Wally is the author of this piece.
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I live in the Washington, DC metro area and was approached by a man in Best Buy about a "business opportunity." I declined the offer. Throughout the entire conversation, the word "Amway" was never spoken once. Instead, the conversation centred on his company and how he had a fantastic opportunity that should not be passed up. I decided it couldn't harm to give it a shot, so I was willing to listen. Even on his business card, there was no mention of Amway or any of its products. The gentleman forwarded me a link to his company's website, which researched social networking, to my email address. Again, it's a little ambiguous. When I went to my first Amway meeting, everything came together for me.
I had no idea it was an Amway store when I walked in. They were all incredibly happy, positive, and social, and took great satisfaction in the fact that they were self-employed business owners. However, when the speaker started talking about exploiting your existing social networks on Facebook to potentially mine for sales prospects, I became a little disinterested in what he was saying.
At this point, I simply told my "sponsor" that I appreciated his consideration but that I didn't care for it. He was, on the other hand, methodical in his approach. He took a break from the company for a while, but returned later with an exciting new opportunity to learn more about the business world. Although I wasn't very interested in the business itself, I decided it was worth a shot because it was pulling me out of my comfort zone, was something completely new, involved a large number of generally optimistic, gregarious individuals, and appeared to be harmless.
My sponsor and I reconnected, and I put the funds in place to get everything up and running again. Almost every remark that came out of the mouth of my sponsor was a battle cry for triumph. He had no concept of what it meant to be defeated, let alone the thought of failure. His belief that he is "winning" was unwavering throughout the conversation. He has achieved victory in life, and he intends to win it in the future. It was at this point that I began to suspect that he had been indoctrinated. Some things he appeared to be nearly in denial about. Avoiding truth on purpose and choosing to become involved in a false thought are two examples of denial. Weird.
After I got up and running, I went to the meetings, went to the social events, and mixed with the other people. I purchased a large amount of merchandise in order to achieve the monthly PV targets, and I also sold what I could. It was far more difficult to sell than it was to simply purchase the stuff myself. Despite the fact that the products' quality is relatively high, the prices are not exactly bargain-basement pricing.
Having done this for a few months, I came to the conclusion that selling things to family and friends, and in the process alienating some of them, was not something I wanted to continue doing. It became uninteresting very quickly. And all of the connections that were formed through Amway were friendships that were forged out of a desire for financial gain. In terms of both form and substance, they were all financial transactions. I was highly urged to bring in new people on a regular basis and to incorporate them in the activities. Essentially, I would train them in the exact same manner as I was instructed by my sponsor in the first place. Inevitably, I would do everything in my power to mentor them and help them achieve success, and their success would inevitably become my success. Once one begins to comprehend the vastness of the internet, it might be difficult to unplug.
My sponsor was a staunch conservative Christian who held strong religious values. He appeared to be obsessed with the Bible, and he frequently repeated passages from it. I believe he considered himself to be both a spiritual warrior and a businessman at the same time. However, he is not selling any of his own products. It's a line of Amway items. In addition, he was not the Saviour; he was simply a guy trying his best to excite others in order for them to...sell items that were expensive.
When I was eventually able to untangle myself, he did not take it well, as was expected. After saying this several times, he told me that if you leave Amway, your life will be devoid of meaning. Moreover, he claims that he would earn a substantial sum of money and that he is an employee of a multi-million-dollar corporation That's all well and good, but does he really hope to make millions as a result of this? He has unquestionably been brainwashed by his upper-level colleagues. Photographs of them driving around in Ferraris and posing with attractive women... I believe he sees himself in this position in the future.
What's more, I believe that the Amway business is a complete failure...at being a complete failure. What are the benefits of marketing to family and friends? In what way does this reflect on the seller? That they place a high value on the services provided by those closest to them on a monetary basis? What happens if you don't get the answer you want? Is it possible that this friend or family member is repulsive or a traitor as a result of this? Furthermore, the products that Amway manufactures may be purchased at Target or Walmart for less money and with more or less the same quality. What is it about Amway that makes it so unique? Nothing. It is considerably different from "selling Amway products" to start a "company."
And what is the source of this false sense of optimism, even when the reality is staring you in the face every single day? Some of these hardcore Amway members, I believe, have been indoctrinated into believing that exhibiting sensitivity, or anything else which may give the impression of being...human, is a sign of weakness. That's a shame.
Terrance, I believe the correct phrase to use is "suckered," as stated by the poster above. Please do not be taken in by this trap. Everything will be visually pleasing. The Amway representative will most likely be incredibly charismatic, personable, and social, and he or she will appear to be a very successful individual. The people with whom he will be associated will likewise be a positive and engaging group of people. Yet beneath the surface is a business, if it can be called that, that has been proven to be both ineffective and time-sucking.
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http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/will-amway-make-you-annoying/#comments
Another case of deception and brainwashing involving Amway can shed insight on the strategies and procedures that certain Amway Independent firm Owners (IBOs) employ to attract and keep members in their firm. The following is a list of potential elements that could be included in such a story:
The process of hiring new employees: The unnamed person can talk about how they got involved with the Amway company and how they were recruited. They may have been approached by a friend or family member who promised them the opportunity to work for oneself as well as financial freedom. It's possible that they went to a gathering or event where they were briefed on the opportunities presented by the firm, as well as exposed to other energized Independent firm Owners.
The individual may have been persuaded to put a considerable amount of money into the business once they made the decision to become a member of the organization. This is referred to as the initial investment. It's possible that they were advised that making this investment was essential in order to see results, and it's also possible that they felt compelled to do so in order to demonstrate their dedication to the company by doing so.
The use of brainwashing techniques: As the unnamed person became more involved in the company, they may have had the impression that they were being subjected to brainwashing techniques. They may have been urged to adopt a particular frame of mind or belief system, and they may have been instructed to think positively and dismiss any negative thoughts or sensations that they may be experiencing. They may have also been encouraged to attend frequent meetings and events, which could have given them the impression that doing so was a way of reinforcing the beliefs and behaviors in question.
The individual may have also had feelings of separation from friends and family members who were not participating in the Amway business. This could have contributed to the individual's sense of loneliness. They may have been told that these individuals were unsupportive or negative, and they may have been advised to keep their distance from these individuals so that they could maintain their concentration on the company.
The individual may have had the impression that they were not receiving the outcomes they had hoped for, despite the fact that they had invested a large amount of time and money into the company. Despite these investments, the individual remained nameless. They may have had difficulty making sales or recruiting new independent business owners, and they may have had the impression that they were always chasing after a dream that was out of their reach.
The individual may have, at some point in time, realized that they had been manipulated and brainwashed by the Amway Independent Business Owners (IBOs), and that they had been a victim of deception. They may have experienced feelings of anger or betrayal as a result of the promises that were made to them, and they may have had a difficult time coming to terms with the amount of time and money that they had put in the company.
In general, yet every Amway scandal involving deception and indoctrination can serve to demonstrate the perils of unquestioningly adhering to the assurances of financial freedom and success made by some IBOs. Before making any substantial financial commitments, it is essential to examine each potential business opportunity with a critical eye, as well as to conduct exhaustive research and exercise due diligence.
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