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Core 2 - Retailing

Posted as a comment on TTAA forum:

In my own "first circle initiative", I have long implemented and encouraged my IBOs to RETAIL (gasp!) to at least 10 to 20 Clients consistently, regularly - and I am with Network TwentyOne.

What many IBOs/critics seem to miss is that in all the CORE steps in whichever system, one of the first three frequently states "Service 10 or more RETAIL CLIENTS." (not wholesale buyers)

Of course, then there remains the question of, "Do we lead with the opportunity or the products?"

Officially, I believe the N21 system teaches that we lead with the opportunity, but categorise the candidate as a Client if he/she so chooses after seeing the Plan.

Some might like to look out for Clients first so as to be profitable and achieve their own 3% business volume before scouting for the right prospects, which is what a relatively big number of my downline IBOs are doing. It might be a culture thing, because in my country, most individuals seem to prefer the idea of Retailing first, Sponsoring second. (I am the odd one out - I prefer the opportunity first!)

I like your idea of adding in some income/expenses analysis during our business review sessions and will counsel with my mentor on the feasibility... have long wanted to do something like that, as I am very confident that if an IBO is retailing to 10 to 20 Clients, he IS likely to be profitable.

By the way, Retailing will also contrast the "real" money that a person can make in Amway versus the "recruitment" money that one can make only after spending a huge amount himself/herself in other MLM companies in town. Frontloading, anyone?

Fight, UK IBOs!

I am against ANY attempts to shut down Amway because I am an Amway Independent Business Owner, and proud of the association.

Amway is the best business opportunity in the world that does not require a retail store or website, supported by the most number of high quality and safe products in network marketing, followed by a 50-year history of absolutely paying people on time. Beat that!

The DBERR is going to destroy the livelihood of all the UK IBOs who depend on Amway for a living and hope. Both IBOs who are retailing and building an organisation.

However, while standing firmly behind the Corp. and UK IBOs in spirit, I cannot help but feel that if the company had not terminated the US and UK Diamonds, we would have a much more united front against all odds. As it stands, some IBOs are not exactly sure if the Corp. can still be trust 100% when it comes to their loyalty and commitment to the IBOs... this dilutes the number of people who are fighting on the side of Amway.

Mr DeVos and Mr Van Andel, maybe a major public apology with compensation and inviting all the leaders who were terminated quickly in the last 6 months to come back to Amway would be the best thing we can do for the future of Amway - OUR future.

Amway India TV Commercial... We're Listening

Amway India takes on the marketplace with its very own commercial! If you do not understand the language, it is OK as the commercial is self-explanatory. Enjoy.

Amway India TV Commercial... We're Listening

Amway India takes on the marketplace with its very own commercial! If you do not understand the language, it is OK as the commercial is self-explanatory. Enjoy.

Why is Network Marketing Bad?

Today I am going to take a break from the usual Amway and N21 stuff, and talk generally about the following question... why do some people dislike network marketing?

Is Network Marketing BAD?

Let us NOT talk about network marketing for a while, and ask ourselves...

What if, there is a business, where:

1. Your start-up capital is less than $10,000;
2. Your earning potential is more than some CEOs;
3. You have 100% market demand;
4. You can work at it part-time, until your income exceeds your current salary;
5. You have experienced consultants to coach you;
6. You are not restricted by location - whether you choose to work on the commute, from home, in an office or at the local Subway;
7. You are not affected by the economy, whether it is up or down, your business is always UP;
8. You need not employ employeess - it is all outsourced to a coordinating firm;
9. You have no risk;
10. You need not have qualifications to succeed; and
11. You will experience great personal development?

What would YOU do?

a. Go for it!
b. No, I don't believe in it.
c. I don't know.

A New Leave-Behind Brochure/Booklet

This was posted on Kia's blog... it contains my desire for a one-booklet/DVD-does-it-all-yet-not-bulky tool to introduce our contracting corporation Amway to candidates.

Hi Kia, reading your blog since the days of your early anonymity has always been rewarding. I am NOT part of TEAM but I would like to say that:

1. There IS a vast difference between Selling Amway/Quixtar products through the 3S, and duplicating your business franchise-style through leveraging on a System.

2. It is GREAT that Amway/Quixtar will now acknowledge the existence of the Systems in a leave-behind brochure. For too many years, Amway/Quixtar materials has either failed to mention or glossed over this fact and not given enough public education about the Systems. Yet this is what makes Amway/Quixtar stay ahead of the competition - the System leaders. Without Dexter Yager, Bill Britt and other great System lords (hehe), where would Amway/Quixtar be today? Please implement this idea in the whole world!

While I will not get to use the QBOB brochure because I am operating in Singapore, here are some further suggestions that you might find useful:

1. Have group pictures of the various products categorically displayed. (sort of like a mini catalog/display, without the wordings!) Much like those A5-size catalogs you find in other MLMs. (I think you call it Pocket Size in the States.) This way, those who want to travel light, and especially those who are building with System tools, need not lug a gigantic, heavy, 1000-item catalog around the meetings. Think Japanese...

2. Pictures of the Facilities, especially that Google Earth pic of Ada HQ, NHI/COH, Farms, inside pictures of the factories, Scientists, Patents etc. Not to mention other Alticor assets such as Interleukin, Fulton, Laura Mercier and Peter Island. Oh, the Amway/Alticor planes too, if you still have them. : )

This should be very useful to every IBO because it gives confidence to the audience about the stability and track record of the company.

3. Graphically show BOTH the 642 and Depth Building strategies, so that either groups of IBOs can offer the choice to their prospects, and then there will be no dispute about stacking and such.

4. Pictures of where Amway/Quixtar is going, such as Nutrigenomics, space travel with PV etc.

In other words, make it like a mini "Amway/Quixtar Overview" type of booklet with 4 sections - History, Facilities, Products, Partners (IBOs), Strategies, Future... better yet, why not provide a companion DVD as well that can be used around the world? (Amway Australia has something very similar DVD called "Break Free" DVD/Brochure set.)

