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The other day, I was talking to my aunt and the topic of Amway came up.
She’s an active member of the MLM company but doesn’t know how I really feel about Amway.
Anyway, with my experience with internet marketing, it got me thinking about what I would do if I were to be an IBO again. What would I do differently? How would I make money this time around?
It’s clearer now how I would go about it because of certain things I’ve learned while doing affiliate marketing. In this post I’m going to show you how to really make money with Amway.
The Amway Business Model
Like most MLMs, there are two aspects to building a business with Amway. There’s the product retailing and then there is the recruiting of prospects to build your downline and multiply your income.
With Amway, you’re told to use the products and replace everything you would usually buy with stuff from Amway. It’s supposed to save you money, improve your life and in the process, make you some money.
Points are awarded for products you sell and a commission check is sent to you based on how many points you make. This is in addition to the profit you make on items sold. As you build your network, you’re promoted to different levels which helps increase the income you’re getting.
Amway has lots of different products for you to choose from including weight loss, home products like their air purifier and water filtration system, Nutrilite dietary supplements, beauty products, cleaning products and many others.
You can also choose to retail products (much like affiliate marketing), from Amway partner stores like Sears, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Office Depot, K-Mart and more.
So you can basically sell anything that someone might need through your Amway business and make money.
If you were like me when I was given this opportunity back in 2004, then you tried to sell every and anything depending on the needs of the person you were targeting.
Usually, I would hand them a catalogue since I didn’t really know what they really needed or I would try to show them the plan.
This lead to a very frustrating experience for me and I ended up quitting. Like a lot of other people.
The problem is that most people who join Amway do not know the secret to marketing the products and their upline do not teach them (possible because they themselves do not know).
When I had just started in affiliate marketing, I also had the same problem. I wanted to sell every and anything that I thought would make money. Until I learned a very valuable lesson from a site called Wealthy Affiliate.
Applying Niche Marketing To Make Money with Amway
One time at a Quixtar meeting, I heard about a group that got together and sold boxes of XS energy drink. There was also a group that sold lots of toothpaste.
These groups were focused on selling one product and they did very well. This is what niche marketing is all about.
So instead of selling every and anything you think people may want, you should focus on selling one type of product.
If I were to be an IBO for Amway again, I would pick a product and learn everything about it and the group of people (niche) that it’s for. This would allow me to become sort of an expert.
For example, I would choose to retail the air purifier because it has a large profit margin and gets you a lot of points per sale.
I would then learn everything about the air purifier and air purifiers in general so that I could market it much better. I would also learn about the niche that needs these air purifiers (people in highly polluted areas, people with allergies or respiratory problems etc).
This can be applied to any type of product within Amway.
So the steps you should take:
- pick a product
- learn about the product
- learn about the niche market you’re targeting
- focus on selling only that product
What About Recruiting IBOs?
For the other part of building your business, instead of recruiting people to join Amway’s business opportunity, I would invite them to “make money selling air purifiers” using the example above.
This way you’re establishing yourself as a brand within a brand. You’re now the guy or gal who markets air purifiers.
You would show your prospect how exactly you and your team make money selling air purifiers and once they get on board you can then train them on the process.
This is how you truly duplicate yourself and build a network that has a common goal.
Minus the recruiting of prospects to build a downline, this is the process that I use to make money on the internet. Pick a niche market, learn all about the niche market and build a website around the topic.
This type of focus works very well because people see you as an expert and would trust your recommendations more readily.
You can apply this to any network marketing business to make money instead of failing.
wow, thanks for this. This really good timing for me. I recently became an IBO, and my sponsor wants to have a meeting this week to ‘discuss my list of potential recruits’. I’m not interested in talking to my friends at all. But because ı respect Amway and their products, I intuitively knew there was some way to make money out of them without being tiresome. I will definitely look into this.
No problem Linda. I’m glad you found this useful and it’s definitely better than having to talk to your friends who probably have no interest in Amway or network marketing.
I’m interested. How can I get into it and please explain further on how it works.
Any way to delete my comment? I didn’t realize meeting ppl online was against the rules.
I’ve deleted your comment for you.
