One of the stories my upline used to tell, and which I believe is still recounted today, is about how to boil a frog in a pot of water. Essentially, the concept is that you cannot simply dump a frog into boiling water without it reacting and jumping out of the pot. In order to properly cook them, you must first soak them in cool water and then gradually raise the temperature. When the water grows warmer and warmer, the frog's muscles will gradually get more relaxed, to the point where, when the water is brought to a boil, the frog will be effectively paralysed and will be cooked. Of course, this narrative isn't quite accurate because a frog would need to be gutted and cleaned before being cooked, but you get the concept.
Now, uplines are using this tale to relate to a man who is employed in the real world. A place where you get into a pattern and go to work, pay your bills, travel on your annual vacation, raise your children, and so forth The next thing you know, you're approaching 60 years old, on the verge of retiring, and you realise you don't have enough money. According to them, the tragic effect is that senior citizens are forced to work at WalMart as a result of their age. While I'm sure some senior adults are struggling financially, I'm also aware of a large number of people who appear to be living pretty comfortably. Their mortgages are paid off, they go on vacations every other month, and they appear to be in no financial straits at the moment. I know a few senior adults who give their time to keep themselves occupied, and I also know several who work part time at a job they enjoy. Examples include a man who works two days per week at his local golf course, where, in addition to receiving a paycheck, he also obtains free golf privileges on weekdays. That's a tremendous advantage!
In other words, although uplines compare having a job to boiling a frog, it is often overlooked that IBOs are the frogs who are being boiled. Many newcomers may be told that meetings are optional, and that tools are optional, among other things. Your sponsor or upline may even be willing to lend you some CDs. They may even share some of theirs with you. If you exhibit any signs of being interested, the temperature of your water will be boosted accordingly. You might hear that a serious business owner purchases their own CDs, or that a serious business owner attends "all" of the company's gatherings and meetings. These statements are both true. When you initially start out, it will appear as though you are merely doing what is necessary in order to be successful. It's all about making an investment in the 2-5 year plan, and you'll almost certainly be successful as a result. If you are really committed to the system and/or if you bring in some new downline, your upline may even encourage you. Then, following the analogy of the frogs, your water begins to boil rapidly. You have arrived at a fork in the road.
You have already put in a significant amount of time and work. You have most likely not made any significant money, and certainly not enough to meet your regular expenses such as your standing order, voicemail, functions, and other charges. If you give up, you will have wasted all of your time, effort, and money; however, if you continue, you will very certainly be pouring more money into the abyss than you originally invested. A significant number of successful entrepreneurs decide to fold their businesses at this juncture, thereby cutting their losses. They continue to press on for some of the hard core. Only a select number will achieve platinum or higher status, but the vast majority will suffer financial losses in the tens of thousands of dollars, not considering the money spent on goods and fees. Your upline has effectively placed you in a pot, induced relaxation in you, and then boiled you to death.
My previous sponsor, as well as others of his downline, are still in business today. From about 1994 till the present, I've been completely dedicated to the system. My former sponsor achieved the platinum level around the year 1997 or 1998. He has never held the position of Q12. He is a physician, and due to the nature of his duties, he is likely to close his office an additional day each month. I estimate that he has suffered a total loss of more than $500,000 in lost wages as well as expenses for CDs, functions, and other training materials and supplies. When I last heard from him, he was at the 2500 level or so, and he had sponsored over 100 downline members during his time with the company.
What is the best way to boil a frog? You sponsor them and sell them tools to help them succeed.
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