Home Based Businesses

Amway Steps Up Training For Thousands Of Distributors

Last week, U S A Today ran an article about Amway distributors that have brought a class action lawsuit against the company.  Their claim is that they were forced to buy hundreds of dollars worth of marketing and training materials.  They also stated that there was pressure to attend weekend meetings, again at the cost of hundreds of dollars. After considerable time and effort, these distributors had yet to make the profits they expected when joining Amway.  This is a very familiar story in the network marketing industry and the main reason why so many people think MLM companies are a scam.  To Amway’s credit, they settled that law suite, but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing.  They also vowed to strengthen the training program for new distributors.

This is a classic example of how the old marketing methods used by network marketing companies will not work in today’s fast paced, Internet driven society.  A new Amway distributor trying to build a business for his or her family does not have time to stand in the mall handing out flyers or the extra money to place ads in the employment classifieds.  If they do find a prospect interested in Amway, the last thing that person wants is to go to a business meeting where hundreds of people are jumping up and down, dancing to some 80′s rock music.  I know we have all been there!

The last few years have been tough for many people.  We have been through the worst recession in a generation.  The economy is still slowly trying to get back on its feet.  Millions of Americans who are out of work have had to retrain themselves for jobs in different fields.  Network Marketing can be an employment solution for many of these workers.  If the decision is made to join Amway or any other MLM opportunity, know that you will have to retrain yourself for this line of work.  There are certain skills that need to be learned just like for any other new job.  Instead of relying solely on the marketing provided by Amway, here are a few suggestions for additional training to help in getting your business off the ground.

•    Writing Class: Today’s marketing environment has changed dramatically.  Gone are the days when telemarketing and direct mailers were the main ways to market a product.  The population now looks for product information on the Internet and more than likely, they will buy the product online also.  A great way for a new Amway distributor to market their hundreds of products is with informative articles and a blog site.  If you are like me, the last time you composed anything was senior year in college.  Your writing skills are going to be rusty.  Attend a creative writing class at a community college or take an on online course.  Develop some copy writing skills that will help you market your Amway products.

•    Web Design: Any good Internet marketing strategy starts with a company web site or blog, and many times both.  To have a site professionally designed can run into the thousands of dollars.  While you are out taking your writing class, sign up for web design and basic HTML coding.  This is a skill that will prove to be very valuable to your Amway business.  Instead of hiring web designers, you will be able to do most of the work yourself.  Putting your own creativity into designing your company web site is a very satisfying endeavor.

While I can sympathize with the Amway distributors that spent much their valuable time and money trying to get the business of the ground, in the end, it is a business.  People that start small companies from the ground up spend years saving and training before the doors ever open.  Network Marketing provides an easier path to owning a business, but still requires knowledge to make it successful.  Know that you will have to put in the effort and success will not happen overnight.