I often hear stories and testimonies about how some people (usually newbies) have this incredible belief in Amway, their sponsors and their LOS, such as WWDB or Network 21. Being that many, possibly most IBOs are sponsored by a friend or family member, means that there is an inherent trust in the sponsor or upline. If that were not true, then we would likely see many more complaints about Amway and/or the uplines and lines of sponsorship.
But an important facet of being an IBO is to have a dream. Don't let "naysayers" steal your dream, is what many IBOs are told. But what is that dream? Is is a dream (a long term attainable goal) or a wish such as winning the powerball lottery? Many prospects and IBOs want to succeed. They are willing to work hard, and are very dedicated, I would say that these folks usually will end up failing, not for lack of effort, but for a flawed MLM/Amway system that cannot possibly reward more than a few. The famed 6-4-2, 6-4-3 or some other variation of the plan will illustrate that only 1 in 100 or so can be "platinum". And that's with nobody quitting. Factor in attrition and "do nothings" and it might be 1 in 200 who can reach platinum. Even if the whole world signed up for Amway, that fact doesn't change.
Do you really believe in Amway and your line of sponsorship such as WWDB or Network 21? If you truly believe in Amway and your mentors, I challenge you to do one of these things. If you can't or won't, then I question your level of commitment. I question your belief. I'm not here to steal your dream. I am just challenging you.
Take your 6-4-2 or 9-4-2 or 6-4-3 plan to a loan officer at a bank and show them the plan. (Hey, it will help you be CORE) Ask the loan officer for their opinion of the plan and see if you can get a business loan based on the Amway plan. If not that, try seeking the advice of a real millionaire (Someone who has a net worth of a million bucks) and see if they think the 6-4-2 or other Amway (version) plans can work and whether they think Amway is a good idea. Heck, try asking your church Pastor. My church Pastor said Amway had too many false hopes and promises to be considered a viable business option.
How strong is your belief in Amway? Strong enough to take my challenge? Or will you ignore this and go on fooling yourself?
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Quitting Is Winning In Amway?
I often see commentary about people quitting Amway and Amway loyalists are quick to call them broke, losers, lazy, lacking guts. Ironically, these same lazy and loser types of people were "sharp" and motivated prospects before they signed up for the Amway opportunity. Someone recently left a comment on my blog about how AMOs should conduct exit interviews with departing IBOs to get to the root of the problems. I think these exit interviews would reveal that people are working hard and applying the AMo teaching, only to lose money,
Based on my years of blogging and Amway experiences, I can honestly say I believe that people quit Amway primarily for one reason. The money isn't there. Amway's own numbers show that the average IBO earns just over $200 a month and that is before taxes and expenses, and that number excludes inactive IBOs. Business building IBOs earn most of the bonuses, but business building IBOs generally have the most expenses, often participating in the system of standing orders, voicemail, books and functions.
When I was an IBO, I did as upline advised and I achieved a fairly significant level (4000 PV), but due to the expenses associated with tools and helping downline, I didn't earn net profit. This is confirmed by a study done by the Wisconsin attroney general who examined the tax returns of platinume and found that they averaged a net loss of about $1000 a year. While the study was a bit dated, I would suggest it is still very valid as platinums today, have more tools (business building materials) that they are expected to buy from upline. If I made nothing at 4000 PV, anyone with half a brain can conclude that IBOs below 4000 PV and fully participating on the system would end up with a net loss because their expenses would be similar to mine, but with less bonus money.
The bottom line is that people are very likely quitting because they aren't profitable. If people made a few hundred a month with 8-15 hours of work per week, they would continue to run their businesses. But those who work and make nothing or lose money have no reason or motivation to continue. Thus they simply make a wise business decision and quit. What seemed like a good idea during the presentation simply did not pan out when reality set in. It's also reasonable to conclude that the products are that great either because if they were, those who quit would become loyal customers, thus even if the sales force turned over, sales would consistently rise as former IBOs would become customers. It's apparent that most former IBOs do not become loyal Amway customers. In fact, for those who later discover they were lied to or deceived about the Amway opportunity, become critical of Amway instead.