Hi mirriam..are you an IBO already? If not call me at [admin edit:personal information removed to protect privacy]…2 years am apart of worldwide and it change my life…Amway is an awesome manufacturing company
I don’t think Amway is a manufacturing company. Not sure you can call it that. Anyway I’ve removed your telephone number from the comment to protect your privacy as per the site’s privacy policy. Please don’t post emails, addresses or personal phone numbers.
Do you still wanna join?
Are you in WA state by chance?
No I’m not. I’m in the Caribbean.
I am ANWAR Husen MOMIN. Rtd pharmacist, I joint recently in Amway India. I want to grow my Amway business. Thanks
I’d suggest that you learn about marketing since you’re now involved in network marketing. Check out Wealthy Affiliate, a site that can help you understand how to grow businesses using online methods.
One problem with trying to grow amway online… its against the rules and amway WILL sue you and/or shut you down. They have a zero tolerance for selling their products online. It violates their money back guarantee and customer satisfaction guarantee terms for their products (meaning if someone buys from you online, uses some of what they bought but isn’t happy with it, then they can’t return it since it was bought from you and not amway).
Also, you can’t recruit or promote others to join your business online. If you do and get caught they will ban you (cancel your agreement and affiliation with amway) and those people you recruited will go to your uplines. The best thing you can do is promote other things and find other ways to get someone’s email or something, then when they ask what you are doing and say that they want to join you can then set up a way to get them in and justify (with proof) that you recruited them on a person-to-person basis. You WILL have to prove this at some point, trust me.
You can’t sell or recruit amway door-to-door, business-to-business, or online, by mail, by email, etc — you have to prove that you had some prior affiliation with the individual that led them to your business or for them to be of the “friends and family” category. It’s tough. This is why you will never find someone who legitimately became a known success with amway that got there from selling online or recruiting their email list. If they did and got away with it, they haven’t and will not admit that while they’re still affiliated with amway.
Don’t think that I’ve encouraged anyone to sell Amway products online or to build their team online though. I know about those rules. This is why I still don’t understand the term “Independent Business Owner” especially “business owner”.
With all those restrictions, it’s very clear that you’re working your azz off for Amway, not yourself.
No, not you…i was reading and noticed a lot of people commenting are looking for ways to sell amway products or grow their business using an online channel.
You are 100% right on the restrictions. They’re however in place to provide fair trade and business practices. They also want to keep amway seeming products exclusive with the only way to gain access to their products is by going directly through a distributor…it also ensures that the IBO’s are buying the products on a consistent basis (either for consumption which leads to personal testimonies; and/or for selling to others on a person-to-person basis, which is easiest when you have the products on hand…thus requiring the purchase of samples).
Ok. I realize that I did say “grow businesses using online methods” in the last comment before you commented. What I meant is that learning how to market even if it’s learning how to grow an online business will open up your eyes on how to grow your Amway business.
I agree with you about fair trade and exclusivity with Amway products. About the online thing, what about those personal websites that Amway gives IBOS so that their customers can shop? How do you use those without violating the rules?
Amway’s website for IBO’s are strict as well. The main use of it is to set up customers through it. For example, I’m sitting down with someone, showing them the products online via the IBO site and then I create a “customer profile” through the IBO site/channel.
It is very difficult for anyone to navigate through the Amway/IBO site without someone showing you how.
Logging in to your Amway IBO site is the only way to sign customers up under you and it is the only way for your customers to buy from you online, last I checked.
Are we on the same page? I’m talking about your Amway shop something like this one: [admin edit:web address deleted].
I found that store by adding a popular name after the Amway domain so I guess you have to be personally referred to the store in order to shop. But it doesn’t look as if you need to be personally set up as a customer via a customer profile. Unless you’re talking about setting someone up as an IBO which isn’t what I’m talking about here.
With that storefront, although I don’t know the owner, I was able to add products to my cart, add a shipping address and I got as far as making a payment which I didn’t because I didn’t really want to order the product.
I think you’re probably talking about signing up people in your downline who will need to order products to sell to others as Amway IBOs but I’m talking about the store/shop that Amway gives you so that you may make retail sales to external customers. Again, how do you use those without violating the rules?
Sorry, my misunderstanding.
