Under 35 huh? Did Ambot have his ears on? We were past that moving and shaking demographic. Our time had come and gone. According to the Platinum - and everything he said was unquestioned by Ambot to be the gospel truth - it was too late for us. So what were we doing wasting our time and money is all I could think when I heard the “don’t prospect anyone over 35” speech at the Amway meetings.
The Amway business opportunity is presented in a tantalizing manner by a charismatic cult leader to appeal to kids recently out of school, new immigrants, the unemployed, the disabled, and stay at home parents. Its also appealing to people looking to expand their circle of friends. Attending Amway meetings is like belonging to an expensive social club.
The problem with most of the people in the above groups is that they usually do not have money to invest in Amway. They might be able to scrape together the $150 join up fee that will give them membership to the social club and let them attend Amway meetings several times a week. Sometimes they can find money or use a credit card to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in the Amway scam. They spend long hours attending meetings and trying to find prospects and earn a tiny amount of money if they earn anything at all.
We didn’t really know anyone in those groups mentioned above. A neighbor in her 50’s had been injured at work and was off on disability and said money was tight. Ambot was all over her telling her Amway was the answer to her financial problems. Fortunately she didn’t believe him. Ambot would “counsel with upline” about her and get “lines” to use to overcome her objections. Ambot would get so angry that she wasn’t listening to his tirade on starting her own Amway business and he was quoting a bunch of bullshit from his upline that there was nothing else out there for her and she was missing out on a great business opportunity that was going to give her residual income forever and she’d never have to worry about money again.
I was uncomfortable belonging to a business that preys on the disadvantaged. In good conscience I could never badger anyone into attending an Amway meeting or buying overpriced products.
IBO’s are given a demographic list of people to prospect. Bottom line is they prey on everybody, not just the disadvantaged, but that group seems to be the easy mark. The relatively gullible prey are people who are in financial straits and could use money and/or could use friends.
I feel so much relief that Ambot and I did not ferret out these people and bring even more grief to their lives.
As an IBO, our group was taught two target two groups. The first group was younger (under 30) because they were more likely to have a "need" such as a financial need. The second group we targeted was professionals such as lawyers and doctors because for them, materials such as functions and standing orders wouldn't be a financial challenge.
ReplyDeleteI thought the younger generation would be worst cause they are constantly on the internet. They'll read all the negative sites. Joe, i was told of a 3rd group the sales professionals who have thousands of contacts.
ReplyDeleteGood point, but I've also noticed that many young people, especially 25 and younger, rarely if ever research any product, service, or business before getting into it. Me? Hell, I'll research pudding before I buy it! I don't trust so easily.
DeleteI thought they also said dont sign up someone where their spouse is negative reguardin this scam. Remember hearing on tapes both parties have to agree on signing up or this whole situation is a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteI am in the second group mentioned by Joe. I was told to put on my list fellow medical professionals, because they would more likely stay with the program, as they stayed to graduate from college, finish residencies and internships required by their training. It was also put out that these professionals were more likely see the reasoning behind the books, tapes (oops! CDs) and functions, because of requirements to purchase books and certain lab equipment, etc. during college. Joe is also right that professionals were targeted because it was thought that the system wouldn't be a financial challenge. In other words: They saw professionals as a new cash cow. It was also said that professionals in Amway gave a higher level of credibility to the Amway opportunity. "If your Doctor needs Amway, so do you!" was the slogan I heard when I was sponsored the second time.
ReplyDeleteDavid we were also told the same credibility thing and to prospect professionals because if a lawyer and doctor is an Amway IBO then they wouldn't be involved in a scam and therefore Amway must be a legitimate business opportunity. We don't know anyone socially in these professions in that I mean we don't have them over to our house for dinner parties kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteColin I can only wish that our upline got the word out not to sign up anyone whose spouse is negative towards Amway because that would be a waste of time! Instead our upline practiced the theory that if the spouse doesn't want to be involved in Amway then they have existing problems in their relationship and sign them up anyway and we'll go out of our way to destroy their marriage.
ReplyDeleteWas told by Greg Duncan WWDB in one of his tapes that a negative spouse is like cancer to your group. There's simply isnt enough product sales(or i guess he also meant tool sales) to make things worth it for your upline or yourself. That this spouse would be like poison to the group. That before signing up a couple make sure the wife or husband agrees with the signup and the business.