Why do people quit Amway? I think the answer is crystal clear. The quitters are the winners!
Based on my years of blogging and Amway experiences, I can honestly say I believe that people quit Amway primarily for one reason. The money isn't there. Amway's own numbers show that the average IBO earns just over $200 a month and that is before taxes and expenses, and that number excludes inactive IBOs. Business building IBOs earn most of the bonuses, but business building IBOs generally have the most expenses, often participating in the system of standing orders, voicemail, books and functions.
When I was an IBO, I did as upline advised and I achieved a fairly significant level (4000 PV), but due to the expenses associated with tools and helping downline, I didn't earn net profit. This is confirmed by a study done by the Wisconsin attroney general who examined the tax returns of platinume and found that they averaged a net loss of about $1000 a year. While the study was a bit dated, I would suggest it is still very valid as platinums today, have more tools (business building materials) that they are expected to buy from upline. If I made nothing at 4000 PV, anyone with half a brain can conclude that IBOs below 4000 PV and fully participating on the system would end up with a net loss because their expenses would be similar to mine, but with less bonus money.
The bottom line is that people are very likely quitting because they aren't profitable. If people made a few hundred a month with 8-15 hours of work per week, they would continue to run their businesses. But those who work and make nothing or lose money have no reason or motivation to continue. Thus they simply make a wise business decision and quit. What seemed like a good idea during the presentation simply did not pan out when reality set in. It's also reasonable to conclude that the products are that great either because if they were, those who quit would become loyal customers, thus even if the sales force turned over, sales would consistently rise as former IBOs would become customers. It's apparent that most former IBOs do not become loyal Amway customers. In fact, for those who later discover they were lied to or deceived about the Amway opportunity, become critical of Amway instead.
Why do people quit Amway? I think the answer is crystal clear. The quitters are the winners!
Friday, October 27, 2017
Amway Testimony?
This comment was sent to me by a site visitor. He speaks of an Amway IBO's expenses and some of the trials his family member has gone through:
Hey Joe. Love the blog, read it every week. I have a family member in "the biz" and due to various reasons it frustrates me but i support this person no matter what decisions they choose to make. I have been to a few meetings, a few get togethers, and have been encouraged to join the "biz" and attend functions on several occasions. I have a decent job, I make decent money and I have no interest in selling crap to people in my spare time.
The products sold by the way are items that are purchased daily by consumers everywhere in the city at various storefronts. There is no shipment to wait for and whether its toothpaste or vitamins, there is a store for that. Honestly, how can you really compete?
Anyway, I could go on and on but I would like to share with you some things I have seen from these ibo weirdos that are expenses. So yeah, I went to a few meetings and wow, what a bunch of bs. They want you to buy cd's and books etc. from motivational speakers (yes I have listened to a few breifly) that basically make people feel bad about themselves and how they live (thats all i hear anyways)....and the ibo weirdos eat it up and actuall BUY it. The stuff isnt cheap either so if you had profit you are losing some there. These people drive to meetings every week, and pay an entrance fee so they can watch videos on how you can get rich, listen to motivational assholes (they actually take notes) and actually purchase new products so they can try them out for themselves.