Thanks for listening!

The Salesman vs. The Business Owner

There was this loudmouth fella from India who was posting declarations of his love for Amway, admiration for the manufacturer's high integrity and work standards, but went overboard by criticising the Systems and asking for their extinction. Like him, we love Amway and the products. But unlike him, we love our Systems and our Counsel just as much as we love Amway.

If you have listened to Network21 CD, "The Four Pillars of Partnership", by Bob Andrews, you will know that Amway, the System and our Counsel are our three equal Pillars of Partnership - each deserving respect and balanced cooperation.

Posted on Alticor Blog:

I had refrained from commenting here until I see our dear fellow IBO Chaitanya shouting away his “I love Amway” slogans, so loud to the exclusion of others who also love the Systems as much, if not more, as they love Amway.

Chaitanya, if you enjoy being an Amway salesman, that is fine and wonderful. You will earn a great income (25% profit + up to 21% bonus), go Platinum and Incentive Trips.

Heck, you can even reach Ruby and then Founders Ruby Platinum just by selling Amway products alone! Without even a single downline!

However, like Jim Dornan once said, “It is not about what works, but will it DUPLICATE?”

If you want to sell products forever, do it and I am sure you have the blessings of all other IBOs, but please do NOT sprout the nonsense that the Systems are entirely unnecessary and negative.

Where would Amway be today if not for the Systems? Let us see, if ALL the Systems pull out of Amway/Quixtar worldwide today, and all IBOs are required by Amway to sell their products without business support materials or profiles of success, functions etc. where would the company be in 10 years’ time? You would like to know? Just look at CHINA.

Oh, I forgot to mention, there are pseudo “Systems” in China too… where they attend seminars outside of the country and speak about motivation and network in a hush hush manner.

Possibly like you, I have been retailing Amway products for FIVE YEARS, many times pulling a TROLLEY of Amway products along to conduct product demos - WITHOUT a car, taking crowded public buses, day in day out, night in night out. Have you done so?

If so, then you would know that it is NOT a duplicable experience. None of my customers wanted to do what I was doing. They were scared of my “lifestyle” - peddling Amway products everywhere.

Now, a good friend from a System once told me this, so hear it: “Building an Amway business without the System is a Curse.”

I heartily agree.

Why Network21?

AFTER seriously reading and re-reading (almost) all the anti-System websites, books (Merchants of Deception, anyone?) AND building my Amway business for 5 years without using any System BSM, I made a decision.

I joined a System founded by a wonderful couple called the Dornans. ;)

Why?

Because I came to the realisation that raw enthusiasm, love for Amway, product demos, retailing/sponsoring/servicing and meetings alone just cannot duplicate effectively. Nor do people, especially professionals, want to duplicate them.

People were coming in by the front door and leaving by the back. People loved the Amway products and expect you to be their servicing Distributor (salesman?) for life. People did not want to go around conducting product demos as it does not befit their professional image. People would also argue about why they need to pay for entry to meetings.

So those who do choose to stay, be an Amway "salesperson" and not mind being seen with a trolley full of Amway products, usually end up with lots of frustration about why they seem to "fail" to attract the professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, architects, bankers etc - who usually do NOT hesitate to pay for their own tickets too.

As it is said in the System, "It is not about what works, but will it duplicate?"

In fact, one non-System Crown Ambassador, who did not quite understand that it is a strategy problem, mentioned that the ego of a professional is too strong, and thus we would be better off not trying to sponsor them.

However, there are tons of professionals indeed in the System groups, and ever since I understood how to build the Business with the use of tools (yes - CDs, Books and Functions - so? Oh, automatic ordering of BSMs through CEP too, LOL) I have not looked back, and cannot find myself going back to the days of peddling LOC and SA8 to everyone anymore.

Allow me to end this post with an educational quote from a System book I bought...

In the early days of the Amway business, people simply sponsored others, developed customers and "hoped for the best". They were full of enthusiasm and optimism but had little strategy except to keep sponsoring and selling until someone else did it along with them. While some success was available that way, it was frustrating to many that there wasn't a more professional program available.

As groups became larger, the need to duplicate effectively was recognized. Leaders noted that teaching given to a distributor frequently became "watered-down" as it was passed from person to person. Also, they saw the need for ongoing motivation, as distributors became discouraged at times.

The need led to the development of Business Support Materials (BSM), "tools" that could be used to communicate information and equip the growing organizations. These tools proved to be so effective that the concept was picked up by many other industries and professions. Experts agree that the most important business support tools are books, tapes and seminars.

It became obvious that supporting and equipping people was as important in the long term as product knowledge, perhaps even more important, since most Amway products were basic need items, not technical. (System For Success, pg. 13)

Independence vs. Dependence

This is a public posting on the AwesomeIBO™ Blog, Amway Media Blog Comments and Get The Facts Forum.

One more thought about the ongoing discussion between IBOs who are for and against the professional development systems...

As a personal observation, I can see 2 types of IBOs, discounting any fake ones who might be lurking around the forums just to stir the nest and create internal strife among us...

1. Those who value their standing as independent business owners who own their own business (ie. Independence FROM Amway); and

2. Those who value the existence of Amway and her products and wish that we would all just submit to the wishes of the Corp. and become her (almost) non-salaried salespeople (Dependence ON Amway).

Now, can we live together, respecting and giving space to each other to pursue their respective preferences?

Must Group #2 insist that CDs, Books and Functions be banned/diminished/controlled?

On the other hand, could Group #1 state more clearly that participation in the Systems is entirely voluntary and that you are free to get out at anytime and be on your own - retailing, sponsoring and using only sales materials from the Corp.?

However, if there must be a clash of ideology, then my loyalty stays with Group #1 because I treasure my independence from Amway, will fight for it with my life and thus may my Group prevail.

P/S. One of the reasons why I do NOT use "Amway", "Quixtar", "Nutrilite", "Artistry", "eSpring" etc. during my business presentation, is simply because it is NOT right to do so.

