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.
As an IBO, the diamonds would 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 ruthless businessmen who will take your last dime if you allow them to.
You don't succeed in Amway (I mean, in a really BIG way) unless you are a viciously ruthless and cutthroat scumbag. You have to be merciless with your down-line, forcing them to do whatever has to be done to generate PV for you, or to buy the pointless tools, or to attend the stupid "functions." You have to be merciless with your family, forcing them to take a back seat to anything that Amway requires from you in time, energy, or money.
ReplyDeleteYou have to cut off those who quit the business, never speaking or interacting with them again. You have to be a shameless hustler, chatting up total strangers in malls or bookstores to show them the "Plan." You have to lie to prospects, telling them that success is assured within 2 to 5 years if they "duplicate" you. You have to lie to them about "residual income," even though Amway itself admits that no such thing exists in the business. You have to lie to them about CommuniKate, telling them that it is absolutely necessary even though you know that it is a completely outdated technology as useless as the horse and buggy.
You have to pretend not to hear when anyone raises a legitimate criticism or question about Amway, and you have to scream "Negative thinking!" or "Never question up-line!" You have to demand total obedience from your down-line, as if they were slaves. You have to walk a certain way, talk a certain way, wear a certain kind of clothing, practice a certain variety of religion, and even have a certain type of wife.
In short, those who succeed in a BIG way in Amway are vicious, lying, corrupt scum. Remember that scum always rises to the top.