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I got involved with Quixtar back in college. I find it ironic that the one thing they really pushed was that Quixtar was successful because they never advertised. Instead of commercials, which are an upfront cost, they pay IBOs what they would have spent on commercials, which the company only pays AFTER a sale. This, they preached, was why Quixtar was so much more successful than Nike, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, etc.
There were some people a few levels above me that were moderately successful, but they spent 40 hours a week and treated it like a full-time job. As a result, they made a modest full-time salary. I, on the other hand, only spent a few hours a week and am not a great salesperson so obviously I didn't make much money.
I never understood it, even though I went to a presentation by their competitor (Equinox, who was later sued to death) I wondered who in their right mind would want to go after all their friends like a car salesmen to buy useless crap.
That's what I don't understand. As soon as someone I know, co-worker, neighbor, or even family member, is trying to sell this type of junk, I avoid them like the plague whenever I see them coming!
Once my (now-ex) husband got talked into selling that long-distance service, I think it was called Excel or something. He had gone to a "meeting" with a friend where everyone around them spoke glowingly about the "thousands" they were reeling each month form selling this long-distance service to family and friends. I tried to tell him the testimonials were probably staged, but he never did listen to me.
Several months later, he quit trying and we were out $150.00 for the "starter kit". I think he got one check for about $9.00. This was from signing his own parents up, who shortly thereafter cancelled and went back to their old long-distance service.
We have a co-worker where I work that is always trying to sell this "party" crap - candles, jewelry, cosmetics, tacky home decor, kitchen gadgets. It annoys the heck out of all of us. She says she's trying to get her own business going so she can quit and stay home. Well, gee, wouldn't we all like to do that!
I tell people like this not to quit their day job.
[SIZE=2]Wow! Sounds like you had a bad experience with the Amway business. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]That's unfortunate, but aren't you curious why you didn't make it and so many other business owners did?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]No... I'm sure you have figured it out by now. Haven't you? There is one reason that some don't succeed in businesses like this. It's because it's easier not to. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Successful people in any business understand that "success is a process". When they submit to that process and are willing to work, they succeed![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]From your comment, and I quote - "[SIZE=3]they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". [/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]It's pretty clear that you must have missed the point. The Amway business gives anyone a chance to have a business of their own. It would be foolish to think you would succeed in a business that you don't support. If you owned a Ford dealership, would you drive a Chevy? I hope not. Business owners support what supports them. Regarding the meetings and the educational CDs and Books... Can you become a doctor with out going to medical school? No, you must first get educated. Same thing here. You cant be a successful business owner without getting educated on how the business works. And since IBOs are self employed and aren't working for a boss that makes them sit down every week for mandatory meetings. IBOs attend meetings, listen to CD and read book to gain the knowledge to become successful. The education has to come from somewhere - right? Regarding the pricing. I don't know if you are just angry at MLM's or just very misinformed. The energy drink you mentioned is $2 a can. The same as redbull and many other, but without all the sugar, carbs and calories. And Nutrilites Daily Vitamin is $3.50 per month at retail cost and Walmart sells vitamins for comparable prices but not comparable quality. You get what you pay for. You feel free to shop at Walmart. Save your pennies and be broke. Or you can start a business, that carries all the products that you will be buying for the rest of your life and because you are the business owner, you will get everything at wholesale, have a business and make money. Have you ever wondered why more people aren't getting ahead? Why doesn't the 40/40 plan work for more people? In fact only 2% of individuals that work 40 hours a week for 40 years make it to 65 with enough to retire. If your goal is to get ahead - why work in a business that doesn't allow that? For people that have realized that and are willing to back that realization with action - success is in their future. Albert Einstein defines insanity as: "doing the same thing day after day - expecting different results". The first step in change is change. It's clear that you dont understand the process of success. Good luck![/SIZE]
Quote:
Originally Posted by broadbill
This is typical MLM propaganda. Anyone with two brain cells and a couple of minutes on their hands can figure out why these programs are a rip-off. I could go on and on about uplines/downlines, about the only way an IBO can make any money is having to recruit other members (to sell the same product!), etc.,etc.
