Scott,
Hello. I have been an avid reader of your site and unfortunately for the 'dreamers', the
facts and figures are completely undisputed.
Please let me take a small amount of time to explain my story:
I was shown 'the Plan' for the 1st time by Diamond John Merris in '93. I went as a
courtesy to my friends in a military unit we were in. This group morphed into what became
known as the Killeen Dream Team. Two other Diamonds/EDC's (that I got to meet) put in
personal effort to build this: Rocky Covington and David Dealing (one other was Stewart?
that I didn't get to meet). I was 'privileged' to have been in meetings of less than 25
people to meet and see these gentlemen work the whiteboard and have small team leadership
training with them. The money, of course and the dream were motivating factors in my
starting my IBO.
In my immediate upline, to include two 'ruby' pins and Diamond David Dealing: Retail
product sales were strongly emphasised as well as
personal sponsorship. This is when the LOS were forced to start having all distributors
sign the BSMAA agreement, to say it was a choice, not a
mandate to be on SOT (please edit if any Acronyms are wrong) due to the lawsuit
settlement. I was able to recieve personal instruction from John Merris at 97 Spring
Leadership in Raliegh, NC. Gracious of him, since I wasn't doing anything with the biz at
that time. Apparently the KDT had imploded and died off....wow, in exactly 4 years....
My background is of coming from 2 family businesses and one MLM, (my aunt still sells
AVON. All retail). Having joined right at the time Artisty had completely remade itself
and with the above in mind, I got the whole Artisty sample kit. I had asked my LOS for a
training seminar/basic help from the other spouses and did not get help. I kinda felt it
was funny that we had a strong leg that emphasised retail but as a single, I was unable to
recieve training help and was told to just keep sponsoring.
BTW: my aunt said she loved me but wasn't going to train her competition.
On that note, I had sponsored 3 people within 28 days (who did nothing, that's ok) and was
told at that time, by my upline: "most IBO's don't even do that. You're in the top
15% already. You'll go Diamond for sure."
I honestly can say that all of the above Diamonds listed have said the '1 retail sale to
10 separate customers/yr' rule. On another note, David Dealing was honest to state that
'the biz is a 5 year cyclical business and 'we' are in an upswing right now (Sept 93. This
was the week that he had been notified by Amway Corp that he and Vickie had completed
Diamond qualification).
Did people in my LOS make money w/retail sales? Yes, but take into consideration that in
'93, not one of the major personal product manufacturers were making concentrated product.
Tide came out in Dec 93/Jan 94. Lets talk cost per use then/and now: in '93 SA-8 and Dish
Drops were competitive. They are not now. Everyone
has concentrated products out there now. If you are really building a business with sales
instead of sponsorship, you constantly have to compare yourself to the competition. AT
WALMART.
You can bet the ladies do that with Artistry vs. Avon/Mary Kay/ Bare Minerals.
I hate Wal-Mart with a passion, they put my family
out of the retail business due to the following: the bottom line for most things is they have the greatest value with the
lowest price point per product and use. If you are going to be a retail business you have
to constantly check this. My family couldn't compete and bluntly, I haven't seen Amway
products as competive against WalMart in the last 5 years.
I am not in the business anymore for the following reasons:
1. I don't believe that you products are the best value for money. Doesn't mean I don't
like some of them.
2. Your pin income numbers cannot be justified without BSM kickbacks and $$ for rally's
mtgs etc...
3. Medical order due to sleep deprivation..In other words, if I'm sleep deprived from SOP
and/or Core mtg; and hit/injured someone: insurance will not cover anything and you are
legally negligent. Charming little twist for those putting in the work.
Now for any IBO's reading this:
1. I've got better things to do than to steal your dream. No
one can sell yourself out but you!
2. I did get good life experience from my association with other IBO's. I do miss being
with people, who in general want to better themselves vs. drugging or being at the bar. I
still agree with this statement.
3. How do you feel about the so called 'edified
upline Diamonds' who have had affairs and betrayed their spouses. Miller and Britt and
Danzik, who I've see on stage talk the talk, but not walk the walk.
All of us have to deal with people like that, but
do you want business/finacial/personal advice from
people like that? That's your call....
4.When's the last time you turned a profit in the business and what does it equate to
dollars per hour? All of the Diamonds brag about dollars/hr. Paul Miller bragged
about sitting down eating breakfast at 10 am and calling their downline pin at his job to
'motivate' him. I wonder what Danny Snipes really felt about him at the car dealership
that day. Must be nice making that tool money.
5. At FED 93 in San Antonio (yeah that's right, Dream Night 93 was at Tarrant County
Center) Paul Miller and other Diamonds in organization
proudly introduced an Widowed female diamond. Her Husband had died (perished in a
car accident coming home from a mtg?) and the Miller organization was so proud to talk
about how their big pins worked the last 3 legs to get them from Emerald to Diamond for
this woman and her children. Ok, so is she in still? Or was that organization JAMWAY'd out
to a big pin? What happened to Vickie Dealing? If this is truly the case (the above) in
the WWDB that Dave and Vicki were in, why would a woman leave/give up a business that she help build and was advertised to be the savior
(instead of a good term life policy) for a widow's family? This
is a legitimate question for any committed IBO to ask.
After all, you're building your future.
Any active or prospective IBO are always told to do due diligence on anything they
do...have you realistically (by the numbers, not the upline's hype OR your negative dream
stealing friends commentary) done due diligence on this business or your current business
operation? The net profit vs. hours, emotional cost to family, etc...
If you choose to be in, best of luck to you. If you choose to walk away, best of luck to
you.
Thanks Scott,