The really insidious part about some of the LOS leaders, such as the ones I had in WWDB, is that they apparently are cutthroat ruthless businessmen with nice suits, and disguised as your mentors and friends. They get you to trust them, and they will tell you that they have your best interest at heart, or that they would never purposely lead you astray. On the surface, you may think this is true, but look at their actions and you can easily discern that some of these uplines are absolutely ruthless businessmen who would take every cent from you if they could. I was in WWDB and I have good reasons to believe that they are still doing this, based on a WWDB IBO blog. On this blog, I see all the same teachings today, that I heard as an IBO and some of the same claims such as buying homes in cash. It's scary.
They may even claim moral superiority such as using religion as a basis for building the business. I heard some leaders say "Amway is a God pleasing business". Really? God likes lying and exploiting others? I would beg to differ. They might tell you lies such as Amway and/or WWDB IBOs have a lower divorce level than the world. They may tell you a bunch of unsubstantiated details. I urge IBOs to verify and confirm claims like these.
As an IBO, the diamonds may tell you to never miss a function, ever. The only good reason for missing a function was for your own funeral. I recall some crossline IBOs rearranging pre-planned anniverssary parties, weddings, and other special family events in the name of being core and attending all functions. Some IBOs actually did quit their jobs to attend functions and they very well may have done so because some uplines taught this. IBOs were also encouraged and told to go into debt to attend a function. This was okay because it was an "investment" into your business.
Our group was also strongly encouraged to buy extra cds every week. To be core, you needed to listen to a cd each day and you cannot listen to the same one each day right? Couples were told to buy their own seperate standing orders. Brad Duncen even had a true north tape (cd) that said sponsors were to eat the standing orders for downlines who quit because it was too much trouble to call upline who calls upline who calls upline to cancel a standing order. Oddly enough, they didn't mind upline calling upline calling upline to add a standing order.
In the end, I was lucky enough to have been progressing up the pin ranks so my losses were not that devastating. I ended up losing in my early months of the business but mostly broke even when I was at 4000 PV. Sadly though, my crossline did not fare so well. I know of one couple who declared bankruptcy. I don't know how much their WWDB involvement contributed to bankruptcy, but I am certain it was a major factor and I know of two couples who had homes foreclosed, and I believe that their allegiance to WWDB was a factor in those foreclosures. But I guess hey, two WWDB diamonds had homes foreclosed so maybe they were duplicating?
Do not be fooled. The diamonds may have a nice smile and a nice suit, but they are cutthroat wolves in sheep's clothing who will take your last dime if you allow them to.
Calling these people business owners is a joke. Iam a REAL business owner, so I came into Amway with very high hopes of expanding my business with Amway products, since I supply to alot of retail stores. But according to their rules of conduct, Amway products can not be integrated with commercial businesses/retail stores.(4-4 of the Rule of Conduct) Now, I found this out by reading the entire codes of conduct section, but my upline told me otherwise before I joined. In a real business, you are free to make the decision on where to sell, who to sell, where to advertise. I have company budgets, I know my losses and profits, I get sales reports, debtors reports, expense reports and so on. I know what my assets are, the miles driven by my vans. Ask an IBO about all these reports and they will tell you how much money they got from their bonus statement. They have no idea about their losses.
ReplyDeleteTo All the IBOs reading this.
Do you even have a business plan. Setting goals is just reminder on your progress.
You are being told to stop listening to people that can not give you advise on financial freedom, or who are not financially free. Well I make more than my uplines and have the time to write this. Here is the advise, think of an original idea and ways to implement it. That is how businesses are made, not to reach some dream. Achieving your dream is a byproduct of a successful and innovative idea. Think of McDonald, KFC, Wallmart,and the Harry Potter franchise. These were original ideas. The DeVos and Van Andel thought of the Amway Business Plan. They just needed some tools to implement it.
Uplines will also say that the Internet is a Bathroom wall. People can write whatever they want on here. Yet, your BWW open meetings are listed as E-Commerce seminars. Every single aspect of E-Commerce is the Internet. You order products ONLINE, BWW has a WEDSITE, Amway has a WEDSITE. You preach of the how the internet is not even at the 10% level, how much growth the INTERNET will have in a few years. Yet, uplines will tell prospects to not believe the INTERNET. You may not know it, but the internet is a big part of your business model.
Amway IBOs are just salesman running around in business suits. IBOs may argue that their uplines are successful doctors, lawyers, engineers... It does not mean being successful in their career fields mean they will be in a business. In business you are either being told what to do or telling someone what to do. Thats is the difference between an employer and employee. As far as I know, IBOs are told to check everything with their uplines before doing it. Sounds more like an employee.
^ couldn't have said THAT better myself!
ReplyDelete