Expenses and Encouragement from June

Wow, did I ever go over budget in June... (Grimace face).  Besides my one-time expense of an address stamp and rarely occuring expenses like envelopes, I spent $44.50 on forever stamps and $55.00 on some extra leads to do my own extra mailings.  I am doing them ten at a time, more or less, a few days a week.  Add to that my monthly fee of $49 and the WHOPPING $10 for my extra mailing through AMC (thank you THANK YOU Upliners Larry O, Heather B, and to AMC for pitching in!) and I spent just over $180 in June.  Yes.  $80 over budget!  That's 80 PERCENT over budget.

So for July I will only do extra mailings I can afford the stamps for... And since I already went to my upline for a second mailing, and have ONCE AGAIN received pledges for all but $10, I will go ahead and do that one.  If I didn't I would be throwing away $45! So I'll do the July mailing but I won't do one for August.

Of course income is still $0... have to be patient but that will change.  That will be a very exciting blog day, with a lot of exclamation marks! (And maybe a picture of a puppy.)

As for encouragement, see the first paragraph.  I have two Upliners who are willing to hand over cash so I can do more advertising!! How cool is that?! And not just those two people, but the company as well!  I am thrilled about that.  Obviously Larry and Heather get it, and the other two (the ones who haven't even responded to my requests or reminders) - well, they don't at the moment.  I really don't mind hearing "no," but just do not like being ignored.

And as someone that dislikes being ignored, it goes without saying that I love your comments! Feel free to add your thoughtful comments and questions.  Thank you, everyone!

www.amc-usa.com/info

ID#223271

About Getting Hacked

I mentioned last week that AMC's computer system was hacked a few weeks ago and that while it has been and still is an inconvenience, there hasn't been any financial loss that I know of.  Here's what my Upliner Larry O. had to say in an email:

This was a trying month for AMC as the hackers who have 'terrorized' every major industry in America this year found their way into AMC's system and created several weeks of havoc. AMC has a full team of computer experts on site, and has had them on site, for several weeks, and has the problem under control. But, for the first time in 25 years monthly checks were delayed, reports were slow to get out and the phones were so overwhelmed calls were not returned.

But please remember this: THE PROBLEMS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH AMC AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH CROOKS (Most likely in China).

The good news is AMC ramped up their effort, addressed it immediately and is nearly 100% again. So, if you had a specific issue that did not get addressed, AMC is not 'avoiding' you; they are just busy.

It is during times like these you really appreciate dealing with an entrepreneurial company that acts personally and immediately. Big companies can't do so as witnessed by the problems Target had when this happened to them earlier this year. Government can't do it as witnessed by the health care website, VA issues etc.

But it's full steam ahead which means AMC  continues doing most of the work for you so you can concentrate on the very little - helping your downline and following up with leads - you have to do.

When challenges arise, as they do in all good businesses, the test is how the company deals with them. It is no surprise that AMC, with the utmost integrity and the dedication of Bob and Jayne Guzzetti rose to the challenge.

The future for all of us in AMC looks very, very good. AMC is probably the only true 'non-online' company out there today. Certainly, it is the longest running!


So, while the month was a little crazy in the offices of Advanced Marketing Concepts, the average member didn't feel as much disturbance as I did, since I am new and was trying to ask a million questions (although checks were late and that is VERY RARE from my understanding).  Things are getting smoothed out, and should get back to "normal" soon.


Oh and one other thing.  I literally sat up in bed in the middle of the night and thought, "I bet my mailing address is incorrect in their computer!"  So I sent an email over the weekend asking to confirm my address.  This morning came the reply - yup, the zip code was incorrect!  (This is where I slap my forehead with my palm.)  I am so glad we got that figured out.  I am confident that now, whatever "normal" is for others in AMC will be mine as well.

Bonuses are Beautiful.

