A Nostalgic Tour of my Amway Tape Collection

I heard George Halsey!

Up your PV!! Was something he would yell at somebody and if they weren’t on Amway it sounded kinda funny.I loved that.

George was a great story teller. I loved his story of waking-up in the morning and calling his personal jet to go shopping in France.

Up your PV!…LOL just too much.

Perry,
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve really enjoyed your Amway series. I too was in Amway for years as I was starting my engineering career in the early 90s. The difference is I pitched my tapes and pursued engineering since it was paying the bills I had racked up in the biz. Now I design those fancy aircraft that the rich folks fly around in, but I haven’t given up on my business interests. Thanks and keep the stories coming!

I had to laugh at the Air Force recruiter who couldn’t afford to take his child to the doctor.

Perry,

This reminds of my days in the ‘human potential’ movement in Lifespring. It was the perfect business engine. Teach your customers to be your salespeople and run the business with volunteers. Brilliant, thanks for the memories.

Dave

Hi Perry

I was listening to your video in the background when I heard the titke “Dead Doctors Dont Lie”
I thought Hey – I’ve seen that somewhere.

Looks like I have that one from somewhere down the line although I was not in Amway – I think my younger brother was in the program when he first came out of college.

Thanks for your insights into the MLM world and what it can teech us.

HAmant

Ah yes, the tapes. The tapes are the reason why so many IBO’s in Amway end up with a net loss. Ironically, tapes are said to be the key to your success, by the ones to sell the tapes.

Hi Perry,

Thank you for your emails, they are very refreshing and unlike anything in the industry!! I love them, thank you. Just a word of caution with Amway. I have heard about them, but do not know them personally. However, be careful and check what yo say online with your counsel because if you cross the line, they may be able to file a complaint against you for defamation just to get some attention and publicity. I am assuming that you are well known in the Internet world. Just be careful, they do not look like very kosher organization. All my best, Evane

Peel and Stick

Right on Perry!

Use that which works and let the rest pass on…

Hi Perry,

I’m getting a chuckle out this Amway stuff. I too fell for it in the early ’90s (Amway) and again a decade later (Herbalife).

I remember with Amway dressing up in a suit on weeknights and going to the local mall with a couple other guys to prospect the salespeople. Painful.

Hugely entertaining!

Perry I appreciate the angles you take on most subjects. Keep the stuff coming.

I feel guilty I haven’t purchased much from you HOWEVER…

I’m getting dangerously close to rolling my new LSM site out on Adwords – and I will need you.

Perry,

I almost fell off my chair watching your Video.

When I recall my memories, I’m a little ashamed at some of the things I used to do to try and get distributors in my Amway downline. For instance…

I once flew 4 hours then drove 5 to show a friend the Amway plan, only to find he was not home. He deliberately chose to travel for work on the same day I was supposed to meet and sponsor him.

Every employee at Barnes & Nobles and Borders knew me because I would hang out there every evening expecting to meet the next distributor that could take me to diamond. I was even escorted out of Best Buy for soliciting.

But then I remember coming across and buying your Definitive Guide to Google Adwords. Using the insights you cover in your book, I was able to put my business on steroids and went from couple of hundred a month in Amway to CEO level income in my Direct Sales Internet business now.
And now I teach your principles to other serious entrepreneurs around the globe.

Your book is one of the best coaching materials I have bought that has made a huge impact on my life.

Best Wishes

Your memory is what amazes me.

Wow Perry, you were in deep. Glad you didn’t permanently lose your sense of humor! Isn’t it weird how things like voices, messages, even fragrances take us back to a previous brain-place for that time warp.

Interesting how Charles Stanley set the example that not everybody in MLM cares about Cadillacs, diamonds, mansions, & mai tais on the beach. Money is money, freedom is freedom, we all have different ideas on stewardship in life.

Becki

Glad to know I wasn’t the only one to be driving around in 1990 listening to motivational tapes. I’ll have to go out to the garage this weekend and look through my own box to see what gems I’ve forgotten about.