These are exclusive trademarks of Alticor/Amway/Quixtar (check with the Corp. on this!) and none of yours nor mine, and therefore we should NOT use them when possible.

We must and should protect Amway our business partner.

Destitute

NOTE! This video has political overtones, but it was NOT posted with politics in mind. Instead, I ask all viewers to focus on how much our lives would be radically different if we choose to succeed in Network Marketing while we are still physically able and can! What if these individuals had chosen to give building a pipeline a shot when they came across it? While no one can guarantee success, making a decision to succeed in any profession, especially private franchising, is indeed a choice. At least we have a choice.

Time To Use Amway GLISTER Toothpaste Instead!

The toothpaste scandal has hit the USA again, this time involving the venerable Colgate! Read on for yourself.

Colgate toothpaste in US recall

Colgate-labelled toothpaste sold in discount stores in the US has been found to contain a toxic chemical.

The firm that makes the toothpaste was quick to distance itself from these products, calling them counterfeits.

Colgate-Palmolive said the firm "does not and would never use" diethylene glycol (DEG) - used in anti-freeze - as an ingredient.

The scandal follows the discovery of a shipment of Chinese-made contaminated toothpaste in the US.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said DEG, which is sometimes used as a low-cost but potentially deadly substitute for glycerine sweetener in cough medicines, posed a "low health risk" but did not belong in toothpaste.

We will spare no effort to help consumers avoid counterfeits Reuben Mark, chief executive, Colgate-Palmolive

The chemical was also found in a batch of Chinese-made toothpaste exports in Nicaragua about two weeks ago, after which the FDA warned consumers to avoid toothpaste exported from China.

Recall

The New York-based firm said the fakes are being sold in five-ounce (100ml) tubes, a size not made or sold in the US and that they are labelled made in South Africa.

It said it did not import toothpaste into the US from South Africa.

Misspelled words on the packaging of the tube was another way of identifying the "fake" products, the firm said.

But Colgate-Palmolive confirmed it had launched a recall of these toothpaste tubes from discount retail outlets in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, where they were discovered.

It also said it was contacting all its accounts that handle Colgate across the US to ensure they have no counterfeit stock and would work with the American Dental Association and American Dental Hygienists to help dental professionals answer patient questions.

"We will spare no effort to help consumers avoid counterfeits and support regulators in their efforts to remove these products from the marketplace," said Colgate-Palmolive chairman and chief executive Reuben Mark.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/6757417.stm

Published: 2007/06/15 15:53:49 GMT

© BBC MMVII

The NEW! Amway and the $60 Million

It is late here in my country, but I thought the world should know:

1. A NEW Amway is about to be born; and

2. More than $60 MILLION is going to be paid out by her.

Meanwhile, check out Get The Facts, The Opportunity Zone and the Amway Media Blog if you cannot wait for me to grab the details here...

Yeah, I cannot wait to see that $60 million appearing in fresh bonuses and incentives!

Preservatives can damage your DNA

While newspaper articles sometimes report on negative information about certain nutrients prematurely, only to find out that another set of studies found otherwise results, and cause a lot of unnecessary hoo-hah, the following might be common sense enough to warrant a serious look. It is about the preservatives used in liquid products, and most, if not all, of the so-called "MLM juices" out there in the market contain it.

Time for me to grab even more NUTRILITE Active 8 and Acerola Cherry... Read it and arm yourself with knowledge.

Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
Expert links additive to cell damage
By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Published: 27 May 2007
Article from The Independent

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.

Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.

Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale.

Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been working on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, has decided to speak out about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.

He told The Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether.

"The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it - as happens in a number if diseased states - then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA - Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing."

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodium benzoate in the UK and it has been approved by the European Union but last night, MPs called for it to investigate urgently.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament's all-party environment group said: "Many additives are relatively new and their long-term impact cannot be certain. This preservative clearly needs to be investigated further by the FSA."

A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organisation in 2000 concluded that it was safe, but it noted that the available science supporting its safety was "limited".

Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a government research council, said tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration were out of date.

"The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are complete safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."

He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks with preservatives until the quantities in products were proved safe by new tests. "My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts," he said.

Coca-Cola and Britvic's Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi all contain sodium benzoate. Their makers and the British Soft Drinks Association said they entrusted the safety of additives to the Government.

He that has ears, let him hear...

Today, while learning how to increase the MP3 volume when converting the format to AAC or M4A, I came across this interesting and helpful article on hearing loss, with a recommended solution for its prevention - simply by using better quality earphones which shuts out the surrounding noise!

While it looks like this has nothing to do with the network marketing business, it actually has everything to do with it, especially professional networkers like myself who depends on and listens to Network21 CDs all day long while on the move... I have at least 50 CDs (many of them packs of CDs, such as Depth Charger Pack and HealthPointe 2.0) on my Nokia Mini-SD card! Therefore, I am naturally concerned about ear damage.

Thus, my conclusion is that the article has everything to do with prolonging my ability to enjoy the CDs and it is A GOOD THING™.

Article Taken From: HealthyHearing.com





Avoiding mp3 Ear - Facts & Simple Hearing Health Tips For All Generations
Craig A. Kasper, Au.D., FAAA
5/29/2006

Introduction

In recent months the media has focused its attention like a laser on the subject of portable mp3 players, careless listening habits and the potential for premature hearing loss. The core concern of the current news reports is not a new one. If you look back over two decades ago, similar stories blanketed the headlines with the release of the popular Walkman.

Despite the worldwide media attention, few news pieces firmly place the burden of responsibility on the individual by offering simple preventative measures consumers should take to protect their hearing. Lawsuits have surfaced, and many are questioning if it is the manufacturers who should be responsible for educating and protecting the end-user. Is all the hype warranted and is there really need for concern? If so, what should the average music enthusiast do to prevent the possibility of “mp3 ear”?

Just the facts, please!