Besides regular commissions each month, AMC pays bonuses for certain things.  There are several types of bonuses and that keeps things interesting.  There is the Fast Start Bonus (aka the FSB); the Double Fast Start Bonus; the Advancement Fast Start Bonus, 2Up FSB, Enroller Bonus, and the Infinity Bonus!

Uhhh… okay.  That’s a lot of different bonuses to figure out, but here’s my best attempt.

 

Fast Start Bonus:  Paid the first month a member enrolls under you.  This is either $25 for a $49/mo member, or $50 for a $99/mo member.  This is a one-time bonus.

 

Double Fast Start Bonus:  Paid the second month the member is enrolled.  (Exactly as above, but it has a different name.)

 

Advancement Fast Start Bonus:  If a $49/month member upgrades to become a $99/month member you get a bonus of $50.  

 

But get this:  The above bonuses are paid on the 1st, 3rd and 5thmembers, AND all subsequent members who enroll under you.  First member?  Yes.  Second member?  No.  Third?  Yes.  Fourth?  No.  Fifth?  Yup.  Sixth?  Yes, and seventh, seventeenth, and seventieth. Yes.  Just not the second and the fourth members.

 

Why not the second and the fourth members?  This is the 2Up FSB, the part that makes my head hurt trying to grasp:  The second and the fourth members’ FSBs (and Double FSBs, and Advancement FSBs) go up to the person who enrolled YOU.  Mind you, the member doesn’t get spirited away and neither do the commissions that come from that person; just those one-time bonuses.  So for all your members enrolled under you, their second and fourth members will come attached with all these FSBs that roll up to YOU. And not just for one level, or two or even three: through infinity. Yeah. My head hurts now.

The Enroller Bonus is simple enough - for each of your members that you personally enrolled, you get a bonus of $10 or $20 each month depending on whether they are a $49 or a $99 member, except for the months when those other bonuses above are being paid.  This is for all your members through infinite levels. 

My head hurts from all this math and because the cat is sitting right next to my head and stirring up my allergies.  I will tackle the infinity bonus in a future episode of "Fun! With Bob and Jayne."

BTW: All this information is as I understand it from the promotional material*; if any readers see an error and want to set me straight please do.  I certainly don't want to misinform.

Have a great weekend!

*The booklet, "It's Your Turn!" available at www.amc-usa.inc/info, ID #223271

Today I did... Nothing!

That's right, I didn't think about AMC, Inc. I didn't do any work for my Advanced Marketing Concepts business. I didn't have to! Any questions that any of my prospects had were answered by Bob and Jayne Guzzetti and their staff in their home office in Roswell, GA. Any membership payments were processed by them too.

I enjoyed the nice New Mexico summer day. What did you do?

www.amc-usa.com/info

ID #223271

Check Out the New Pages

Two new pages!  Check out the links near the top of the page; in addition to "Home" there is now "How to Get the Booklet, 'IT'S YOUR TURN!' " and another page, "Testimonials."  Pretty self-explanatory.  As always, feel free to comment on any page of this blog.  I like comments!


Things are much better in the wild, wild world of Advanced Marketing Concepts, Inc.  Emails were received, replied to, not received, re-sent, etc.  So according to Arlee of the Roswell, GA office, another set of labels for June have been put in the mail as of today and all my other communications were received and all should be in order.  OKAY.  Back on track.


Now all I have to do is walk my dog and figure out what's for dinner.


www.amc-usa.com/info
ID# 223271

PLEASE ANSWER ME!

Subject: PLEASE ANSWER ME!

Will you please tell me when my labels for June were mailed?  I still haven't received anything, despite Arlee's assurances on June 12 that they would be here "any day now."

Also, I have never had an email response confirming that you have cancelled my vitamin order placed somewhere around May 22, and that you all know that I would like you to start doing my mailings in July. 

I know you got new software and new personnel and hacked but this is ridiculous.  I would like some customer service, and I am a customer.

Thank you.