Paul Zane Pilzer reminds me of Tony Robbins’ “Power Talk” series – I can still remember Pilzner describing to Tony these new paradigms of “just in time” manufacturing and “information on demand.” (Of course Pilzer’s prediction of large warehouses on the Russian islands off of Japan just somehow never came true.)

Thanks for the memory rush.

Mitch

Perry,

Good stuff. Curios though, do you think you could be a success today using your skills in copy writing, communication and superior marketing skills?

The underground movement today with network marketers is to establish your own brand and in essence market the “how to” information to secure leads (your materials included). What do you think of the attraction marketing methods?

Thanks,

Rich

Besides all the negative that is often associated with Amway, there are those special moments that are etched onto the cortex of our brains, that create a shinning star for excellence in every aspect of you life.

Just like learning to juggle, once the neural pathways are there, they are permanent!

One speech that seems to light up my life is this talk by some diamond, who’s name I can recall to give the credit to. Enjoy!

“”I can stand here all day long and tell you stories of people who decided “this THING will keep me from being a success in my business”

And finally they realized that the things that determine weather or not you will be a winner in this business have absolutely nothing to do with the color of your skin, the college degree you have or don’t have, the size town you live in or the number of friends you have…

The things that determine weather or not you will be a winner in this business are matters of the heart, they are internal condition!

The questions that are important are not questions of training, of money, of education, of skill…

The questions that are important are questions of how BIG can you dream, and how fervently will you BELIEVE and how hard will you WORK and how much STUFF will you take and how BADLY do YOU want what it is that YOU are going after??

Because I believe that if you you can somehow attach yourself to the passionate faith of your upline and in the plan and in YOUR future…

Then there is no set of obstacles, no barrage of negative comments or insults, no amount of failure that can keep you from stepping inside the winners circle… and I’ll see you there!”"

Hi Perry,

I have to think that your story of MLM and Amway are very relevant to many, many people out there. Plus, the videos are very light and entertaining.
KUDOS!

Garrett

Fun.

I spent about 25 yrs “behind the scenes” of MLM event/media production (RARELY do now; a policy) & have been involved at much higher levels, including the dealmaking at the founding of an MLM.

Amway a PARTICULAR case in point as regards media – “business tools,” the first cousin (& immediate forerunner) of internet marketing.

HIGHEST recommendation for INSIGHT into the industry is free ebook called “Merchants of Deception.” Find free at url of that name.

Deep, DEEP shock – & lifechanging experience…even for a cynical industry “insider.”

Perry!

Long time no talk, man! I am LOVING this Amway series, because it is bringing me BACK!! I was in the BRITT line, so we didn’t have the same people on the tapes, but I DEFINITELY remember the “Self-Talk” stuff, and I’m still a big fan of Pilzer’s.

I recently got on EVERY one of your damn lists now, so, just as you taught, I’m listening to you three times a day again- great lesson.

I look forward to some more of your remembrances!

I’m curious… If Amway is so outrageously deceitful why did the FTC declare it, “The best form of free enterprise they had ever seen?” Why does it continue to grow year after year around the globe? Why did it sell over $8 billion last year? Its critics are beginning to sound like Wal-Mart cry-babies. Please explain why you continue to do that.

Actually they called it, “The purist form of free enterprise they had ever seen,” in there final report after the congressional investigations about 30 years ago. I have seen the report but don’t have one.

Thank for sharing your MLM experience. The changes that people seek begin at a conscious level and the unconscious is either on board or not. So the biggest challenge people face in making a success at MLM or any adventure is about getting the unconscious brain on board and directing the actions that lead to results. Reading books, listening to CD’s/Tapes and turning off the TV can give the unconscious brain the direction a individual seeks. Perry, your unconscious brain was wired for success as an Entrepreneur and your have been successful and continue to be because of the lessons of life and some of the programing you received while at Amway. Thank for sharing. Continue to do the good work with Google PPC.