FACT #1: Most people will experience age-related hearing loss gradually over time. We live in a world where numerous hazards to the health of our hearing exist and everyone gradually loses some hearing as we navigate through life. Genetics, illnesses, viruses and some pharmaceutical products dictate how rapidly our hearing declines. Additionally, our general level of health plays a significant role. Unfortunately, we have little control over most of these variables that pose a threat to our hearing.

FACT #2: Music-induced hearing loss is directly related to the level at which you listen and the duration of time you are exposed to the music. One cause of premature hearing loss that we do have significant control over is the amount of noise and/or music we allow ourselves to be exposed to. Whether your preference is Bach or Beck, we all want to enjoy our favorite tunes without the fear of causing harm to our hearing. Of utmost importance is that you are mindful of the levels at which you listen to your mp3 player as well as the amount of time you have the earphones attached to your ears.

Noise in industrial settings is a well-known occupational hazard. As a result, employers are mandated to ensure the safety of workers who might be exposed to damaging levels of sound. Two government-based organizations have established “safe listening levels” for industrial employees. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearingconservation/ and NIOSH (National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health) www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/ have developed widely accepted standards that have been put in place to protect workers from permanent hearing damage.

Currently, there is some question by experts regarding the direct applicability of industrial noise standards for music exposure. Regardless, the OSHA and NIOSH standards serve as a good reference for consumers looking for some basis and a guideline to preserve their hearing.

The chart below demonstrates what each organization has defined as a safe listening level in relation to the amount of time the individual is exposed. For example, if you were exposed to a relatively constant noise level of 85 decibels, you would be “safe” for 8 hours according to both standards. If we refer to the more conservative NIOSH standard, every 3 decibel increase in sound intensity would decrease your “safe” time in half. Therefore, exposure to continuous sounds of 88 decibels leaves you “safe” for 4 hours, 91 decibels for 2 hours, and so on (See Table 1).



Table 1. Amount of “Safe Time” at various levels based on OSHA and NIOSH standards.

FACT #3: It’s not only the iPod! All portable mp3 players have the potential to cause music-induced hearing loss (let’s not only pick on the folks at Apple!). The word “potential” is used here because, as far as I am aware, there are no studies to date expressing a more definitive statement. This is likely due to the fact that the technology has not been around long enough for hearing healthcare professionals to see an actual trend of increased hearing loss among users. Despite this fact, as was the case with portable media devices in the past, the potential does exist and this has been demonstrated through at least one formal investigation carried out earlier this year.

The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) www.asha.org/turndownthevolume/tech-damage.htm investigated numerous portable media devices from various manufacturers and measured output with a sound level meter. The table below summarizes the decibel range measured as it relates to the volume settings on the devices studied.



Table 2. Output levels for various volume settings for various portable media players as measured by ASHA.

FACT #4: You can listen without causing permanent hearing loss. If we utilize NIOSH standards and compare the average output of the devices as studied by ASHA, we have the ability to paint some broad brushstrokes:

1. listening at 1/4 of the total volume, you’re potentially safe for approximately 1 hour with some of the devices studied,
   
   
2. listening at 1/2 of the total volume, you’re potentially safe for <4 minutes with some of the devices,
   
   
3. at 3/4 of the total volume, you’re potentially safe for <1 minute with some of the devices, and
   
   
4. no one should use any of these devices at full-on volume as the risk for permanent hearing damage is significant in very little time.

Figure 1. “Safe Time” based on volume setting data from ASHA and NIOSH standards.

It is important to note that we are at the very beginning of understanding what portable mp3 players are capable of and there exists many variables to consider. Other formal research studies are currently underway that should provide more clarity with respect to volume output from these devices. Keep in mind that all portable media devices are not the same, and you should work with your audiologist to establish safe listening levels for your particular mp3 player.

What about those little white earbuds?

Besides monitoring the volume on your device and the length of time you listen, what else could you do to help preserve your hearing? The next step is to consider better fitting earphones that have sound isolating capabilities.

The little white earbuds have become a brand unto themselves, but when it comes to hearing preservation they are not the best option. In most cases, the physical fit is poor and isolation from environmental sounds is essentially non-existent. Both lead the user to turn the volume way up to compensate for poor fidelity. Considering hearing loss resulting from noise or music is directly associated with the level and duration of time you listen, increasing the volume would warrant a reduction in your listening time. The reality is that most listeners do not find cutting down on their listening time a preferable solution. Therefore, achieving decreased preferred listening levels is the goal.

Better quality headphones available from companies such as Shure www.shurestore.com, Etymotic Research www.etymotic.com and other manufacturers offer improved sound quality and also increase the user’s isolation from the roar of the world. In turn, the listener has the ability to achieve a most-comfortable listening level at lower volume settings in all listening environments. To take this one step further, many users are now being fit with custom molds to slip over their new headphones. This option offers superior fit and comfort as well as significant isolation from ambient noises (sometimes up to 26 decibels).

Real World Example

My office is based in a large metropolitan city. All of my patients who are mp3 enthusiasts must compete with the buzz of subways, midtown traffic, gyms and crowded streets. As a result, most have their mp3 players set to at least 3/4 of full-on volume. Occasionally, I’ll see folks with the entire volume bar lit up!

After they purchase different headphones and are fit with custom sleeves, their most-comfortable listening level usually drops to around 1/4 of full-on volume. By making one simple and relatively inexpensive change, they have achieved a significant decrease from their original settings. Most important, many patients also report they are not tempted to increase the volume in less-than-ideal listening environments as they are able to enjoy acceptable sound quality at the new, softer listening levels.

One Final Note On Headphones

All headphones, including sound-isolating headphones, can potentially add to your chances of sustaining music-induced hearing loss if used inappropriately. For this reason, it is imperative that you discuss and establish safe listening levels with your audiologist.

Take responsibility now!

Hearing loss from excessive noise or music exposure is preventable and you are fully responsible for the outcome. The burden is on each and every individual to control listening levels and the amount of time mp3 players are used. Education forms the foundation, but there are other steps that should be followed to save hearing and prevent related issues such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Until a more definitive picture emerges from the research that is currently underway, consider the simple HEAR formula below. Being mindful of your hearing and taking action today just might help you add years to your ears!