Martha C

AMC MEMBER #223271

I just sent the above email to Advanced Marketing Concepts in Roswell, GA.  I completely understand why so many people have decided that this is a scam and that Bob and Jayne Guzzetti are nothing more than con artists. HOWEVER, I do believe that this is a legitimate business; just poorly run.  I am hoping that, like Jayne says in her emails to members, that the reason they are slow to answer emails and phone messages is that they are so busy talking to prospective members.

WHATEVER.  I am really getting tired of this total lack of concern for their current customers.  Has Jayne Guzzetti forgotten that I am giving her $49.00 per month?  I would like to see my products!  Or at least a message confirming that said product exists, or has been shipped, or ANYTHING.  And silly me, I just offered to hand over $70.00 per month so she could do my mailings for me.  Now how am I going to know that those mailings actually went out?  I am not so sure I want to take her word for it at this point.  (Hmmm… what about that extra order of 100 pieces I just requested last week?)

You’ll notice the message above mentions that the computer system of AMC, Inc. has been hacked.  I am one of the people whose information was compromised (although nobody suffered any loss; I think it was somebody just trying to show how vulnerable their system was).  I immediately canceled the credit card associated with the account and it was just a hassle.  Still is, actually. 

I went through my sent email list and determined that after I ordered those damned vitamins I requested updates by email on June 4, June 9, June 19, and today.  I also requested it verbally on June 11, the day the computer security breach was discovered.  I emailed general questions on June 4, June 13, June 19, and have never gotten ANY REPLY WHATSOEVER.  I did send in an inquiry through their web page “contact us” form on May 15^th and received a reply back on May 16^th.  That’s it though.  Until my information was stolen and I let AMC know, I didn’t even qualify as chopped liver.  Now that I am on the email list, I possibly qualify.

No wonder people get pissed off.

(I wonder if their customer service would be any better if I let them know that I am blogging about this experience?  Well, in my honest opinion if they were worth their salt they would know to google their business name occasionally and they would KNOW there is a blog about them.)

Your Own Business! (Why, Exactly?)

What are some of the reasons people start their own businesses?  Obvious answers include things like having more control of your life:  when, where, and how things get done.  There are also reasons like tax deductions, pride of ownership, and the possibility of financial independence.

 

There are probably benefits of business ownership that people don’t realize when they get into it; most new business owners have to learn new skills in order to survive.  A computer nerd may suddenly realize the need for personal communication skills that need to be learned in a hurry.  A sales pro may find themself thrust into the world of SEO and backlinks.  Dog trainers learn spreadsheets and networking; etc.  In addition to an expanded skill set, most entrepreneurs will find themselves with a stronger sense of determination, persistence,  and connectedness within their community.

 

There are some other surprises that come with business ownership; things that weren’t necessarily a reason for starting a business, but that are enjoyable nonetheless.  One is employing others. Giving a young kid a start to their career can be really rewarding.  Being recognized as the local expert at something is gratifying, whether awards are earned in the process or not - although I’m guessing awards and formal recognition feel good too.  A self-employed person has the chance to reinvent themselves, in no small part because of the control mentioned in the first paragraph.

 

What were my reasons?  As I’ve mentioned before, the need for something I can rely on for retirement is first and foremost.  And with Advanced Marketing Concepts the amount of time spent is minimal, so I can continue to live my regular life after I finish my regular job at 5:00 every weekday.  I doubt I’ll ever employ others or receive any recognition with this endeavor, but I am learning about patience and determination and… more patience.  After all, persistence takes TIME.

Looking For a Good Company

Why does anyone decide to go into network or multi-level marketing?  In order to earn a long-term income that will enhance your current income and lifestyle; one that can help you enjoy a better life in terms of both time and money.