Perry, I get bombarded with emails from guru’s I opted into for the purpose of staying up-to-date, and your no b.s. content style keeps me opening and reading your emails… I would like to know why you said earlier that Amway “imploded” when the Internet arrived, is that because they started Quixtar? I don’t get it. I used to be in Amway and Quixtar IBO, always thought the business model made sense, the products were good, and the only reason I wasn’t succeeding was my own fault and nobody else’s… and I still think that, no hard feelings and much admiration for Amway. I am puzzled by your bitterness toward Amway, even though you are giving credit for the value of the experience you gained… it seems out of character. Why?

I too was an IBO in the 90′s and I heard all the lies about nobody making money on the tapes and functions. After I quit, I found out bits and pieces about the scam and I eventually started my own blog about the pitfalls of Amway/Quixtar. Feel free to visit:

http://amwayscheme.blogspot.com/

I love your Amway Series. My husband and I with three small children were quite sure the “business” was going to work for us too. We had our first big meeting, and I will never forget I suddenly had a room full of new “friends” and we were anticipating the entrance of the “big dog” to walk in (obviously planned to be 15 minutes late!) and show us the “plan”. When the “big dog” arrived, showed the plan and then told everyone that his big dream was to make so much money that it would allow him to be able to stay in bed all day and be so lazy that he could wear a diaper so that he never had to get out of bed….that was it for me and my husband! Who says that??? After the meeting everyone left and we were officially done. I do remember the tapes and I do remember getting “fired up”! Thanks for the memories! I enjoy all of your work and have learned a great deal. Nancy N

I’ve never had any personal experience with Amway. My parents got sucked into for a few months back when I was a kid (in the nineties) but thankfully didn’t stay for long.

My personal opinion though, is that if you don’t understand the real workings of any business, you don’t own it.

If you don’t understand where you’re adding value to your customers, you don’t own your business. Ditto for a USP.

Perry,
I don’t know where all these Amway cry-babies are coming from but obviously they feel mistreated by their business associates and I’m truly sorry for that. If they were to look deep enough they would find their Amway Corporate affiliate was never their problem.
During my 78 years I have been a professional horseman, trick roper, radio and stage entertainer, family man, church leader, registered engineer for 48 years, author, publisher, and long time Amway IBO.
When I look back at the basic business structures of each of those endeavors, I can whole heartedly agree with the US-FTC that Amway-Global is the purest form of free enterprise in the world today. I also remember that I never took advice from business drop-outs, losers, or anyone who didn’t have as much to lose as I did.
Bill

Does anybody have a copy of:

1)Ron &Toby Hale “From Air From Recruiter To People Builder”. Or….
2) George Halsey “This is Diamond”.

I would love to hear them. I’ll pay for the shipping.

Perry,
I don’t believe you understand what a business drop-out or loser is when you so obviously get unsettled by that remark. You are much too young to be so cynical. And being disparaging to your readers is not wise either. When you cool down I hope you can see that what you are saying about Amway-Global is unwise also.
Based upon what you have said, the only way you will believe what the US- FTC resolved about Amway’s marketing approach is to get a copy of their report yourself. This I suggest you do ASAP before you let your column proceed with these unfounded and unproven allegations against Amway-Global. I am saying this to you as your friend.
Bill

I for one don’t think Perry is cynical. I have not read this FTC report but I doubt the FTC would call Amway:

…”The purist form of free enterprise they had ever seen,”….

Hi Perry, great content as always!

I only brushed briefly with Amway here in the UK around the early 1990′s, but had already dabbled with “Echoes” fragrances, then Herbalife subsequently.

Although I tried hard, I failed completely with all these.

But employing this Buddhist principle of “turning poison into medicine” is a great way to get benefit way after the event. And it follows your “know thyself” approach well, too.

Reading this thread fully also strongly brings to mind another organisation I brushed briefly with around the same time, and from the person who got me into Herbalife – Sc***tology.

This led me into my own experience of divorce (like you mention) – but in a good way, as it was happening anyway…

Have you any thoughts/opinions/experiences on that? Although like someone else said – if you have, maybe it’s best to keep them private!

