How to Spot an Amway Distributor

Below is a list of behaviors and characteristics that Amway distributors commonly exhibit. If someone you know exhibits a few of these characteristics, there may be cause to worry. But if the person exhibits ALL (or most) of the characteristics, they are very probably approaching you to look at the Amway business.

Whatever you do, NEVER, EVER give your telephone number or home address to someone you suspect is a distributor. You might be able to get that distributor to stop calling you, but chances are, he has given your telephone number to everyone in his upline. Without knowing (and without your permission), any number of people will call you offering to "answer any questions you may have." Also keep in mind that some distributors are so desperate to build their business, that (having only your address) they will go to the trouble of hunting down your home telephone number using the phone book or the Internet.

These behaviors have been donated by a number of contributors.

Here are some general questions that can "give away" an Amway distributor:

1. Has an old friend from high school called you recently and asked to meet with you for no particular reason or for a "vague" reason?
2. Does someone want to just have lunch with you about a "business opportunity?"
3. Does someone in your church that you never had lunch with before all of a sudden wants to take you to lunch?
4. Is there a group of people in your church who all sit together, dress the same way, and after church stand together talking, but every once in a while their group seems to grow?
5. Is there an "exclusive" group of people in your company that always goes to lunch together, yet is growing?
6. Are you tempted to call a number that is on a "tear-off notice" on a public bulletin board at the post office, grocery store, or restaurant?
7. Does a fellow employee that you never talk to suddenly want to meet with you?
8. Have you been invited to a meeting to look at "a business opportunity" but the details have not been explained to your satisfaction?
9. Does an acquaintence strongly want to get you involved with a business that is "really going places, but you have to get it in on it now or you'll miss out?"

At church, here are some "warning signs":

• If someone talks about being "free" so you can "make contributions to the church" and "the Lord's work".
• If someone talks about how they or someone "in the business" came "to the Lord" through "the business" or "this business".
• If someone keeps "rebuking" you to "talk positively", "think positively", or "be positive".
• If someone keeps telling you that you are a "winner" and "God's gift to all mankind".
• If someone is into "positive confession", "speak things into existence", "name it and claim it", "Positive Thinking", "Possibility Thinking", or is into the following authors:
  • Charles Capps
  • Kenneth Copeland
  • Kenneth Hagin
  • E.W. Kenyon
  • Edwin Cole
  • Jerry Saville,
  • John Avanzini
  • Paul (or David) Yongi Cho
  • Paul Crouch
  • Pat Robertson
  • Steve Covey
  • Napoleon Hill
  • W. Clement Stone
  • Robert Schuller
  • Robert Tilton
  • Paul Crouch
  • Norman Vincent Peale
• If you are new to a church and someone befriends you, calls you "brother" or "sister", smiles and acts like they are glad to see you, and always asks you how things are going, they may be a true Christian or they may be a distributor.
• If any Christian you know tends to be into the charismatic or superficial evangelical movements, and/or they are into "Bible Churches".
• If any Christian or other person tries to tell you about a buying service where customers can save "30%" (or more) of goods and services, or that they can offer goods and services from over (fill in large number) companies.
• If you are offered tapes to listen to, books to read, or videos to watch that cover any of the above topics, persons, "theologies", teachings, etc.
• If anyone approaches you in the church to discuss "business" or a "business opportunity" of any kind.
• If anyone in church asks for your help on a project such as helping them put their computer system together, or to "fellowship in the Lord", and when you get to their home they start in about "looking over a business opportunity", joining a "Christian business", or "wouldn't you like to make extra money to give to the Lord's work", etc.
• If anyone says it is "God's will" for you to prosper, be successful, be rich, etc.

You might be approached by a distributor if the following phrases are brought up with little or no introduction:

• "the business"
• "a business opportunity"
• "God has blessed me though the business he has given me"
• "the lord has given me a ministry in my business"
• "don't you want your wife to come home from work and be there for your children?"
• "shouldn't you be the provider for your household?"
• "don't you want your husband to be the spiritual leader of your household?"
• "aren't you tired of working on a time clock?"
• "don't you want to be your own boss?"
• "you need to let the free enterprise system work for you"

Here are some common lines used by distributors. If you hear any of these, you should get away as quickly as possible.

• Lines used for contacting/ approaching:
  • "Do you ever look at other ways of making money?"
  • "Maybe you can help me, I'm in the process of expanding a business in the area and I'm looking for a.. um... a go-getter type. Do you KNOW anybody like that?"
  • "Do you know anyone who might be interested in making a couple-extra of thousand dollars a month working 8 to 10 hours a week?"
  • "I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on a business I'm looking at. I really value your opinion and could use your input."
  • "Hi, this is John. I was telling you about the business I am in the process of expanding and you ASKED me to give you a call."
• Lines used to deflect/ disguise the business is Amway:
  • "We work with (Diamond's full name), who owns (Diamond's last name) Enterprises, out of (Diamond's town). He owns his own consumer distribution company. Maybe you've heard of them?"
  • "Well, sure, we do sell Amway products, but that's only about 20% of what we sell. Everything else comes from over 2,000 other companies, most of which are 'Fortune 500'."
  • "Naw, it's not Amway, it's (InterNet Services or WWDB or INA). We only use Amway to move products."
  • "Amway?! No, this is Quixtar- it's entirely different."
  • "No, it's not Amway." (An out-right lie that some distributors may use to get people to sign up.)

For further information, check out the following sites:
Amway: The Continuing Story
MLM Survivor's Homepage
Amway Worldwide Dreambuilders and the things they say...

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