What do you look for in a company?  Elliott Kosmicki put it well on his site, elliottkosmicki.com.  Here's what he was looking for:

"1.) The company needed to be stable, but not past the momentum stage.
2.) I needed to love the product and be very comfortable telling people I meet about it.
3.) It needed to allow me to build my business without home parties and selling to friends and family.
4.) It needed to have a pay plan that would allow me to build my business to a point that in 5 years I knew I’d be getting paid for life – and even longer."

Okay, in terms of AMC we have stability covered - more than 25 years of stability. Momentum? The jury's still out on that one.  Product: ummm... See my last post about cancelling my order for vitamins.  Possibly SOME DAY I'll be able to speak to that one.  This lack of knowledge in the product makes me think that the stability and momentum are adversely affected too.  Number three:  no selling - DONE! Thank heavens.  I can mail letters til the cows come home.  And number four: yes, I believe that's taken care of although I haven't seen any evidence so far.

Mr. Kosmicki chose Sisel, which I haven't heard of, but their coffee sounds awesome.  And his website is nicely designed.  But before you check it out, visit amc-usa.com/info with ID# 223271!

Cancel the dang order already!

Today I sent AMC an email: just cancel that vitamin order I placed a month ago.
Also, I still haven't seen my labels for June.  And thirdly, thanks for getting me on the email list.

When I got home, I had mail! Snail mail.  It was a returned letter from my extra letters I am sending out on my own.  (Sigh.) But here's the good news: if only one was returned, at least nine were delivered! And they must have been opened because I used cool stamps.  Or interesting stamps, at least.

Forging ever forward.  Enjoy the weekend!

www.amc-usa.com/info
ID# 223271

Happy Dance!

I got an email yesterday.  I am finally on the email list!

It took six weeks but I'm on there.  I feel like I have ARRIVED.  (Now if I would only receive my leads for June, or a notice that I have a member...)

What was the email about? It was about the importance of taking care of your downline. Which is something I intend to do, as soon as I have one.

Junk Mail? Snail Mail?

Every week or so I check the junk folder of my email.  I do this because once an important email from a relative with a suspiciously generic-sounding name got swept up and I nearly missed the whole point of the message.  So today I was checking the junk, and made a surprising discovery.  In between all the notifications that I qualify for personal loans and that "Custumer Support" from Paypal needs me to update my information immediately (yeah, like THAT'S gonna happen) were three messages from AMC!  I was so excited.  I figured that finally finally FINALLY they had added me to the email list.




What important messages were Bob and Jayne Guzzetti sending me today?  What had I been missing?!  Oh finally I could find out.




Or... not.  It turns out the messages were pure SPAM.  Here's the subject line from one of them:

PLEASE... don't make the same mistake I did!  I should have joined AMC, Inc. 15 years ago!!!!!!

And yes, there were six exclamation marks.  Bob and Jayne love to communicate their excitement.

The others were trying to convince me why AMC is perfect for me.  (Okay, got it already...)  I am starting to decide that these two are slightly old, and old-fashioned, and that's why they do only postal mail.  After all, they have been doing this over 25 years and I don't remember getting too much email back then.  These two just don't understand enough about computers and the opportunities brought about by "that whole www thing"; not only that, but either they are too tired, or cheap, or suspicious to dive in with any commitment.  So in order to decide if this whole thing is worth my while, I need to give it more time for their system to work the way it does... through snail mail.

But here's the kicker:  the "letter" above is signed by a Bob Jenkins.  I am certain that Bob Jenkins is a real person who actually said this about AMC.  Why would I think that?  Well if you ever see a list of testimonials about AMC, two of the people who write glowing things are in my upline.  That's right, good old Lester A. and Larry O.  They are both people with whom I have communication, (email and postal mail).  So I think if I let the Guzzettis muddle through the whole technology thing (phobia?), it will work out in the end.  Just sticking with it.

Nothing but patience

Well, no monthly leads on labels today. No vitamins.  No "You've got a new member!"  announcement. Nothin'. But I did get a call from AMC today.  They had a question about the extra mailing order I sent in.  So at least I know THAT's going on.