Perry,

You are dead-on correct. The major problem with Amway is the tool scam. Not the tools, the tool SCAM. Lower tool prices and changing some practices, such as long distance sponsoring and major functions, would keep MUCH more money in the IBOs’ pockets rather than in the LCK (Lying Cowardly “Kingpin”) pockets. Visit my site for even MORE details:

http://texsquixtarblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/9-steps-of-truth.html

Tex

You guys need to wake up and realize it is EASY to find FTC information, just like it is now easy to find information regarding the tool scam online. the 2 links below have the 1979 ruling. The first is from an MLM law site, the other from the FTC site itself (the FTC site is a 9 MB download). The first one has additional notes the FTC site doesn’t have.

I haven’t read the whole thing yet, but doing a search for “free” and “enterprise” does not support the above clam.

http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/cases/mlm/ftc/amway.htm

http://www.ftc.gov/os/decisions/docs/vol93/FTC_VOLUME_DECISION_93_(JANUARY_-_JUNE_1979)PAGES_618-738.pdf

1) Methinks William is a troll… just trying to be deliberately contrary and malicious. Either that, or he’s very ill informed.

2) I was an ambot for 11 yrs and while I spent a small fortune & got no financial benefit from it, I gained some killer benefits as well, in terms of the personal & business skill development. So, while it was a failure financially, it was a big success in other ways. I don’t hold a grudge – I got way past that 9-10 yrs ago.

3) In my early days in the business, I remember asking my upline whether there was any money in the tools system (most particularly the tapes) that was pushed soooo fanatically. His answer (paraphrased) was no – they just made enough to cover costs & a small amount extra for emergency expenses… I believed him.

Back then, tapes were AU$5-$6 a pop. A few years later, while still in the business, I had occasion to record an audio program for an info marketing product I made in the late 1990s and duplicated 1000 audio tapes. My cost (per tape) was about $1.40 or $1.60.

The light went on at this stage, because I knew my upline (Diamond+) was pumping them out at the rate of 10s of thousands per MONTH, so chances were their cost of duplication was significantly lower than mine (for a measely 1000 tapes).

At MY prices $5 – $1.60 (worst case scenario) = a SIGNFICANT profit margin, whichever way you look at it, multiplied by 10,000+ tapes per month!

There were a LOT of lies, mistruths & half truths told by my major upline (Yager line of sponsorship) that it was easy to discover once this stuff all started to show up on the internet.

I generally prefer to do business with honest people, and while it might be appropriate to lie when asked if someone looks great in a bad clothing outfit it’s a whole different ballpark when it comes to a business that I was investing all my time (and extremely limited) funds into.

Yesterday I got my first phone call in YEARS from someone prospecting me for Amway (Dornan’s Network 21 organisation) and the approach hasn’t changed in 20 years. It’s still the dishonest curiousity approach. Even when I mentioned I was in Amway for 11 yrs he never once actually confirmed it was Amway…

Sad to see some things still haven’t changed in all that time since I moved on.

Eran

BTW, just a quick comment.

I LOVED the tapes. The speakers were, for the most part, extremely inspirational & motivational, so I had no problems with tapes as a beneficial tool to help one’s business.

In fact, they make damn good sense, whichever way you look at it.

Rather, it was the lies about the tape profits that disappointed me in the end.

If they had made them distributed thru amway, dropped the price to a more reasonable/fair level, and added bv to them, it would have been ok.

They dabbled with it just before I quit, but i vaguely recall it got dropped at some stage. Not sure how it works these days.

Eran

Perry,

Gratefully, I have not had any experience with Amway… so I appreciate learning from the experiences of others. Love your stuff!

Just a note about Pycnogenol. I don’t even know if Amway sells the stuff… but there are numerous U.S. sources. Pycnogenol is prescription substance in Europe, and has quite a bit of clinical backing without much in the way of side effects (unlike NSAIDs and Tylenol). I use it in my practice as an orthopaedic surgeon. You might want to check out the published research references before you “dis” them too much… http://www.pycnogenol.com/pdf/pycno_bibliography_v0201.pdf

I do know that Amway sells laundry soap, but that doesn’t keep me from washing my clothes (BTW, I use Arm & Hammer).