All I see there is expenses....tally it up, entrance fee, gas money, babysitters, stationary items, books, cds, and hell even the clothing they show up in to project their image of success....its all an expense. I was invited to a couple of functions and on the cheap side, it would have cost anywhere from $300 to 500 just to get wherever it was and to get in the door....and for what? I was told to get the information I needed to succeed. Ha! What information? It's all just some rich (or rich acting) person flaunting the shiny new shit they supposedly have and telling you to your face more or less that you are a useless bag of shit unless you are like me. More expenses for nothing. Wow. Ibo weirdos also like to buy(through the biz none the less) fancy new electronics that will help them to make more money by working the internet angle. Ummm....BIG expense, how long till it pays for itself? I have gone to a few bbqs and get together type deals because I was invited (only cause they have to invite me due to family ties lol) and ill tell ya, not one home i have seen is that of someone successful. We are talking some low income housing my friend, and guess what you ALWAYS notice? Huge dry erase boards, filing cabinets, books and cds galore, projection monitors hooked up to computers ( with some amway logo as the screensaver), amway products displayed in every room, and yes even home phone "business" lines......ALL of them expenses.
Yet, in these homes sadly there is little else. I mean, damn you have to live a little. Your entire life can't become engulfed in this crap can it? These ibo weirdos hate me, that's for sure. I refuse to be a part of their "biz" and I have a large furnished home, several toys, vehicles, and cash in my pocket, and I do it all because I have a JOB, and you know what? There are no expenses and i do better than any of the members in their team! Oh yeah, does amway provide any dental, vision, or medical? EXPENSE! The biggest expense I see is the amount of time they lose with their families. Every spare moment is used on a phone call, on the internet, at a function, at a meeting, setting up to display items at different locations, throwing crappy house parties to get more suckers, etc. etc. Talk about freedom huh? So, I will continue to support my family member, as I am not her "owner" and want her do what she pleases and what makes her happy. But it works for me because each time I have to attend a crappy bbq (no more meetings though, we came to an agreement lol) or some get together functions, it is a great reality check for me. I always walk away knowing I am doing something right, that i truly am successful, my family members are all taken care of, and my expenses are 3/4 of a tank of gas a week. Hmmmm.....so what do you think joe? What ibo expenses have I missed?
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Returning Amway Stuff?
When I was recruited into Amway, one of the catch phrases was that you are now a business owner. It sounds cool to be a business owner, but in reality, it appears that IBOs are simply salesmen for Amway who are afforded no guaranteed wage or any fringe benefits. In fact, many Amway salesmen do Amway a favor and go out recruiting other salesmen for Amway without any compensation. It makes sense though, because to attain levels of significance, you need to have downline. While it is possible (but nearly impossible) to reach platinum and even ruby without downline, any levels higher will require you to have downline.
So as an Amway salesman, you have no minimum sales requirement. That may seem like a good thing but many uplines will impose a defacto 100 PV requirement for "serious" IBOs. If you are planning to sponsor someone, your upline will likely tell you that your downline will duplicate your efforts, therefore the 100 PV "requirement". 100 PV will cost about $300. While it is possible to sell some products, it would seem that most IBOs simply buy their own goods and do not sell to non IBOs. It's puzzling to me that so many IBOs argue about Amway's superior quality of products, yet so few former IBOs continue to use Amway products at all once they are not IBOs and even those that do, would rarely ever attain 100 PV. So much for that argument.
What many IBOs do not realize is that their upline diamonds are also salesmen. In addition to moving Amway volume, they will be selling you voicemail, standing orders, premiere club, functions, book of the month. All of these materials brings in a higher profit margin than Amway products. Thus it would only make sense that your upline salesmen would want to sell tools more than Amway products because it has more profit. Where this gets shady is when your upline tells you that they have your best interest at heart or that you virtually cannot succeed without these tools. Imagine your reaction if a vacuum cleaner salesman told you that he has your best interest at heart and that you cannot possibly clean your home without his vacuum. In an odd way, that is exactly what is happening when you purchase tools from upline. What's even worse is that the tools rarely ever work out for the IBOs who buy them. What if you bought a vacuum that didn't work? You would return it for a refund. What if the salesman said you can't return it because you used it?