Follow The HEAR Formula To Add Years To Your Ears.

Have your hearing tested by an audiologist annually, or sooner if you notice a problem.

Educate yourself about the hearing mechanism and the numerous threats to the health of your hearing.

Arm yourself with custom sound-isolating headphones for your portable mp3 player and earplugs for use when you attend concerts.

Reduce your exposure levels and the amount of time you’re exposed to music and/or noise.

Craig A. Kasper, Au.D., FAAA is the Director of Audiology for the New York Otolaryngology Group in New York City. He is the author of the recently published book “The Simple Guide To Optimum Hearing Health For The mp3 Generation”. Information about “The Simple Guide…” can be found on his website
www.DrCraigKasper.com. Dr. Kasper can be contacted via email at Craig@DrCraigKasper.com.

The same questions again...

Repetitive questions most candidates ask and how I would answer them:

Q) Will I have to sell?
You will surely develop a group of clients among those who say no to the business opportunity. So you will sell to these people, because they asked for it. (no pun intended)

Q) Isn't making money off my friends immmoral/unethical/improper?
You will make money as you help your friends make money. You earn a 4% Leadership Bonus for every person you assist to reach the 21%/25% bracket.

Q) It's too hard, I can't do it.
Follow the system and let the tools do their job.

Q) I only buy things on sale/based on price/from a big-box store.
You receive PV when you buy from your own store. It is your own business.

Q) I don't have the money.
Which is precisely why you should start building NOW.

Q) I don't have the time.
Which is, again, precisely why you should start building NOW. In addition, the functions, CDs and Books will do the training for you in your absence.

Q) I don't know enough people.
Make new friends.

Q) Is this a pyramid?
No.

Q) No, I mean is this an illegal pyramid?
No.

Is it in the water?

I have a tiger barb fish that has lived as long as I can remember, in the dirtiest of water in an isolated tank in my backyard.

Yesterday morning, I simply placed him in a pail of TAP WATER (without using the "Anti-Chlorine" solution) and in less than 20 minutes, he was gasping for air, and finally, DIED.

Whatever is in the "Newater" in Singapore?!

In a separate incident, I noticed that Nike the dog probably has a cleaner oral orifice and intestinal system than us humans... I was washing the dishes, the water was channeled out out of my house via a mini drain below my sink and he was slurping away at the water laden with Amway DISH DROPS!! (in case you do not know, Dish Drops is derived from coconut, aloe and contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids, which exfoliates the hands. The product, when diluted, can be used to clean up the pesticides from fruits and vegetables, and is extremely environmentally friendly.)

Sell N21 or Amway?

Some people are advocating that N21 should:

1. Tell the whole world how much the company is making on the sale of tools;

2. Lower (or even scrap) the cost of BSMs;

3. Build an Amway business, rather than focusing on selling tools to IBOs;

4. Be more "transparent"; and

5. N21 speakers should state that their lifestyle is "not" paid for by Amway money, but by profits earned from N21 material sales.

I would like to respond briefly that:

1. Really, unless N21 is a public-listed company, there is absolutely NO REASON why they should declare any figures. Can we respect that?

2. Like #1, why should N21 "lower" their cost of their products anywhere? That should be dictated by the marketplace. If it is too overpriced, the purchasers will know, and N21 will be forced to lower it when there are low sales. If a tool is really good, the cost of it might even be INCREASED for the value it brings to the buyers.

3. Why should N21 stop focusing on selling their tools to IBOs and making itself profitable? Selling tools IS their primary business, and IBOs are fully benefiting from their creations. Asking N21 to sell the Amway business more than its tools is like asking Robert Kiyosaki to speak more about Amway during his seminars for IBOs instead of his own books and CDs.

4. How much more transparent can you get? N21 speakers have again and again emphasised that the tools are entirely optional and that they do not promise you anything.

5. N21 speakers that I have been listening to state that the lifestyle they are living is a result of going Diamond WITH N21, and the lifestyle is more focused on the FREEDOM of time and movement they enjoy, rather than jet planes and resorts. (this is perhaps unique to N21, I do not speak for other systems.) Becoming Diamond should be the one and only focus of any IBO. Moreover, is it not ridiculous to imply that the Amway money at the Diamond level cannot pay for the lifestyle of the person on stage, or at least part of it?

More importantly, people have even mentioned that of course N21 has to make some money somewhere because they are a COMPANY. That is, there is staff to pay, operational costs involved, future items to create, new offices to start and fund - all of which costs money.

Any business-minded person will know that if you want to purchase any tools for any business (not just in the Amway business), you have to pay. Any professional will know that nothing is free, and that the cost of buying tools may or may not result in results, since results really boils down to whether you are just a CD hearer, or action-taker.

Juices or Crystals?

Wow, a few posts in one go... but anyway, here is a question for you to ponder on, if you are evaluating the advantages of NUTRILITE versus some MLM fruit juice supplement (let's call it MLM Juice)...

First of all, since MLM Juice is liquid, ASK, "Does it contain preservatives and/or stabilisers? If not, how does the product keep itself from turning rancid?

If so, are the preservatives good for consumption - both long term and in large quantities? (since many MLM Juice promoters advocate drinking up one bottle A WEEK)

Secondly, ASK, "Is the usual US$45-55 for a bottle of MLM Juice seriously too expensive? Not to mention the cost of shipping liquid (and glass bottling, perhaps?) to a far-away country, which are borne by the Distributors..."

Now, for the sake of reference, Nutrilite Active 8 Beverage Crystals is a blend of 5 fruits (namely Acerola Cherry, Guava, Cashew Fruit, Pineapple and Passion Fruit) and comes as 4 dry powder packs in my market.

It costs a MERE S$21.80 at RETAIL, and at the recommended dosage, you can take 22 servings. Now, that works out to LESS THAN A SINGAPORE DOLLAR per sip.

