November 30, 2002
Who cares if it's crap... you're earning PV and BV.
By QBlog in Quixtar
Quixtar, Amway, Alticore and anyone else in the entire mix does not make crappy products. I'm not saying that they are the producers of second-rate items selling at the same price as comparable name-brand products. I'm simply saying that some of the products from Quixtar just aren't all that good. Sure they are made in America (I haven't checked but I've been assured that everything in Quixtar is made in USA) but when 1/3 of the 50 gallon trash bags I bought have holes...in both ends...I can't help thinking I bought a crap product.
Also, the diapers. They hold nothing. Sure they are fine if you keep your kid dehydrated and change with obsessive frequency but leave one of those puppies on too long and you've got little baby urine pants. They leak after a couple of fluid ounces. At least it seems that way. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little but if I am...it's only a little.
My point is that Quixtar works on some levels to destroy the individual's ability to discriminate between good products and bad products. When I ask my wife about some of these inferior products she simply won't recognize that the products just don't quite measure up. She says I'm just anti-Quixtar but I'm not. I'm just against Orange Juice that tastes like cough medicine or potato chips that seem stale right out of the bag. I'm not asking for much, just that I can have a decent alternative when the Quixtar version doesn't measure up.
The main argument is that Quixtar products earn PV and BV. This is true. They earn a lot. However, there is a quality of life issue. Without Quixtar I can save lots of money by purchasing really cheap products. I don't because most of the time you get what you pay for. With Quixtar you rarely are saving much money (from what I can see, I could be wrong) and sometimes are getting a very inferior product in my opinion. The rationale is that it's earning PV/BV. Ok, so either way you end up back to square one. If I buy the cheap non-Quixtar item I save a buck and earn nothing. If I buy the cheap Quixtar item I spend an extra buck and earn 1 point of PV/BV which may help me earn another buck.
The basic lesson that I have learned from all this is that in life, no matter what, you get what you pay for. Not always but more times than not.
November 24, 2002
Become a Navy SEAL
By QBlog in Miscellaneous
Here is why I'm not in Quixtar. It's just not me. I'm not cut out for it. Most of the tapes I've heard say that it isn't for everyone. I'm one of those people. Not everyone can be an astronaut, president, navy SEAL or lawyer and I just can't be a Quixtar IBO. I kinda wish I could be. It would seemingly solve a lot of problems. But I can't.
November 21, 2002
Is this a cult?
By QBlog in Quixtar
No, Quixtar is not a cult but it's often compared to one and there are many similarities but it cannot be simply defined as a cult.
This comparison is made about many aspects of the business but the one aspect of the business that seems most "cult-like" to me is the sense of persecution that they receive from people who "just don't understand" this business. They are involved with what is basically an unpopular (unpopular in the general sense) business and get a "thrill" from that unpopularity.
With other Quixtar members they feel they belong and are understood and each time someone "doesn't get it" they smile, smirk and nod at each other thinking that they know better and this poor soul just doesn't understand. Well that poor soul may not understand but that doesn't mean that the Quixtar person has any more understanding either.
I've seen this before. Religious organizations thrive off of this type of misunderstanding. As long as there is a core group of supporters to comfort and congratulate and support each other then they continue growing and feeling like they are doing something worthwhile. And maybe they are. But they often are also closing themselves off from the rest of the world and reality and take on an "us v. them" mentality.
Again, this isn't a cult. It's just got some similar elements. Other business like Apple, have some similar mindsets. An Apple fanatic is equally disturbing. I just feel that nobody should remove themselves from society and become incapable of objective discussion about anything.
November 19, 2002
Quixtar Tripping
By QBlog in Quixtar
Another Quixtar trip this weekend. More ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY meetings and seminars. These are not easy on a family yet I feel compelled to simply go along because it's for the good of our future. And that is the main issue with me. I fight between what is good for the family and what is good for our future and try to make both meet but it's not easy to do. I'm not a great business mind so I don't know what is necessary for great business success but I have some ideas about what is necessary for family success. And spending all this time at functions seems to conflict with some of these ideas.
Anyway, it's a challenge and I struggle with it as I'm sure everyone else does.
November 14, 2002
The Image Issue
By QBlog in Quixtar
Quixtar has an image problem. I know this. Anyone who denies this is fooling themselves. I've spoken to may people who wrinkle their faces in disgust at the mere mention of Quixtar. Those who don't react negatively usually do so because they've never heard of Quixtar and once they make the Amway connection then the face wrinkling begins. This isn't true of everyone but it seems that overwhelmingly people have a negative opinion of Quixtar.
Why is this?
Most of these people have never used Quixtar and are unfamiliar with its business, services or products. So then why the reaction? One word: REPUTATION. Microsoft has a reputation among many as being the big mean bully that crushes competition. Exxon has the reputation of being the bad old oil company that wants to pollute the oceans and rivers and air. Phillip Morris has the reputation of wanting to kill people for profits. All these businesses have a bad reputation but there is one distinction between all these businesses and Quixtar. They are all doing something publicly to change the reputation. Quixtar is not.
Quixtar relies on individuals (often inexperienced individuals) to build its brand and enhance its reputation. I can't argue that this doesn't work, because it does. But I can argue that this might not work as well as alternatives. Instead of appealing to the masses Quixtar appeals to a small segment and then influences that segment to become fiercely loyal customers. There is nothing wrong with this but it doesn't do much to improve the reputation of the business outside of the customer base.
Without going into all the reasons why Quixtar has a bad reputation I will just say that the fact is that it does suffer from a negative perception (or maybe it feeds off of this perception? more on that later) and the corporate mindset is to do nothing to combat this perception and instead rely on word of mouth and successful customers to change predjudice.
November 8, 2002
Welcome To My Blog
By QBlog in Blog News
This is the first installment of my tale of living with someone who is in Quixtar. My wife has been in this business about 9 months and I wish to chronicle my experiences and perceptions about the business and how it affects families and relationships.