What most people don't realize is that its the IBO that IS the customer! They pay their membership dues, they buy their starter kits, they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". This is how Away makes their money.
The IBO absorbs all of this overhead cost just to sell energy drinks and vitamins you could buy at Walmart for 1/3 of the price.
Seriously, how is this a solid business model? (Maybe for Amway, but not for the IBO)
That, ladies and gentleman is why Amway is a rip-off.
[SIZE=2]Wow! Sounds like you had a bad experience with the Amway business. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]That's unfortunate, but aren't you curious why you didn't make it and so many other business owners did?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]No... I'm sure you have figured it out by now. Haven't you? There is one reason that some don't succeed in businesses like this. It's because it's easier not to. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Successful people in any business understand that "success is a process". When they submit to that process and are willing to work, they succeed![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]From your comment, and I quote - "[SIZE=3]they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". [/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]It's pretty clear that you must have missed the point. The Amway business gives anyone a chance to have a business of their own. It would be foolish to think you would succeed in a business that you don't support. If you owned a Ford dealership, would you drive a Chevy? I hope not. Business owners support what supports them. Regarding the meetings and the educational CDs and Books... Can you become a doctor with out going to medical school? No, you must first get educated. Same thing here. You cant be a successful business owner without getting educated on how the business works. And since IBOs are self employed and aren't working for a boss that makes them sit down every week for mandatory meetings. IBOs attend meetings, listen to CD and read book to gain the knowledge to become successful. The education has to come from somewhere - right? Regarding the pricing. I don't know if you are just angry at MLM's or just very misinformed. The energy drink you mentioned is $2 a can. The same as redbull and many other, but without all the sugar, carbs and calories. And Nutrilites Daily Vitamin is $3.50 per month at retail cost and Walmart sells vitamins for comparable prices but not comparable quality. You get what you pay for. You feel free to shop at Walmart. Save your pennies and be broke. Or you can start a business, that carries all the products that you will be buying for the rest of your life and because you are the business owner, you will get everything at wholesale, have a business and make money. Have you ever wondered why more people aren't getting ahead? Why doesn't the 40/40 plan work for more people? In fact only 2% of individuals that work 40 hours a week for 40 years make it to 65 with enough to retire. If your goal is to get ahead - why work in a business that doesn't allow that? For people that have realized that and are willing to back that realization with action - success is in their future. Albert Einstein defines insanity as: "doing the same thing day after day - expecting different results". The first step in change is change. It's clear that you were not will to change. Good luck![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Wow! Sounds like you had a bad experience with the Amway business. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]That's unfortunate, but aren't you curious why you didn't make it and so many other business owners did?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]No... I'm sure you have figured it out by now. Haven't you? There is one reason that some don't succeed in businesses like this. It's because it's easier not to. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Successful people in any business understand that "success is a process". When they submit to that process and are willing to work, they succeed![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]From your comment, and I quote - "[SIZE=3]they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". [/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]It's pretty clear that you must have missed the point. The Amway business gives anyone a chance to have a business of their own. It would be foolish to think you would succeed in a business that you don't support. If you owned a Ford dealership, would you drive a Chevy? I hope not. Business owners support what supports them. Regarding the meetings and the educational CDs and Books... Can you become a doctor with out going to medical school? No, you must first get educated. Same thing here. You cant be a successful business owner without getting educated on how the business works. And since IBOs are self employed and aren't working for a boss that makes them sit down every week for mandatory meetings. IBOs attend meetings, listen to CD and read book to gain the knowledge to become successful. The education has to come from somewhere - right? Regarding the pricing. I don't know if you are just angry at MLM's or just very misinformed. The energy drink you mentioned is $2 a can. The same as redbull and many other, but without all the sugar, carbs and calories. And Nutrilites Daily Vitamin is $3.50 per month at retail cost and Walmart sells vitamins for comparable prices but not comparable quality. You get what you pay for. You feel free to shop at Walmart. Save your pennies and be broke. Or you can start a business, that carries all the products that you will be buying for the rest of your life and because you are the business owner, you will get everything at wholesale, have a business and make money. Have you ever wondered why more people aren't getting ahead? Why doesn't the 40/40 plan work for more people? In fact only 2% of individuals that work 40 hours a week for 40 years make it to 65 with enough to retire. If your goal is to get ahead - why work in a business that doesn't allow that? For people that have realized that and are willing to back that realization with action - success is in their future. Albert Einstein defines insanity as: "doing the same thing day after day - expecting different results". The first step in change is change. It's clear that you were not will to change. Good luck![/SIZE]
Quote:
Originally Posted by broadbill
This is typical MLM propaganda. Anyone with two brain cells and a couple of minutes on their hands can figure out why these programs are a rip-off. I could go on and on about uplines/downlines, about the only way an IBO can make any money is having to recruit other members (to sell the same product!), etc.,etc.
