Tool Expenses

Hi - I've been "lurking" for a while reading all your messages. I thought I would post a problem for anyone's suggestion, but am posting it anon. because I know my upline diamond lurks on here & I don't want the fact that I wrote this to get around.

I have been a dist for about a year and have 2 people downline with one more getting ready to kit-have shown about 18 people the plan. The problem is, I'm broke-almost bankrupt-due to some things NOT associated with Amway (had to do with medical bills and someone who I co-signed for going bankrupt) and yet my upline keeps insisting we go to functions we can't afford!! There isn't a question of just not budgeting-there is simply no money to budget! We can barely afford groceries. (Yes, I spend $10 a month on this on-line service-about my only "splurge" if you can call it that). I also do get the standing order tape-it was told to me in so many words that it cannot be stopped now. In fact, I'm stuck with a standing order extra each week that a former downline no longer buys and was told that it was a cost of doing business & I just need to find someone else to get in & sign up to take the standing order I have leftover.

Anyway, I've read a lot of the tools discussions on here, and I must say that I do find them useful. However, I wish I could find a way to get through to people in this business that they are losing people through their insistance that people buy what they can't afford. When I signed up I was given a form to sign stating that I was not required to buy any tools, tapes, or attend functions. I did sign purchase products because for the most part I found them useful. My problem is that when we were unable to go to our first function, our upline suddenly no longer had time to meet with us or our prospects. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but when we try to explain our problem and lack of $$, we are told "buy a book or a tape on financial management and that will help, attend a function-it will give you hope". When we were going to FED our downline suddenly had to cancel his plans to go after already paying for the trip due to an emergency-it was well within the time applications were still being accepted for the function-and we tried to get the money returned. We were told that we should "encourage" him to "find a way-if he really wants to go he'll find a way". Now we're approaching Leadership and our upline has told us if we really want to build the business we can find a way despite our dire situation-in so many words we were told to not make payments due or not eat a meal a day to pay for it.

This just seems so extreme!! It is turning off our downline and new prospects and while I think the business can work and WANT to make it work, I want to keep paying my bills, too! I want to make some money on retail sales to pay for this and am working on it, but meanwhile feel so much pressure to pay NOW for this next function, that I tend to avoid attending plans and meetings because I don't want to be pressured into doing something I can't right now. We've discussed this with our upline directs and they either seem to not believe us or don't get it and just suggest more tapes and books!

Any POSTIVE suggestions on how I can make this business work? I am still showing the plan, but in follow ups our downline tells them to attend a function and pay for it before even getting a kit. The person often gets turned off and never even gets the kit. I want to make this work and know we can, but am wondering if others have this problem.

Frustrated in wet S. Cal

(response to above message, posted by another Amway distributor)

You are doing better than I in sponsoring. I have been in 2 years and have shown the plan about as often as you and had similar results. Let it be said that I am pro-Amway. I am very negative to the presentation of The System, though. If this bothers you, don't read further.

I have also stopped my SOT & GoGetters. I have also lost support from my upline. As a matter of fact, since I am distant from both my Direct and my new downline, my Direct told me point blank, "Don't talk to them anymore. I'll take care of them for you. Good luck with whatever you are trying to do." No tear jerkers here, but I am currently going through lawsuit procedures, and have about $25,000 in debt. My debt seemed to grow, ever since I got in this business, at about $2000 a year. If you figure it out, The System costs about $4000 a year. My calculations are that I could have been getting out of debt about $2000 a year.

It's funny, but our uplines don't seem to understand this concept.

Anyway, I've read a lot of the tools discussions on here, and I must say that I do find them useful.  However, I wish I could find a way to get through to people in this business that they are losing people through: their insistance that people buy what they can't afford.  When I signed up I was given a form to sign stating that I was not required to buy any tools, tapes, or attend functions.  I did sign purchase products because for the most part I found them useful.  My problem is that when we were unable to go to our first function,  our upline suddenly no longer had time to meet with us or our prospects.  I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but when we try to explain our problem and lack of $$, we are told "buy a book or a tape on financial management and that will help, attend a function-it will give you hope". When we were going to FED our downline suddenly had to cancel his plans to go after already paying for the trip due to an emergency-it was well within the time applications were still being accepted for the function-and we tried to get the money returned.  We were told that we should "encourage" him to "find a way-if he really wants to go he'll find a way".  Now we're approaching Leadership and our upline has told us if we really want to build the business we can find a way despite our dire situation-in so many words we were told to not make payments due or not eat a meal a day to pay for it.

It's not only extreme, but ridiculous. I wonder if you have kids. I don't think that in my state (Florida) you could get away with that legally.

This just seems so extreme!! It is turning off our downline and new prospects and while I think the business can work and WANT to make it work, I want to keep paying my bills, too!  I want to make some money on retail sales to pay for this and am working on it, but meanwhile feel so much pressure to pay NOW for this next function, that I tend to avoid attending plans and meetings because I don't want to be pressured into doing something I can't right now.  We've discussed this with our upline directs and they either seem to not believe us or don't get it and just suggest more tapes and books!

Any POSTIVE suggestions on how I can make this business work?  I am still showing the plan, but in follow ups our downline tells them to attend a function and pay for it before even getting a kit.  The person often gets turned off and never even gets the kit.  I want to make this work and know we can, but am wondering if others have this problem.

I understand what you are going through. There is a class action law suit pending in the Pennsylvania courts naming Yager/Britt/Amway as defendants. I will get you info via snail mail if you wish.

My suggestion, on a positive note, is DON'T quit Amway! You have a good thing there. The problem is that, while everyone SAYS that The System is optional, every tape points at how you will fail without The System. In Amway's terms, this is COERCION. You need to be strong with your upline and tell him to stop any activities you don't desire. Remember, this is YOUR business. We have done just that, and while you can expect to get no more support from your upline, as we have, there are plenty of distributors, in and out of The System, who will be supportive. I have a friend who is getting support from her upline even though she cannot afford The System.

You could probably relisten to your stockpile of tapes for motivational support for a while. I know I have built a pile from both of The Systems I have been involved in. You can, as I have, probably find folks who have quit who will be willing to sell cheap or give you their tapes. A $5.50 advertisement, as apposed to a $5.50 tape, will reward you with hundreds of tapes.

Books found in The System can be bought at used book stores, or borrowed from the library.

Functions are just a way to associate with those you want to be like. So find successful people you want to be like, and hang out with them. It's free, and you might contact someone. I am planning to join the JayCees.

The System is good in content, but the use of The System can be perverted. This does not take into account the fact that there are people upline making money off of our situation by keeping us on The System. They don't even tell us that they make money on The System. Use The System to its best advantage. Be honest. Build the business. Go Diamond!