One of the things that many Amway uplines will talk about with their downline is debt. Many IBOs and prospects join Amway, hoping that Amway will help them eliminate debt, by providing some extra income. What many IBOs find out though, is that they end up more deeply in debt, not because of Amway necessarily, but often because of the pressure to purchase tools and function tickets.
Eliminating debt on the surface, is a good thing. However, I believe that many uplines only want IBOs to eliminate debt so they can free up discretionary monies that can be channeled into tool purchases, which uplines profit from. So while the advice seems sound, it still ends up as a self serving piece of advice. If you are an IBO or a prospect, is your upline advising you to eliminate debt and then turning around and telling you to attend "all" functions or to purchase more tools such as standing orders or audios/cds?
As a WWDB IBO, I heard the mantra about getting rid of debt. It sounded good to me, but I was floored when the same upline told us it was okay to go deeper in hock if it was to further our business, or in other words, to buy more standing orders or to attend functions. I could not understand why it was okay to create more debt, but only to "invest" in your business. If debt is bad, then functions and other tools should be cut as well, until the IBO can reasonably afford to participate in the system or until the business profits can cover the cost. IBOs, in my opinion. should be using profits from the business in order to purchase tools. If there is no net profit, then that IBO needs to decide whether or not the tools are worthy of an investment. Even if an IBO has some profits, the IBOs should determine whether to bank the profit or to channel them towards tool purchases.
Too many IBOs trust their upline and make initial and ongoing purchases of tools, and then continue to do so without seeing tangible results. I believe this is why IBOs are taught to trust and have faith. Or that success is right around the corner. It keeps an IBO going, even in the absence of results. Hopefully a post like this can bring awareness to IBOs and potential IBOs. Good luck to those who disregard this information.
WWDB, Network 21, BWW -- all of the little subsystems of Amway do everything in their power to separate the phrases "being in debt" from "investing in your business."
ReplyDeleteIn fact, there is no difference. If you lay out borrowed cash for anything at all, you are "in debt."
It's something else if you turn over cash to your stockbroker or financial advisor. That's not being "in debt." That's real investment. You are hoping that your money, in the hands of a good advisor, will begin to grow and give you income.
But Amway and all its little subsystems thrive by corrupting the English language, and twisting words to have a special meaning. Nobody is "investing in their business" when they buy tools from their LOS up-line or when they attend those utterly stupid "functions." All they are doing is going into debt.