I find it odd that IBOs accept this BS from upline. That you can only return unused tools. You should be able to return a product because it didn't work! Did that standing order actually help you to sponsor new people? Did you sell more products because you attended a function? Whether a tool is used or unused should not matter. You should be able to get a full refund if the tools didn't work. If not, IBOs who cannot return tools should complain to Amway and the better business bureau, and file formal complaints. Many IBOs simply quit and walk away, giving the tool sellers a break. If the tools don't work, you should return them on that basis and demand a refund. I challenge IBOs and former IBOs to do this.
So as an Amway salesman, you have no minimum sales requirement. That may seem like a good thing but many uplines will impose a defacto 100 PV requirement for "serious" IBOs. If you are planning to sponsor someone, your upline will likely tell you that your downline will duplicate your efforts, therefore the 100 PV "requirement". 100 PV will cost about $300. While it is possible to sell some products, it would seem that most IBOs simply buy their own goods and do not sell to non IBOs. It's puzzling to me that so many IBOs argue about Amway's superior quality of products, yet so few former IBOs continue to use Amway products at all once they are not IBOs and even those that do, would rarely ever attain 100 PV. So much for that argument.
What many IBOs do not realize is that their upline diamonds are also salesmen. In addition to moving Amway volume, they will be selling you voicemail, standing orders, premiere club, functions, book of the month. All of these materials brings in a higher profit margin than Amway products. Thus it would only make sense that your upline salesmen would want to sell tools more than Amway products because it has more profit. Where this gets shady is when your upline tells you that they have your best interest at heart or that you virtually cannot succeed without these tools. Imagine your reaction if a vacuum cleaner salesman told you that he has your best interest at heart and that you cannot possibly clean your home without his vacuum. In an odd way, that is exactly what is happening when you purchase tools from upline. What's even worse is that the tools rarely ever work out for the IBOs who buy them. What if you bought a vacuum that didn't work? You would return it for a refund. What if the salesman said you can't return it because you used it?
I find it odd that IBOs accept this BS from upline. That you can only return unused tools. You should be able to return a product because it didn't work! Did that standing order actually help you to sponsor new people? Did you sell more products because you attended a function? Whether a tool is used or unused should not matter. You should be able to get a full refund if the tools didn't work. If not, IBOs who cannot return tools should complain to Amway and the better business bureau, and file formal complaints. Many IBOs simply quit and walk away, giving the tool sellers a break. If the tools don't work, you should return them on that basis and demand a refund. I challenge IBOs and former IBOs to do this.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
The Am-Way To Retirement?
One of the things Amway leaders do is to disparage people with jobs. Oh, they would say we needed people to wait on our tables and clean our toilets, but in general, jobs were put down and basically the group was told that Amway is their best chance at achieving financial freedom, giving them the ability to flush their jobs. Ironically, IBO's jobs are what funds their Amway businesses. Most IBOs would be out of business within weeks if not for their job income funding their Amway businesses. The upline gets people to dislike to even despise their jobs. I remember an upline saying if you wouldn't do your job for free, then you don't like it that much. But to that, the same can be said about Amway right?
The key selling point appears to be the 2-5 years of part time work rather than working a job for 30 - 40 years and then retiring on a pension or social security which may or may not be there when you retire. This plants a fear in people about the future and then the Amway opportunity is presented in a positive light because the Amway opportunity comes with a low start up cost. What uplines do not mention is how the opportunity can become a money pit as the monthly defacto 100 to 300 PV quota starts to add up. It is my guess that if people only bought items they truly needed, these IBOs would likely move 100 PV every three months, unless they are actively selling goods to non IBO customers (which is not that common IMO).
When an IBO finally agrees to register, it is then that the hidden costs are revealed. Many uplines will introduce voicemail, standing orders and functions and present these tools as vital to IBO success. Most new IBOs don't know better and feel subtle pressure to conform and give it a try. Some upline may loan some tools to downline in the beginning but evemtually, the IBO will be encouraged to be a "serious" business owner who should be purchasing their own tools to loan to their downline and the cycle goes on.
