Quixtar Scam - Is Quixtar A Legitimate Business?
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Is There A Quixtar Scam?
The average Quixtar business owner, known as an IBO (Independent Business Owner) makes $1400.00 per year in gross income!
You would have to look no further than the Quixtar printed business material for this shocking statistic.
So what about all the promises of making millions of dollars as a Quixtar IBO? What does it take to get to Diamond and Emerald levels in a network marketing business that has a mixed reputation? Is Quixtar a scam or is it a legitimate business?
I took a look at the Quixtar business model three years after I decided that it was not for me and I found some very shocking evidence that there might actually be a Quixtar scam...some of which I already knew.
Dateline - "Quixtar Scam Pt 1"
Dateline did a story to expose a Quixtar scam. It also posed the question of whether or not Quixtar was a cult.
Ok, scam is a bit harsh but cult? When you watch the videos though, it appears that they may be on to something. Hmmm.
Dateline - "Quixtar Scam Pt 2"
My Experience with Quixtar
In 2004, I signed up with Quixtar after my old man introduced me to a lady who was an IBO. Wanting to supplement my paycheck to paycheck income as a goverment worker, I sacrificed and paid the EC$595.00 that it cost to become an IBO.
I thought it would be easy, being my first time doing network marketing. I soon found out it wasn't.
I attended the meetings figuring I'd get better at it. I borrowed my uplines books because she bought them and didn't mind sharing. The books were great. I learned a lot from those.
I tried to sell the products but people always complained that they were too expensive although I managed to sell a few things to some of my friends. Others promised they would buy but it always seemed that I couldn't find them afterwards.
I got my upline to show a few people the Plan and I showed a couple people the Plan as well. No one seemed to be interested. It was always, "Its too expensive", or "I might sign up, I don't know yet", or "I'll buy something from you instead".
All in all, I didn't make much as a Quixtar IBO but paid whatever it was to attend meetings or buy some product. Somehow, it was instilled in me that I mustn't quit and I signed up for a second year in which I grew less and less interested and began once again to search for something else.
I was lucky to find an opportunity that I am still involved with that is much better than being a Quixtar IBO.
Was Quixtar A Scam?
Surprisingly, I never looked at Quixtar as a scam. It was more of a legitimate business to me although it has a pyramid structure. There were product to sell and there was the opportunity.
Most pyramids just had the opportunity and no product involve or a vague product.
You might say that I didn't try hard enough. Admittedly though, it is hard to make it in Quixtar no matter what they told you. The stats don't lie.
Most of the people that acted "fired up" and had you believe that they were making it weren't making that much. Many weren't making any more than US$300.00/month.
There were others though that I've seen do very well and their stories always intrigued me.
The Problem with Quixtar
Quixtar, as I have been told in meetings wants to be a business built on word of mouth marketing. You couldn't sell your products from a store - all sales must be referred through an IBO.
Even though IBOs have their own replicate websites, they couldn't advertise on the internet - although I've seen many persons doing it. It's all in the Quixtar terms and conditions - you just can't do it.
If you could do otherwise it would surely make it a whole lot easier to sell the opportunity and the products. With such harsh restrictions, they are hindering IBOs progress but some do get away with it since it seems the rules aren't enforced.
Here's Whats Wrong with Network Marketing
Of course there was something wrong with MLM businesses like Quixtar. They required you to purchase the products in order for it to work and sell them to people. They also required to sell the opportunity to people in order to advance and make more money.
The problem was that you had to go and find these people who usually didn't want the product or the opportunity.
Now pick a business or store in your area. McDonalds. Starbucks. When was the last time you saw them go looking for people who wanted fast food? When was the last time somebody came to you and tried to sell you coffee?
The reality is that they advertised and the people who wanted what they sold came and got the products because they wanted it. It is definitely much easier to make money that way.
How I Eventually Made It
While I was still a Quixtar IBO, I began to look for other opportunities for making money. Some went nowhere but I found an ad in Small Business Opportunity magazine which led me online.
The benefits of this opportunity:
- I didn't have to buy any products/carry inventory
- I could chose my own hours
- I didn't have to cold call customers
- I didn't have to involve my friends or family
- Thousands of products I could choose from
and my personal favorite
- I could work from anywhere in the world.
I had found affiliate marketing. I was excited to start and I never looked back after I made my first online sale two days after I started. It was $26. Someone from New Zealand had bought a $39 product and the merchant gave me a percentage of the sale.
I had spent $30 to get the sale which might have seemed like a failure but it was an achievement to me that I could sell stuff online that I didn't own. I didn't half know what I was even doing.
About a year after having a few successes and a bunch of "failures", I found the best online training resource for internet marketing. Once I signed up, I realized what I was missing and put the pieces of the puzzle together.
With the training provided at Wealthy Affiliate University, I was now having more successes than failures and was making a full time income in about 5 months after I became a member.
This was so much better than Quixtar, and there are many members making thousands of dollars every month. While it would take a year for the average Quixtar IBO to make $1400, at Wealthy Affiliate members make $1400 per month or week and even daily.
If you've been thinking about becoming a Quixtar IBO, I'm sure this article on the Quixtar scam may have changes your mind. You still have the opportunity to make money and own your own business without all the horrors of an MLM business. Affiliate marketing is growing every year and you can be a successful marketer too.
Try Wealthy Affiliate for only $1 and start making money today.
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Comments
First of all, it only costs $59.00 to sign up, not $500!! Stop lying to people. If you just did the work they tell you to do it would work. Like it does for me. The only reason it didn't work for you is because you're lazy. You thought you could make money without doing any work.
As for "Countrywomans" comment. "I have heard" about many people being burned........ How many have you actually met???
No one has ever been burned because it doesn't cost any money. You're buying stuff you would buy anyway from Target or Walmart. And the products are not more expensive, they are concentrated so they last 10 times longer. Obviously you didn't do any research and were just looking for a way to fail. Congratulations!!!!!
To anyone looking into buying this guys stuff....Don't do it. It's a scam!!!
I knew I'd get comments like this one. When I was in Quixtar, if I had come across a hub like this I might have said the same thing so believe me when I say I understand how you feel.
First of all it cost me $595 East Caribbean Dollars to sign up with Quixtar not $59 United States Dollars because I live in the Caribbean.
This hub is not a blind attack on Quixtar. It details MY experience and answers the question of whether or not I think its a scam. Did you read the entire thing?
And lastly, how can you say "my" stuff is a scam if you've never tried or researched it? I was being fair in my review of Quixtar.
If you really want to succeed with network marketing maybe you need to try internet marketing and throw out the old methods of mlm promotion such as chasing after your family and friends and cold calling strangers. Those things don't work anymore. If you're already doing great then you're doing something right so congrats and thanks for dropping by.
I signed up for Quixtar about 2 months ago and in only costs $150.00....The reason you didn't succeed is because you didn't put the proper time and effort into it to make it work. It takes time, patience, and persistance. If you put so little effort into it did you really expect a large return?
CAC1989, thanks for your comment. Who said I didn't put time and effort into Quixtar?
What people don't understand is you can put all the time, patience, effort, persistence into anything but if you don't have the know how you will not get anywhere. Do you think its only lazy people who fail?
I didn't know the psychology of closing a sale or converting a lead and that is what made me frustrated and want to give up and ultimately that is what I did. The percentage of marketers who fail, fail for the same reason. Either that or they just ARE plain lazy.
As for a large return, not to brag or anything...I know Quixtar IBOs who claim that they are making it and who are so enthusiastic about the business but still I'm making more than they are on a monthly basis.
Its nice and great hub. I added one more hub about Mortgage Calculator feel free to visit this hub.
I'm just curious to what you expected from Quixtar kpfingaz. Did you expect a get rich quick easy way out of life? I'm going to clear a few things up for you. Also, I do respect you as a person and you have a right to your own opinion, so take this with an open mind, I am not trying to offend you.