I also started another campaign to my upline for another 100 piece mailing to go out by July 31st.  The two people who completely ignored my request for help the first time got a stamped, self-addressed envelope with the request forms this time.  Maybe that will help them jump the mental hurdle of saying yes or no!  Honestly I don't mind if they can't help me, but it's just not polite to ignore a request.

And I sent out another ten pieces of advertising, aka the two page letter, to people on the list of names I bought.  So I am doing what I am supposed to be doing; just wish the postal service and AMC would do their part.

I know, I know... "Patience, grasshopper."

So if the key to success in this venture, getting people to become members under you or selling the vitamin products which are supposedly going through a makeover, is ADVERTISING, then that essentially means getting out as many of the 2 page letters as possible.  It means asking your upline each month for help with extra mailings until you have enough members under you that you then turn around and help them with theirs.  I have just mailed in my first extra mailing request and will start working on the second one this week.

What else is there?  Well there's this blog, for one. Most people look online first for information on anything.  My hope is they will find this blog and if they don't join, they will at least go to amc-usa.com/info and download the "It's Your Turn!" booklet using my ID number (223271). And if people don't do that, my hope is that they will at least enjoy reading this.

Another thing I did last week was order some extra names from a mailing list service of people who are interested in work-from-home opportunities.  I paid $55.00 for 500 names and am sending them letters just a few at a time since 500 x.49 is $245.00 in stamps! Yikes. But it will keep me busy, and allow me to keep letters in the "pipeline" if you will.  It seems to me 500 names for $55.00 is too cheap to be worthwhile... We will see!

With this, success is a given!

Who, after seeing this little deer that got lost in a thunderstorm, can feel anything but grateful? Life is good.  Now enjoy the weekend!

Jayne Guzzetti is a HOOT.

Well I heard from Jayne Guzzetti today! Spoke with her and Arlee her assistant for over 20 minutes.  Not only are they getting new software that is having some troubles meshing with the other things in the office; they have had a “change in personnel,” let’s just say.  She assured me that I will start receiving regular communication from the company soon, I am in the system, and I am on the email list, etc.

Arlee said my labels for June should be arriving any day now, and she will check on that vitamin order I placed two weeks ago.

FYI: Jayne Guzzetti is a HOOT.

www.amc-usa.com/info

ID# 223271

A Little Bit at a Time

Things don't happen quickly with Advanced Marketing Concepts.  Roswell, GA is really a suburb of Atlanta, but from where I stand it's just a sleepy little peach grove at a wide dusty patch in the road.

That said, things do still happen at their own southern molasses drawl of a pace. Today was a big first for me:  I mailed in my first order for an optional 100- pc mailing today. Because I had help from my upline it will cost me ten whole bucks to send out twice the normal monthly mailing that comes with my $49 monthly membership fee. So in June there will be 150 letters making their way to possible future AMC members with MY member number on them. (Through the snail mail, of course.) To quote Mr. Burns from The Simpsons:  "Excellent."

www.amc-usa.com/info

ID#223271

Henry Ford was a genius!

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.

   -    Henry Ford

When the "upliners" help the "downliners" then both make strides toward success.  Of course that's how it works.... In business, sports, education, even economics.  Perhaps not so much in horse racing.

www.amc-usa.com/info

ID# 223271

Why I Am Still Excited About Advanced Marketing Concepts

As you all could probably tell after the last few posts I have felt a little frustrated and left out in the cold.  But today I want to talk about why I am still excited about AMC, in spite of it all.  One reason for excitement is I really could use a second income that has the potential to change my retirement.  My monthly budget is small -only $100 - because I have a daughter in college, and am still paying off those massive loans from our first child's education.  Then there's that credit card debt that needs to be tackled.  What's that, you are asking about what? RETIREMENT?  I've heard of that...  An extra few hundred a month in profit would be most welcome; an extra few thousand could really make retirement come into focus faster!  I expect most of us are in the same boat, more or less.