What most people don't realize is that its the IBO that IS the customer! They pay their membership dues, they buy their starter kits, they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". This is how Away makes their money.
The IBO absorbs all of this overhead cost just to sell energy drinks and vitamins you could buy at Walmart for 1/3 of the price.
Seriously, how is this a solid business model? (Maybe for Amway, but not for the IBO)
That, ladies and gentleman is why Amway is a rip-off.
Is it Amway? The dreaded question after your initial approach or after giving the full on presentation. I know many who have done fairly well in the Amway / Quixtar world. But I don't know any who did it easily or "part time". Like anything else, it takes a lot of time and $$$. How do I know? I did it for a few years. Built a business that generated approximately $900 a month. Of course I spent the Lion's share of that on business materials.
I never understood it, even though I went to a presentation by their competitor (Equinox, who was later sued to death) I wondered who in their right mind would want to go after all their friends like a car salesmen to buy useless crap.
Couldn't agree more!
I CANNOT STAND all this home marketing crap - nothing pi**es me off more than getting an invitation to some BS "party" where I know I'll be expected to pony up for some useless crap that I don't need or want I just decline and screw it if they're offended.
I can't imagine a quicker way to lose friends and p*ss off family than by constantly trying to shaft them to make yourself money.
On a side note, is it just me or is "Well Informed" some kind of spambot?
As far as some of these "home businesses" go, to me it's like "Okay, I'M going to continue to get up evey day, fight the masses, and go to a BS job each day to hammer out a living whether I like it or not, but then I'm going to turn around and and use my hard earned money to buy this overpriced junk (candles, make-up, vitamins, kitchen gadgets, whatever, etc.) from YOU so that you don't have to." I don't think so.
Don't get me wrong, I do have friends that occasionally host these "parties", and they can be a fun get together, if not taken too seriously and it's more of a social thing then a hard-sell thing. But again, I would tell enyone I know who seriously thinks they are going to reel in the bucks this way - don't quit your day job just yet.
I never understood it, even though I went to a presentation by their competitor (Equinox, who was later sued to death) I wondered who in their right mind would want to go after all their friends like a car salesmen to buy useless crap.
[SIZE=2]Wow! Sounds like you had a bad experience with the Amway business. [/SIZE]
Actually, no. The principle of Time value of money tells me that my time is better spend at home on the weekends with my family instead of out there pounding the pavement making sales to support my upline. The only way somebody makes any money in MLM is to develop a downline. The problem with the upline/downline business model is that when the music stops, somebody is left with their d*ck in their hands. In MLM, thats the guy at the end of the downline.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
[SIZE=2]That's unfortunate, but aren't you curious why you didn't make it and so many other business owners did?[/SIZE]
Yeah, who? Can I see their finances? I'd really like to see how much profit they clear after they take into account the compensation they pay to their upline, after they buy their motivational tapes, and after they attend all of those "business meetings". Where is the transparency with Amway? Why is everything such a big secret? What are they hiding?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
[SIZE=2]No... I'm sure you have figured it out by now. Haven't you? There is one reason that some don't succeed in businesses like this. It's because it's easier not to. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Successful people in any business understand that "success is a process". When they submit to that process and are willing to work, they succeed![/SIZE]
Again with the propaganda...success can be measured. Can you show me the success of these people? Again, Why is everything with these MLM schemes so secret?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
[SIZE=2]From your comment, and I quote - "[SIZE=3]they are encouraged to buy the same Amway products they are selling, they buy the stupid motivational tapes/books, they attend the business meeting because their upline tells them it necessary for them to move up the ladder in "the business". [/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]It's pretty clear that you must have missed the point. The Amway business gives anyone a chance to have a business of their own. It would be foolish to think you would succeed in a business that you don't support. If you owned a Ford dealership, would you drive a Chevy? I hope not.