It is the tapes (most have CDs now), but it’s also the various meetings, books, websites, voice mails, etc., that make up the tool scam.

Check out this eBay item!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250491153831&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Perry:

Thanks for sharing! Had to laugh at loud watching your Amway tape video! I was in for several years and had more than my fair share of a collection. My fav was “Oh Harry!”

Eventually I quit Amway too, yet I took many of my Amway experiences and lessons (both good and bad) and used them to help springboard me into corporate sales and eventually into traditional & internet entrepreneurial success.

(It was one expensive lesson.)

I don’t know why people always refer to the FTC as having given Amway some glowing report. —- That’s easy. It’s the same reason why they say Amway “won” the UK ruling: they count survival, even with deep wounds, as a victory. In both cases, MAJOR changes had to be made, yet Amway was allowed to stay in business.

As Perry states, the FTC found Amway legal, but I believe the basis for the ruling was because of retail sales. —- You don’t have to “believe” anything, read the ruling, I provided 2 links, above. Retail sales was PART of the reason. When TEAM blew up 2 years ago, it was soon found the real retail level was about 3.5% of total volume. A rule not enforced isn’t a rule, it’s ink on paper.

I wonder what the FTC would find today when many groups teach “buy from yourself” almost exclusively. —- See above. There has been some progress made with retail sales, but I don’t know how much.

Also, many people think the FTC praised Amway when in fact, Amway was fined for false income claims, I believe in 1986 and they also tried to defraud the Canadian government and was assessed a fine of over 20 million dollars. —- They were fined for false income claims and price fixing. The Canadian tax situation was in 1983, and my opinion is Amway was more ignorant that criminal. Think about it: the volume they were doing wasn’t worth trying to get around tax laws, for the negative publicity and fine they received. An analogy would be a successful business person shoplifting some bubble gum. In other words, your criminal accusation makes no sense. Companies often plead guilty to get off the front page, stop shoveling money to the lawyers, and move on.

The tools system doesn’t work. —- For who? They work great for the upline, they make most of their profit from tools. YOU used tools to get to the 4,000 PV level, if we believe you are telling the truth. The tools, because of the PRICES, end up in a construct/destruct mode, like building a sandcastle along the beach. The new “successful” IBO looks great, until it implodes on them, just like a sandcastle is washed away by the waves, only to be replaced by another sandcastle/IBO. The new IBOs aren’t aware of the carnage, although the internet is helping with that issue.

As far as I know, there is ZERO unbiased proof that the system does anything for IBOs except to temporarily inspire them. —- There are other benefits, but because of the system PRICES, the key word is TEMPORARILY.

But if that’s what they need, they can buy a copy of the movies “Rocky”, or “Rudy”. —- Why didn’t you do that and go diamond?

Amway profits by the IBOs devout product loyalty and after getting hit with high Amway prices, uplines come in and clean out the rest of the IBO’s bank account by sleeing them the useless tools. —- You haven’t kept up with the price changes. They are significantly LOWER than when you were an IBO several years ago. The upline still cleans out the banks account, however.

Amway simply doens’t work for the masses and it’s obvious now, to the masses, which is why Amway and the systems are starting to implode, as Perry suggests. —- You are talking about the tool scam in the U.S., there are many countries where the tool scam does not exist and are doing VERY well.

Hi Perry,

The tools system of cds, books, voicemail and seminars do not work. If people routinely worked the system and moved up the ranks to emerald or diamond where they allegedly make a significant income, then it would be worth the expense for most IBOs.

Secondly, if the tools profits were cut as Tex suggests, then what incentive would there be for upline to create tools if it becomes a break even proposition?

We know that maintaining an Amway business is a tough job. If diamonds relied mainly on Amway income, they would have no incentive to take their time and expense to create tools for no profit.

That should be obvious to most.

