stealers" might be doing their family and friends a favor by stealing their dream, which will not come to pass anyway.
With about 1 out of 240 IBOs reaching platinum (the alleged break even point) and about 1 in 20,000 IBOs reaching diamond, the dream is a stretch indeed. Even for the select few who can overcome major challenges and hurdles, maintaining their status often becomes impossible and and not worthwhile (many diamonds have quit).
Also, if you do make it, you will leave behind a trail of people who could not or did not come close to that level of success. It means that in many cases, your success will come at the expense of those you sponsor. It is why many claim that Amway is a legal pyramid.
Having dreams and goals is a good thing. But do you want to accomplish your ultimate dream by hurting (financially) those who trusted you and agreed to be your downline? Is it your dream to go diamond and have 500 to 1000 or more downline IBOs losing money? Is it your dream to be wealthy by exploiting people who trust you and believe that they can achieve the same level of success, when the opposite is true?
What is your dream? Are you willing to hurt others to achieve it?
2 comments:
Joe, part of the problem is the entire American mentality, which is geared towards absurd hopes.
The dopey Horatio Alger myth is ingrained in the American mind. Just persevere, and you'll be a big success!
How many movies have this sort of idiotic plot? A young kid is a ninety-pound weakling. He can't do anything right, so he joins a body-building club and when he's twenty he's as huge and as muscle-bound as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Let's face facts: that's unlikely to ever happen. Or a crummy little bicycle team in a small town manages to make it big-time, and get into professional bike racing. Yeah, sure. Even Woody Allen pushes the myth: in "Hannah and her Sisters," the dopey, talentless schlub of a sister blossoms into a famous writer. Look around at the various dopey schlubs in your family, and ask if that scenario is really plausible.
But Americans live on this kind of mental opium. Amway taps into this sick need.
Yeah, the inspiring stories are a false equivalent. What people should demand of their upline is to see their business tax return (schedule c). But upline will never reveal it because it would show that their money is made from tools and functions and not so much from Amway.
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