Of course I would drive a Ford if I owned a Ford dealership, but that isn't the point. Car dealerships buy the cars they sell on their lots direct from the factory at a wholesale price. As an IBO, why can't I buy my product at wholesale directly from Amway instead of going through my upline? Why does my upline get a share of my profits when I make a sale?
That is my main issue with MLM...your upline makes money when you make money although your upline had nothing to do with you making the sale. All they did was recruit you into the business. Why do they get a cut?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
Business owners support what supports them. Regarding the meetings and the educational CDs and Books... Can you become a doctor with out going to medical school? No, you must first get educated. Same thing here. You cant be a successful business owner without getting educated on how the business works. And since IBOs are self employed and aren't working for a boss that makes them sit down every week for mandatory meetings. IBOs attend meetings, listen to CD and read book to gain the knowledge to become successful. The education has to come from somewhere - right?
Don't you think it would be in Amway's best interest to distribute these so-called educational material for FREE? You would think they would want their distributors to be well informed about they products they sell? I know for a FACT that every manufacturer unloads COPIOUS amounts of promotional material onto their distributors and retailers about their products. They fly their distributors/retailers out for meetings to learn about the latest and greatest with their products. Now: Why does Amway CHARGE their retailers for their promo material...what a ripoff!!!
I have a feeling, however, that very little of those materials talk about about the product themselves. Its probably a bunch of propaganda, much of which you've posted in this thread!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
Regarding the pricing. I don't know if you are just angry at MLM's or just very misinformed. The energy drink you mentioned is $2 a can. The same as redbull and many other, but without all the sugar, carbs and calories.
Quick web search show redbull at $1.33/can. Can Amway's product beat that? How much profit do you make on selling Amway's product versus what you could make on Redbull? Ever think to do that calculation?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
And Nutrilites Daily Vitamin is $3.50 per month at retail cost and Walmart sells vitamins for comparable prices but not comparable quality.
If Amway's vitamins are of superior quality to other vitamins, how come Amway hasn't pushed to get their brand into every grocery and pharmacy in the US? If they are as good as you say they, then everybody would be standing in line to buy them.
Why does Amway choose to distribute their product through a convoluted and cumbersome supply chain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
You get what you pay for. You feel free to shop at Walmart. Save your pennies and be broke. Or you can start a business, that carries all the products that you will be buying for the rest of your life and because you are the business owner, you will get everything at wholesale, have a business and make money. Have you ever wondered why more people aren't getting ahead? Why doesn't the 40/40 plan work for more people? In fact only 2% of individuals that work 40 hours a week for 40 years make it to 65 with enough to retire.
That is a topic for a whole another discussion, but you are the clearly misinformed here. If the recent credit crisis has taught us anything it that A) people routinely spend more than they earn and B) Do not understand the fundamentals of personal finance, including how to calculate interest rates, evaluate break even points, and how to save money and invest wisely. I'm sure you also do not have a firm grasp of these principles if you think MLMs constitute a sound business model!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Well Informed
If your goal is to get ahead - why work in a business that doesn't allow that? For people that have realized that and are willing to back that realization with action - success is in their future. Albert Einstein defines insanity as: "doing the same thing day after day - expecting different results". The first step in change is change. It's clear that you dont understand the process of success. Good luck![/SIZE]
Change is change...there are good changes and bad changes...true wisdom comes with being able to tell the difference between the two!
[/quote]
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Really?
I just decline and screw it if they're offended.
