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August 2, 2004
Monday Reader Mail: 6
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's Reader Mail selection is from someone claiming to be in San Jose. The message contains an interesting suggestion, one that I think Quixtar should notice.
As always, my comments appear in bold
name: San Jose IBOWell, I doubt I could start a blog about Quixtar success stories but I'm sure somebody out there will do so. After all, the "blogging is for losers" excuse about the past IBO blogging void has been stripped away since Jody Victor, Orrin Woodward, Fred Harteis and others started blogging last month.
date: July 19, 2004message: Hey Eric....I'm a happy IBO building a successful Quixtar business....I read your About page.....thanks for being real and not trying to be another "negative" site out there. I'm glad you said the truth about the whole cult crap, Amway, etc....it gets old answering those "common" sense questions people keep asking.
I understand what you mean but doesn't that just come with the territory? I mean, Microsoft folks still field questions about the "evil Bill Gates."
Maybe you can create another Blog site ONLY for people with success stories, so those that are doing "real" research can see that this business works if you work it...which most people don't
Comments
PorkchopJim's comment is one of complete illiteracy of the program. I have been doing internet commerce business alot longer then he's been a statistical engineer im sure, and the move to Quixtar (online) will definately boost their business even more then the growth it's seen in the past couple years.
Sure it's not a get rich quick program, and there are still people who make it hard by never buying the products, and never telling the plan, but of those signed up their few.
Lastly, I can think of many other ways I have wasted a hundred bucks (Signup) and countless hours american's spend watching TV (much more time a month then the conferences take)....
Either way, it comes down to the mind set, either they are going to give it a shot, and TRY, and not be discouraged and make it, or they will give up.. The only way to loose is to give up.... Simple huh
Unfortunately, its Holmes' version of psuedo logic that reinforces the myth that Quixtar and its lines of sponsorship actually work in the IBO's favor (instead of the actual effect of making them patsies.)
When he (and they) say the only way to lose is to give up, then most people follow that line of thinking to say to themselves, "Well, if I don't give up, then I'll succeed." Which isn't true. You will succeed as a Quixtar IBO by generating business for Quixtar. No more, no less. That generally means signing a lot of people up to pool those downline PV.
But more important, it's a self-reinforcing fallacy. Because it is actually true that (obviously) if you give up, you will fail (as in all things, arguably). So there will be obvious and readily available evidence of failure from the people who give up.
But there's not necessarily any proof that never giving up actually works. You could, technically, "show the plan" to a thousand people and none of them sign up. I guess it's not likely; but as logic goes, it's not very solid.
Also, this psudo logic takes advantage of generalities to be more easily true. In other words, because "giving up" is such an objective term, it becomes more of a lens by which people interpret (rather than the other way around). It's turned around to mean that seeing an IBO that failed MEANS that he gave up. And they can rationalize how they "give up" as anything they want to try and reinforce the dillusion of the psuedo logic. It's not empiracle.
Anyways, all of this business about not giving up IS the magic act. Quixtar gives out peanuts to the people that redirect all of their spending to its site. In my opinion, Quixtar is buidling customer loyalty extremely cheaply--and in a manner that is dishonest and unethical (however legal and effective).
It's the psudo logic that bothers me most about the "business," though. It capitolizes on the idea that the uninformed generally believe the first thing they hear, even after hearing reasonable evidence to the contrary. So, most people think they will be saving lots of money by shopping at Quixtar despite information on Quixtar's own site that states otherwise. And like I said, the magic act is to get people to think of it as a business instead of a method to create lots of business for Quixtar (which then creates a network that can be abused with the tools businesses--which Quixtar/Amway/Alticore refuses to do anything about)
Oh well. I'm not convinced Quixtar is evil. But it sure doesn't sound nice to me.
You guys don't get it. I have owned several other traditional businesses. Most new traditional business fails after three to five years. I believe the statistic is a 95% failure ratio for most new traditional businesses.
To start most businesses, you have to put up a lot of money. You typically have to borrow that money. You will typically need to pay that off through a monthly note.
During the first 3 to 5 years of your traditional business, it is, in most cases, not profitable. If the business owner takes money out of it in the early stages for him, he can potentially cripple it. So most business owners do not take much of a salary and they are still paying that monthly note along with typical business expenses.
They also have more-than-likely given up their job to invest time in getting their business off the ground. So they are making practically nothing during the first years and they hope it pays off. The reasons these traditional businesses go out-of-business is that the owner can't make it through that three to five year period of not making any money.
As you are trying to get your traditional business off the ground, you can't usually go to someone who has a successful business like yours and ask his advice. If he gave you some advice, I'm sure he would hold back somewhat, because he wouldn't want you doing better then him.
With the Quixtar business, you can maintain your job. So you always keep that income coming in while you are in the foundation building phase of your business. As a matter of fact, you are encouraged by your mentors to do the best job possible at work. I personally have made more money at my job because of what I have learned by what I have learned through my mentors in this business.
The cost to get registered is a joke. You can spend that on a bad weekend in the City. The on-going expenses, like training is also a joke. As a former traditional business owner, we understand the value of continuing education in their field. I spent way more time and money on my College education and after four years was guaranteed nothing.
As far as expertise, you have a mentor or coach that has a vested interest in helping you succeed. He not only will coach you and physically help you, but in my case has mentored me, by my choice, in other aspects of my life. It has truly been a blessing for me and my wife.
There is a specific pattern for success. If you follow it and do not quit, you will be successful. I have also been in the martial arts since 1983. I hold two black belts and a forth degree in Karate and a 1st degree in Ju Jitsu.
I think any endeavor is the same. The only reason I succeeded and made black belt and others didn't is the same. I did the work consistently, learned and grew in areas I needed to improve and didn't quit. There were people that came to class sporadically and didn't make black belt until they strung together a period of time when they trained consistently.
Some students that joined when I did, that were a lot more talented than me. But they quit.
My sensei became an IBO with us and was asked by my mentor how many people joined his school. He said about 2,000. He asked about how many hit the 1st level, Green Belt, he said 200. He asked him how may people became black belt. He said, 20. He asked how many hit the level I had made and he said 2. Success is a decision.
The school and the instructor worked. More importantly, I worked. I did the work, learned what I needed to know and never quit. Same goes for the Quixtar business. It's a universal success principal. Work plus a willingness to learn and improve over a period of time will yield success. It's just common sense. It's unfortunate that common sense is not so common, especially online.
I see a major problem with Quixtar success blogs:
Wouldn’t that be considered ‘cross-lining’? When told to research Quixtar, prospects are referred to either “Quixtar FAQs - straight answers to tough questions” and/or whatever sponsorship line they may be in, because everyone knows that their LOS is the fastest growing, most trustworthy...blah, blah, blah. To be proper sheeple, you need no other than your benevolent uplines guidance. Why help someone else’s downline at no advantage to you?
A minor problem is that all of the Quixtar success stories are already on a stage somewhere...they are busy people with all of their freedom. Plus, why should they give away that valuable advise for free? Then maybe no one would go to those meetings/rallies/weekend retreats, and well, for reasons other than those convention centers and hotel meeting rooms need patronage, I’m not sure why the successes wouldn’t want that to happen.
Research? Spare me. I always love the ‘I am a statistical engineer and studied the business plan for x months and have found no better opportunity....’ You should get a refund from whatever school you went to, because you came up with the wrong answer.
Posted by: Porkchopjim | August 3, 2004 10:44 AM