But the reason I think this program has the potential to be a game-changer is because it is set up to work when WE don't have the sales skills or charisma or whatever it takes to gather a faithful following in person.  Face to face.  As in, I am not asking my siblings or friends to join; when I am successful I just might tell them about my little secret -but I'm not going to bother them just yet... I don't have to!  It's all done through the mail.  Snail mail.  Just a 2 page letter advertisement, sent directly to people most likely to be interested.

Direct mail marketing has been around for over a century, but with all the internet marketing and communication going on almost nobody receives -or sends- postal mail.  Remember stamps?  Stamps!  And stationery.  First class mail.  None of this bulk mail stuff.  I have always enjoyed sending letters and cards almost as much as I enjoy getting them.  Postcards are only good if from a friend who is travelling.  I understand that because postage has skyrocketed lately, AMC is testing some postcards.  As economically necessary as the step to postcards may be, I will always prefer a letter in an envelope (preferably not with an address label) and with a STAMP.  A genuine first class stamp; the fancier the better.  You know those letters with interesting first class stamps are at least getting opened.  And that's the first hurdle.  I'll leave the rest of the advertisement campaign - layout, text, images, etc. - to the pros, Bob and Jayne Guzzetti.

I have my postage stamps, my envelopes, and my return address stamp ready to go.  Now all I need is my bunch of leads for June and I'm off to the (snail mail) races!

amc-usa.com/info
ID# 223271

Communication (or lack thereof)

I was hoping I'd be able to start this entry with news of correspondence received - postal mail, email, any kind of correspondence.  But no.  Here's a recap of all correspondence I have received from Advanced Marketing Concepts, or members in my upline, and what I have sent them (to the best of my memory; I'm not going back to research dates).

5/3/14 I downloaded the informational booklet at amc-usa.com/info (and you can too using code 223271) and joined online.

5/5/14. My bank account went down by $87.

5/10/14  I received the welcome packet in the mail.  Included was a $10.00 coupon (or whatever they call it) to use on vitamins.  It was expired.  I also noticed they didn't send a catalogue for vitamins, as the booklet said they would.  But I did get my leads on labels, which I immediately got in the mail attached to the envelopes containing the two page letter.  But instead of getting 50 labels there were only 48.

5/12/14 I used the contact form on the amc-now.com website for members and asked about my upline, and told them about the label shortage and the old coupon.

5/16/14. Yay! I heard back from AMC via email and they promised more labels and a new coupon.  They also said they'd send a catalogue, but that they no longer include them in the welcome packets. They also said they would send the information on people in my upline.  The email also stated that because I was new I hadn't been added to the email list yet and that I would start getting emails in June.

5/21/14 The second package from AMC arrived; all was as they promised. New labels, upline information, new coupon for vitamins.  Great -good to go!

5/22/14  I placed my vitamin order online, using the new improved coupon.

5/22/14  I sent out my request for help on an extra mailing to everyone in my upline.

5/22/14  Using the contact form again I asked some more questions like, Is it too soon to tell you that starting in July I'd like you all to do the mailings for me? and some other questions that I've forgotten.

5/23/14  Two emails today! Both from Bob Guzzetti, confirming my order and something else about vitamins.

5/23/14  I sent out an email to my upline members letting them know that I had sent a request and to be looking out for it.  One member responded immediately with a pledge to help; one responded that he needed more information, and one replied via regular mail with a pledge.

6/5/14. I sent a regular email to AMC using the amcnow@mindspring.com address asking my questions again.

6/6/14  My bank account balance went down by $49.

So as of today, June 7, 2014, I haven't had any response to my last two attempts to communicate with AMC.  I am also not on any email list that I am aware of.  Fortunately, some of you have sent comments letting me know what the emails coming from Roswell, GA are saying (thanks for the information!). And that's where things stand right now.  I am just a bit disheartened.

Too much money stuff

And here's a picture of a cat.  In a sink.

