Saw that the Merchants of Deception web site is closing up shop later this month. That’s a shame, because I found Scheibeler’s story to be very informative; I read his e-book back when it was freely available and could relate to a number of his experiences “building the business.”
That said, I can understand why he wants to close this chapter in his life and move onto other ventures. For me, it’s been over a decade since I attended my last Amway meeting, bought my last product, or listened to my last tape. Not much appears to have changed, however, given my first-hand observations of ex-Amway groups now in MonaVie. For Systems in North America, business has not changed all that much.
Where will that change come from, if ever? Will Amway and MonaVie become more strict in System governance? Perhaps, but they can’t go too far or they will be biting the hand that feeds them. Will change come from the Systems themselves? Doubtful, as they too don’t want to rock their gravy train. Will change come from the critics? I think our purpose is more to help those leaving the Systems understand that their story was not unique and that healing begins with accepting what has happened.
Change ultimately comes down to the individual distributors. They have to start taking ownership of their businesses, which often means listening to but not always following the pronouncements from their upline. Distributors need to become educated about their products, the compensation plan, and how their Systems operate. They’ve got to determine on their own if what they have been doing for one month, one year, or ten years, is leading them to financial success (which is the reason why most people joined in the first place) or whether it’s simply a wild goose chase.
There’s a new MLM targeted specifically at men. Man Cave sells barbecue equipment via Tupperware-style sales parties. The article describes how the new salesperson gets his group of assembled friends to buy grilling tools and food items.
What I like about this company compared with MonaVie is that there is a much heavier focus on… get this… selling products. I know this might seem like a novel idea for the typical MonaVie or System-influenced Amway distributor, but it’s really not. Buy low, sell high, keep the profits. Recruit other people to do the same (or just keep on selling). Compare this with how many Systems teach in MonaVie/Amway: Buy from yourself and teach others to do the same.
At the MonaVie Anaheim Regional last weekend, the company announced the availability of MonaVie EMV Lite (and MonaVie Emv Gel) later this quarter. This was certainly an easy prediction to make when the nutrition information for MonaVie EMV was available. 170 Calories per 8.4oz serving. Wow!
There’s currently no nutrition information available, but if it is a sugar-free version, I wonder how they are going to describe the drink. They can’t exactly say it doesn’t have any artificial flavors or sweeteners if it’s truly sugar-free, right? We’ll find out soon enough.
There’s a good set of comments on JoeCool’s blog post about the psychology of the presentation. An anonymous poster equates quitting the business with being bitter in life. JoeCool’s and Rocket’s responses got me thinking about a recent audio interview with TEAM leader and former Amway Diamond, Orrin Woodward.
In the podcast, Orrin gives his thoughts on losing and quitting (fast forward to the 49 minute mark):
Anybody can do this business. The only way you lose is by quitting.
As in my previous post, this idea that a distributor is a loser for quitting is an oft-quoted phrase in MLM circles. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.
For many people, not quitting is another way to lose. Orrin would disagree with me, using his example as precedent. Earlier in the interview, he talks how five years into building his Amway business, he only had 200 people attending seminars. A few years later, after learning how to motivate and lead his team, he was seeing tens of thousands of people at functions. Because he didn’t quit, he reasons, he didn’t lose.
Here’s the problem. While anybody can theoretically do this business, not everyone will do the business and succeed. That’s something statistics show quite plainly to anyone who’s ever been involved with an MLM. A person who never quits the business would likely see continual losses year after year (in the form of System and product expenses). How is that winning? In Orrin’s view, you might not be making any money in TEAM, but look at all the side benefits you are getting! If people wanted to join a social club, they would have; they joined TEAM to make money, didn’t they?
I’ll conclude this post with Rocket’s comment on JoeCool’s blog post:
What’s wrong with quitting something?
Sometimes it’s an extremely wise business decision!
Can’t the Ambots see that they are being manipulated to hang in there until the well (their money to buy tools and overpriced products) is completely dry?
If you aren’t MAKING MONEY at what you are supposed to be making money at, and you are doing everything you’re told, they why would you stay in?
It’s either you are getting poor advice from your upline, the business is not viable, or both.
If you are making a profit after expenses, then there’s no issue.
Sadly, this is not the case for the overwhelming majority of the people who get involved.
JoeCool continues the discussion in his latest blog post.
When Did Being Open To Business Opportunities Change To Being Closed To Any Opportunities But MLM?
An oft-used prospecting line is something along the lines of, “Are you currently open to business opportunities?”
Funny how distributors use this line to gauge the interest of prospects, yet they themselves are so closed-minded with regards to business opportunities outside of the one that they’re in?
The Diamond Run is an R3Global promotion designed “to break 2000 new Diamonds and 200 Black Diamonds in the next 2-3 years.” Started in 2009, it runs until the end of 2012. Distributors pay a “small registration fee” that grants them “access to the influence and innovation of R3Global accountability.” Basically, it’s more paper pamphlets along with the ability to update your upline about your progress through email.
Who’s to blame if the Diamond Run fails to achieve its goals? Is it the distributors’ fault for not “doing the work” and following the plan set out by their upline? Or, is it the fault of the leaders for creating a “guaranteed” system for going Diamond in 200 days or less that doesn’t work in reality?
Ten years ago, similar statements were made by the certain Amway leaders around the launch of Quixtar. I remember bold claims about the business reaching $100 billion in 2-5 years. Will history repeat itself with the Diamond Run? Time will tell!
MonaVie ends their free enrollment program today. New distributors will have to pay $39 to join. They waived enrollment and renewal fees back in April, 2009.