*****"The average Quixtar business owner, known as an IBO (Independent Business Owner) makes $1400.00 per year in gross income!"*****
Think about that..... 1400$ per year. This is a *Part-Time* job. This isn't a career option when you first start off. When you do Quixtar, you work your own hours, (assuming you signed on as an IBO) now also assuming that since Quixtar mostly goes off *RESIDUAL* income, how is $1400 a year a bad thing? You don't technically work each day and if you did, you would surely make more than $1400. On top of all that, the average also includes in the inactive IBO's who are still registered.
Please take this into consideration as well. When someone invests, say, $100,000 to start a business and it does not meet the expectations of the owner or investor leaving the person in debt it is understood as the cost of doing business. In other words, a failed restraunteur does not start a blog telling would be entrepeneurs to boycott the restraunt industry. I would like to ask you how many businesses that are started every year fail? Why should this company be any different. Those who are serious about the company move forward, and those with doubts fail in the long run.
*****"Of course there was something wrong with MLM businesses like Quixtar. They required you to purchase the products in order for it to work and sell them to people. They also required to sell the opportunity to people in order to advance and make more money."*****
How is that different from ANY business, physical or online? If I open a hardware store, I'm going to purchase tools and hardware in hopes that customers come in and buy them. If the customers come in, i'm going to try and sell things to them. Now, also they dont' REQUIRE you to purchase products. You're an IBO. That stands for Independent Business Owner if you were wondering. You do not have to do anything. All they ask you to do is change where you buy things. Rather than putting money in Wa-Marts pocket, how about putting money in your own pocket.
*****"The problem was that you had to go and find these people who usually didn't want the product or the opportunity."*****
I thought the goal was to find people who WANTED the products and the opportunity. I think I found your problem, you were looking at the wrong people. No wonder you failed?
*****"Now pick a business or store in your area. McDonalds. Starbucks. When was the last time you saw them go looking for people who wanted fast food? When was the last time somebody came to you and tried to sell you coffee?The reality is that they advertised and the people who wanted what they sold came and got the products because they wanted it. It is definitely much easier to make money that way."*****
I want to ask you how many times you've seen something on T.V. and called in to buy it. I want to know how many times you've seen sports stars, popups, billboards that convinced you to buy their products. I'm sure you have never heard of Facebook if what you just said is true. Facebook doesn't advertise with commercials, they dont' use billboards either. In the late 90's, there were only 2 people who knew about Facebook. I just want to let you know that if Facebook were a country, it would be the 10th largest country in the world. With over 10 million people, it grows everyday. Why? Not because of advertising, but because of networking. You need to get with the times and understand that the business model of the last 50 years is becoming obsolete. If what you stated above this paragraph is true, than what I stated about Facebook is false. You are right, the facts don't lie.
****"
I didn't have to buy any products/carry inventoryI could chose my own hoursI didn't have to cold call customersI didn't have to involve my friends or familyThousands of products I could choose fromI could work from anywhere in the world."*****All of those perks you stated are perks of Quixtar whether you choose to believe it or not. Quixtar doesn't MAKE you purchase ANYTHING. You choose what you want to do, you choose your own level of involvement. Again, since your an IBO, (Independent Business Owner, did I mention Independent?) you work your own hours, I have never ever heard of any owner who was forced to work on someone else's accord. In Quixtar you do NOT cold call anybody. The point of the Quixtar marketing layout is through networking. Let me explain, you tell your friends, acquaintences, relatives about this opportunity and they do the same. It worked for Facebook and it's working for many other companies. I do notice that you failed to write that Quixtar is a Fortune 500 Company which brings an annual 1$ Billion + in sales. I don't about your claims that everyone is failing in this company, but that statistic alone should completely negate your accusations. Now, just because I said that you talk to family/friends/etc, doesn't mean you have to, I do not understand why you put both I didn't have to cold call customersI didn't have to involve my friends or familyYou just contradicted yourself. Who else do you talk to???????????????????? I'm serious... who??You also talk about this with your new job...
"Thousands of products I could choose from"
Quixtar is in business with 1200+ stores. I'm assuming that each store sells at least .9 products. In fact, Quixtar is in business with Nike, Bass Pro Shops, Circuit City, so much more. If this is a scam, why would HUGE companies like want to join up? I'll tell you what, they have more lawyers in those 3 companies than you can imagine. I will mention one more thing while we're on this topic, 1 of the 1200 stores is a company called Shop.com, they alone provide millions of products. So before you make anymore false accusations, please, please, please, do your research.
I did take the time to watch your video's and read through your entire article. So take what I said with an open mind and research it. I did 20 minutes of research and I was able to disprove almost everything you claimed which tells me you just have a bone to pick with Quixtar and nothing more. For being an IBO, your lack of knowledge of the company surprises me.
I will leave you with a few qoutes of fellow IBO's, read them, you will benefit.
"If becoming rich were easy then I'm sure everybody would be. Quixtar is marketing and many people do not have the talent and personality for its task. However, some do and they have often excelled in the business. This is not to dismiss the problems with network marketing, however, I know too many people who have prospered from Quixtar to believe that it doesn't work."
"They SUGGEST that I buy only household necessities from the site (stuff that I buy anyway) because the prices compare quite well with Wal-Mart and other stores plus I get a 30% discount, PV, and 3% of my BV back. Also, it saves on gas and the huge amount of impulse shopping my family is accustomed to doing."
And lastly, take this for what it's worth.
"Those that do nothing to better themselves should not make comments to those that are making things happen!" - Author unknown
jj456, thank you so much for your contribution. I'm glad you took the time to rip apart my review of Quixtar. I have an open mind and I most definitely like a challenging argument like the one you're putting forward and I'm going to also take the time to respond so that you can see where I'm coming from.
First of all, I'm addressing a question that most people have about Quixtar - Is it a scam? Is it a legitimate business? It might seem that I came across inconclusive and didn't answer the questions directly but I'm speaking from experience. While it may work for some it did not work for me. I know some people that its working for but I would not choose this business model for myself.
Every point you made about Quixtar, I've heard them before - at the seminars, at the meetings, the training sessions, the presentations. I however don't believe that facts can make a person successful and that there is a very important link that is missing in the Quixtar opportunity that causes so many failures.
Some stuff, you might have missed about me. I used to be an IBO and found another business that I put in the work and effort - its not a JOB and I make a helluva lot of money each month, much more than I would have made with Quixtar or any MLM, putting in the same effort. I am not a failure - Quixtar just didn't work for me and I'm not saying outright that its a scam, all I'm saying is that their is a very important factor that is missing throughout.
I always tell anyone that even though I didn't like the business side of Quixtar, I benefited greatly from the self improvement aspect of it - going to the meetings, reading the books, the encouragement not to quit etc. Because I found a new opportunity, and when it got rough I knew that success doesn't come without sweat.
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Of course there was something wrong with MLM businesses like Quixtar. They required you to purchase the products in order for it to work and sell them to people. They also required to sell the opportunity to people in order to advance and make more money.
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I think the above quote wasn't expressed as clearly as I wanted it to be. The reality is that many persons purchase the products for their own use which gives them PV and leaves them with less money and then TRY to sell them to others. Their only hope of making it is then to sell the opportunity hoping that one (or more) of their downlines would turn out to be a great networker that they could benefit from. When all fails, they quit.
You argued:
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I thought the goal was to find people who WANTED the products and the opportunity. I think I found your problem, you were looking at the wrong people. No wonder you failed?
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Who are the wrong people when you're encouraged to talk to everyone that you know? If I failed at Quixtar because of this then we just might be getting to the core of the problem here.
About the $1400/year issue, I disagree...that is a bad thing. I used to make $1400/month at my job, now I make $1400 in the course of a week with my newfound business opportunity. $1400 a year is too little return for the work you have to put in over that period of time.