Advanced Marketing Concepts and Second Thoughts?

June 5,  2014

Jeffery E’s comment the other day has me pretty worried:

Martha, I've been mailing (via AMC) an additional 500-pieces each month since March. My daughter joined under me in March and she has been mailing (also via AMC) an additional 250-pieces each month. As of June 5th, neither of us have received had any sign-ups or leads generated as a result of our mailings. I wish to say this wasn't true, but we're beginning to have second thoughts. Hopefully, we'll see some light  at the end of the tunnel soon.

I found some advice from Advanced Marketing Concepts that came in an email from their Roswell, GA office to (I assume) all their members at some point in 2013.  Here’s part of it:

ASK FOR HELP!! We offer a 120-day review to all you who are working the system and are utilizing our mail service for your monthly leads. 120-day reviews are given to those who are serious about their business and have worked the system, turned in a Budget Commitment Form, followed up with their prospects, gone to their upline for contributions every month, contributed to their downline, and have followed all the suggestions and methods AMC and the staff have advised them to do to grow your business. All within the budget you can afford!  (Remember, if you go to you upline and they don’t come through with enough money to fit your budget, all you have to do is throw everything away, and go back to them next month. You are not obligated to place the order if you can’t afford to.  But you definitely need to call if you this continues to happen.)  Don’t forget, Bob and Jayne Guzzetti have been there! They have been there!!! Bob, Jayne and the staff at AMC stand by the proven Upline System and have seen it work over and over again. So, if you’re doing everything possible to grow your business and have followed our methods, yet “lady luck” seems to be M.I.A., Jayne Guzzetti will do a full review of your business personally. She’s been in your shoes! And because she believes so strongly in her proven system, she’s willing to give additional help to your business and give it a “PUSH” until it can stand on its own. Whatever it takes! What other company do you know that will stand behind its system so strongly and stands by its members so strongly as well?

My response to Jeffery was to give AMC a call and see what they suggest doing.  And ask for help.  Here’s something new though:  there’s a “Budget Commitment Form” mentioned in this paragraph that wasn’t anywhere in the informational booklet, wasn’t in my packet, and isn’t available on the amc-now.com website.  So… what if we want a review?  (By the way:  the 90-day review has been done away with because 3 months just wasn’t enough time to get enough mailings out in order to review the results, so if you read in the book “IT’S YOUR TURN!” at amc-usa.info, ID# 223271, you will see an explanation of a 90-day review but it’s been changed.)  I do know AMC needs to see what you’ve been doing, how many extra mailings you’ve been doing, etc.; I don’t know if they’d turn you down for a review if you haven’t had a “Budget Commitment Form” on file for 120 days, if you are a newbie and hadn’t had any correspondence regarding that form.  But then, AMC is supposedly sending out emails to all their members on a frequent basis; I haven’t gotten any because I started in early May and they said I’d start to get them in June.  Oh, it’s JUNE NOW!  Seems like an account with Constant Contact could take care of that…

I can’t decide if AMC is SO old-fashioned because Bob and Jayne just don’t understand what is available to them with web-based business products (like getting people on the email list IMMEDIATELY – how hard is that?), or if they know full well what’s out there and don’t want what’s available for some reason.  They’re too cheap?  They can’t afford it?  They want to micro-manage everything?  They have legal advice that it makes them too liable to lawsuits?  I don’t know.  I know I’m confused and I sincerely hope I don’t have to wait four months to get even ONE single person in my downline.  That would make for a very boring blog.

Snail Mail Drives Me Crazy / Keeps Me Sane

There is a cartoon I saw recently that had a subheading “10 Years Ago” and a character with a sad face, looking through his bills and other mail.  Next to that the character was on a (very old-fashioned) computer and raising his fists in victory as the computer announced, “You’ve Got Mail!”  Below it, with the subheading “Today” the story was switched around:  a sad face in front of a tablet with the words “You have 562 unread emails” and the character doing the victory dance with one piece of mail.