ASK, "How would MLM Juice be more value-for-money than the 5-fruit Active 8 then?"

I hope you are now armed with 3 good questions to deflect away all the marketing hype surrounding MLM Juice(s)... Nutrilite is good!

Never, Ever Assume!

Today, on Amway Media Blog, I saw 2 interesting comments... especially the one which was an allegation by "Mentor" that N21 etc. is just like his former system, calling people who are not on the system "losers, quitters etc." NONE of the N21 CDs I have in my library called anybody any derogatory names. Here is my response to them:

Mentor: Please, NEVER, ever assume. Listen to N21 and BWW first, then make a statement about them. I have a mini-box of N21 CDs by now, and I have NOT heard a single speaker calling names on those who are not on the N21 system.

Indeed, what I hear again and again is, "We don't guarantee you anything, but if you take this thing (N21) and run, you might (get these results)", "It is OK, it is your choice" etc.

As an example, in the "ARE WE LOOKING FOR YOU" or "WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT US?" CDs, Jim Dornan actually said, "In fact, we are so passionate about HELPING PEOPLE, that we are not even bothered if you take what you learnt here and apply it to another opportunity. But if you have not found the right vehicle of your choice, I invite you to come learn more about us." (paraphrased)

In what way is N21 labeling people not on the system as "losers, quitters, never-make-its"?

My point is, do not lump every system together, just because they are all training programs.

Grafter: That is exactly like what I told my traditional Amway friends who are wondering why I am plunging myself into a System, knowing full well that, if the critics are right, I am going to "spend, spend, spend" on tools and functions, even at the EMERALD level.

Answer? At least you get to make it to Emerald. ; )

Amway, Please Stick To Your Role.

Everyday, as I head over to IBOFightBack's and the official corporate blogs, I get more appalled by the individuals who are asking for all systems to be suspended, and Amway to administer all training and materials. Some even suggest that Amway should place PV/BV on business support materials.

This is WRONG!

Amway Corporation is a manufacturer and should remain focused on PRODUCT training and events, rather than IBO training and network building.

If Amway becomes the trainer, then you will have a few scenarios taking place, all of which are NOT ideal, and definitely not my cup of tea as an aspiring Diamond-to-be, namely:

1. We may have STAFF who are non-networkers teaching us techniques and methods which they learn from the BOOKS. The only people we would optimally benefit from should be existing leaders who have "been there, done that";

2. We may have invited SPEAKERS who may advocate different ideas from yours. A good example would be a N21 speaker expounding on the benefits of Team21 to a group of BWW "6-4-2" IBOs. The poor chaps would be confused; (now you know why there is a No Crosslining rule!)

3. We may also have invited SPEAKERS who simply share superficial information such as "Never give up" and other nice cliches, but never going into specifics, for fear of stumbling IBOs from a different LOS or are unwilling to reveal their "secret" recipes for success (listen to all the motivational CDs in my market and you will realise that most of them, if not all, are just "tidbits" of inspiration and know-hows, nothing substantial); and

4. We would, in all likelihood, be bombarded with product selling techniques and everything that turns you and I into Amway salesmen. Gone will be the days when we were Business Owners building a duplicatable organisation.

In my humble opinion, if Amway tries to take over the IBO business building training, we will essentially go back to pre-Yager days, where everything was "sponsor as many as you can", "get them onto the products" and "hope for the best". No strategy, no ongoing morale building, no teambuilding efforts.

Obviously there are quite a few more reasons why I am disgusted (pardon the strong language) with Amway staff even thinking that they know how to build the business, but the above four points should be enough to show views from the IBO perspective.

IBOs who wish to do nothing but become Amway salespeople should be allowed the freedom to do so, but without interfering and meddling with the ricebowl of the rest of us who live and swear by the System.

If you are an anti-System IBO, would you like to be "forced" into a System, where you have to "spend" all your unwilling dollars on what you foresee as "useless, repetitive" materials and functions? If not, why force sincere IBOs like myself who NEED the Systems?

I LOVE AMWAY, believe that this is THE BEST business partner I can find in network marketing and so my words are NOT meant to lower the company, but please, people, keep the lines clear.

Let Amway be Amway (Manufacturing Excellence) and let the Systems be the Systems. (IBO Training Excellence)

In summary, I am absolutely AGAINST the idea of Amway/Quixtar substituting itself for all the great systems we have today, such as Network TwentyOne, Britt World Wide, Internet Services, World Wide DreamBuilders etc.

It's all about N21!

Had an interesting session with a candidate tonight (let's call him EG), and man, what a mistake I made... should NOT have whipped out the Amway product catalogue (as instructed by my N21 coach), but instead, should have concentrated on the Pipeline and the List...

He asked me to show him the "products, cost of joining and returns", which I obliged. He promptly informed me that he has the catalogue, and that he has seen it all.

Right now, I know I should NOT have shown him those things, because it steered his perception to all the wrong angles...

He started exclaiming that Amway is not his cup of tea, because everybody around him has heard of Amway, and that none of them would be interested in hearing him preach about it. In fact, his house is full of Amway products because his mom is somebody else's customer, and he has seen Amway product demos... he even has some big ticket items such as the water purifier in his home...

It took me a good 20-30 minutes trying to figure out where I had gone wrong in my presentation... why he is talking so much about Amway, when Amway is simply the manufacturer and NOT my main concern in the conversation.

Finally, I forcefully brought it across to my friend that I am NOT there for his Amway registration, NOT there to get him to sign/preach Amway, NOT there to get him to buy Amway products from me etc. but TO GET INVOLVED WITH NETWORK21!!!

I was there to show him how N21 is the vehicle (according to Robert Kiyosaki) to move us from the left to right quadrant. It is all about NETWORK21. It is all about the Books, CDs, Functions etc. It is all about educating and inspiring people to build an asset for themselves. It is all about converting your everyday expenses to everyday income. That he can even join into Network21 WITHOUT getting into Amway.