If you examine some version of the Amway recruitment plan, you will see that most active IBOs are at the 100 PV level, which will reward you with a monthly bonus of about $10 or so. If that same IBO subscribes to the tools system, than IBO will likely be losing over $100 a month not including the product purchases. And because many IBOs have been convinced that working a job is so horrible, that they can be convinced that this condition of losing money is temporary and that untold wealth is right around the corner. Sadly, for most, this condition is the norm and even the sponsorship of a few downline, the losses continue to mount. Yet many are convinced that this is better than a job.
There's no retirement in Amway. Over the years, not a single Amway defender could name and provide evidence of a single person who built Amway, and walked away to enjoy massive residual income. Diamonds are forever in that they work forever, never retiring because if they stopped working, their income would stop. And if I may add, portraying a diamond lifestyle is a very expensive endeavor. There is no Am-Way to retirement.
Ironically, a job allows people to pay their monthly bills, feed their families and many people enjoy their work and co workers. While upline leaders may convince you otherwise, it is this very same excuse upline leaders use when asked why they are still working instead of walking the beaches of the world collecting massive amounts of residual income. I would encourage IBOs to truly analyze their efforts in Amway and determine if it is beneficial to your finances. In most cases, your Amway efforts ONLY benefits your upline's finances. For most who get involved, the Amway opportunity is not better than a job. Be careful!
The key selling point appears to be the 2-5 years of part time work rather than working a job for 30 - 40 years and then retiring on a pension or social security which may or may not be there when you retire. This plants a fear in people about the future and then the Amway opportunity is presented in a positive light because the Amway opportunity comes with a low start up cost. What uplines do not mention is how the opportunity can become a money pit as the monthly defacto 100 to 300 PV quota starts to add up. It is my guess that if people only bought items they truly needed, these IBOs would likely move 100 PV every three months, unless they are actively selling goods to non IBO customers (which is not that common IMO).
When an IBO finally agrees to register, it is then that the hidden costs are revealed. Many uplines will introduce voicemail, standing orders and functions and present these tools as vital to IBO success. Most new IBOs don't know better and feel subtle pressure to conform and give it a try. Some upline may loan some tools to downline in the beginning but evemtually, the IBO will be encouraged to be a "serious" business owner who should be purchasing their own tools to loan to their downline and the cycle goes on.
If you examine some version of the Amway recruitment plan, you will see that most active IBOs are at the 100 PV level, which will reward you with a monthly bonus of about $10 or so. If that same IBO subscribes to the tools system, than IBO will likely be losing over $100 a month not including the product purchases. And because many IBOs have been convinced that working a job is so horrible, that they can be convinced that this condition of losing money is temporary and that untold wealth is right around the corner. Sadly, for most, this condition is the norm and even the sponsorship of a few downline, the losses continue to mount. Yet many are convinced that this is better than a job.
There's no retirement in Amway. Over the years, not a single Amway defender could name and provide evidence of a single person who built Amway, and walked away to enjoy massive residual income. Diamonds are forever in that they work forever, never retiring because if they stopped working, their income would stop. And if I may add, portraying a diamond lifestyle is a very expensive endeavor. There is no Am-Way to retirement.
Ironically, a job allows people to pay their monthly bills, feed their families and many people enjoy their work and co workers. While upline leaders may convince you otherwise, it is this very same excuse upline leaders use when asked why they are still working instead of walking the beaches of the world collecting massive amounts of residual income. I would encourage IBOs to truly analyze their efforts in Amway and determine if it is beneficial to your finances. In most cases, your Amway efforts ONLY benefits your upline's finances. For most who get involved, the Amway opportunity is not better than a job. Be careful!
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Amway Versus Gambling?
