September 21, 2004
Reconcile this...
By clicking on the following link you will find, what is in my opinion, Q’s futile attempt to deflect criticism from the Dateline NBC broadcast. Until recently I did not realize how much material there was to discuss at this location.
As a primer, go to Gary VanderVen, Director of Business Conduct and Rules and listen to the guidelines that speakers are to adhere to in business-related meetings. Gary mentions, “...excessive talk about their beliefs is not appropriate...” Click Here
Sounds great. Now...Reconcile this...
The following is a clip from one of A/Q’s most influential “leaders.” However, the following comments attributed to this individual seem to stand in stark contradiction to Gary VanderVen’s supposed speaker guidelines. Are we to assume that the corporation does not view his claims as excessive? If not, what do they mean by excessive? How much more excessive can you get?
Dexter Yager- GDL 96-40 Part II: “...I wanted to tell you, this little room, this little group of people, I understand what it is like to be Christ, and look out around amongst the disciples. Don’t be a Judas. Don’t be a doubting Thomas. I know what it is like to be Moses...” Click Here"...I’ve had people that hated me. They hated me so bad. They tried to destroy me in so many ways that I’ve seen them die a cancer death...”
“...I’m going to tell you something, based upon what I’ve learned from my life, the ones of us that accept Christ and we carry this banner of Amway and we go with it, we’re the Christian soldiers marching as to war. We’re the anointed...”
In my opinion this kind of talk is not only excessive, but frightening.
As an aside, Amway’s founder Rich DeVos said, “The secret to our company's success is people like the Yagers.” Years later, his son, Dick DeVos is credited with saying, “…What I have always admired about you, Dexter, is that you have never been exclusive...You are a tremendous role model for Amway and I am proud to call you my friend…”
Sincerely,
Bo Short
The preceding comments are based on my experiences and opinions.
September 21, 2004 in Commentaries | Permalink
September 16, 2004
Let Them Speak for Themselves
I had a funny situation occur yesterday. I was retrieving something out of a storage area that I seldom use. When I moved a couple boxes I found some recordings I thought had been thrown out. There were dozens in the box. As an aside, when I left that business I threw away thousands upon thousands of tapes.
I stuck my hand in the box and randomly pulled out 4 tapes. I walked over to a tape player and plugged them in one by one. Within seconds of each tape I heard the following clips. Let me state in advance, for the purpose of disclosure, I did not play each tape for more than a few moments to find this information. I can only imagine what I would find if I listened all the way through.
You mean to tell me that all I have to do in the next 60 days to go direct is to listen to a tape a day and read 30 minutes and go double go-getter? If that is the case I cannot imagine why there are not thousands of new directs each month.
Once again, I did not know that selling products was optional. I assumed that mlm regulations mandated the selling of products. However, when Jerry said sell and/or sponsor people I can understand why people think that selling is optional.
If I am not mistaken, Jerry sits on the IBOAI board. In that position are we to assume that his views are endorsed by Q and his fellow tenured-pins?
Maybe this is why people follow blindly. They are asked to simply “...do it on total faith.” To listen to Billy explain the reading and his empahsis on listening to tapes one would assume it is the only way to grow.
If I am not mistaken, Billy sits on the IBOAI board. In that position are we to assume that his views are endorsed by Q and his fellow tenured-pins?
When I was a distributor the corporate literature said that tools are optional. To listen to Jody however, one would assume that the only way to build the business is through the tools. Didn't he say, “...that's what builds the business?”
If I am not mistaken, Jody sits on the IBOAI board. In that position are we to assume that his views are endorsed by Q and his fellow tenured-pins?
I can only assume that Fred actually sees his former distributors this way. He did say, “...If you don’t want to build the business...” One of the statements I hear from people day after day, is that they were afraid of quitting because they did not want to be viewed as losers. I wonder where they got this impression? Listen for yourself.
If I am not mistaken, Fred sits on the IBOAI board. In that position are we to assume that his views are endorsed by Q and his fellow tenured-pins?
I thought I would share these statements of the so-called leaders with you. This is the information I received as I worked my way through that business. Based on the feedback I receive...not much has changed.
Additionally, I thought I would share Rich DeVos' satements regarding some of these issues. By the way, all of the clips from above were recorded more than a decade later than Rich's. Maybe they did not hear what he had to say...then again, maybe they do not care.
