It's an evening. I was just parking my bike at the basement after a long workout. Completely tired. I got a call. Though i can't remember the exact words he told me but it goes something like this.
Hi I am "Ahole" and i am a IIM grad and working for some XYZ company. And i have a business proposal for you. We are basically deal with e-commerce "and some technical words, trust me you cant guess he is talking about selling shampoo sachet". Is it OK We will meet up?
I said, "Sure"
Ahole said "Anywhere sud be fine. Do you want me to come?"
I Said "OK" and hung up.
I took the lift and had few glass of water, taken off the jacket. Took sometime to chill off. Then i suddenly realized the so called IIM guy is talking about networking business and it has to be Amway. My reply to him was "If your proposal is anyway related to Amway, don't call me as i am a bad candidate". Thankfully i never got disturbed by him again.
Its not a fictitious story. It happens to me couple of times in different way. Always an unknown will try to talk on a random topic, will try to be friendly and then try to make you to come to some sort of conference. So all these are little hints. It refers to the Networking business (Though it is called Multi Layer Marketing MLM Lets call it Emotional Atyachar Business EAB, will explain it why i name it so). I sometime find people standing at the entrance of Big Bazar or crowded place will try to spot people talking there language, will strike a conversation. If you watch intently you can sense something different as in first talk why someone will be so friendly. Fishy right? What to do, they are motivated soul to make few customer before they go to bed. They are trained. I feel again sorry about them who are pros like doc and engineer rather spending time in there own field they get into selling toothpaste, to be called as self-motivated-entrepreneur.
The idea is great:
EAB concept is great. There point is good as they always say we avoid the promotion part, we avoid the channel of distributor, wholesaler, retailer and reach to customer directly hence saving the cost. But why don't they apply the same thing on Surf? Go to Unilever and buy Surf on Bulk and sell it on your channel 20-25Rs less than the MRP. They don't and they can't. They will sell the product so called imported product, boasting there quality as unique in nature and make you cough 4-5X times more than what it worth to nurture there channel. Lets look at the following.
Claim Vs Reality 1
Normal Channel:
Producer -> Distributor -> wholesale agent -> Retailer -> Consumer
They claim they skip, but what they put is
Quixtar -> Platinum ->Gold -> Silver -> (Some other metal no idea) -> You
Everyone know if you are buying something all of them who are in the chain above you get comission. So what difference does they make?
Claim Vs Reality 2
Lets do another. I am nor a member nor a consumer. But i have seen hundreds of them. Now the question is as a consumer only (those are not member) have ever come to you to buy the product on there own? They praise it? All the boasting the seller does, just to avoid the sellers (most of the time a known person to you friend or relative) constant botheration you buy. You know that part of it goes to him, but still you do, praying to the god not to see them again.
So its the relationshipp that makes a sale not the product.
Claim Vs Reality 3
Someone will scold me if he is from EAB. He might come with a argument that this fellow is not using the product how come he knows that our product are not upto mark. Lets do the reality check. I am into bodybuiling for last few years. I have idea on supplements and moreover the protin supplements. So i thought lets see what Amway has to offer in this. Went to there site found
Hi I am "Ahole" and i am a IIM grad and working for some XYZ company. And i have a business proposal for you. We are basically deal with e-commerce "and some technical words, trust me you cant guess he is talking about selling shampoo sachet". Is it OK We will meet up?
I said, "Sure"
Ahole said "Anywhere sud be fine. Do you want me to come?"
I Said "OK" and hung up.
I took the lift and had few glass of water, taken off the jacket. Took sometime to chill off. Then i suddenly realized the so called IIM guy is talking about networking business and it has to be Amway. My reply to him was "If your proposal is anyway related to Amway, don't call me as i am a bad candidate". Thankfully i never got disturbed by him again.
Its not a fictitious story. It happens to me couple of times in different way. Always an unknown will try to talk on a random topic, will try to be friendly and then try to make you to come to some sort of conference. So all these are little hints. It refers to the Networking business (Though it is called Multi Layer Marketing MLM Lets call it Emotional Atyachar Business EAB, will explain it why i name it so). I sometime find people standing at the entrance of Big Bazar or crowded place will try to spot people talking there language, will strike a conversation. If you watch intently you can sense something different as in first talk why someone will be so friendly. Fishy right? What to do, they are motivated soul to make few customer before they go to bed. They are trained. I feel again sorry about them who are pros like doc and engineer rather spending time in there own field they get into selling toothpaste, to be called as self-motivated-entrepreneur.
