When I was an IBO, I often saw my upline diamond driving around town dressed in a business suit. I used to think why does he keep working if he can walk away and collect residual income? My sponsor told me that the diamond only works because he cares about his downline and wants to help them. So there are two possible scenarios, the diamond is working to help his downline out of a genuine concern, or possoibly he is working because he has to! The only difference now is that the diamond works the nite and/or graveyard shift, because many IBOs are building the business after the complete their day jobs.
Now Amway has stated that the average diamond earns about $147,000 a year. That is a decent income, but after yaxes and paying for basic expenses such as medical and dental insurance, the average diamond probably lives a very middle class lifestyle. Keep in mind that a large portion of a diamond's income comes in the form of an annual bonus, thus a diamond's monthly income may be quite small. Yes, diamonds may have other sources of income such as speaking engagements and income from standing orders and functions. But this income depends on the diamond's continued appearances and efforts.
So is it likely that a diamond is "free"? I would have to conclude that a diamond is not free, and may actually have to spend more time maintaining his group than if the diamond simply had a 9-5 job. For one thing, a diamond needs to maintain a personal group to keep qualifying for bonuses. With a poor retention rate in Amway, I am fairly sure that a diamond spends much time recruiting personally sponsored IBOs to maintain this group. Additionally, a diamond must help his six or more groups of downline platinums to maintain their businesses or face the possibility of falling out of qualification. My prior diamond was demoted to the emerald level, but has subsequently been promoted back to the diamond level. In order to keep up and coming movers and shakers motivated, a diamond must also set aside time to recognise and reward them. When I was deemed a prospective up and coming pin, I had the opportunity to spend time with my upline diamond.
A diamond must go to a variety of parties and speaking engagements in order to maintain his or her tool income stream. The money from tools, while it is claimed to double a diamond's income, it also adds a significant amount of expenses, particularly if the diamond and his family travel first class to demonstrate the diamond lifestyle.
A diamond, after decomposing predicted revenue and taking into account projected expenses, lives a middle to upper middle class lifestyle and works as hard as a man with a 9-5 job, except the diamond works evenings and weekends instead of during the week. Ruth Carter's book provides a compelling depiction of this phenomenon (Amway Motivational Organizations: Behind The Smoke and Mirrors). Despite having a net salary of more than $300,000, the diamond in the book lived in debt, could barely pay his mortgage, and was constantly on the move from one function to the next, according to the storey.
Is this the kind of freedom you're looking for?
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