6 Dec 1996
I found your article and responses about Amway to be slightly different than my experienes with people in and associated with Amway.
The most common pyramid, I can think of, is the typical American company- 1 president, 2 vice-presidents, 4 regional managers, 8 managers, etc. Those few individuals who claw their way to the top tend to be paid very well, and those at the bottom are not. The amazing thing is that the more people they can put underneath them (recruit), the more they move up the pyramid. Today, however, companies are realizing that their pyramids are to large, and employees must fight harder than ever to move up the pyramid in order to avoid losing their own jobs. A very common way to move up this pyramid is to make yourself look good, and others around you look bad (corporate politics).
Amway only appears like a pyramid to those people who do not take enough time to fully research the way businesses really develop. I know a number of people in Amway that make significantly more than the people who sponsored them, and more than their sponsor's sponsor, and so on. This business rarely, if ever, gets built in a 6-4-2 fashion. It is built in a random fashion based on the amount of effort. Profitability comes from obtaining the proper mix of retail and wholesale customers; and then helping your network learn and obtain the same mix. Only people who help other people can be successful. The reason many people feel so strongly about this business is that success comes by helping others, not putting them down. This is the very reason that people in Amway spend time together. They enjoy helping others and associating with people who have similar goals and dreams.
My dream is to help others build on their positive attributes, not search out any perceived negative and make them choke on it. I am sure this is a different concept for you, Mr. Carroll, but the world would be entirely different if we all lived by it.
Jay Ford
8 Dec 1996
Just wanted to drop this quick note regarding the page on AMWAY. I know how hard it can be trying to "understand" this business with out participating in it. I did that for a couple of years. This April will mark my 5th year as a distributor. Though I'm not making the "Big Bucks", my wife and I are clearing about $ 450 per month, after expenses. Many people reading this may ask why I am still doing it, which is a question that I have asked myself several times. The people skills, positive outlook on life, relationships, work ethic and other things too long to list are the real "riches" I have found in this business. The reason I'm not making more money through the Amway business is all in my lack of consistent effort. To be sucessful in anything worth anything in life, one needs only to be committed to it and give it consistent effort. Maybe if more people would apply these in life the divorce rate would be a fraction of what it is. Well I wanted this to be quick, sorry !
Anyway, keep up your work as a skeptic. Because without you, doing things
in life that matter, would be too easy.
Jonathan H.
22 Nov 1996
Hello, I am only contacting you because I disagree on all of the assumptions
you make about the Amway Corporation. Have you ever been a distributor
yourself? If you have have you ever been to a major function in the Amway
Business? If you have been involved, what organization were you in? Where
did you get all of your bogus information? Have you ever watched a movie
that someone else told you wasn't worth seeing?
I had heard alot about Amway before I got involved. I am doing very well and it isn't because of any other reason other than the fact that I worked hard at it. Dealing with people, whether in a business or not, is something that takes work for alot of us. Learning to help people accomplish their goals is work also. The Amway business, or Network Marketing is the only business that you get paid for what you do! If I never sponsored a distributor who went direct then that volume would have never happened. So, I had to conquer my fear and step out of my comfort zone to meet someone and share the concept so that their lives would be rich also (and not just in dollar signs there is a lot of personal growth that takes place when you (as a single) or you and your spouse put something together through conquering fear and doing it anyway no matter what it is!). I have never met a person who regretted getting involved with the Amway Corporation. I have heard on a regular basis that they would be happy if by some freak of nature they couldn't actually profit from the business and was left only with the personal growth and improved relationships caused by studying personalities and attitudes of people. By the way, if someone does get involved and doesn't overcome the constant negative around them (i.e. YOU) then they usually do quit or decide not to build their business. So thank you for having such a positive effect on society and among business owners in specific. But for those who 'try' the business, shouldn't even get involved because they will 'try' until they run into someone like you and not only would they quit, (depending on their personality) but you would probably make them, their spouse,kids, family, friends think of them as a quitter for the rest of their lives. Your are a reflection of America today: Bad Self Images. Try flipping your subject and spread some positive and see what happens. I doubt you'll try but positive actions are not created by negative information. Atleast, Amway distributors are optimistic and are willing to help others. Without those two characteristics you won't go anywhere in anything!
Write back if you want, it would be interesting to hear the answers to my
questions. One last question: What would possess someone to add negative to
an already negative world? Let others find things out for themselves.
Critics always lack experience in the area they are critiquing.
DCEWING
reply: That's what I keep saying about people who oppose the death penalty.
17 Oct 1996
Regarding Amway:
Great piece. My wife and I were on the books for two years; our distributorship is expiring and we're not renewing. One, we've heard about a lawsuit involving our upline. Two, we always felt pressured to spend money to go to their "functions," buy their books and tapes and in general kow-tow to their leaders.
I have decided working 37.5 hours per week as a newspaper reporter isn't so bad after all, particularly when you look at our financial situation.
Before we signed on as Amway distributors, we were doing all right; I had A-one credit and was never late on a payment. My wife wanted another way to make money, so she paid the fee (bought the kit, legally speaking) and we started looking to sell.
Oh no, we were told. Don't sell. You're working yourself back into the old week-to-week routine. You must recruit.
So I did. I built a pretty good line (about a dozen people under me), yet never made more than $37 in one month.
Meanwhile, our grocery bills, which had averaged perhaps $70 per week/$300 per month, suddenly jumped to $300 to $400 in Amway per month plus at least $100 at the store. That was to get our 100 points that they promise you can get with about $200. Our sponsor said we weren't buying the right stuff, but we were doing as we had been told at first: "Just buy what you need."
We put off paying things we should have taken care of to go to a big rally in Mobile, Ala., and to monthly meetings. You'd spend $300 per "major" and $24 for the "seminars" and "rallies" for a couple. That doesn't count gas, food or lodging.
In short, we nearly went bust. Our main leg fell out from under us, some people started questioning my integrity and I flat gave it up. We looked at filing bankruptcy but found it would give us little protection. Now we have three bad hits on our credit that might have been avoided.
The only good things I learned: Don't use credit cards. Avoid wolves dressed in sheep's clothing (our sponsor is a minister and our direct was a friend of mine from Rotary; that's why I trusted it even though I swore I would never fall victim to the Amway Corp).
Phil and Laura Alexander
p.s. The flak you have taken from Amway distributors only seems to support the questions you raise in your article. Nowhere did I see you indict the system outright, but it does offer a critical look that even active distributors should consider. The fact that some can't take a critical look at themselves and their associates indicates to me at least a mild form of brain-washing (leaders say, "Sure, it's brain-washing; your brain needs to be washed from some of the dirt you've been exposed to.").
Amway is not a bad plan; in fact, the arguments leaders make for the books, motivational meetings etc. are all valid. It makes sense to teach a mass of people (no insinuations toward cults intended by use of the word "mass") rather than one-by-one. That's sheer productivity and efficiency.
However, the pressure that is constantly held above one's head -- do this, or you will fail -- and the taunts seen in the pro-Amway letters ("go ahead and work your 40 hours a week; I'll be retired") and from upline distributors is one of the big reasons we're not renewing.