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February 13, 2005
Mysterious Meeting Goes Down Under
By QBlog in
The "Mysterious Meeting" finds its way Down Under.
From the "Ratbags Dot Com" Web site:
A few weeks later I discovered that "Internet" was the corporate name of the business belonging to Dexter Yager, who runs the oldest and biggest of the Amway motivational organisation pyramids. His company had been using this name for more than ten years, and the company named on the tape wrapper was the Australian subsidiary of his US organisation. (As a nice aside, the people in Yager's outfit are so ashamed of what they do for a living that they won't let strangers look at their web site.)
Why, oh why do IBOs insist on using the "Mysterious Meeting" to get new business? A thousand blessings to all IBOs who vow to NEVER use the "Mysterious Meeting" tactic. In fact, I encourage IBOs everywhere to take the Vow of Non-Mysterious Meetings:
I, (insert name), solemly swear to never use the "Mysterious Meeting" tactic to recruit new IBOs. When explaining my business for the first time I will mention Quixtar and explain its relationship with Amway. I will fully answer all questions about my business to the best of my ability.
Cool. So, that's it then? No more "Mysterious Meetings" right? Awesome!
Comments
D'oh! please delete this and last comment of mine, i'll make one later.
I thought it was OK Imran, your point is clear.
Don't fret Imran, you still Da Man!!
Yes, I too went to a mysterious meeting. Although it was just me and my prospector, who went over it with me.
I remember being rather excited after I'd seen the plan. I was also given a couple of tapes. One had me quite sold. It was simply called 'What if it works?'. It was an Aussie guy giving a speech at a function.
The other one, I can't remember what it was called but the speaker was an American gent talking at a function. He was explaining how all people with jobs are broke and those with higher paying jobs are 'broke at a higher level'. That was one of the ones that gave me the creeps.
The reason was that a couple of years before I'd seen a talk-show on cults. I also remember reading something about cults masquerading, not only as religions but as businesses as well.
The point in the talk show that struck me was that the first thing a cult recruiter will do is explain that your current situation is pretty grim. In Amway's case, "You are a broke loser with a job".
This second tape is what started the alarm bells ringing for me and kept me from signing up straight away - although I was still pretty excited.
I listened to many tapes subsequent to that - some I found made me enthusiastic about Amway, others just gave me the heebie geebies.
All in I just don't think I would have been cut out for making much (if anything) in Amway. I'm just not a salesman.
I have a friend who is heavily involved in the Interbiz organization. He vociferously states that Interbiz is not Quixtar. Quixtar is merely the 'warehouse'. He is proud of his loyalty to the PV/BV benchmarks and the 'training program'. When I mention people object to the $100-150 per month 'training / tools' he refocuses on the earning potential from the PV/BV. I asked who gets the income from the 'training' materials he said those who produce it but at a later point it could be another income source for me. When I asked what benchmark I had to reach to qualify for the tool money he avoided the answer. Even his up line hedges when asked to clearly lay out what are the actual income sources. After months of looking at this I have come to the conclusion that Interbiz (and others like it - WWW, etc) are nothing more than an infrastructure to sell 'tools' that will profit only the top placed people (in this case Casey Combden). I was curious to know if I could produce materials of my own and sell them in my organization and was highly discouraged - I hadn't proven myself in this business. The fact I have run and own several successful businesses other than MLM doesn't cut it. I reviewed a lot of the tapes, CDs and books - most were Rah, Rah, go get 'em, pep rallies with little to no focus on actual business practices. Gee, I can cheerlead with the best of them, maybe they cut me out too soon. As a business owner looking for new opportunities I expect to see income and balance statements, clear benchmarks and up front info with respect to 'other' sources of revenue. No one in this organization has done this - all I keep getting is 'the dream'. I hope others who look at this opportunity clearly delineate the hype and the facts i.e. the cashflow. If the cashflow is negative you had best be looking at how long you can carry on digging a financial hole.
Dazed:
Congrats on your success in business. You sound to be an informed business person with the common sense to look at hard numbers in lieu of hype and emotion. Too many of the people who post here are too wrapped up in the rah-rah to actually look at profit-loss.
So is becoming an Eagle in BWW considered a benchmark for receiving tool money? Also, a friend of mine just reached "1000 PV" and was really excited about it. What do these things mean? Does becoming an eagle (she did it in about 3 years) put you pretty much on the road to retirement in the near future?
Inquiringmind said:
"So is becoming an Eagle in BWW considered a benchmark for receiving tool money? Also, a friend of mine just reached "1000 PV" and was really excited about it. What do these things mean? Does becoming an eagle (she did it in about 3 years) put you pretty much on the road to retirement in the near future?"
I don't know about BWW - but in the Harteis organization (part of Yager) this is what they meant:
Eagle - Award given for STP a certain amount in a one-month time frame, along with sponsoring. When I was in it was -
20 plans minimum in one month
5 personally sponsored
5 "in depth" sponsored below the 5 personal
Revenue had nothing to do with the award (surprise, surprise!) - but the idea was if you were consistenly going Eagle, you would be Direct/Sapphire in 90-120 days. I saw many, many, many Eagles and repeat Eagles go across stage in my four years - not one ever went Direct.
For thr record - I never achieved Eagle - though I came close many times.
Also - we had the "Blue Vase" award (based on the book "The Go-Getter") - this award was the same idea as Eagle only harder to get. Instead of 20/5/5, I believe it was 30 or 35/10/10.
I only saw three blue vases ever given out
1000 PV is the first level of product movement in AmQuix that you get recognized on stage at a function - generally your upline purchases the 1000 pin you wear - it is a bit of a status symbol (I still have mine somewhere). I was a bit unusual as I accomplished 1000 thru moving product and not just buying it.
Both awards are considered a stepping stone to "freedom". Neither garnered any tool money.
I would think BWW would be similar.
What ever happened to Casey and Cathy Combden? I just read that they got/were getting a divorce. Whats up with that?
I was a distributor until 1997, but left the business and came to Japan to follow my real dreams. (Non Amway Inspired Dreams).
There seems to be a lot of interesting things on the web about
the business now. (mostly negative)
I have to admit, there were a lot of great teachers in my upline, including Bob, Casey and Dr. George. I miss everyone,
but I don't miss the sting of failure year in and year out. I tried for over 7 years to build it. I am now a leather accessory designer in Japan and I have my goods in stores all
over Tokyo. No, Tapes, Books or Functions. No pressure. But no mentors trying to help me get my dream either. So I guess, in some ways I miss the business, and some ways I don't. It wasn't all that bad.
Find this whole scheme bizzarre. Went to a meeting everyone appeared brain washed.
How will any one get recruited then?
Ppl go the mysterious meeting, get peer pressure, see that ppl are very happy and thought "This might work if it's working for THAT dude"
Later they finds out it was not working for any one, they were alHow will any one get recruited then?
Ppl go the mysterious meeting, get peer pressure, see that ppl are very happy and thought "This might work if it's working for THAT dude"
Later they finds out it was not working for any one, they were all just looking happy to appear successful as that will make them successful in reality one day. Also, to impress the 2% recruits there they have to!
If it's said exclusively that it's Quixtar which was known as Amway, I really doubt any one will show up. May be ppl like Scott Larsen etc. ;)
l just looking happy to appear successful as that will make them successful in reality one day. Also, to impress the 2% recruits there they have to!
If it's said exclusively that it's Quixtar which was known as Amway, I really doubt any one will show up. May be ppl like Scott Larsen etc. ;)
Posted by: Imran Aziz | February 13, 2005 3:23 AM