One of the things that my upline taught, and I believe is still taught today in various groups is that winners join Amway and losers do not. Or that you were a winner because you were doing something to better your financial future and those who didn't were losers. or broke minded. Of course the upline who said this had no knowledge about those who were not in Amway. Some of them may already have been financially sound or may have been doing something to better their financial future. I'm not sure why these uplines, who promote "positive", had to resort to calling people losers simpy because they did not agree that Amway was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's only positive if it's Amway related and anything non Amway is negative. Anyone see a problem with this?
In many games or sporting events, there will be someone or a team that wins the game and someone or a team that loses the game. Losing a game doesn't make you a loser and certainly, a team that wins the game would not say the losing team were losers. Can you imagine a Superbowl winning team's coach taking the podium after a game and saying his team won because the other team was a bunch or broke minded gutless losers? That would never happen, yet we see that frequently in the Amway/IBO world. The owner of Amway, Rich DeVos had once said in a recorded message that just because people do not agree with you (paraphrased) about Amway, does not make them losers and that IBOs should not call people losers. I believe this has been crafted by upline to apply pressure to downline IBOs to "never quit'.
In all of this, people's jobs are also criticized. That a job stands for "just over broke" or "jackass of the boss" and other insults. Many IBO's goals and dreams consist of ditching their job so they can sleep until "the crack of noon" and live a life of luxury. Ironically, it is most IBO's jobs that continue to produce income so they can pay their bills and feed their family. It is also an IBO's job that funds their Amway and AMO expenses such as product purchases and functions and voicemail, etc. Without having a job, most people could not even join Amway or pay for any tools. Sadly, most IBOs won't make any money in Amway either, and will have to continue to work at their jobs. I do not believe that someone earning an honest living working a job is a loser. Ironically, many of the folks calling people losers and broke are not even netting a profit from their Amway business!
Yes, in this business or the sports world, there will be winners and there will be losers. The question is whether you are the one who is allowed to be the judge of who is and who isn't. I would also suggest that IBOs are completely shutting down potential future business by their behavior. What if I went to a store to purchase something but the item was not available on that particular day, so I don't purchase anything and leave. As I leave, the store owner says I am a loser for not buying something there. Will I go back? Very unlikely. If an IBO truly sees themselves as a store owner, all prospects should be seen as potential business, whether future or present. If your upline tells you that people not interested are losers, you should hand him a mirror. Or inform your upline that when you point a finger at someone, there are even more fingers pointing back at you.
Dear Joe --
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad you mentioned that Rich De Vos has criticized the tendency of too many Amway freaks to call everyone who makes a living at a job "a loser." We shouldn't forget that De Vos has on several occasions expressed deep disapproval of the tone and style of many LOS systems, where stupid comments like "Just Over Broke" and "Jackass of the Boss" are tossed around indiscriminately.
The notion that anyone not involved in Amway is "a loser" is patently insane. There are millions of persons world-wide who are wealthy, affluent, or perfectly comfortable financially who have no connection at all with Amway or any other MLM. To call all of these people "losers" is not just wrong -- it's totally irrational!
A college professor has "a job," but he makes close to six figures per year. So do many civil-service employees of city, state, and federal governments. A stockbroker or financial advisor who works for a Wall Street firm has "a job," but he can make millions. Middle management types in all sorts of firms pull down a handsome salary. And even plumbers, electricians, computer technicians, building trades contractors, painters, carpenters, and chefs can be very wealthy.
So what the hell are these Amway assholes talking about when they say that anyone not in Amway is "a loser"? Or is it just a mantra which, by constant repetition, makes them feel better about themselves?
Let's see if any of them show up to answer this.
Many Amway leaders teach an "Us versus the world" mentality. Thus IBOs think anyone not in Amway is doomed for financial disaster when in fact, being in Amway causes financial disaster.
ReplyDeleteSo now that you are out of amway what is you life like? Better or worse? Your financial situation? Your debt? Your marriage? I guess maybe not being successful with the company isn't a reflection on them but a reflection on you as an unsuccessful ibo?
ReplyDeleteI have no debt except for a small mortgage balance. I'm still happily married and looking to retire early because I'll have enough resources to do so.
ReplyDeleteI as a successful IBO based on doing what I was told and achieving the levels and parameters set forth by my upline. But somehow I wasn't making money and my upline said to just keep going and the money will eventually be there.
I said the money was supposed to be there at the 4000 PV level and it wasn't.
My upline gave me a very unconvincing story about why I wasn't making what I was supposed to. After I left Amway, my focus went to my job and I really began to flourish and got several promotions thereafter.
To Anonymous at 2:13 PM --
ReplyDeleteWhy should you make the assumption that Joe Cool or anyone else here at these anti-Amway websites is somehow worse off because we have left Amway? What inside knowledge do you think you have about our lives?
Or do you think we are badly off because your sacred up-line told you that we had to be?
I have half a million dollars in savings, apart from my pensions, investments, and bank accounts. I own two homes outright. I haven't even begun to collect Social Security. And this is from a J.O.B. By the way, I've been happily married to the same woman for 27 years.
How much would I have if I had stayed in that dipshit vitamin-and-soap-suds racket called Amway?
OK, Joe and I have been open and honest with you. Please return the favor. Now tell us how much you have lost so far in Amway.
The title is about IBOs passing judgment on others. That's what they do. They think if you are not in Amway, you are doomed for financial ruin when the opposite is true. You are more likely to experience financial ruin by being in Amway.
ReplyDeleteBefore Amway I used to work 2 jobs and the income from my second job was invested. Lucky for me I neer touched that money even when I got into Amway. While I lost some money in Amway, I managed to have that "nest egg" growing and I am pretty well off today.