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Now pick a business or store in your area. McDonalds. Starbucks. When was the last time you saw them go looking for people who wanted fast food? When was the last time somebody came to you and tried to sell you coffee?The reality is that they advertised and the people who wanted what they sold came and got the products because they wanted it. It is definitely much easier to make money that way.
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Another poorly developed point by me, thats why we have feedback.Thanks for pointing it out again.
And you said:
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I want to ask you how many times you've seen something on T.V. and called in to buy it. I want to know how many times you've seen sports stars, popups, billboards that convinced you to buy their products. I'm sure you have never heard of Facebook if what you just said is true. Facebook doesn't advertise with commercials, they dont' use billboards either.
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I was going to leave this for last and for me to argue this point would probably take a whole other blog post so I won't go into detail about it. Point in the matter is networking and advertising is two different things - not completely different (they both involve marketing to some degree whether its marketing yourself or marketing the benefits of a product) so your point about billboards, popups and sports stars, I just don't get here. Each IBO builds his business through networking because Quixtar forbids them to advertise (its in the T&C).
I do agree that social networking, (Facebook, Myspace, Bebo) can be very beneficial to building your business since I integrate these into my current business.
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Now, just because I said that you talk to family/friends/etc, doesn't mean you have to, I do not understand why you put both I didn't have to cold call customersI didn't have to involve my friends or familyYou just contradicted yourself. Who else do you talk to????????????????????
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From a previous point - people who come looking for what I have to offer!? Tell me something, do I know you? We're not related...we're not family, we weren't friends but now you know me. Did I come looking for you? But you found me, eh? Think about it...
And finally:
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Those that do nothing to better themselves should not make comments to those that are making things happen!" - Author unknown
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That doesn't apply to me here.:)
In conclusion, I am not saying/have not said outright that Quixtar was a scam; I just said that from experience it wasn't what I wanted because there seems to be a huge piece of the puzzle missing.
Thanks again, Mr. jj456 for your valuable contribution and I hope you get the chance to respond again. The forum is always open.
Hey, thanks for the reply, I'm glad you took what I said, and I'm definitely glad that you replied back!
So lets see, I read this
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I however don't believe that facts can make a person successful and that there is a very important link that is missing in the Quixtar opportunity that causes so many failures.
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I agree with you to an extent. Facts do NOT make a person successful, but facts go with the odds. What I mean is, if my upline/mentor (someone who's already made it (for those that don't know)) tell me how to do something or a specific way to do something, I'm going to agree and believe them. Why? Because they know what they're doing. Although I'm rather new at the business, there is one thing I pointed out right away. IBO's who don't listen or follow directions (ie. Go their own way) will almost suredly fail. This isn't something to jump into without any knowledge of the business mindset. Unfortunately that's how "most" (not all) but most of the IBO's mindset is at the start. It's get rich quick, retire, buy everything attitude. That is what I believe is the only flaw in Quixtar. The attitude of, "Anyone can do this!". That one piece right there is what I think your talking about. I agree, they need to stress it's more work than you think. (That's all about appealing to people though, I won't get into that)But if you do things the way the tell you, you'll make it whether it takes a few years or a few months as long as you stick with it. As easy as that sounds, it does require a lot of work and it's difficult, but very achievable.
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Some stuff, you might have missed about me. I used to be an IBO and found another business that I put in the work and effort - its not a JOB and I make a helluva lot of money each month, much more than I would have made with Quixtar or any MLM, putting in the same effort. I am not a failure - Quixtar just didn't work for me and I'm not saying outright that its a scam, all I'm saying is that their is a very important factor that is missing throughout.
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I apologize if I said you were a failure, definitely did not mean that. You seem to be a little more lenient about Quixtar in your reply than you were in your original post. From the article I understood that you were calling Quixtar a scam. I guess my point was to prove that it was a legitimate business that uses a legitimate business model.
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From a previous point - people who come looking for what I have to offer!? Tell me something, do I know you? We're not related...we're not family, we weren't friends but now you know me.
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Point taken, didn't even cross my mind. Thanks.
Also this one... I don't think I was clear either.
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The reality is that many persons purchase the products for their own use which gives them PV and leaves them with less money and then TRY to sell them to others.
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Quixtar doesn't ask you to spend any more money than you already do. All they ask is that you change where you spend your money. Rather than buying poptarts at Wal-Mart or Pamida, buy them from yourself. Save money, save gas, save the trouble of impulse shopping, and in the end, you are rewarded by saving.
Now, the + side to this is obvious, you save money. But THIS isn't what "makes" you money. What "makes" you money is teaching other people to do the same. Unfortunately, they don't exactly say it in those words which I totally agree with you in the sense that they should.
All in all, I see your point. To be honest, you didn't make it that clear in the original post (***in my opinion). But I do think I know the answer to your statement:
I just said that from experience it wasn't what I wanted because there seems to be a huge piece of the puzzle missing.
No company is absolutely perfect. Quixtar is no exception. They need to stress that to make it in the business, it will take time, effort, and you need to stick with it for a while rather than just stating how easy it is to earn the big $$. Aside from that, what they say seems totally true to me.
Thanks again for the reply, I'm glad this didn't become an e-rage fest. Very glad.
Ok, cool. I realize how I might have led readers to believe that I was saying Quixtar was an outright scam. The first thing they see is the title and so thats going to create an impression even before they start reading the article.
You make some very good points but we have completely different opinions about the same company so lets just agree to disagree, could we?
Aha. Fair enough, I wasn't trying to change your opinion, like I said in my first post, you can say what you want, and I'll respect it as long as you have a sound reason. On a different note, I would like to learn more about WAU except it doesn't tell you much until you start paying. I'm not exactly comfortable with that.
Ok, its all good then. Check out this video of Wealthy Affiliate University. It gives you a look around the inside and some member results.
All i have to say is,If all you want to make is $1440 a year,go pick up aluminium cans, no advertiseing needed,no cold calling either.
You have to advertise and do yopur research for selling yopur product to the right audience.
Advertise,advertise and then advertise some more.
I am not one to ruffle feathers, but my husband and I were in some way involved with quixtar. You've probably heard of Orrin Woodward. Anyways, I loved Team, loved Orrin, but Quixtar just didn't work out for us. We tried, gave it our best effort. Maybe it wasn't good enough, but we lost a lot of valuable time with our son, and made hardly nothing. Nothing compared to what we spend. Bless Orrin for standing up to them, and trying to expose them for what they are doing. I agree with affiliate marketing, that is what we are involved in now. Its working out great. Great Hub, sorry it got some negative feed back. Its funny because while I was involved I was told when people ask me how much I make, to answer "you wouldn't believe me if I told you." They were right in one way, they wouldn't believe how much of an idiot I was for spending 300$ a month on the "highest PV possible" items that I will never use and only getting 2$ back. HA! Well that's my short story experience! Good luck to those still trying to "spider ball!"
Thanks for sharing your story Tarrah. I think thats generally what happens to most Quixtar IBOs and then they get out and it leave a bad taste in their mouth so to speak.
Kpfingaz,
I think the real meaning behind this hub is NOT whether or not Quixtar uses outdated methods that produce failure, but rather what skills are needed in order to be successful within this organization.
Sometimes it takes going outside of the company training in order to learn better marketing methods and "updated" training that is more aligned with what you believe in.
This is why such generic trainers like Dani Johnson, Mike Dillard, etc... have done so well; people feel that their company has not given them enough training or people want to get the skills necessary in order to have success.
Wealthy Affiliate is a good organization. It teaches Internet marketing skills that you can even apply in Quixtar or any other network marketing company.
So, what essentially was lacking was the right set of skills and it seems like you found a home in WA.
Interesting Hub Kpfingaz,
Corrisa
Thank you Corrisa! You said it in even fewer words than I would have. If I were to become a Quixtar IBO again I would be better off because I have the marketing skills that I lacked when I first joined. It's only because I have that knowledge now that I could see the flaws of a system that surprisingly so many cant see.
