How to Succeed in Business Without Really Lying

I had a friend who used to sell Amway. Amway was an acronym for the American Way. The company was founded on some basic products, mainly soap... organic soap. I remember the stuff well because I went to several meetings. Oh yes, they had meetings to discuss the quality of the soap and demonstrated how effective it was. And it was! Wow! Never had I seen soap perform like this before! It was a miracle! And the cool thing was it was concentrated so it would just last and last. I was enthralled with Amway products. I thought everyone would be, too, and that was the gig. When I went to the meetings I was schooled on how I could sell Amway and retire. I could be an honest salesman because I believed in the product. Good product, good price... no worries, right?

All I had to do was bring in two people, who in turn would each bring in two people, who in turn would each bring in two people... and so on. Since Amway was not available on store shelves, how was I supposed to get to my two people? Well, that was the easy part. All I had to do was convince my friends and relatives to join in the Amway sales team, (signing up under me... so I became a sponsor and gained credit for their sales.) They could come to the meetings and learn about the product, become schooled into the process of bringing in their two people, who in turn each brought in two people, who in turn each brought in their own two people... and so on.

I got excited. I loved the product and got all hyped up. I scrounged enough money to buy the starter kit and went to work convincing my friends and relatives that they needed this soap in the worst way. But I failed as an Amway distributor and I learned a valuable lesson from it. Some people just don't care that the soap that they are using is inferior, especially my friends and relatives which I decided were just plain ignorant. They were holding me back from getting my first two people signed up, who in turn would each bring in two people, who would in turn each bring in two people... and so on. Then I could be on my way to financial freedom! They were hampering my progress and closing their eyes to the potential of the Amway pyramid scheme. I felt betrayed.

Time passed and a new product came on the market. It was called Tupperware. This was the greatest thing since Amway. Imagine all the leftovers I could save in these little plastic boxes that would last indefinitely as long as I remembered to "burp" the container. I went to several meetings at people's homes and saw demonstrations of how Tupperware could save me money and right away I imagined all the people I knew that could benefit from this product. It was a market miracle that was fair and honest. The problem was... it wasn't sold in stores. You had to go to a "Tupperware party" to learn about and order your stuff. I remember the hostess receiving "free" Tupperware for allowing the "party" to be held in her home. It really wasn't the type of "party" that I was accustomed to and I quickly decided that I didn't even know two people that would be interested in food containers that you had to treat like a baby every time you put something in it. If my friends and family couldn't see the potential in organic soap I sincerely doubted they would buy into something made out of plastic no matter how good it was for them.

I love my friends and family. But I know that they will never be the foundation I build my wealth upon. As time has passed I have come to realize that if I know of a product that I personally can get good results from, I will buy it. If my friends and family members see I am getting good results from it, they will inquire about how I did it. The conversation might go something like this...

"Hey man! How did you get your plastic food containers so clean?"

"Why... it was easy! I used Brand X in my dishwasher!"

"Brand X? Never heard of it! How do I get some?"

"Well... I'm glad you asked! Go down to your local Soap Mart and buy some!"

"Gee, thanks!"

And in doing so my friends still remain my friends and my relatives will still claim me as one of their own.

In all fairness, there are some companies that see the home sellers as the best way to represent their product. A home demonstration can be more relaxed and the setting conducive to an individual families needs. For example: sometimes a product looks better under store lighting than the homeowners choice of illumination. Once you get it home, the color may not match or the size might not be what you imagined. Buying at home could remedy that situation.

But I have a hard time making money off my friends and relatives. The conversation might go something like this:

"Hey Joe, I'm having a Tupperware Party at the house this Friday night. Do you wanna come?"

"Well, I dunno... how much is it gonna cost me this time?"

"What do you mean, Joe? If you bring two people and they buy Tupperware, then they each bring two people and THEY buy Tupperware, who in turn each bring two people and so on... you could get your Tupperware for free!"

"Gee... I never thought about it that way before. Okay, I'm in. But since I'm your brother and we have virtually the same relatives and friends... how am I ever going to retire? Besides, we both live with Mom and Dad and they have enough Tupperware to fill the basement with!"

"Well, Joe... you just need to widen your social circle a little bit!"

"How am I going to do that? Everytime I meet someone and ask them to come over to the house you try to sign them up for Tupperware!"

Nope. I am just not the salesman type. If I found a product that worked for me I couldn't try and make money off of it at my friends or families expense. I might talk about it, I might even rave and recommend it. But if the shoe was on the other foot, I'd probably harbor a little resentment towards my host if the only reason he invited me over was to buy his stuff. Then for me, the "party" would cease being a party.

I wouldn't know if I was being invited for me or for my sales potential.

And if I said I didn't want to be a success, I'd be lying... so, if you as a reader could recommend this article to two people, and THEY in turn each knew two people who in turn each knew two people... and so on.

peace.