It is my opinion that lying is a required skill in order to make it big in Amway. Before you go all crazy and disregard what I'm saying, let me explain why:
When I was an Amway IBO, diamonds told bold faced lies (I was an IBO in 1997). Back then, the internet was not nearly as accessible as it is now and looking up things was a different task than it is now with google or some other search engine. So, the WWDB diamonds stood on stage and swore that NOBODY made a cent on tools and functions. We were told that WWDB was a nonprofit organization and that any profits made were simply re-invested back into the company to reduce the cost of future events and functions (which never happened). Without easy access to information, most of the audience believed the diamonds. We had no reason to doubt because they "told us" that they had our best interests at heart.Looking back, those lies were the tip of the iceberg. The diamonds told many lies. They more than likely lied about how much income they made from Amway and I'm certain some of them lied about paying for everything they own in cash. They lied about WWDB having a nearly nonexistent divorce rate compared to the rest of the world. I'm sure they lied about the "trappings" of wealth they claimed to have. A few diamonds in the past, had some financial problems such as home foreclosures and a prominent WWDB triple diamond filed chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2009 or so. When their financials became public record, we could see debt, unpaid taxes and other problems by people we thought were wealthy beyond our dreams. They were not.
The diamonds also taught the troops to lie and be deceptive about Amway to get people to see the plan or to entice them to sign up. I wrote another blog post which was titled "fake it till you make it", which is about lies and deception taught by upline to help downline to recruit potential IBOs. If the diamonds lie and teach lies to promote Amway, my conclusion is that lying is required in order to succeed in Amway. Apparently, it is a trait that the diamonds I saw, possessed. Even after I quit, I heard numerous lies from IBOs denying that "Quixtar" had nothing to do with Amway, when in fact Quixtar was just a new name for Amway North America. Imagine a prospect asking someone why they were selling Amway products when Quixtar had nothing to do with Amway?
It is my conclusion that lying is indeed needed for Amway success. The better and more convincing the liar you are, the better you can recruit downline and advance in the Amway pay plan. If you don't believe me, name one person who was uber successful by being upfront and open about Amway and any related questions, such as how much they actually make in Amway and how much they make from tools. You will hear crickets more than you hear answers.
Yes. They still lie. In my former AMO (URA/URAssociation), I remember that an Emerald or a Diamond spoke at a major conference and said something to the effect of, "See your leaders on stage? They don't make a dime being here. They do this because they love you and it's out of the kindness of their hearts." This was between five and a half and eight years ago when I was in.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, if I were Diamond, I wouldn't want to be in a stuffy hotel ballroom or conference room for hours on end four times a year. I would rather be traveling the beaches of the World.
Oh...for things to be that simple.
You have to lie when you are in Amway, because if you didn't no one would join your down-line.
ReplyDeleteImagine honestly telling someone that they would have to buy $300 worth of Amway products each month for personal use, in order to qualify for a ten-buck refund. Or that you need to have a standing order for a certain number of "tools" every month. Or that you are required to attend four expensive out-of-town "functions" every year to be in good standing with your Platinum. Or that you have to pay regularly for a personal website, and a voicemail system.
Who the fuck in their right mind would join? IBOs have to lie to recruit.
A.M.W.A.Y. stands for this: All My Whoppers And Yarns.
When the last person who called me to come and join an evening to br shown a plan for an exciting business opportunity, I quickly figured (and confirmed without the prospector knowing) that it was Amway. She was a single mom who was an ex colleague, and actually a nice person.
ReplyDeleteI decided to play a game, asking a serious of questions that had to force a deceptive response, elliciting answers on free time in the evenings, independence, need for sales, record keeping, training expenses etc for which I knew a truthful answer would have been difficult.
I then said I’d go (planning say something on the evenkng that would embarass the lot, and walk out. But the next day I felt bad and I called saying I knew it was Amway and it wasn’t for me. Surprisingly she appeared quite relieved. I really think the fact she had to twist the truth had made her really uncomfortable. I think she wasn’t quite nailing the lying business yet, and I forced her to lie given the questions I asked. It appeared she realised soon enough she did not have the knack for lying to go big, and quit.
The reason I had the sneaky plan to attend and storm out, was because I had been approached by another ex colleague a year earlier, who was extremely comfortable at deception, and wasted my time with a completely false story about our meeting. This guy had a suitably large group too.
So if I compare these to prospectors, then yes, it definatelh seems that being good at lying helps. At least to assemble a large group, if not necessarily a guarantee to earn much.