The only reason I won't go back is because of two reasons:
1. Quixtar sets limits on how you advertise their products although I think people break them and get away with it. Too risky for me and too restrictive.
2. Affiliate marketing to me is a much better business model for me since I'm already having a lot of success with it.
Again, thank you so much for your insight, Corrisa.
Quixtar is the retailer, the IBOs are the customers. Quixtar preys on people who need to feel included, while the sales tactics they promote tend to alienate those same people from the few friends and relatives they do have. Who wants to hear a sales pitch everytime you sit down with a person? Nobody!
My ex-husband became convinced that Quixtar was his ticket to prosperity because he was told that he would in meeting after meeting (and there are alot of them and of course you are told you will make more sales if you attend them all.)
He is now two years in arrears on child support, has had to declare bankruptcy, and has become alienated from the children as they did not want to participate in "the business".
BS. Me and my wife started Amway/Quixtar business 4 months ago. First month we made $69. This month we made $592. It only gets bigger and bigger, but you have to put some time and work in it to make it work. If you start this business and wait for your downline to build it for you, you will make no more then $1400/year. This business is not for lazy people.
I think the most interesting thing to ask is "How much does the average IBO invest to earn that $1400?" I think you will find it's much more than $1400 and that the average person invests far more than they ever make.
As in most network marketing businesses, you have a bunch of people selling and buying stuff from each other while the parent company profits from every transaction.
Sure, some people make good money, but it all comes from the pockets of their downline. You must sell your soul and convince your downline that they will get rich if they put money in your pocket.
If you want to build a real business get real customers and treat them fairly.
Good hub. I liked the way you took and answered the attacks against your personal story.
For Quixstar or against it, your story was intriguing and I enjoyed reading it.
I've read two of your hubs so far. I'm headed to read more.
Proud Mom, thank you for the support and I'm glad you enjoy my hubs. Happy New Year!
hey jj, the only thing is when you have a business you typically become incorporated so that when/if it does go under you personally don't lose anything and the company/restaurant whatever goes bankrupt, not you personally.
I was in Quixtar 5yrs. i did the effort and program. thats a cd a day 30min read a recomended book a day go to ALL functions. yep i did it. Guess what. if the ppl under you does not buy something you dont make money. Guess what. it is more expensive for the product. One other problem i had with it all was the leaders made more money selling you those tapes and books and function tickets than from the product moving. Thats why thats the "key" to sucess. I never made any significant money. I did spend significant money though on their program. Call me lazy. I did the 15 plans a week, and sponsered alot of people. but the money is not in the product moving, its in the tools. If you dont believe me do some research. My cd's were 7$ each. how many thousand of ppl bought the 2 each week. wonder where that money went? They push the tools like nobody's business because thats where the cash is. Even the compensation plan shows that if you think about it. One more thing i couldnt ignore. Less than 1% made any significant money. Thats alot of peopel makeing very little money, hence product movement, yet the leaders are making bank. Wonder where the money comes from. Yes there are some good thing in the tools. I did learn to manage my money and after being out of quixtar for 2 yrs and apply the money priniciples ive learned im getting ahead on finances and am able to get some good retirement investments going. The point they are not honest about how they really make 100,000 a month.
anti-MLM go to my site!
hmmmmm...quite right.
Well you can say all network companies are a sales oriented. That is why it is necessary to sale their products.And they are limited to geo targeting.
Yes there is no doubt that Affiliate Marketing is growing day by day. And the most interesting part of this business is you will became a global, I mean to say you can sale products in the whole world.
You know nowadays everyone search a best business to work with. We can get them in our network. I mean if you want to achieve some extra ordinary success in your life then there is no alternative then Network Marketing rather you can say Affiliate Marketing.
I want to sum up here - If you want to achieve something extra ordinary in your life then build your network, bacause nowadays success depends on Network.
Wondering why I told this all. Ofcourse I am also doing Affiliate marketing.
You can have all the business info on my website.
Regards
F1 Affiliate Program
Very good "HUB"...........!!
I have heard lots about what a scam quixtar is. A friend of mine got involved and he kept callin me trying to rope me in.
Glad he stopped!!
Network marketing only works if you have an endless stream of leads and distributors joining your business. If this was the case, you would not ever call anything a scam ever again. Instead you would be telling your friends how much money you are making. The problem is not the network marketing companies but instead the sales people's marketing and advertsing systems that don't work. This is where the problem is which I found a solution to. You need an advertising engine and an marketing glider. Together they will make you fly high. It works for me.
You tried Network Marketing and didn't like it. Nothing wrong with that. It's not for everyone. To each his own. Glad you're doing well with your affiliate marketing business. Have a great day
A Few Thoughts on what jj456 said -
1st QUOTE - "If becoming rich were easy then I'm sure everybody would be. Quixtar is marketing and many people do not have the talent and personality for its task. However, some do and they have often excelled in the business. This is not to dismiss the problems with network marketing, however, I know too many people who have prospered from Quixtar to believe that it doesn't work."
RESPONSE (TO 1st QUOTE) - What are you saying jj456? Quixtar advertises theirs as the "Everybody and Anybody Can Do It" Business. If they found out that you were contradicting them and instead saying that Only People with Special Talents could do it, they themselves would be the First to K*ck Your B*tt.
2nd QUOTE - " *****"Of course there was something wrong with MLM businesses like Quixtar. They required you to purchase the products in order for it to work and sell them to people. They also required to sell the opportunity to people in order to advance and make more money."*****
How is that different from ANY business, physical or online? If I open a hardware store, I'm going to purchase tools and hardware in hopes that customers come in and buy them. If the customers come in, i'm going to try and sell things to them. Now, also they dont' REQUIRE you to purchase products. You're an IBO. That stands for Independent Business Owner if you were wondering. You do not have to do anything. All they ask you to do is change where you buy things. Rather than putting money in Wa-Marts pocket, how about putting money in your own pocket. "
RESPONSE (TO 2nd QUOTE) - You did NOT Answer the OPPORTUNITY Part of the Question jj456 - you very cleverly Evaded the Answer when you saw that you could NEVER Answer Yourself Out of that Quagmire. Your HARDWARE STORE Requires you to Sell the Products Only, NOT THE OPPORTUNITY. But Your QUIXTAR Business DOES REQUIRE You to Sell the Opportunity - in fact it is the OPPORTUNITY that gets you those Oversizedly Advertised Dollars (if at all it does something even undersize, or mucksize). Accept it or Deny it - that is the truth!
A Few Thoughts on what Mark said -
QUOTE - " No one has ever been burned because it doesn't cost any money. You're buying stuff you would buy anyway from Target or Walmart. And the products are not more expensive, they are concentrated so they last 10 times longer. "
RESPONSE - Looks at the line - "They are concentrated so they last 10 times longer." That is a MAJOR FLAW in the Model of Network Marketing or The Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) Business. If you take up a basic course on Economics, you will know that the GDI (Gross Domestic Income) or the GNI (Gross National Income) is One of the Major Indicators of the Economic Prosperity of a Nation, and hence of its People. The GDI, simply put, is the Sum of all the Money that its Citizens earn. GNI is nothing but GDP+Income From Abroad (through Exports or Other Means like Nationals Working Abroad etc.). But what we have to mark here in Both the terms is the Word "Income". Note Again - It is "Income", NOT "Wealth". Wealth is a Static Concept, Income is a Dynamic One. Wealth is what you have already stacked up (and refuse to take out and spend), Income is what comes to you Every Month (and you spend it). It is Income that keeps an Economy Rolling, Not Wealth.
When you buy a Product that is so Concentrated that you need to buy it Only Once every few months, you are creating Wealth, and Not Income. Remember, simultaneously with you, many other people that have joined the MLM company would be doing the same (as they would have been urged to do so by the company). So effectively, everyone is doing the same thing. The Net Result - You have a huge expenditure one month, and then for the Next Nine/Ten/Twelve Months, NOBODY is spending a dime. No Expenditure, No Income. Irrespective of however much of Wealth the Economy might have, there is No Income (No Rolling Money), and so the Economy Stagnates. Note that the Nation's Economy might not stagnate (its too big to be affected by a Single or a Few MLM companies), But the MLM company's economy certainly will. Another word for stagnation - Recession. How can you ever earn money in a Recessive Economy?