This blog post is not about comparing Amway to a game of chance, although sadly, Amway's ultimate results have less success than gambling, For Amway and Gambling, "hope" is the common thread that hooks people and keeps them involved. Why does Amway appeal to some people despite the overwhelming odds? I believe it's the same reason why people enjoy gambling and what keeps people hooked on both. Like gambling, the Amway opportunity (the way it is often presented) represents "HOPE". Hope it is why people buy a lottery ticket. Hope is often the reason why people gamble as well. One pull on a slot machine could result in millions. Amway is not a game of chance but it represents hope. As a young prospect, my sponsor would ask how else any of us could become rich or millionaires? The answer was zilch. My sponsor would say that the Amway business represented our "best" chance.
Everyone needs hopes and dreams. It's what keeps most people going. Without hope, many people are susceptible to depression or they may begin to wonder what the purpose of their life is. In some instances where people take their own lives, it is common for that person to have lost or given up hope. Without any hope for better things or a better life, they give up and may do the unthinkable and take their own lives.
Where I believe some Amway leaders are scum is when they give people false hopes and dreams and use it to profit handsomely likely knowing that their downline will never profit in the Amway business. I've heard from some former pins who had witnessed some of the bigger pins making jokes about the dreamers in the audience who keep coming to seminars but will never make it. These folks want success so badly that they literally have tears in the eyes. They will work the business hard but they won't make it. The system is designed to have a few successes with many participants. A good example is the common 6-4-2 plan where all 79 IBOs moved enough volume to earn a bonus, yet only one platinum is created from that volume. The rest, if on the system of cds, seminars, voicemail and books will likely operate at a net loss despite doing the right things and putting in the effort. It's just really sad to know that so many people have big hopes and dreams that will never be fulfilled.
Some groups of diamonds will display a "diamond lifestyle" showing off golf trips, fabulous vacations, mansions, cars and jet skis. Do all of this with no job and the money is unlimited and keeps rolling in. This is what some groups will portray as the goal for many young and newbie IBOs. They'll says things like "anyone" can do it. While anyone can do it, anyone can also win the lottery or anyone can make million in Las Vegas. No, Amway is not gambling, but the representation of "hope" is often what attracts people to gambling, Las Vegas, and Amway. Both (Amway and gambling) have few winners and a multitude of losers.
Everyone needs hopes and dreams. It's what keeps most people going. Without hope, many people are susceptible to depression or they may begin to wonder what the purpose of their life is. In some instances where people take their own lives, it is common for that person to have lost or given up hope. Without any hope for better things or a better life, they give up and may do the unthinkable and take their own lives.
Where I believe some Amway leaders are scum is when they give people false hopes and dreams and use it to profit handsomely likely knowing that their downline will never profit in the Amway business. I've heard from some former pins who had witnessed some of the bigger pins making jokes about the dreamers in the audience who keep coming to seminars but will never make it. These folks want success so badly that they literally have tears in the eyes. They will work the business hard but they won't make it. The system is designed to have a few successes with many participants. A good example is the common 6-4-2 plan where all 79 IBOs moved enough volume to earn a bonus, yet only one platinum is created from that volume. The rest, if on the system of cds, seminars, voicemail and books will likely operate at a net loss despite doing the right things and putting in the effort. It's just really sad to know that so many people have big hopes and dreams that will never be fulfilled.
Some groups of diamonds will display a "diamond lifestyle" showing off golf trips, fabulous vacations, mansions, cars and jet skis. Do all of this with no job and the money is unlimited and keeps rolling in. This is what some groups will portray as the goal for many young and newbie IBOs. They'll says things like "anyone" can do it. While anyone can do it, anyone can also win the lottery or anyone can make million in Las Vegas. No, Amway is not gambling, but the representation of "hope" is often what attracts people to gambling, Las Vegas, and Amway. Both (Amway and gambling) have few winners and a multitude of losers.
Monday, October 23, 2017
The Amway Tools Work?