Perry,

This is my first response to any of your blogs because it has hit a chord in myself also. I too, was an Ambot back in ’81-’85 era. I was attending college up in the Northwest when my room mate “signed” me up. My choir director was my upline direct and sponsored manay a student. Unfortunately students are a very vulnerable prospect to MLM’ers and especially when that person is your professor…anyway, your video and these comments have brought back a little nostalgia to me these many years later.
I, too, learned some principles and business ideas from my Amway experience, also alot of “spinning my wheels”.
I appreciate your mentorship unlike the Theron Nelsens, Bill Hawkins, Ross Halls, Ron Puryears and yes…wait for it…the Dexter Yaegers.
I am with you where I was with the aforementioned “gentlemen” back in ’81 but I actually own my business and based on what I DO, I will either fail or succeed in MY OWN business now. Keep up the good works and maybe one day I’ll be in your own MasterMind Group (aka the “Diamond Club” Ha!).

_______________________________

My Personal MLM Experience
_______________________________

Perry, thanks for your series on MLM and Amway. It’s brought to light many interesting things about people’s experience with Amway and MLM in general.

First all, one of my businesses IS an MLM business and over the past few years I’ve spent a good part of my time building that business.

Why?

Because…

1. The MLM product I promote is valuable, makes sense, is a natural extension of my primary business and it makes a difference in people’s lives.

2. The residual aspect of the MLM compensation plan

_______________________________

Common Complaints with MLM
_______________________________

POINT 1. Companies that allow their distributors to make a profit from selling tools to other distributors. This causes people to become infomarketers to the people who are struggling or want to be successful.

COUNTERPOINT 1. Success starts in the brain! To reach success the average person needs to change their thinking. To change someone’s thinking, a person needs a heavy dose of mental reprogramming. That’s a fact.

If there were no educational programs to help people, very few would escape from their 9-5 rat trap.

My own success has come as a result of changing the way I think and that change has come by listening to and embracing lessons from successful people that have went before me. Thank goodness for them!

(NOTE: Perry, how much money have you spent on success oriented educational products and experiences with Dan Kennedy. Probably as much or more than me..and I’ve spent a lot with Dan. Dan has helped me to reprogram some of my thinking.)

______________

POINT 2. Selling products that don’t make sense (i.e. selling products priced well above the market to pay out commissions)

COUNTERPOINT 2. This varies from product to product. For example, some wines cost enormous amounts of money while others that taste just as good or better cost 1/5 price. Are the premium wine makers bad people?

Probably not. That’s the business model they’ve chosen to pursue and if they can sell at higher prices and still be successful, then they are creating the perceived value required to sell that product at that price.

______________

POINT 3. You don’t “own” your business. The company owns your business.

COUNTERPOINT 3. It’s true, you don’t completely own your business. But what you do own is your own sales and marketing business.

Affiliate marketers don’t own their own business either. The merchant can take their product away, change commissions, alter offers at a moments notice.

You see…

Starting a traditional business is out of the reach of normal every day people. MLM allows them to enter into a business where they have a realistic chance of making a decent side income IF they apply themselves.

Question: Does MLM have a track record of success for the everyday person.

Answer: About as much as any other business opportunity does. (including internet marketing)

Why?

Because success starts with the person. Not the product, the marketing system, or the compensation plan.

Successful people will be successful at whatever they do and unsuccessful people will be unsuccessful at whatever they do.

But with some mental reprogramming, unsuccessful people CAN turn the corner and become successful.

______________

POINT 4. Only the people at the top of the “pyramid” make a lot of money in MLM.

COUNTERPOINT 4. Of course they do!

In the end, the most persistent, talented, skilled, and committed MLM’ers will end up making the most money.

But how is that different than any other business?

The people at the top always make the most money no matter what the organization.

_____________________________________________________

How to Be Successful with MLM: Here’s what I teach
_____________________________________________________

To be successful at MLM, I teach people to…

1. Make a new friend every day.

2. Share your company’s story with someone every day.

3. Follow up with someone you’ve shared your company’s story with every day.

4. Teach other people to do the same.

It’s pretty simple.