The idea is great:
EAB concept is great. There point is good as they always say we avoid the promotion part, we avoid the channel of distributor, wholesaler, retailer and reach to customer directly hence saving the cost. But why don't they apply the same thing on Surf? Go to Unilever and buy Surf on Bulk and sell it on your channel 20-25Rs less than the MRP. They don't and they can't. They will sell the product so called imported product, boasting there quality as unique in nature and make you cough 4-5X times more than what it worth to nurture there channel. Lets look at the following.
Claim Vs Reality 1
Normal Channel:
Producer -> Distributor -> wholesale agent -> Retailer -> Consumer
They claim they skip, but what they put is
Quixtar -> Platinum ->Gold -> Silver -> (Some other metal no idea) -> You
Everyone know if you are buying something all of them who are in the chain above you get comission. So what difference does they make?
Claim Vs Reality 2
Lets do another. I am nor a member nor a consumer. But i have seen hundreds of them. Now the question is as a consumer only (those are not member) have ever come to you to buy the product on there own? They praise it? All the boasting the seller does, just to avoid the sellers (most of the time a known person to you friend or relative) constant botheration you buy. You know that part of it goes to him, but still you do, praying to the god not to see them again.
So its the relationshipp that makes a sale not the product.
Claim Vs Reality 3
Someone will scold me if he is from EAB. He might come with a argument that this fellow is not using the product how come he knows that our product are not upto mark. Lets do the reality check. I am into bodybuiling for last few years. I have idea on supplements and moreover the protin supplements. So i thought lets see what Amway has to offer in this. Went to there site found
Protin cost 2.5X times than of EAS. So which one is cheap? I dont trust what quixtar make but i trust abbott who is into medicine since 1888, yeas since 122 years.
The Trap:
In my few encounter, once XYZ met me in my office in bangalore. In the canteen he caught me. while discussing he pull off a paper and draw X-Y axis in it. In the four qurdant he explained human can be classified in this four category. One normal who works. 2nd who dreams. Third and fourth something something. Now he was telling me to do something different in life apart from job. Which is fine so far. But when he diverted that i should get into networking business i started opposing. I asked just tell me a person name who is famous in Amway business that i know of. Magazine write about them. They influence economy. You might say few names which i am not aware of. I put Gopinath, Ambani in that qurdant where they create there own emporor, not in that segment where i sell bloddy expensive toothpaste which comission i will keep along with dozen. Sorry.
So that trap is EAB guys will tell you beutiful things about life, how should you conqur, how to talk to people and all. How to increase the self confidence. They arrange seminar, distribute CD which will inspire you. Everything is fine as they are. When they say it with an objective and agenda of selling toothpaste they loose the charm and they have trapped hundreds. Those hundreds will try to trap another hundred, most escapes few buy there unknown products in the thought not to see the family salesman again, whose toothpaste might have removed few items on his monthly groceries. I dont mind getting into Amway if they start selling surf or colgate few rupees less than MRP. They dont and they cant.
The Trap
In my few encounter, once XYZ met me in my office in bangalore. In the canteen he caught me. while discussing he pull off a paper and draw X-Y axis in it. In the four qurdant he explained human can be classified in this four category. One normal who works. 2nd who dreams. Third and fourth something something. Now he was telling me to do something different in life apart from job. Which is fine so far. But when he diverted that i should get into networking business i started opposing. I asked just tell me a person name who is famous in Amway business that i know of. Magazine write about them. They influence economy. You might say few names which i am not aware of. I put Gopinath, Ambani in that qurdant where they create there own emporor, not in that segment where i sell bloddy expensive toothpaste which comission i will keep along with dozen. Sorry.
So that trap is EAB guys will tell you beutiful things about life, how should you conqur, how to talk to people and all. How to increase the self confidence. They arrange seminar, distribute CD which will inspire you. Everything is fine as they are. When they say it with an objective and agenda of selling toothpaste they loose the charm and they have trapped hundreds. Those hundreds will try to trap another hundred, most escapes few buy there unknown products in the thought not to see the family salesman again, whose toothpaste might have removed few items on his monthly groceries. I dont mind getting into Amway if they start selling surf or colgate few rupees less than MRP. They dont and they cant.
Cheers