So, it is very true that the People in the MLM business make Money not by Selling Products, but by Selling the Opportunity, and by Selling the Info Products that Sell, Advertise or Teach the Opportunity, or train Newcomers. And you will always notice one thing - these people who earn are always at the top of the Network. The Downliners don't make much. Ask all the people in the MLM business, and the Majority will corroborate.
I am working on my CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certification and so you can trust my knowledge of Economics on that. I have analysed a lot of downline failures (I once was part of a MLM myself- and an MLM that had a LOT OF PRODUCTS on their Menu - and it didn't work out for me), and I have found that this is one major flaw in MLM systems. Whether you call it a scam or not is upto you, but the chances of making any serious money on a regular basis in a MLM Network is very slim unless - 1)You are at or near the Very top of the Network 2)You are able to Sell or Subdue your soul / consciousness to the lure of making money and telling people to "put their money into your pocket if they want to get rich", as dburk has put it above.
Some might argue that you and you downlines could arrange your purchases in such a way that it is a changing basket of requirements every month. Great ! Try making a list of all the items that you use in a household every month, and then try and distribute the purchases month-wise, and you you'll find that you will not even make enough PV or BV in any month to take you across the Second Tier, Leave alone the Rest of the Levels. So, it will have to be left upon the Selling of the Opportunity if you wanted to make it anywhere. But Wait ! If you now try to Calculate the Number of Downlines or Downline Levels that you would require to Earn that "Decent" Income, don't be surprised if you end up with MLM-Phobia. It will take you anything around 10 Levels, if not more, to get a regular stream of decent income coming - leave aside the Big Dollars. And Again for Every 1 Person that earns a Satisfying, if not Great, Income, At Least 5000 Won't. Talk about Disguised Unemployment (another term from Economics), and I doubt if you could give me a better example. Talk about Disguised Slavery, and I doubt twice as strongly.
Affiliate Marketing is sooooooooooooooooo much better...I haven't tried it out myself yet, but the Business Model makes So Much Sense. And there is actually a flow of Services and Goods there - Real GDP, Real GNP - so Real GDI, Real GNI. There is Actually Income. Money is Rolling, not Stagnant. And it is flexible too. I can be your affiliate, and you can be mine (albeit for different products). It is not like a one way hierarchy. It is like being partners in Business. If the Internet does not become a limitation to the Sale of your Products (due to their nature), you certainly can have Business done. It is just like your everyday business, except that it is happening on the Internet.
I am not an Internet Marketer or a Business Owner, I just posted in this column because I felt I should share my experiences (in fact I became a member of HubPages after I decided to Post here), and also my Analysis of the entire situation to others, so that they can take better informed decisions, and not have to go through what I and many others have had to.
Thank You kpfingaz, for this wonderful topic. And kudos on the way in which you braved the storm of reverses.
Sincerely,
IdeaVolt.
Kudos to you IdeaVolt for your contributions to this topic. I've actually learned quite a bit from what you said and it makes a lot of sense ie income vs wealth when comparing the MLM model and the affiliate marketing model.
Thank you for that.
Thanks kpfingaz.
I'm glad you liked it.
I'd also like to point out that these are the facts while not only comparing the MLM and the Affiliate Marketing models, but in fact the MLM model and Any Other Model. Even if for a moment you were to consider Offline Business, the same comparison rules would apply.
But the reason I popped in again is to put in a comment that I forgot to put in my last one.
There is another startling fact that I find to MLM models/businesses - It might not be very evident in the beginning, but with time they go on to become UN-DEMOCRATIC VORTICES.
Why Un-Democratic ?
1. BECAUSE OF PRESCRIPTIONS - Many MLM businesses impose on their SO-CALLED Independent Business Owners Terms and Conditions as to How and Where they can carry out or Advertise about their Trade. If they are restricted, how can they be "Independent"? If they are restricted, you might call them your "Dealers", but NOT Independent. Understood, if the IBO was Advertising in Socially or Financially Wrong Places, or Using Content in his Advertisements that gave False Representations about Himself or the Company, or hurt the Image, Prestige or the Finances of the Company, it could have Objections. But Why do they object when IBOs advertise in Perfectly Legitimate Ways and in Perfectly Legitimate and Favourable Places.
2. THEY STIFLE CONSUMER CHOICE - For this we will first have to deal with the idea of Vortices. I'll then return to the concept of Consumer Choices.
A Vortex (plural Vortices) is a mass of swirling material, especially fluid like Liquid, Gas or Plasma, that has the tendency to suck everything into its centre. A Good Example of a Vortex would be a Tornado. However, Vortices can also be found in Underwater Currents, and those are doubly dangerous, and often sweep Humans and Cattle away if they accidentally fall into them.
When you begin a MLM business, you are told to buy all your necessities from the business itself (assuming that it has products that can cater to your everyday needs). They tell you that it is necessary for you for two reasons - 1)It Generates PV for you and 2)It sets up an example in front of your downlines to emulate, thus increasing your BV. Eager to toe the line as advised, you oblige.
Slowly, you get sucked into a Thought Trap (or Habit Trap). You constantly keep thinking that you need to spend in a way that increases your PV/BV, and you modify your purchasing habits according to that. The Enjoyment and the Pleasure go out of your Spending, and all you're left with are the anxiety and concern for your PV/BV. Waking, Sleeping, Walking, Talking, all you think of is your PV/BV. Suddenly Shopping turns from Pleasure to Stress. Do you Realise why so many People Shun MLM - I think it is probably because of this Stress. I have known People whose MLM businesses have affected their jobs, who have turned from very Sane Individuals to Ones that Gamble Away their monthly incomes to improve their MLM businesses. And More.
You kind of lose your freedom of purchase - not with an explicit instruction, but implicitly, due to the surrounding environment that begins to take shape. If the Company already has a certain Product on its Menu, and you buy it from somewhere else, Your Upline gets angry (or at least dissatisfied) with you. You now, being so subtly coerced, have to purchase the products from the Company, irrespective of whether you agree with the Product Quality or Not. Even if there are no outside factors to compel, you still will purchase the products from the Company because of the TWO REASONS THAT YOU WERE TAUGHT IN THE BEGINNING - 1)Increase you own PV, 2)Set an Example for your Downlines. You still keep promoting the products even if A Part or The Whole of You Does Not Agree to the Quality or Semantics behind the Product. But you keep trying to make yourself believe that you are doing the right thing. Guess What - You have Just Started Brainwashing Yourself. WELCOME TO THE THOUGHT VORTEX !
When you recruit your Downlines, You transmit the same behaviour to your downlines - part because of Habit, part because of Greed. AN INVISIBLE DICTATORSHIP BEGINS TO REIGN !
Even if you do not agree to something in the Company or the Business Model, you still do NOT speak out, for the fear of losing your business, after all the hard work you've done to build your Network. Some Companies even say that they Reserve the Right to Terminate You at their Will, if they find any Anti-Company behaviour from you (this is especially Funny, because on one hand they call you an "Independent Business Owner", and on the other threaten to Sack you like a Employee - What's Next - A Sales Executive in a Pyjama ?). You may go to Court, but who's going to pay for the expenses and the time? And going to Court may actually cause the closure of the Company. Both ways, You have to Lose. And the Bigger your Network, the More you have to Lose, and so the more intimidated and tame you become, and turn a blind eye to all oppression and/or wrong-doings. You keep doing the same activities over and over again. Your Freedom to Act and Purchase according to Your Own Likes and Dislikes is Lost. You are now Compelled by the Force of Circumstances (ones that ironically You have Created for Yourself) to purchase according to the dictates of PV/BV. Why? Because Now your Livelihood depends on your MLM Business, on Your PV/BV. Your Survival, Your Existence depend on it. You are now in Bondage to Your Own Business - You're Nothing Better than a Bonded Labourer. CONSUMER CHOICE IS DEAD.