Yes you can have your IBO website posted/visible on blogs, social media sites, etc. If a customer buys something from the site without you promoting them to, it’s fair game. The issue comes when you promote, solicit, or otherwise try to drive traffic to the site, or try to get people to buy anything from amway or join amway’s business opportunity from a non-person-to-person basis.
For your personal IBO site you can have it listed or posted somewhere, but you wouldn’t be allowed to solicit the site or pay for ads to generate traffic to the site, or anything else related to promoting your IBO site, amway site and/or amway products unless it was via a person-to-person basis.
Again, if someone found your sight (just like you did), or found a business card with your site on it, or saw it on your facebook page, or any other kind of indirect way and went on to buy some products then it’s fair game…
As far as promoting Amway online, you can only do so generically. No specific uses of amway trademark logos or branding.
If you had an amway-based blog you can talk about amway in a general sense, but you wouldn’t be allow to, for example blog about the advantages of using Nutrilite over One-a-days-men vitamin products. Again, no specifics.
You CAN however talk about the importance of proper nutrition and talk about what you should look for when choosing a dietary supplement, and other types of “soft selling” but you can’t use verbiage such as “amway products are number one because…” and so on.
OK great. Thanks for clearing that up.
Sounds to me like your better off staying away from Amway. If they limit the way you can do business then it no longer becomes free enterprise. Find a business where there are no restrictions on the way you build your enterprise.
OK dear jai gambh,I ‘all try my best to learn from wealthy affiliates. Thank you. Anmomin.
So just to clarify, can I post pics on insta of me modeling the products and then post the link of where to buy products on my Instagram profile?
Linda, are you still at Amway? Did you make any money out of this? Is it something you’ll recommend to anyone?
Congrazt Miss Linda.
Wish you all the best ya.
Woooow now this is good.Great concept.Brilliant!! Thank you so much and Il definitely try this out.
I am Krunal Davda. Have joined Amway. Please can you confirm what all things I will have to do to grow business soon as I want to quite job soon…As I was always interested to do business…
Your upline can help you (as it should be) or you can use the niche marketing example of doing things as outlined above with regards to selling product and recruiting members. You’ll still need a more detailed plan for both aspects of the business.
hello people I stay in Tembisa and interested in selling Amway products. where do I start pls assist. drop me an email at [admin edit: email removed to protect privacy] or whatsapp me on [removed]
You can contact Amway directly for instructions on finding a rep in your area. Please do not post your private information such as email and phone number here.
Hi I was like you , I quit trying to sell Amway because I lack information how to sell the product , but I always knew this way a good thing because , you need to have multiples ways creating income besides having a job , the products are grate used them for years XS energy drinks and Double X vitamins are the best on the market, now I am ready to get back into game , any more ideals ? such as using Facebook and google adds
Facebook might be a good idea. Google ads not so much. Either way check with the terms of service and regulations of Amway because when I was an IBO, they didn’t allow you to do any online selling of any kind. If you’re going to use online to build your network though then that might work but stick to the plan outlined on this page and it will work even better.
HELLO,
I am a professor and i am interested in doing this amway bussiness because recently i have attended a meeting of amway with one of my relative who is an AMWAY DISTRIBUTOR. BUT MY PROBLEM IS I AM QUITE INTROVERT PERSON. SO SHOULD I JOIN OR NOT..???
If you’re introverted, I won’t recommend it because you have to go out and make connections with strangers in order to build a team. You have to sell products via face to face selling. I consider myself an introvert as well and it didn’t work for me because I could never muster up enough courage to approach people with the intention of telling them about Amway products or the business.
I’d recommend that you check out online marketing. It’s perfect for introverts because you don’t have to approach anyone. Instead all the work is done online via your website and you can have people come to you instead. You won’t even need to talk to them (kinda like how we’re both connecting with each other in this comment section).
If you like the idea of online marketing or want to know more, you can check out the free lessons here. It just requires a simple free signup (no credit card necessary).
I would look at it in another way. Given ofcourse that You would like to be more extroverted, maybe the fact that You are introverted could be exactly the reason to join Amway. Since it would give You a chance to develop that side of yourself, You would have to find ways to talk to people and make it fun for You. And do it until You enjoy it or at least don’t get stressed out by doing it.