At long last, all the impressions that I am pitching him Amway went away temporarily and he understood that if I was selling anything, I was selling him NETWORK21. And I told him that I was not earning a single cent from his involvement.

The good news? He said that he would like to attend the N21 Weekend Leadership Seminar in August, and I regained my sense of joy.

It is indeed all about Network21.

Nike, Just Do It!

OK, so this post is NOT about Nike shoes... but about how NUTRILITE products JUST WORK™...

Nike my dog started limping out of the blue one fine morning (Wednesday 23 May 2007), and to complicate the matter, it was not just his right hind leg... he was limping away in his left front leg too... I was not sure if someone stepped on the poor fellow, or if he was suffering from some debilitating disease.

Anyway, after taking a Rimadyl shot and 1/2 tablet of the same substance (cost only S$52 at Animal Practice, and the vet was an extremely approachable Australian gentleman), I noticed that the pet became slightly better at night.

However, to let him heal quicker, I thought it would be a good idea to let him try NUTRILITE Calcium-Magnesium supplement. After all, did I not recover myself when, for months, my last right finger was in pain due to a knock while cycling? Did I not take 20 tablets of the product to see if I could get relief and feel much, much better thereafter?

Thus, I proceeded to let Nike try NUTRILITE Calcium-Magnesium. (1 tab per day)

WOW! With overnight effect, he was able to press his "disabled" hind leg to the ground again, and even walked properly on all fours for a further distance than the day before!

Today is the 2nd or 3rd tablet, and I shall see how much more dramatic his recovery can be... judging from I observed so far, I can only say that NUTRILITE works, not just for humans, but for my beloved dog as well.

Do the tools really help?

Today I had a most interesting chat with a buddy in this business who feels that without action, all the listening and reading of the business tools would be useless...

I agree with him, that ACTION is indeed the most important factor before Success.

However, without the CEP and tools, I am afraid most people would not even be motivated into action, and worse, they might want to act, but ON WHAT?

What should they do next? What action steps do they take?

These are questions that have burnt us for YEARS, since 2 April 2002, and until this very day, there are as many answers as people.

But now, with the tools, at least we know what to do. At least (at last!) we have a system.

The tools, to me, are like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.

I will probably post a "life before the tools" so that you can understand why life in Amway without tools sucks. In fact, someone jokingly (seriously?) said, "Amway without tools is a curse."

Strong words, but sure I can relate. Be right back....

Peanut Butter Manifesto

I got this from the Wall Street Journal... while it does not seem to be related to our industry, nevertheless it helps us gain an insight into the challenges that face top-level employees. As a matter of fact, many of you in my team are high flying corporate individuals yourself... Think about it - if you are a Yahoo middle management staff, you would be feeling the heat right now.

While we respect everybody in every job, we sympathise with the people whose lives are just filled with stress, pressure and we encourage you to take an open look at the freedom made possible through professional network marketing.

On the other hand, I personally think that there are good points in the letter we as IBOs can learn from, since we are likewise interacting with a massive, global organisation.


Original Article from the Wall Street Journal:

Yahoo Memo: The 'Peanut Butter Manifesto'

An internal document by Brad Garlinghouse, a Yahoo senior vice president, says Yahoo is spreading its resources too thinly, like peanut butter on a slice of bread. Full text of the document is below.

Three and half years ago, I enthusiastically joined Yahoo! The magnitude of the opportunity was only matched by the magnitude of the assets. And an amazing team has been responsible for rebuilding Yahoo!

It has been a profound experience. I am fortunate to have been a part of dramatic change for the Company. And our successes speak for themselves. More users than ever, more engaging than ever and more profitable than ever!

I proudly bleed purple and yellow everyday! And like so many people here, I love this company

But all is not well. Last Thursday's NY Times article was a blessing in the disguise of a painful public flogging. While it lacked accurate details, its conclusions rang true, and thus was a much needed wake up call. But also a call to action. A clear statement with which I, and far too many Yahoo's, agreed. And thankfully a reminder. A reminder that the measure of any person is not in how many times he or she falls down - but rather the spirit and resolve used to get back up. The same is now true of our Company.

It's time for us to get back up.

I believe we must embrace our problems and challenges and that we must take decisive action. We have the opportunity - in fact the invitation - to send a strong, clear and powerful message to our shareholders and Wall Street, to our advertisers and our partners, to our employees (both current and future), and to our users. They are all begging for a signal that we recognize and understand our problems, and that we are charting a course for fundamental change. Our current course and speed simply will not get us there. Short-term band-aids will not get us there.

It's time for us to get back up and seize this invitation.

I imagine there's much discussion amongst the Company's senior most leadership around the challenges we face. At the risk of being redundant, I wanted to share my take on our current situation and offer a recommended path forward, an attempt to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Recognizing Our Problems

We lack a focused, cohesive vision for our company. We want to do everything and be everything -- to everyone. We've known this for years, talk about it incessantly, but do nothing to fundamentally address it. We are scared to be left out. We are reactive instead of charting an unwavering course. We are separated into silos that far too frequently don't talk to each other. And when we do talk, it isn't to collaborate on a clearly focused strategy, but rather to argue and fight about ownership, strategies and tactics.

Our inclination and proclivity to repeatedly hire leaders from outside the company results in disparate visions of what winning looks like -- rather than a leadership team rallying around a single cohesive strategy.

I've heard our strategy described as spreading peanut butter across the myriad opportunities that continue to evolve in the online world. The result: a thin layer of investment spread across everything we do and thus we focus on nothing in particular.

I hate peanut butter. We all should.

We lack clarity of ownership and accountability. The most painful manifestation of this is the massive redundancy that exists throughout the organization. We now operate in an organizational structure -- admittedly created with the best of intentions -- that has become overly bureaucratic. For far too many employees, there is another person with dramatically similar and overlapping responsibilities. This slows us down and burdens the company with unnecessary costs.