That is why I've always felt that the MLM Business Model is an Un-Democratic Vortex. Maybe I should call it ANTI-Democratic Vortex.
That was the Second thing I faced when I, as I said, was in the MLM Business some time ago. A Very Negative and a Very Frightening Experience !
I feel there might be others out there who might agree with me on this.
Hope this is of help to Some of the Others too.
Thanks,
IdeaVolt.
Very inciteful and thought provoking. I challenge any of the MLM faithfuls to argue with your points.
Here's another thing IBOs don't realize. The reality of the whole Quixtar model is that while the company does have their own product lines which they encourage affiliates to promote, they also dabble heavily in what is called Affiliate Marketing.
Its a brilliant concept when you look at it but it works for the company. I mean they're the smart ones. Not so much the IBOs. Well, fair is fair and everyone gets to earn money but the concept is that the company is an affiliate for each of the "partner stores" (affiliate = partner). Means that they get a % whenever the items are sold.
What's the best way to get sales in volume? Have a network of sub affiliates. But unlike 2 tier affiliate marketing programs the 'sub affiliates' don't market for the 'partner store'. They do it for the MLM company which doesn't make them affiliates but distributors.
For instance, one of Quixtar's partner stores is TGW (The Golf Warehouse). They have an affiliate program that pays 5%. If I wanted to be an affiliate for them I get 5% everytime I send someone to their site and they make a purchase. If I wanted to get more sales, I could get a network of people to help sell their stuff (with some sort of tracking system in place where I could track that they came through me), and pay each person in the network who makes me a sale 1% or 0.5%.
My experience with Quixtar/MLM wasn't so bad but it seemed as though no one was thinking for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn't catch.
Hi kpfingaz,
Thanks Once Again.
Seems like we're turning out to be Good Partners...Eh...LOL...!
I again popped in to provide a summary of my submissions on this topic, which I felt was very important. (By this time you probably might have guessed that I'm keeping a close watch on this one...LOL...)
But before I head to the summary, just a few small thoughts. You said that your Experience with MLM wasn't so bad. I was in MLM for about Three Years. Were you in it that long, or more? If Yes, then I feel you probably had worked better than me, but if Not, then I feel you too would have come across the same experiences and inferences that I had, had you stayed at it that long. Not that I see you going opposite to me; rather you've always been completely supportive. I think the reason I've become extremely vociferous about this entire MLM thing, is probably because of the longer durations and stronger impressions of the experiences that I've gone through. My experiences with MLM weren't directly very bad either, but I Noticed a lot of Side-Effects that signalled to me that it wasn't a proper place to stay in, and that it was Time to Quit.
One of the Biggest side-effects was - The LOSS OF INTELLIGENCE. One of the first things that they tell you is - "Don't Use Your Head, Just Follow The System - The SYSTEM - Understand ?". Kpfingaz, have you ever seen a Herd of Goats ? They have a leader and the entire herd follows wherever it goes, without ever thinking. If the leader accidentally jumps into a well, all the others will follow suit. That is exactly what was happening to me too. It took a Bad Incident, and a Sudden Spurt of a Little Foresightedness (only a little of which was left after being for so long in MLM) to tell me one day to either Get Out of this Ring, or Get Lost in It Forever. Luckily, I did manage to gather some strength within me to be able to take the way out. But I would still give more Credit to the Bad Incident (mentioned above) that made me take this decision.
But even after quitting MLM, for a good number of months, I was still thinking MLM style. I used to be a fairly Self-Determined and Self-Guided person (before MLM), but now I found that I wasn't wanting to make any decisions or analyses. I was always looking for Someone Else to Think for Me, to Give me the Answers, so that all I was needed to do was to Simply Follow them. See - THAT IS WHAT THE THOUGHT VORTEX DOES TO YOU ! Your Very Own Intelligence Comes Under Threat. Do you think that's Worth Losing to Make some Additional Money? But I kept on thinking MLM style until One Day I actually realised that was Doing it. And it was then that I tried to Come Out. It was very tough, very Painful. But I put myself Rigorously through the process. I purposely found problems to solve, I got myself books on Puzzles, Brain Teasers, Maths, Geometry and I worked on them. I started reading more Newspapers, Books and Magazines and started Debating with Myself on the issues that I found in them. I forced myself to think. I forced myself to form Opinions. I went out and made more friends with whom I could pursue intellectual activities, and if not, at least debate. Slowly I started getting back my Original Self. After some more time, the changes became more visible. But I did not stop. I enrolled myself into Educational Courses, so that I could study more, and educate myself further, and things slowly took a turn for the better.
Do You Now See how Important a Person's Own Intelligence is, and what the Thought Vortex can do to it?
Your experience with MLM wasn't so bad. Mine was.
To You "it seemed as though no one was thinking for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn't catch" - I think it was actually the THOUGHT VORTEX at Work.
Many People, even after quitting MLM, still keep thinking that whatever they have learnt from the MLM business is now helping them in their life. If it really is, Great! That truly is very nice. But I'd request them to at least sit for a day talk to themselves, and find out whether they are still being guided by the Thought Vortex. I'd urge them to find out Whether they have their Intelligence under their Own Control, and are able to Think for Themselves, or are they still looking for Others to Give them the Answers. If they find that they are still their Old Original Self - Good. But if they do Discover that they are labouring under the Thought Vortex, and it has really brought about undesirable changes in them, then I feel I've given them at least a few hints about what they might do to remove it. Whether these will work for them or not, I do not know, I cannot guarantee. But I've only put forward the things that have worked for me. Additionally, they are free to try out other ideas on their own, albeit at completely their own risk, and with all necessary precautions to prevent any undesirable consequences, more so if they involve any risk of injury to themselves or others, or loss of life or limb to themselves or others, and also provided they are socially, culturally, territorially and nationally acceptable and legitimitate activities. But what is needed first is that they are able to find out if the Thought Vortex has affected them negatively, and if so, take proper steps to get rid of its effects. That might take care of a lot of problems that might come up later in life.
(Just as an aside, in Economics, a Thought Vortex might be Called a Vicious Circle, if you want to research on that.)
And Now to the Summary of my first Post that I came back for. I had suggested an Economic Model for understanding the Pitfalls of the MLM Business Model. I would now like to add the following points to it -
1. COMPANY'S ECONOMY vs YOUR NETWORK'S ECONOMY - I had said that due to the Heavy Concentration and the High Prices of the Products, the Economy in the MLM company becomes stagnant, as far as the Movement of Goods gets Concerned. So, they try to Compensate that by the Movement of Services - Which is Nothing but the Selling of the Opportunity and its Related Info Products. (Just as an aside, let me mention that the Problem with these "Services" is that while they have Monetary Value for the Company, they don't have that for you. The company Projects the "Perceived" Value of these "Services" much higher than their Real Economic Value. It Sells them, but you can't Resell them with much success, as they are of no use to Anyone Except IBOs like You. And sometimes you're even Prohibited from Selling it to Outsiders, even if you can, just for keeping safe the Company's 'Secrets'.)
Now, I Come to the Main Body of what I'd like to Add - More than the Company's Network getting stagnant, it is the Economy of your Own Network that runs the Danger of getting Stagnant. Why? Because the Company has a lot of Networks, and it can keep earning from them, and it can Distribute the Utility Basket Every Month among its Different Networks, so that its products keep Rolling in One or the Other of them. You with a much limited Network Strength will NOT have that high a convenience. So, your Earnings from your own Network will Dwindle or Not be Regular, Unless you have a Network Size of at least 10 Levels. And Remember, as I said, for every 1 Person that earns a minimum satisfactory Income, 5000 others down the rungs of the Network will not.