When I say “successful at MLM” what do I mean?

“Success” means different things for different people.

An extra $200 – $300 a month could mean everything to a person.

________________________________________

To Your Point: The Problem With Amway
________________________________________

The problem with Amway is that some people at the top turned their network marketing business into a training business and shielded that from distributors.

But again, it’s funny that people pick on Amway and turn their head to the internet marketing industry.

In the IM industry people…

1. Discover a new business model or a way of making a business model work.

2. They create a training course on how to do the business model.

3. They make a LOT more money selling the training than they ever did on the business model.

The IM market is littered with this.

Is there anything wrong with it?

NO!

Heck no!

If there wasn’t people teaching about how to make money, there would be a lot less people making money.

Why doesn’t Perry just do his own Adwords stuff?

Because teaching people how to do Adwords is as lucrative or even more so than actually doing it.

Is that wrong?’

No, no, no!

Thank goodness for the teachers who turn their experience into training programs!

______________________________

The Way It Should Be Done
_____________________________

I own a distributorship selling a system that creates and sends greeting cards using an MLM compensation model as it method of marketing.

Here’s what’s good about this MLM company.

1. The cards are superior quality and sell for 1/5 the price you can find in stores.

2. The service has a very perceived high value to people who want to maintain and improve their relationships with their prospects, clients, patients and customers (and people they care about).

3. The business model is breakthrough and disrupting the entire greeting card industry. (forget going to a store to buy greeting cards in the future)

4. The company policy is that you cannot make a profit off of selling tools to other distributors. If you do, you are terminated.

5. Sending heartfelt cards of appreciation, admiration, consolation, gratitude etc. is something everyone should do, whether in business or your personal life. It just makes sense.

______________________

My Final Thoughts
_____________________

I appreciate Perry putting out this series on his experience in MLM.

He’s bashed MLM (Amway specifically) in the past but I think he’s making this series of posts because…

1. He wants people to know that he received some great side benefits to being a member of Amway.

2. Because it spurns a lot of controversy and gets people thinking and talking.

3. Because it’s fun and a part of his life journey.

And to be honest, it’s been fun for me writing this post.

But alas, it’s a Saturday morning and my kids are raring to go do something.

I wish you the best of success in whatever endeavor you wish to pursue.

David Frey
President, http://www.MarketingBestPractices.com

David, good points. The key difference between what most folks who sell systems for profit and the Amway upline LCKs (Lying Cowardly “Kingpins”) is the LCKs misrepresent the major source of their profit, the others don’t. Anyone with half a brain should realize Perry makes his living selling his marketing ideas, whereas most Amway IBOs are clearly lead to believe their upline makes most of their profit from Amway, but in reality the upline makes most of their profit by picking the pockets of their downline in the form of the Amway tool scam. Call this misrepresentation, bait-and-switch, lying, but it is wrong, unethical, immoral, and probably illegal.

Woo Hoo!!!

Way to go Perry!

Create a little controversy and stand back and watch things happen!

MLM is such an emotive subject for most people, whether negative or positive, that it’s a great way to get a firestorm started, and you’ve got a small one happening here.

I found the thing that most appealed to me about the big pins was definitely personality – they nearly all had fantastic ones. I indirectly came from Bert Gulick’s line and what a top bloke he was.

ANYONE would want Bert as a friend/buddy, so I could definitely see what his “advantage”/USP was. I certainly didn’t (still don’t) have his personality.

Then there was one of his downlines (Dan & Betsy Smith – Dan always hit me in the heart – he knew EXACTLY how to tweak your emotional heart strings). Another person I couldn’t emulate.

Now, I am NOT saying these people were born like that – they obviously just learned how to refine their personality to make it magnetic – but I sure as heck haven’t figured out how to do that, even to this day – hence I never made Diamond…

Yes, David’s right – duplication IS vital, but in Yager’s Amway, duplication just made the kingpins rich, whereas it was a hell of a lot harder for the average punter to become a diamond mentally & emotionally, even WITH all those tapes, books & functions.