Equally problematic, at what point in the organization does someone really OWN the success of their product or service or feature? Product, marketing, engineering, corporate strategy, financial operations... there are so many people in charge (or believe that they are in charge) that it's not clear if anyone is in charge. This forces decisions to be pushed up - rather than down. It forces decisions by committee or consensus and discourages the innovators from breaking the mold... thinking outside the box.

There's a reason why a centerfielder and a left fielder have clear areas of ownership. Pursuing the same ball repeatedly results in either collisions or dropped balls. Knowing that someone else is pursuing the ball and hoping to avoid that collision - we have become timid in our pursuit. Again, the ball drops.

We lack decisiveness. Combine a lack of focus with unclear ownership, and the result is that decisions are either not made or are made when it is already too late. Without a clear and focused vision, and without complete clarity of ownership, we lack a macro perspective to guide our decisions and visibility into who should make those decisions. We are repeatedly stymied by challenging and hairy decisions. We are held hostage by our analysis paralysis.

We end up with competing (or redundant) initiatives and synergistic opportunities living in the different silos of our company.

• YME vs. Musicmatch
• Flickr vs. Photos
• YMG video vs. Search video
• Deli.cio.us vs. myweb
• Messenger and plug-ins vs. Sidebar and widgets
• Social media vs. 360 and Groups
• Front page vs. YMG
• Global strategy from BU'vs. Global strategy from Int'l

We have lost our passion to win. Far too many employees are "phoning" it in, lacking the passion and commitment to be a part of the solution. We sit idly by while -- at all levels -- employees are enabled to "hang around". Where is the accountability? Moreover, our compensation systems don't align to our overall success. Weak performers that have been around for years are rewarded. And many of our top performers aren't adequately recognized for their efforts.

As a result, the employees that we really need to stay (leaders, risk-takers, innovators, passionate) become discouraged and leave. Unfortunately many who opt to stay are not the ones who will lead us through the dramatic change that is needed.

Solving our Problems

We have awesome assets. Nearly every media and communications company is painfully jealous of our position. We have the largest audience, they are highly engaged and our brand is synonymous with the Internet.

If we get back up, embrace dramatic change, we will win.

I don't pretend there is only one path forward available to us. However, at a minimum, I want to be part of the solution and thus have outlined a plan here that I believe can work. It is my strong belief that we need to act very quickly or risk going further down a slippery slope, The plan here is not perfect; it is, however, FAR better than no action at all.

There are three pillars to my plan:

1. Focus the vision.
2. Restore accountability and clarity of ownership.
3. Execute a radical reorganization.

1. Focus the vision

a) We need to boldly and definitively declare what we are and what we are not.

b) We need to exit (sell?) non core businesses and eliminate duplicative projects and businesses.

My belief is that the smoothly spread peanut butter needs to turn into a deliberately sculpted strategy -- that is narrowly focused.

We can't simply ask each BU to figure out what they should stop doing. The result will continue to be a non-cohesive strategy. The direction needs to come decisively from the top. We need to place our bets and not second guess. If we believe Media will maximize our ROI -- then let's not be bashful about reducing our investment in other areas. We need to make the tough decisions, articulate them and stick with them -- acknowledging that some people (users / partners / employees) will not like it. Change is hard.

2. Restore accountability and clarity of ownership

a) Existing business owners must be held accountable for where we find ourselves today -- heads must roll,

b) We must thoughtfully create senior roles that have holistic accountability for a particular line of business (a variant of a GM structure that will work with Yahoo!'s new focus)

c) We must redesign our performance and incentive systems.

I believe there are too many BU leaders who have gotten away with unacceptable results and worse -- unacceptable leadership. Too often they (we!) are the worst offenders of the problems outlined here. We must signal to both the employees and to our shareholders that we will hold these leaders (ourselves) accountable and implement change.

By building around a strong and unequivocal GM structure, we will not only empower those leaders, we will eliminate significant overhead throughout our multi-headed matrix. It must be very clear to everyone in the organization who is empowered to make a decision and ownership must be transparent. With that empowerment comes increased accountability -- leaders make decisions, the rest of the company supports those decisions, and the leaders ultimately live/die by the results of those decisions.

My view is that far too often our compensation and rewards are just spreading more peanut butter. We need to be much more aggressive about performance based compensation. This will only help accelerate our ability to weed out our lowest performers and better reward our hungry, motivated and productive employees.

3. Execute a radical reorganization

a) The current business unit structure must go away.

b) We must dramatically decentralize and eliminate as much of the matrix as possible.

c) We must reduce our headcount by 15-20%.

I emphatically believe we simply must eliminate the redundancies we have created and the first step in doing this is by restructuring our organization. We can be more efficient with fewer people and we can get more done, more quickly. We need to return more decision making to a new set of business units and their leadership. But we can't achieve this with baby step changes, We need to fundamentally rethink how we organize to win.

Independent of specific proposals of what this reorganization should look like, two key principles must be represented:

Blow up the matrix. Empower a new generation and model of General Managers to be true general managers. Product, marketing, user experience & design, engineering, business development & operations all report into a small number of focused General Managers. Leave no doubt as to where accountability lies.

Kill the redundancies. Align a set of new BU's so that they are not competing against each other. Search focuses on search. Social media aligns with community and communications. No competing owners for Video, Photos, etc. And Front Page becomes Switzerland. This will be a delicate exercise -- decentralization can create inefficiencies, but I believe we can find the right balance.

I love Yahoo! I'm proud to admit that I bleed purple and yellow. I'm proud to admit that I shaved a Y in the back of my head.

My motivation for this memo is the adamant belief that, as before, we have a tremendous opportunity ahead. I don't pretend that I have the only available answers, but we need to get the discussion going; change is needed and it is needed soon. We can be a stronger and faster company - a company with a clearer vision and clearer ownership and clearer accountability.

We may have fallen down, but the race is a marathon and not a sprint. I don't pretend that this will be easy. It will take courage, conviction, insight and tremendous commitment. I very much look forward to the challenge.

So let's get back up.

Catch the balls.

And stop eating peanut butter.