2. THE APPLICATION OF ECONOMICS - Economics is NOT an Exact Science, because the Real World is far too Complex to be Described in a Single One-Page Model. Economics only gives you the knowledge of the Tendency of a System. It gives you the Big Picture. Since all Real-World Parameters cannot be represented in a Single Model, the Answers that you will get will not be a Molecular Level Detail, but rather an Understanding of the Behaviour of a System. But that Economics cannot give you accurate answers to the tenth place after the decimal does not mean that it does not serve any purpose. On the Contrary, the Greatest Problems of the World, like the Great Recession, the Economic Depressions, the Development of International Trade, the Economic Development of Third World Countries etc. are all happening beca
IdeaVolt Again.
I came back to review my Last Post Above and found that it had been truncated. So here's the Remainder of the text missing at its end -
......................................the Economic Development of Third World Countries etc. are all happening because of a Proper Study and Application of Economics. So, do not, at any point of time, underestimate the Power of Economics.
In our Model here, the Economic Model will have to be studied with all the other factors that are present in our societies, and only then will it lead to meaningful interpretations.
For Example, while working on the Success Rates of the MLM Model, just Calculate the Price/Performance Ratio of the Successes in the Business with Any Other Model, and You will know that it really Does Not Do Too Well for Most People. The Quantum of Time, Money and Effort that is spent to Attain a Certain Degree of Success in an MLM Business, in most of the cases, can often reap much Higher Rewards if applied to Other Business Models. Try and Calculate the Price/Performance Ratio and you will see it for Yourself. Just keep in mind that, while you Calculate the "Price" Complex, you'll have to include All Three of Time, Money and Effort, because in the Real World, as well as in Any Economic Model, Time is Money, Money is Money and Effort is Money. Now do the Calculations by Accounting for the Money Equivalents of Time and Effort in the "Price" Complex, and you will soon find out what I'm really saying. Ask Other MLM-ers, and Most Others Will Confirm your findings.
So, the study of Economics will have to be done in Context of all other allied factors, as far as possible. The same applies to the Model I have suggested here too. While Analysing the Performance of your own or someone else's MLM business, factors of the Nation's Economy, Company's Economy, Your (or the Concerned Person's) Network's Economy, and Finally Your Own (or the Concerned Person's) Economy will have to be taken into Account.
Well, that was what I had Come Back for, and I hope I've been able to explain myself well. I hope you find this helpful, and enjoy reading it too.
Thanks and All the Best to You and Everyone,
Sincerely,
IdeaVolt.
I did it for about 2 years but wasn't too active the second year. I think I was so displeased by what I was seeing - my upline and her upline has since quit also which wasn't too surprising to me.
I haven't heard of the Thought Vortex before but I've heard of the Viscious Circle which I do understand.
I do hope a lot of IBOs read your posts. Very enlightening.
Hi kpfingaz,
Back to Annoy all the Readers with my Long Posts again !.......HA - HA....!!!
But this time I guess I'll be short. At least, shorter than before....LOL.
Well, as for the THOUGHT VORTEX, that is a term that I COINED FOR MYSELF. I analysed the entire stream of thoughts that I'd been through, and I felt that it could be best described in pictures as the motion of a Tornado, sucking everything into its self-destructive center. I then just used the Generic Name that is used for this Motion in Fluid-Dynamics in Physics - A Vortex.
And since those were Thoughts that were following the Motion Dynamics, I just thought I'd call it THOUGHT VORTEX. So that's how the baby got named. Like it ?....LOL...
It has been wonderful to share my ideas and experiences with everyone in this forum, and I thank you for putting up this nice topic.
I'll keep in touch with this discussion, and I am headed for your other forums too. Let me see if I can poke my mean nose in any of them, and get people to wince, shriek and sigh....LOL...
As for the time, I take your leave, and I wish you a Great Day ! (Hey, it seems I was really short this time.....LOL....)
See Ya,
IdeaVolt.
I have read through your post and all of your responses and have these thoughts as I am someone who has tried three MLM companies over the years. Here are my thoughts:
1.) Any legitimate opportunity in a network marketing company will never suggest or market training materials unless they are free of charge to anyone wishing to market the opportunity. These marketing tools would cost a network marketing company thousands of dollars to mail and have distributed in offices and homes all over the United States of America, let alone the Caribbean Basin.
2.) All three of the past MLM's that I was involved with also had another common thread in that they involved the sale of a product or service that had to be introduced to the new IBO, sold to the IBO, and that IBO had to then change their buying habits to include the newest fad, vitamin, or exotic juice cocktail.
3.) Another red flag that came up was that all three of these so-called "business opportunities" required the new IBO to attend meetings, seminars, and motivational trainings. The minute I hear the "keywords" like "Diamond", "platinum", "Gold-Plated Platinum" I think of the notion that someone has just been intoxicated with some kind of exotic Kool Aid at the latest pitch.
4.) Another "red Flag" is the Hype and High Pressure Close Tactic used by many MLM salespeople preying on friends and family. How many times have you heard, "You have just got to get in NOWWWWWWW!! Hurry!!! NOwwwwwww!! Before you miss the boatttttttttt!! If you do not sign up now, I will be sailing into financial security and you will be on "LOST" Island waiting for the numbers to go to 00000.00
Imagine how silly you will look three months down the line when your good friend see's you at a cocktail party and goes up to and say's, "Hey, how is your business saiiing along?" You look at your friend and in the back of your mind, you are thinking, "where am I going to come up with my next car payment?" Instead of, "I am making millions!!"
What is the moral of this story??
The moral is that if you are going to become involved in a business opportunity never "sign" up without checking the opportunity out. See how the person approaching you is doing in the business. Is that person desperate to "sign" you up?? Or, is that person telling you the truth?
I have three business that are brick and mortar. I have a car dealership that specializes in the sale of exotic and 1960's muscle cars, a real estate business, and an eCommerce business that deals with anything from "green" organic, natural, eco-friendly products that are good for the body and good for the environment.
So, I can tell you from experience that the best way to sell anything from a car to a business opportunity is to sell yourself first!
Selling yourself first means treat the person you are dealing with as a passenger on your cruise ship and be a great "tour guide"
In the case of a car, allow them to test drive the car. Leave them alone and never push the car on them. Answer all of the questions honestly even if you know the answer might "blow" the sale. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be.
Just as in the car, you must allow the IBO to "test drive" the opportunity before "closing" them. The best way is to train your recruit only, and only if, they want to be trained! If they do not want to be trained BEFORE they engage, they will NEVER be successful in your business and that is the difference between the 3% who succeed in network marketing and the 97% who fail and go on looking for the next "get rich quick" scheme.
And herein lies the secret of network marketing for FREE:
If you sign up a recruit for the monetary bonus or compensation, you are not recruiting!!! You are just signing up mindless drones who can not think outside of the box. The secret is to take those poor soles looking for an opportunity and give them the chance to DUPLICATE by giving them a chance to make a story that is profitable.
I know this is true because my eCommerce business is predicated on that golden rule of "do unto others, as you would want them to do onto you."
In other words, they key to getting someone to work for you is that they must engage BEFORE they sign up. Most MLM's have bonus periods that can be attained within their first 30 days. But, IBO's will never, ever attain those goals unless they are ENGAGED with a team ready to engage at the time they sign up.
The truth is that amateurs try to convince and professionals sort to find the right person that is ready to engage for their opportunity.
In closing, I can say I know what I am speaking about because I tested this thoery with another MLM.
I engaged 10 people, and those 10 have turned into over 885 other people or businesses within 12 months and the business I created turned over a profit in excess of a little over $10,000.00.
All this was done with honest hard work that did not include the sale of promotional materials or false claims or inducements.
So, the message to anyone looking for an MLM opportunity is to never sign up unless you engage.
Never get involved with an MLM unless you can see a leadership team in place to train you free of charge without selling you a video, book, or cassette.
