Many Amway IBOs "think" they have become nicer people as a result of their association with other IBOs and because a part of the system they are with advises them to read self-help books, such as Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. They are also taught that as a side benefit of the Amway business, that they are nicer people. Of course, many IBOs mistakenly think that they started a business not to make money, but to become "nicer".
I certainly agree that some people can benefit from positive books and association with others, but for many, it is not a genuine "nicer" person, but simply a phony persona that is put on in order to recruit potential Amway downlines. That is how my former sponsor appeared to me. Because I had known him for a long time, the "nicer" looked as phony as phony can be. There are many examples of phony niceness that some IBOs profess. Even Amway's biggest defender was apparently called a "cyber bully" by an Amway corporate blogger and some others for making disparaging comments about those with opposing views. Others have resorted to calling people broke or losers simply because they did not agree that Amway was their savior.On this very blog, there are comments, I assume by IBOs, that make implied or subtle threats. Some of these comments are not subtle at all. In fact, in my blogging experience, it is usually the IBOs and Amway defenders that resort to name calling. I suspect that is because the facts are on the side of the Amway critics. For example, it is a fact that most IBOs never make a dime, even if you don't count the ones who "do nothing". If you look at system IBOs, then the vast majority never make enough to pay their voicemail expenses.
Even the coveted diamond level appears to be a facade, especially seeing diamonds quit, resign and simply walk away from the business without the lifelong passive income. A recent triple diamond's bankruptcy revealed some financials and it wasn't all that impressive considering the size of his business plus longevity in the business.
So IBOs, are you a nicer person? Is it evident by your words and actions? It doesn't appear to be very clear to me.
The idea that people get "nicer" when they are in Amway is more than absurd -- it's simply untrue by the evidence. There are endless testimonials and anecdotes on the internet describing the viciousness of up-line towards down-line IBOs, of the nastiness of Platinums and Diamonds when they get angry at IBOs who miss meetings or don't go to functions, and the contempt that is deliberately fostered in Amway towards anyone who isn't in the business, or towards family members who refuse to support (by constant purchases) other family members who are IBOs.
ReplyDeleteThere's also the unpleasant insularity of Amway ambots towards anyone who isn't connected with the business, or intense hostility towards anyone who criticizes it publicly. Like all crackpot cults, Amway fosters an "us against them" mentality. Are these the signs of being "nicer"?
And what is really crazy is the response of Amway types to criticism on the internet. They either scream insults at those who make the complaints, or else they order anyone in their down-line not to look at the internet at all. In other words, they say "Don't answer the criticism -- just ignore it and pretend that it doesn't exist."
Amway even hired a troll named Steadman ("IBOFightback") to attack anybody who dared to criticize Amway on-line, and make vicious comments about them. The jerk is gone now, and Amway's new policy is to order IBOs not to look at anything on the internet (think how stupid and impractical THAT idea is!), and the company now posts a perpetual "Amway is not a pyramid scheme" that comes up at the top of the screen when anyone does a Google search about them.
It hasn't helped them. Amway's recruitment of new IBOs is in the toilet, at least in North America. And Amway has steadily lost billions of dollars in profits over the the last few years.
The Amway sychophant was David Steadson AKA IBOfightback. Some suspected he was a paid shill for Amway, although it wasn't conclusively proven. It is clear though, that this Steadson character liked the spotlight. During his Amway days, he tried to pass himself off as an authority figure for Amway, claiming to be a businessman, psychologist and an internet specialist. The damning part was during covid, I was curious and googled his name. Sure enough, Steadson was claiming to be a epidemiologist and making comments about covid on the internet, trying to pose as a expert I suppose. What a character.
ReplyDeleteSteadman also claimed that he was still getting income checks for his past activity as an Amway IBO in Australia. If that were true, he'd be the only ex-IBO in history who had "residual income" from his Amway days. He also went to Scandinavia, and tried to set up his own MLM scheme there. I guess he knew where the money was.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that the only evidence of Steadson's level in Amway was an Amway Australia website that listed him as a 100 PV achiever. LOL. I highly doubt it he at any significant level in Amway. More likely he was a paid or unpaid shill for Amway and other companies. He tried to start an online reputation company but I think he gave up or it flopped.
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