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. To put it mildly, when I was asked to a beer bust and saw that it had been transformed into an Amway meeting, my first impression of Amway was not a positive one. Some years later, I finally decided to join because a close friend of mine had achieved direct distributor (now known as platinum) status, and he had convinced me that it was possible and that he would make certain that I did as well. 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. I didn't make a net profit, for starters, because the expenses for tools ate up all of my profits. Second, the further I advanced in the business, the more and more my upline wished to exert control over my personal 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 extremely unusual, and I eventually decided to leave the company permanently.
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. IBOs would either deny any link, or they would claim to be affiliated with Network 21 or WWDB and make ludicrous claims such as Amway just being a supplier of their company. 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 stand on its own merits, IBOs would not be forced to resort to desperate means such as lying and deceiving their prospects.
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 viewed the catalogues in person, I was puzzled as to where all the savings were. A price comparison conducted with an unbiased mind will quickly reveal that Amway items are not less expensive than those offered by a retailer such as WalMart. When you consider that Amway's bonuses must be included in the price of their products, this is just not doable.
When discussing the 6-4-2 plan or similar versions, the presenter made it sound simple, and he talked about everlasting residual willable income, which I believe to be disingenuous, if not a complete fabrication. The presenter makes no mention of the fact that only approximately 1 in 400 people ever reach the platinum level, at which point, according to the presenter, you begin to break even as an IBO if you are actively consuming training and tools.
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. In general, I believe that Amway items are only sold to those 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 (about $300) is already more than the amount of money 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. Because the truth is not pleasant and, more than likely, will not be effective in growing an Amway business.
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