I don’t know if that would work for every one, Liisi. Just seems to me like you’d be making yourself miserable. That’s not just one but two things to conquer at the same time.
Not saying it wouldn’t work though. I could imagine reading someones success post titled “Amway Helped Me Overcome Shyness” or “I Used to be an Introvert – Until I Joined Amway”.
However, if you’re an introvert, then affiliate marketing is an excellent way to enjoy helping people while being comfortable with being an introvert.
It is the best way for personal growth as an introvert. With the right upline and guidance you can be very successful. If anything you would achieve more out of the opportunity than an extravert in my opinion.
Hi there, I am so glad you mentioned the face book model. I was invited to a recruiting evening and what impressed me was the many high leveled people who gave their testimonials about their success. When I mentioned the face book concept to the person who invited me, he stared at me in a strange way. I also wondered why w never read about these successful people in the media. When a person is rock bottom and manage to stand up again with the help of a business like Amway, and this story is being told in the mass media I am quite sure it will be the best advertising they can get. Why doesn’t this ever happen?
I think that if you went to the media and told them about your success because of Amway, they would see it as advertising just as you put it. The media doesn’t want to give away free advertising and their audience will look at it the same way. So that’s probably why you don’t see it as often.
I used to be in Quixtar, now they are gone. Amway is a great business as retail and multilevel. But if you really want to have a business go for WA, Why? because the teaching aspect of WA is what is going to make you really proficient on Amway. With the niche knowledge and quality products of Amway you are on a secure path to freedom of debt.
It makes sense to learn about marketing because most people who fail at Amway fail because they don’t know how to market two things – the products (for retail sales) and themselves (for team building). Wealthy Affiliate is a great source to learn how to see things clearer and build any business whether it’s an internet business, MLM or offline business.
Q .Can I recruit person on my blog or through social media site?
What does it mean ibo?
Sources seems, its difficult to go ahead with Amway business. Thanks. Anmomin
IBO means “Independent Business Owner” which is what any Amway rep/distributor is called.
As far as recruiting people through blog or social media, Amway has a lot of restrictions on conducting business online since they want you to do the business in a “person-to-person” manner. You can however build relationships online, meet people online either through blogging or social media and as long as you don’t solicit them directly online, you might be able to show them (as a personal friend) the opportunity and convert them into part of your team.
Thanks for reply, I should go ahead by your advice. That’s all. Anm.
Wow. Pick a product and sell your business on a focused product. That is so crazy it just might work. Amway was one of the first companies I joined as well, but before Amway the first company I was invited to when i was about 14 years old was Melaleuca. Those years I was excited but I wasn’t old enough to join any of them. Now that I am old enough I tend to stay away from those traditional MLM business models lol.
You got invited to an MLM as a 14 year old? Got me wondering what kind of ethics this person has at all who tried to get you to join Melaleuca. Or was it just for kicks?
I would love to know more please on what I could to with my business.
Just wanted to chime in here, I started with Amway 6 months ago..and it *did* take a lot of work. I’m still not making a lot of money but you just have to think outside the box a bit.
I found there’s actually a lot of interest online (like on this site) and I setup a simple website and did some basic SEO (managed by a company), took a while but with some persistence I started getting people signed up underneath me. I’m not making a ton of money yet, but enough every month for my car payment and coffee..that’s something
Good work Jason. I’m glad you were able to think outside the box and come up with this solution to finding people to sign up under you. Teach them to do what you did and you’ll have a big network capable of duplicating at a fast rate. That is, if it’s not against Quixtar terms because I read somewhere that you’re not really supposed to do any online promotion so be careful.
If this was something that I didn’t have a doubt about, I would do a tutorial to teach people how to do it.
Hey Jason, What does your upline teach? Is what you are doing duplicatable and can it sustain it self? Can you teach others to do the same?
I am recently doing a learnership in a certain company, we were requested to buy AmWay starter park for 70 to use it for research and thus lately they registered us on Amway. so is this person trying to make money by using us to join amway
I’m not exactly sure about the situation you’re in. Maybe one of my readers could answer your question.