A. Click Here
B. Click Here
C. Click Here
D. Click Here
I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Bo
The preceding comments are based on my experiences and opinions.
September 16, 2004 in Commentaries | Permalink
September 07, 2004
Duplication
I read a tremendous post today from LawBlawg.
I thought I would utilize Q’s recent press release to reiterate a point I have made regarding my previous experiences. I have stated that I knew of very few diamonds, kingpins excluded, that were actually free. The promise of freedom through duplication is as much a myth as the belief that diamonds are rich…because of A/Q income.
As background: As I grew through the ranks of that business, I was taught that the power of the plan was rooted in duplication. The premise was: one reaches 2 who reaches 4 who potentially reaches millions. This is why people were taught, “in 2-5 years working 8-15 hours per week you can go diamond and become wealthy…as long as you use the training systems provided by your upline.”
Additionally, to the best of my knowledge, over the past 45 years of combined activity the so-called tenured-pins have proclaimed this same 2-5 year road to freedom through their systems. Please keep in mind they are the same tenured-pins that lead the Amway distributors as they were assimilated into Q. The field hierarchy did not change.
One would imagine that this kind of so-called leadership could take 45 years of experience and develop a training system that could deliver what it promotes. According to an apparent press release by Q they wrote, “Though it's young, Quixtar already has a sizable sales force: about 340,000 distributors.”
Let’s not confuse two companies…Quixtar and Amway. In approximately 2000, Amway distributors became Q distributors in America. Therefore, to talk about Q as a truly new company is, in my opinion, insincere. As a simplistic example, you can change your name legally but that does not change who you really are and where you came from. A change in name does not change your history.
As an aside, Q also claimed to have produced $1B in product volume. Please note: I am in no way criticizing that claim. If you were to ask me if Q works for the founding families I would say, of course. However, their volume is of little consequence to the actual success of their distributors. As well, for a distributor to use Q’s volume as a sign of their own personal success rings hollow. The question remains, what was your last bonus check and how much did you spend to get it?
What does this all mean? Everything!
LawBlawg reported: According to the FTC, the number of Amway distributors in the United States from 1972 through 1979 fluctuated at around 300,000, reaching a high point of 360,000 in 1977. In the United States Tax Court opinion in Guadagno v. Commissioner, in which the tax court determined that an Amway distributorship was not a real business and was therefore not entitled to claim deductions for business expenses, the court repeated that there were about 360,000 total Amway distributors (again, in the United States I assume).That means that the number of distributors in Amway/Quixtar in 2004 is 20,000 less than the number of distributors in 1977 and approximately the same as the number of distributors in the United States in 1972.
Today Q claims to have 340,000 distributors. You do the math. The distributor group has gone backwards in three decades. Three decades of data-gathering and hard work…the results speak for themselves. Even if their distributor force were to have grown by, say 10% over these past 3 decades, the promotion of duplication is a farce.
There is no duplication. In fact, diamonds do not spend their time duplicating anything because most are constantly replacing their army. I have heard diamonds teach the importance of “spinning plates” to their low-level distributors. What they fail to proclaim is that they are doing the exact same thing. However, to say that would deflate the belief that the army has that this “spinning plates” process is short-term. It is not. Why do you think that the majority of the higher pins are still on stage and in living rooms? They still have to work. They simply work the midnight shift.
Where is the duplication? Why have millions of people spent billions of dollars in a training system, they are assured will work, even if the facts demonstrate they will not?
LawBlawg also reported: The FTC noted that 50% of the total force of Amway distributors in 1979 quit each year. That number appears to have never changed since the current number of distributors is about the same as it was 32 years ago.
If my math is correct that would make the total number of distributors that have come and gone to be approaching five million people. That’s duplication. Unfortunately it is not the type that one is taught to expect.
I think it is painfully obvious why the kingpins need the income from the sale of books, tapes and seminars. The money they make from the movement of the products pale in comparison to that which is made from the sales of their “systems”.
Do not take my word for it. Ask the kingpins why they are promoting a “proven” system that the facts tell a different story about. Please note: This would be of little consequence if the claims of great wealth through duplication were not made by many of them. However, that is not the case.
Ask them to show you why they really sell books, tapes and seminars. The answer to this question can be found in data as well. Ask to see their tax returns. All of them.
I wish you the best as you search for answers.
Sincerely,
Bo
The preceding comments are based on my experiences and opinions.
September 07, 2004 in Commentaries | Permalink