I was in college when I was initially approached by Amway about becoming a representative. I didn't know much about Amway at the time, but I had somehow formed an unfavourable impression of the company. Needless to say, when I was invited to a beer bust that turned out to be an Amway meeting, my negative view of the company only worsened even further. I eventually decided to join because a close friend of mine had earned platinum and had informed me that it was possible and that he would do everything he could to ensure that I would also get platinum. I did manage to reach a level that was just below platinum (4000 PV), but I decided to give up for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I did not generate a net profit because the tools ate up all of my earnings. Second, the further I advanced in the business, the more and more my upline desired to exert control over my daily life. Examples include being advised to check upline before getting married, purchasing a car, or even having children, among other things. That struck me as odd, and I eventually decided to leave the company.
However, at least in the United States, I feel Amway's reputation has been so tarnished that an IBO cannot sponsor downline members and establish a business without lying and dishonesty. There are a slew of anecdotes that back up the claim that falsehoods and dishonesty are frequent in the process of prospecting possible IBOs. As soon as Amway changed their name to Quixtar, this became increasingly prevalent. Many independent business owners (IBOs) would reject the link, or they would claim to be affiliated with network 21 or WWDB and make absurd claims such Amway just being their supplier. The advertising of ideal water also spawned a slew of ridiculous claims that a $50 case of water was capable of performing miracles, among other things. If the offer could be judged on its own merits, IBOs would not be forced to stoop to such desperate efforts to attract customers.
Even the Amway sales presentation is frequently laced with dishonesty and fabrications. According to the presentation, shopping through Amway through an IBO would result in a 30 percent savings over shopping through local stores. When I saw the catalogues in person, I was perplexed as to where the savings had gone. The 6-4-2 plan or similar versions are made to appear simple, and the presenter made claims regarding everlasting residual willable income, which I believe to be deceptive, if not simply false.
However, can Amway be successfully promoted without the use of dishonesty and lies? It is my belief that an IBO who is entirely upfront and honest about Amway and about being an IBO has little chance of developing a successful business in this industry. Many independent business owners (IBOs) are unable to persuade individuals to join their plan or purchase their products, even when using falsehoods and deception. According to an Amway representative, relatively few Amway products are sold to people who are not Independent Business Owners (IBOs). In other words, if you are unable to sell items and persuade people to understand the vision, you will be unable to establish a business; if you are unable to purchase equipment, you are simply digging yourself deeper into a financial hole that will only grow deeper with time. The cost of 100 PV is already far higher than the amount most families and/or singles spend on household supplies in a month. This means that the vast majority of people will be unable to support themselves in the business, which explains why the vast majority of IBOs will quit within the first year.
It is for this reason that lies and/or deception are required in order for an IBO to have a shot at promoting and growing an Amway company.
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