I have an ex significant other that got involved with WWDB about 6 months ago. They haven’t started their business yet but have completely alienated themselves from their friends, family, me, and basically everything not affiliated with Amway. Their lives are consumed with motivational tools, new prospects, and all their cross lines and dislikes and uplines. Anything involved with Amway consumes all their time and energy. Do you know why this may be? Why does WWDB, which is a training platform for Amway, discourage any relationships with anyone outside of the circle listed above? Amway has a bad reputation in my family and have read a LOT of negative experiences with WWDB and Amway which later down the road cause financial and emotional distress. Any insight from anyone may help in my healing and their healing. We just do not understand.
I had to look it up but WWDB which I haven’t heard about until you mentioned it is World Wide Dream Builders or World Wide Group LLC. I’m sorry though that I cannot answer the questions you posed. I’ve encountered people like this who have been in Amway before. Doesn’t make sense to me either.
No. You do not receive a commission by “signing” people up.
You do have to purchase products form an individual. That is the only way you have access to the products. But no, they are not getting paid because you became a customer. They would only get paid on the volume that you purchased through them.
I’ve been to one meeting and from what I understand, for every 6 people in your downline you get some sort of cash bonus or incentive every October. So yes, the more people you sign up the more money you will make.
WWDB does not require or expect that behavior form anyone. WWDB is a leadership training organization that produces some of the most successful people who leverage the Amway opportunity.
Your ex is just goofy, which may be the reason they are your ex. But let me put this into perspective. If you in lawschool, what are you putting before your friends and family? If your in medschool what comes before friends and family? If your a musician or an actor working a movie, what are you putting before your friends and family?
Life sometimes requires individuals to have seasons of unbalanced effort to push forward that which they are developing. Any business, traditional or not, requires season of head down, push forward. College especially at the masters and PHD levels requires the same commitment. It’s not that friends and family are not important bur for a season you are choosing to build something for your family.
Hey Jay!
I found your blog as I got refueled some time ago to start to buid Amway team building and I’ve a questions regards to marketing.
You’ve discussed earlier in this thread about face-to-face restrictions when it comes to show a plan. I know some people use Skype for showing the plan and I was interested whether email-list restriction would be enforced in case of using Whatsapp to show the plan? I’d like to record a video to explain the business idea and the plan.
I found your blog’s text helpful and figure to concentrate on few products in Amway’s store. I’d like to sell some of the products for small businesses (like water filter system for restaurants and double x packages for pharmacies). Regards to water filters, I wonder whether you would know are there restrictions to sell them for other businesses in intended use of service? I wouldn’t believe there to be problem, but just to be sure.
The other question is whether my customer can retail an Amway product to their customers (cosmetics in nail salons or those pharmacies I mentioned earlier)?
Or am I limited only to retail the products to customers myself?
I know Amway wants to hold a high brand value, hence why I’m not looking for big chains as customers.
Jake, I don’t think you can sell these products wholesale. A business that does not have a relationship with Amway cannot distribute or retail Amways products. So selling a water filter to a restaurant would be OK but selling Double X to pharmacies would not be.
As for showing the plan, I believe that if you’ve personally built a relationship with someone, then you can use Whatsapp to show the plan. I don’t think it would be ethical to show the plan to someone who you don’t know in the form of spam or cold market prospecting.
Caution Jake,
If your going to build your business take advice from your upline v.s. someone who doesn’t have a financial interest in your success. If you don’t have an active upline, seek one out. That is the only way you will be successful.
what about if I promote the makeup and skin care, How do I target the guys?
I really couldn’t answer this question. I don’t know much about makeup. Maybe skincare. Guys have acne and bad skin too.
I’d suggest if someone is serious about building the Amway business, then they need to get with an amazing Leader. It is all about the people you are working with.
The way that you discuss leveraging Amway, is one way the opportunity is leveraged. Thankfully, I’ve been taught a completely different way to leverage it that produces results in the 2-5 year time frame you discuss. So if someone is serious about building this business they need to reach out to those who have success in it, not someone who has no success in it. When you apply to med school, you don’t read the blogs of those who didn’t make the cut. You interview Doctors who were successful and now have the lifestyle you desire and ask them what they need to do.