That cartoon completely sums up the communication revolution that has occurred in our society.  I am of an age when people actually HAD to write letters to keep in touch, because long-distance calls had a prohibitive cost attached.  I just naturally got in the habit of sending quick notes and birthday cards to people.  Christmas cards were (and still are) mandatory.  Yet, I prefer email and the internet for quick questions and answers, finding information, sharing pictures, bill paying, and organizing events.  (And don’t forget solitaire and Sudoku.)

Sometimes I wish this program could be done strictly online like many other programs… you know, the “get rich quick” programs.  It would be wonderful if, after approximately one month in AMC, I had a downline member or two.  It would be great if there was some sort of back office where I could tell if anyone had downloaded the book, “IT’S YOUR TURN!” with my ID#.  (Note:  amc-usa.com/info and ID #227231.  Just in case you needed that info.)  But there isn’t. 

I think that the lack of online presence is probably done on purpose (though it is just a hunch).  The whole purpose is that people now enjoy and look forward to physical pieces of mail.  The internet moves faster, yes, and lists/memberships can be built up much faster.  They can also be lost instantaneously.  And with people expecting to see instant results online, it is so easy to obsess over them and stay glued to the screen 24/7.  Obviously that doesn’t work with a program that gives you updates once a month, on paper, through the U.S. Postal Service.  It forces people to go out and live a life worth living.  And that, in my opinion, forces people to think about lots of other things and to keep from getting burned out on AMC.

There is something about the very slowness of the whole Paper... Fold... Envelope... Address... Stamp... USPS... process that is pleasant and rather peaceful.  Not only that, but the recipient of the mail is far more likely to open it if they retrieved it from their mailbox on their way in the door, rather than opening their email and finding it among the other 561 unread emails.  And results are bound to be better when the mail is opened than if not!  So in a way, the snail mail is here to save the day.  My thanks to the lowly snail.

Teamwork

I got a delightful piece of mail yesterday.  Another upline person (“upliner?” – certainly not an official AMC term but I kind of like it) will contribute $25 to my extra mailing!  I only have $10 to go and it will be totally PAID FOR! That’s so wonderful… true teamwork.  Thanks to Heather B inOK.

“ ‘Teams’ build successful MLM businesses! Self-serving individuals do not!  There has never been an exception to this rule and there never will be!”  (from the “It’s Your Turn!” Booklet) 

Expenses and Encouragement

6/2/2014

Today’s update includes expenditures.  In anticipation of June’s mailing I got on amazon.com and purchased 500 business envelopes for $14.95 and a return address stamp for $10.23 (shipping included in each price).  I also went to the store and picked up 3 booklets of forever stamps for $29.40.  Total outlay:  $54.58.  Today is June 2; the automatic withdrawal for my June fees should happen June 5^th, making June expenses $103.48.  Oops… over my June budget!  I hope really hope I get more help with that extra mailing.  If I have to pay $35 myself then it will have to come out of my July budget.  At least I know I won’t need to buy envelopes and a return address stamp anytime soon!

 

Also in May the initial fee and the first month’s membership was $87.00, not $81.00.  (The one-time fee is $38.00, not $32.00.) So May’s expenses were $113.95, not $107.95 as previously reported in my post on 5/25/14.  (Over budget again… not a good pattern!)

 

Oh, and Lester A. in KY wrote back to me.  Just as I thought, I am so far removed and on a branch of the family tree that is so far out of reach for him that it just isn’t economically feasible to help me, which I understand.  This is from today’s email:

 

“I’m delighted you are actively promoting your AMC business.  Their system does work.  And their recruitment letter is proving to be most effective.  My down line has grown by about 450 since we started using the new letter about two years ago.  Tremendous growth by anyone’s standards!!!”

 

Well that’s very nice of him to be so encouraging. 

          Image copyright CamC 2011