I’m sure there are MLMs that are profitable, fair and reasonable, but I for one got burnt enough to not want to go down that path again. MANY of them are absolutely terrible, a few are good, none are fabulous.

Affiliate marketing is the closest I get now, and I have my own products & services for sale now, so my destiny is in my own hands.

BTW, for some obscure reason, your video dies on me at about the 11-12 min mark, just as you begin to talk about Shelm Hadstetters Self Talk tapes. Not sure what the problem is (my end or yours). Is anyone else finding this problem?

Perhaps you could leave a link to download the video please Perry?

Eran

PS: I had a good laugh at your video – brought back some good memories & made me laugh, especially that bit about “you missed a spot”

Great insights Perry. I wish this would sink in with people I show it to

I was an Amway distributor from 1980 to 1982, and then again from 1987 to 2003, when I just
decided to not renew. My organization was large enough for me to stay home for almost 5 years taking care of my parents and family.

Unfortunately, the truth in the matter is, the tool system is the most important, and most profitable part of the operation. Amway sanctioned the tools business by not forcing its end. As an accountant, I was the tax guy for several of the bigger people in the NY area. I was amazed to see that 60%-80% of the NET income that they were earning was from the tools and functions, not from the movement of products through the organization. Speakers were paid to speak, in cash. I know, because I hosted 100′s of these meetings in the NYC area for many years, and spoke at some of them. As the host It was my job to collect the door proceeds, pay the hotel/room bill, and then give the remaining cash in an envelope at end of meeting to the speaker. Sometimes these dollars were in excess of $ 500.00. The statement that they left their families for the good of the team is noncense. They did it for the benefit the extra $ 20-30k in “tax free” cash flow. Directs earned $ 1.00 from each tape sold as a monthly standing order to their teams, larger Pins, earned from 1.50 to 3-4 dollars per tape. Tapes cost $ 6.00.

The whole business revolved around functions, where the tapes were made. The standing order tape of the week, (sometimes a double) WERE the recordings from these same meetings. We were told we needed to be on standing order so we could have the access to the upline help. Not on standing order, not at functions, kiss the upline by by.

As I saw what was going on, and seeing the huge expense I and my people were going through, I decided that it was not in my best interest to continue with the lies, and stopped attending functions. I still bought products, and even kept getting tapes via mail. Quixtar transfer killed much of our NY volumne, so income dropped quite a bit. They talk about the relationships. Well, my immediate upline was someone that I knew when I was just 2 years old. Our mothers were best friends for decades, and we spent a lot of time together in our grammer school days.

When my mother died, I was out of business on paper for about a year or so. NOT ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN MY UPLINE ATTENDED THE FUNERAL/WAKE, NOR DID THEY EVEN CALL. Including my old friend, who grew up with me and my family. Her excuse “I could not get a second vehicle to travel there”.

Glad I’m out. Love the tapes Perry!

Does anyone remember Keith Belknap in the Yaeger organization. Talk about a great tape seller, he was one. I have often wondered what happen to him. Google hasn’t helped. I wish Amway would have worked…I did enjoy some of the relationships we developed and was sorry for others we made. It did change my way of looking at the world and my attitude about myself and self-confidense. I have used the lessons many times and I did become far more successful than my background should have ever allowed. I miss Amway a little…

Ron

wow… those names! i was an intern in the AV department at amway. the yeagers! all those names! thanks for the memories!

Although I was never in Amway, I had friends that were. It was not about selling a product, it was about selling yourself.

That is something that I think we can all learn.

Just want to say, we pursued the Amway dream for 3 or 4 years…spent much more money than we ever made…attended exciting functions…listened to almost every tape you mentioned. We got out because it was so frustrating to put so much in and get so little “materially” out. But…what we brought out of it was an “I Can” spirit and attitude that helped us build our own construction business to a multi-million dollar organization. So I am thankful for our Amway experience. Fortunately, when it came to what was presented to us, we “chewed the meat and spit out the bones” and our lives and the lives of those we employ are better for it. Thanks or sharing those wonderful old tapes!