ReplyDeleteYou were in Amway a long time ago weren't you? I'm sure he changed his tune since then. "Never mind a negative spouse. Sign up the other half anyway. We need the money!" If your quote from him is on I'd say he's correct and that warning should still be preached at Amway meetings. The spouse would be like poison to the group. Or at least in my case! Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteAnna, i guess in the tape days the cult leaders werent all that desperate for signups. Now they sign up anybody who has 150.00 or whatever the kit cost. Been almost 20 yrs since i was in and there are more expenses today.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you all were taught to contact everybody!
ReplyDeleteWe were taught to prospect everyone we ran into during the day but were told the hot prospects were under 35 years old.
ReplyDeleteThen you shouldn't have been confused by being prospected.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean, Tex?
ReplyDeleteWe used to hear all about the demographics in the 90's; and then in their next breath, if they have a pulse or fog a mirror, SHOW 'EM THE PLAN!!
Don't prejudge anyone.
Make sure they qualify.
Don't prejudge anyone.
What are you doing showing to anyone who doesn't qualify?
Dont prejudge anyone.
If your wife doesn't support you, cut 'er loose!
Ah. No confusion there, huh?
Anna said she was confused why they were approached, because the upline said the best people to approach are under 35, and they were older. That's what I mean, Anna is logically inconsistent. But at least she's consistently inconsistent! LOL
ReplyDeleteAh, another day on Tex's ethereal merry-go-round.
ReplyDeleteThis is fun.
College boy, perhaps?
Ah, another day on Anon's ethereal merry-go-round.
ReplyDeleteThis is fun.
Little boy, perhaps? LOL
Sales people - because they have large contact lists and are used to constant rejection.
ReplyDeleteCollege level+ athletes - they are used to pain and sacrifice to reach a higher goal as a team.
As someone who fits both, I'm dying to get prospected again so I can slowly pick someone's plan apart over a nice coffee. One can dream.....
I have to agree with the fake marriage advice , I just posted about it on another site. Now guys like Paul Tsika are being exposed for having major marriage issues. He lied about it to all of wwdb and then recently was forced to come out with the truth after a few brave souls blew the whistle on him! He really gave me and my husband horrible advice and used his position as a pastor to get us to stay in wwdb. He was a horrible man who is trying to just make money off all those people. i hear he makes more then the diamonds do and even sells their IBOs his own tools!
ReplyDeleteHi anna
ReplyDeleteMy friend just called me about your site, she mentioned how amway almost ended your marriage. Did you ever run into Paul Tsika or have them use a pastor to try and control you like they did to use?
Many of us are going to blog about this guy now he is horrible you should start a blog on him or the fact that using GOD or faith and pastor to keep you in amway is wrong !
Graham - we recently came home and found a notice in our mailbox advising of a business opportunity meeting. A home based business that allows one to acquire a poassive stream of income with little time and capital invested. The products are an easy sell. Items that you probably already use in your house. This great opportunity is a trend in the growing global market. And the meeting takes place at 8pm! Yeah we can all spot an Amway pitch once we've quit! Ambot was so tempted to go and cause trouble cause he thought it might be our former Platinum. Well, who knows about that. Might have been a different LOS. But I wish you luck getting prospected again. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteHappy - I'm glad you found me! This is the place to be to trash your former upline!
ReplyDeleteNo, I've never heard of Paul Tsika. Possibly our Platinum knows him and used his methods. Once your blog is going come back here and post a link so we can follow it.
Have you read my post about Busting Relationships? http://marriedtoanambot.blogspot.com/2010/10/busting-relationships.html
Hahaha wow..so what the upline was basically saying is, "Don't prospect people who might have life experience, common sense, or may have already heard what a scam we are. Go after the young, clueless dummies instead. They also seem to like going after college kids because they can be really booksmart, but so arrogant, their common sense cannot develop. "YOU are smarter than the rest, so we know you can make it work." When you take an intelligent person and stroke that ego enough, sanity flies out the window. That's what seems to have happened to my friend who recently started this. I don't understand how anyone can be taken in by their pitch. I started seeing red flags with every conversation we've had lately. How did he get brainwashed so quickly? His whole personality has changed - and NOT for the better.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if anyone comes up to you and tells you Jesus wants you to be rich and drive a Mercedes, he needs to read his Bible again because Jesus was not a materialistic, insulting, egomaniacal nutjob. He didn't mock the poor and the working people, he loved and helped them. I bet he's not real happy with all the fake Christians pushing this crap, or the fact that the Ambots insult anyone who doesn't agree with them. Love thy enemy, anyone?
ReplyDeletegreat
ReplyDelete