If the person recruiting you has made no money in the past 90 days, then chances are that will be you in 90 days since that person is just an example of a duplication of failure and how to fail.
I am not in the Quixtar business. I never have and I never will.
Ecommercebrookers, thank you for your contribution and insight on MLM and Quixtar. I enjoyed reading your post.
Ecommercebrokers,
I have a few Questions for you.
You Said -
"In closing, I can say I know what I am speaking about because I tested this thoery with another MLM.
I engaged 10 people, and those 10 have turned into over 885 other people or businesses within 12 months and the business I created turned over a profit in excess of a little over $10,000.00.
All this was done with honest hard work that did not include the sale of promotional materials or false claims or inducements. "
NOW MY QUESTIONS ARE -
1) What was(were) the Product(s) you were Trading/Dealing in the MLM business in which you succeeded ?
2) I would love it if you could share the Name of the MLM company you signed up with and succeeded. I understand you might not want to, and if it is so, its ok. However having the name of the business would help me in further Research on the MLM Business Model, and understand what additions and/or modifications I need to do to my Analyses?
3) How much time did you spend per day working with your team? And How long did you have to work before the Success went on Autopilot?
4) You said that you engaged 10 people, and those 10 turned into over 885 other people or businesses within 12 months and the business you created turned over a profit in excess of a little over $10,000.00. Now,
- (a) Was this Profit of $10,000 earned only by You or your entire team put together?
- (b) Was this Income Earned after One Entire Year, or did it come in the Span of a few Months. If it came over a Period of time, could you give us the time-wise (month-wise)distribution of the earning ?
- (c) If this sum includes the earnings of more than one member of your team, could you give us the member-wise and hierarchy-wise (level-wise, taking you to be level 1) distribution of the income, along with the time-wise layout?
- (d) How long did it take for you to get the immediate 10 (your immediate downliners, as you've mentioned)? And how and Where did you get them? It is specially important for us to know these, given the parroted comments of many MLM-ers that insist that you have to "Find" the "Correct" ones? How do you know who is the "Correct" person and who is "Not", by simply Looking at them for the First Time? I've never found anyone with "Correct" written on their faces. Nor did the MLM company I worked with, in spite of having an EXTENSIVE TRAINING setup, tell me about this, or hold classes in "Divine or Intuitive Classification of Homo Sapiens into MLM Correctness and Incorrectness"....Just Kidding, Please Don't Mind....But I'd Love to have the Answer! All I got in their Training Programs were the same Parroted replies - "You Need to Find the CORRECT Ones". How can you do that without knowing what the person is like? It is like asking someone to Write down the Correct Answers without even once Reading the Book from which the Questions have been put.
- (e) If it was You who earned the Entire $10,000 in an Year, what did the rest of your team earn? Could you give us the Member-wise, Level-wise and Time-wise Amounts and Distribution of their Incomes?
- (f) How Many of the 885 in your Team did earn an income that they were satisfied with, given the Price/Performance Ratio of their businesses? (Price, as I have said in my previous posts, would have to include Time, Effort and Money.)
- (g) How many QUIT on the way to 885 ?
- (h) How many QUIT on the way to 10 ?
- (i) The Opportunity Cost (a term from Economics, not MLM, though it ironically smells of the latter - "Opportunity" Cost...LOL...) of a MLM Business, whether it succeeds or fails, includes a fourth factor apart from Time, Effort and Money. It is Goodwill - YOUR OWN GOODWILL. Your own Goodwill with your friends, relatives, colleagues and all others that you have approached and tried to convince but haven't succeeded, and who have started running away at the sight and sound of you. And the ones that you had successfully convinced, but who have failed along with you in the business (the previous two businesses, in your case). I'd like to know about your experience on this LOSS OF SOCIAL GOODWILL.
- (j) For every One Person that did earn a satisfactory, if not great, income in your Network of 885, how many did NOT ?
- (k) How fast did the products sell (if you had a product)?
- (l) Was this MLM business an Online (Cyber World) Opportunity, or Offline (Real World) ?
I hope you will be honest with your replies. And I'd be looking forward to them.
Thanks,
IdeaVolt.
Look at it this way.
You go to school for a couple years, spend money on books, tuition, etc. and you get none of that back.
You pay Amway for books, cds, dvds, etc and you gain business knowledge, not just in Amway but for life.
What happens is lots of people join this business with the hopes of getting rich quick. I know very successful people (doctors, dentists, etc.) Who are part of this and are retiring because they've managed to match the income they make with their career.
Being successful takes time, just like getting a degree.
Most people can't see that and when somebody says "no" they take it personally and can't handle it. ANYBODY can do this, it's so fucking easy it's unbelievable.
Instead of looking at forums and reading threads about people hating on this company and saying it's a scam, look at the Better Business Bureau, look at Microsoft, look at all the BIG companies that do business with Quixtar/Amway. Do you think they would cooperate with Amway if it was a scam?
It's cool if none of you want to join and work at something and eventually retire early and make residual income, more money and customers for me.
You don't have to cold call, close deals, worry about approaching people or any of that old fashion salesmanship.
You're a problem-solver, somebody says they don't have enough energy during they day, you tell them you can hook them up with a multi-vitamin that helps IF THEY WANT. If not, that's cool move on to somebody else.
I'm not a salesman, I'm a business owner. I have networks and customers just like any other business but I don't have to pay employees or anything. All the money goes into my pocket. I still work my job because I get paid well, but if things keep working out for me I will quit my job and take all the extra time off.
What would your boss say if you asked for an extra $30,000/yr raise? Would he say yes? Obviously not.
I work part-time, only as hard as I want to that day, I have no stress, no problems and I still get a check every month. You only make as much money as you want to, but it takes time, just like going to university.
It's NOT a pyramid scheme because there's nobody above me, I don't work for anybody. I don't have to buy Amway's motivational tools or ANY of that. I don't have to go to meetings, I don't answer to anybody except myself.
People attack what they don't understand and what they fear.
So instead of playing into the games of weak-minded fools who hate on Quixtar because it didn't work for them, go into it with an open mind because you CAN be rich. I know people who make $100,000 a DAY doing what I do know, but it took them 25 years to get there. You never get time back, so use it wisely.
I'm not trying to sell you into joining, because honestly, I couldn't care less about what you tools do with your lives. I'm successful, I'm going to retire early, I have connections that will help me for the rest of my life and I can travel anywhere, stay there for a month or whatever, and come back to a check that completely pays it off.
You have to dedicate yourself to it.
So, in conclusion, do your research, look at credible sources, not what average people have to say. That's the sad thing about the internet, anybody can say anything regardless of it being wrong. You're getting information from somebody you've never met, that's like asking a homeless guy for life strategies. Go out, meet somebody who's made a lot of money from this and listen, learn and apply that to make yourself rich.
Did I mention it's recession proof?
Regards,
S1N1ST3R
Hello kpfingaz Great Story almost similar to mine I will share a little bit of it, I too joined quixtar about 3 years ago I know people who make a lot of money with it and a lot of sacrifices to get where they are now, quixtar is not a scam is a legit business opportunity that if work with patience and hard work it pays off.
I quit quixtar because I joined when I was 18, I did not wanted a 8-5 job so I was looking for ways to supplement my income, after many meetings, books and tapes and lots of plans and talking to people no one took me serious because of my age, so I decided to go online I learned to sell online and build income streams without the need of talking or convincing people to see the opportunity,I have recruited hundreds of people into my programs and have make a very good income, nothing its a scam, quixtar was not right for me thats all, and I kept looking until I found it.
Thanks For a Great HUb My Friend
Lester
Yep. Thanks for sharing. Your experience is similar to mines indeed.
Lots of argument about whether or not quixtar works, either way you gave a good honest review of your situation. And the Wealthy Affiliate University is actually a decent program. Very good for the new internet marketer. I wish you good luck in your endeavors!!!
countrywomen says:
14 months ago
I have heard many people burnt out by the quixtar\amway business. Good alternative for many.