One of the biggest points of contention between Amway critics and Amway defenders is the debate about tools, or business support materials (BSM). These materials commonly consist of voicemail, website fees, cds, standing order, books and seminars or functions. I agree that some training might be helpful to a new IBO, but how much training? A sponsor is obligated to train those whom they sponsor, so how much training do you actually need? Also, I used to wonder why you couldn't buy a certain book at Barnes and Noble if it was cheaper than buying it from Upline?
The Amway business, broken down to very simple terms, is buying and selling products, and recruiting/sponsoring others. If you desire to build volume and perhaps to achieve a "level" in the business. The tools, or BSM are often touted as the key to your success as an IBO, but it is often a conflict of interest for upline to promote this as some of them profit from the sales of BSM. Also, according to the Amway accreditation rules, a written and transparent compensation plan for their professional develop program (tools/BSM) is required, but I have yet to actually see IBOs who know about this. Seems this aspect of accreditation is either not policed or ignored, and/or it seems IBOs are certainly not aware of this. After all, if IBOs and prospects are told that there is income for IBOs via tools at a certain level, how do you know if you qualify, and for how much? Nobody seems to have a definite answer.
But aside from that conversation, what purpose do the tools actually serve? I have heard IBOs talk about how they benefit from tools, but when asked if the tools resulted in a net profit from Amway, the silence was deafening. When I was an IBO, and apparently even now, the tools rarely contain specific material about how to actually run a profitable Amway business. There were no standing orders that told me how to track profits and expenditures. There were no speeches about record keeping and how to file business taxes. There were no meetings where we discussed return on investment of both time and money.
There was talk about dreams, and ignoring facts if the dream was big enough. There was talk about it being okay to go into unscured credit card debt, as long as it was to buy tools or more function tickets. There was talk about sacrificing family needs if it meant buying more tools. Sure, upline didn't force you to do this, they simply convinced you that it was a good idea, much like how a conman makes you think you are making a good decision when they are playing you.
This blog doesn't serve to convince you one way or another about the many subjects, but to offer a differing opinion for IBOs and new prospects to base their decisions on. If you see things here that make sense, I urge you to read more, and to ask your upline or sponsor the tough questions about the tools, or your continued involvement, especially if you are at a net loss at the end of the month.
The Amway business, broken down to very simple terms, is buying and selling products, and recruiting/sponsoring others. If you desire to build volume and perhaps to achieve a "level" in the business. The tools, or BSM are often touted as the key to your success as an IBO, but it is often a conflict of interest for upline to promote this as some of them profit from the sales of BSM. Also, according to the Amway accreditation rules, a written and transparent compensation plan for their professional develop program (tools/BSM) is required, but I have yet to actually see IBOs who know about this. Seems this aspect of accreditation is either not policed or ignored, and/or it seems IBOs are certainly not aware of this. After all, if IBOs and prospects are told that there is income for IBOs via tools at a certain level, how do you know if you qualify, and for how much? Nobody seems to have a definite answer.
But aside from that conversation, what purpose do the tools actually serve? I have heard IBOs talk about how they benefit from tools, but when asked if the tools resulted in a net profit from Amway, the silence was deafening. When I was an IBO, and apparently even now, the tools rarely contain specific material about how to actually run a profitable Amway business. There were no standing orders that told me how to track profits and expenditures. There were no speeches about record keeping and how to file business taxes. There were no meetings where we discussed return on investment of both time and money.
There was talk about dreams, and ignoring facts if the dream was big enough. There was talk about it being okay to go into unscured credit card debt, as long as it was to buy tools or more function tickets. There was talk about sacrificing family needs if it meant buying more tools. Sure, upline didn't force you to do this, they simply convinced you that it was a good idea, much like how a conman makes you think you are making a good decision when they are playing you.
This blog doesn't serve to convince you one way or another about the many subjects, but to offer a differing opinion for IBOs and new prospects to base their decisions on. If you see things here that make sense, I urge you to read more, and to ask your upline or sponsor the tough questions about the tools, or your continued involvement, especially if you are at a net loss at the end of the month.
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