Today is also MonaVie’s 2010 Kickoff Webcast, where the company will be officially releasing MonaVie M(mun) to the world. I wonder how many Black Diamonds will be smiling on-stage, hand-in-hand with Dallin Larsen and his team. Did they all use their MonaVie Jet Credits to come to the event?
A couple of things Dallin and company won’t be mentioning in today’s webcast:
- The disappearance of Robert Dean and his purported defection to Evolv.
- The defection of Kelly Bangert’s frontline Diamonds to Xowii.
Today we look at the Empty Pack – Apprenticeship Pack – No CDs (Pack of 5) from Orrin Woodward’s TEAM Leadership and Training Organization.
Update: The page is no longer available from the TEAM web site, but it’s still viewable (for now) through Google’s cache.
Even I had to do a double-take when I saw this product listing1 — $10 for five empty CD cases? What was wrong with the old TL136 Superstar Pack packaging? It sounds like a demotion to go from a superstar to just an apprentice. Superstar implies that the person is successful at something, whereas apprentice denotes someone learning at the foot of a master. Come to think of it, perhaps the name change is appropriate.
It’s the end of year, end of the decade. Ten years ago, I made the decision to quietly walk away from the Amway business. I returned to the debate a few years ago when I discovered a friend was in Amway/Quixtar. I wanted to learn whether or not the tactics and practices used by INA — my Amway Motivational Organization (AMO) — were being used by his, BWW. I quickly learned that many of the abuses I saw firsthand were still going on today. Despite some lip service and action by the Amway Corporation to curb these problems, it’s evident that there’s still much to do with cleaning up the wreckage AMOs have wrought over the past several decades.
It was during this time that I discovered MonaVie and its cadre of motivational organizations, led by ex-Amway distributors, Orrin Woodward of TEAM and Brig Hart of R3Global. In many respects, I feel MonaVie is worse than Amway. With Amway, at least some of the products are useful, albeit high-priced. MonaVie’s juice products are of dubious value and are extremely expensive. There also appears to be little in the way of checks and balances within MonaVie motivational organizations with regards to religious, political, and social sensitivity. Amway has instituted an accreditation program for training organizations, though it’s debatable whether or not it has significantly curbed on-stage religious and political sermonizing.
Update: It’s official. Robert Dean joins Evolv.
Is Robert Dean still surfing the MonaVie waves?
I looked back on an old post of mine and noted that three of the MonaVie Diamonds are now in another MLM called XOWii1:
- Rudy De Leon: Once reached MonaVie Hawaiian Blue Diamond Executive in less than 7 months.
- Jeff Creamer: Once reached MonaVie Hawaiian Blue Diamond Executive in less than 7 months.
- Bryan Mataya: Once reached Blue Diamond in less than 6 months.
These individuals were all downline from Kelly Bangert, the same person who was recently lambasted from stage by R3Global’s leader Brig Hart. Now, this explains why Kelly and Brig had a falling out; Kelly’s downline probably introduced him to XOWii, and he must have seriously considered joining them… all without informing Brig. Once Brig heard of this, he effectively excommunicated Kelly from R3Global.
Fortunately for Kelly, he’s still listed as a Black Diamond in MonaVie’s Field Leaders page. The same cannot be said of for Robert Dean, who joined MonaVie to much fanfare back in May, 2009. He used to have his own Black Diamond Documentary video, but it’s no longer available2.
A new feature on this site wherein we take a look at a questionably priced, dubious value tool from an Amway or MonaVie Teaching and Training System. Since we’ve been on a MonaVie-roll these days, we’ll select R3Global’s P492 Business Traveler Package to review first. For $148 (original price is $185), you receive:
- 1 Padfolio: $20 (P449
- 1 Mouse Pad: $1.50 (P447)
- 1 Business Card Holder: $10 (P601)
- 1 Black Diamond Pen: ???
- 1 Trolley Bag: ???
Pay close attention to the individual prices for each item. I could not find a separate listing for either the Black Diamond Pen nor the Trolley Bag. In all fairness, unless the pen is diamond-encrusted, it can’t cost more than $5, right?
Drink It. Feel It. Share It.
That’s the mantra doled out by the MonaVie faithful. Diamonds on stage proclaim, “All I did was drink the juice, feel its benefits, and shared it with everyone that I met! The product sells itself! You can do it too!”
If the product sold itself, why then do these same Diamonds turn around and work so hard on selling you you to purchase their tools?
When I read about MLM leaders breaking away and forming their own Systems, I wonder what happens when they meet up with their former mentors and friends at company-sponsored events like Diamond Club or Black Diamond Celebration. Are hugs and kisses shared between all parties or do they avoid each other like the plague? System and tools profits accounts for a substantial part of a MLM leader’s income, so I can easily see why someone might want to leave to form their own organization. On the flip side, I can see how there could be some animosity from the original group directed towards those in the breakaway group.
The most recent example of this is with Mark and Tami Crawford, Randy and Val Haugen, Don Wilson, Chuck Goetschel, and Lance Smith. They left Orrin Woodward’s TEAM to form Legacy Professional Development System. Within the R3Global System, I heard rumblings of a falling out between Brig Hart and Kelly Bangert. Is this a new development, and does anyone have any more information regarding this?
Another nugget of wisdom from the TEAM tweetstream:
Do not wait;the time will never be “just right”. Work with whatever tools you may have at your command & better tools wil be found as you go
Translation: Buy our tools today and buy our tools tomorrow. They might suck now, but they are all you’re going to get until we revise them for the umpteenth time!
