Funny Tactics?

 I will admit I haven't been accosted by any Amway representatives lately. I'm certain they still exist and I'm certain some of the recruiting tactics used back in the day are still used now. When I had my first brush with Amway, I was outright lied to about attending a "beer bust". I showed up at my friend's house ready for some beer and chips and I get stuck in a stinking Amway meeting. I remember sitting in the meeting still ticked off about it and to make it worse, the presenter also spoke about association and how we would be left behind if we don't join because our friend in Amway would have to associate with Away folks, who were destined to become rich. There was no beer to be had so our gang left and went out to a local pub for some beer. That was my first brush with Amway.

My second brush with Amway was a high school acquaintance who saw me working at my second job at the local market and asked if I was interested in making more money. I told him I was doing just that with a second job. I asked if he was pitching Amway, and he admitted he was. I asked him if actually made any money at it and he admitted he had not. I told him to come back and see me if he was still involved and making money a few months later. I have never seen him again to this day.

I finally did get sucked into Amway when an old friend of mine joined and prospected me. So I ask him if he's made money, and he said no. I also told him to come back and show me later if he makes money. He came back 6 months later and said he was now a direct distributor and making about $1500 to $2000 a month. He said it was easy, and he could show me how to do it. Being a man of my word, I saw the plan and I signed up. I was still a bit skeptical, but I got in and the rest is history. (My story is on this blog)

But what I saw were dishonest Amway tactics. We were told to give half-truths (lies) to prospects. We were told to fake it will we make it (lies) and the upline used all kinds of angles to make Amway seem better than it was. Older but unsuccessful IBOs were told that Amway was more than about money. That we were making lifelong friends and becoming nicer and better people. That were were a small army making the world a better place. (How is the world better when you deceive people to make your upline rich?). We were told that Amway saves and strengthens marriage (even though our upline Diamond got divorced (Wolgamott).

Despite all the tactics and tricks used by our Amway upline, there was little to no success to speak of. Even our former upline Diamond (Harimoto) moved to the mainland (Hawaii is too expensive? Not enough people to recruit?) and it was hard to believe, seeing that he loved the ocean and ocean activities.

Amway sales and revenues have dipped about 25% since 2014 and I can only imagine it will get worse as the antics and tactics used by upline are easily recognizable and ineffective at this point. The internet also made access to information so readily available that prospects can easily find pertinent information and have enough disclosure to make an informed decision about Amway. And that's why Joecool's blog still exists to this day.