I don’t know how someone would fine, but if your serious look me up someone how.
This is awesome! I thought I was the only person thinking outside of the box.
I was introduced to Wealthy Affiliate as well. I quit after a month because the site was very disorganized with no sense of direction. I did learn a lot of the basics. Few months later, found an awesome digital marketer on Youtube and took his course which was WAY better (no I’m not promoting anyone lol). I soon joined Amway (already knew what it was for like 15 years from my parents) and immediately, I thought of building my own brand. Currently working on it.
I am an IBO of Amway. I have attended many great meetings created by my uplines of Amway however I find it is hard to recruit and let people to see the business plan. Then I found out about Affiliate Marketing. I believe I can talk about a topic I am expert at it such as fitness and/or beauty and then I can recommend products from Amway to post my Amway site link. That’s okay, right?
That is a great idea and the direction you should be going in but I’m not too sure if Amway allows that. I’m not too sure if the rules have changed but back when I was an IBO, I think they didn’t want you to use the internet to “sell” products. However, in your case, you’ll be recommending products from a website where you’re building a relationship with readers so I think it should be ok. Just check with your upline first and see if it’s ok.
Amway’s restrictions are why you need to build YOUR business. Build YOUR business YOUR brand. Then affiliate yourself with companies who offer product’s YOUR customers want or need. Companies like Amway confuse the term “Independent Business Owner”. You are NOT truly a business owner when you are handcuffed with how to do business.
If you want to truly be a “IBO” than you need to build YOUR business. NOT THEIRS. Melaleuca has the same policy. I love Amway and Melaleuca’s products but I can’t do business with them because of their policies. I honestly do not see a difference between a “Who Do You Know List” and a “Newsletter List”. I do not see a difference between meeting someone in my home or meeting someone on my website. My website is my online home.
As long as I do not make any false representations of the product or the company I don’t think Amway has a legal right to determine how I personally conduct business as an “Independent Business Owner”. Keep looking. Don’t get me wrong I love Amway products and would use them but I disagree with their business practices and their cost-to-value of the products.
There are plenty of e-commerce friendly MLM’s or Direct Sales companies out there that will support your affiliate marketing strategy. If they don’t then move on and focus on building YOUR business. Nobody can take that away from you. I have seen Melaleuca steal people’s hard work because they were found to be marketing another companies products to THEIR customers. Their meaning the “Independent Business Owner.” I’m sorry but if I want to sell products from different manufacturer’s to MY CUSTOMERS than I have that right. The products were not even competing. But even if they were I still have that right as an “IBO” or “Marketing Executive”. I DO NOT work solely for Melaleuca or Amway. I work for MYSELF.
These issues are why you should be building YOUR BUSINESS YOUR BRAND. They can’t steal that from you.
I agree with everything you said here. I just don’t get the term “Independent Business Owner” when you can’t have your own “independent” strategry for marketing products. If you’re an Amway IBO, you are just a distributor working for Amway and not an IBO. It’s not YOUR business.
Thanks for sharing that with us Ken.
I also used to think “If you’re an Amway IBO, you are just a distributor working for Amway and not an IBO. It’s not YOUR business”, but I founds some items in their that much more autonomy then we are often told about.
It’s not as big as escaping from the Matrix, but yea… It’s kinda like that. There is a lot more freedom than some may think. Those looking for solutions may find that they’re worth reading.
http://www.amway.com/support/ordering-product-support/rules-of-conduct
Thanks for sharing that. Which parts are you specifically talking about?
Does Amway has affiliate marketing links?
That would be great if they did but they don’t because their business model is not affiliate marketing.
You can get credited for any sales you make through your own Amway website but you must be an IBO participating in their multi-level marketing program.
I am wanting to make generalised vlogs on youtube, as well as posting Amways own videos with links to my Amway website. As long as I am not writing or putting up videos that promotes, and instead let’s say I just post my direct link in the description box without a call to action, would that be an approved practice?
I don’t think that you should post Amway’s videos though, at least not without their permission. You can post your link in the description box but add more description to it. I think Amway now has some social media marketing training last time I checked them out so you might want to check into that and see what is allowed and what is not allowed.