Damage Control

I have always made it clear to those in my group that I dont care what their PV is, I care how they are and about them. I have never PUSHED anyone to get PV or get on the system, because of this attitude I have built a HUGE repore with these people and we have grown to NATURALLY admire and respect one another we also trust one another b/c I have always been honest with them, both good and bad, its a fault of mine I guess. As you all know I am still building and retailing and thought I was doing okay. Well it seems that I am not, and that I have issues, (well thats uplines take anyway, as this is what they are telling my downline, in fact they are encouraging my downline to go to them for now until I can get myself together. I wasnt aware that I was apart??) So one of my closer downlines came to me with this confused and wanted to know what was up. (I have not told my downline about this site, nor have I talked with them about me not participating in the system, I believe that they will do what suits them best and some how find out all they need to know without me trying to influence them into something else as they have already bought into the system and been influenced into it ) Its not my wish to "steal" anyones dream or take the wind out of their sails or discourage them, I want to be ever lifting them up, I did send out an email at the beginning of the year telling them to once again review the rules of conduct and the BSMAA agreement as this was a legal contract that they have signed and they should understand it, 90% did not do that, and thats their choice! Now back to the conversation, I explained that I had decided for personal reasons to run MY business differently, that retailing was going to suit me best and work out better for me. The IBO asked what about the functions etc, I said well at this time I am no longer participating and again its for personal reasons, The IBO said well, should I stop? I said that is up to you. Would you be stopping because I have or because you wish to? The IBO said well both, I encouraged the IBO to research this and to read over the BSMAA and the Business Reference guide and then if there were any questions to contact the company as they have been instrumental in my decision making lately. They agreed to do that. Well it turns out that this particular person is finding the same things I did, and is probably going to drop out all together, but you know what, We are gonna remain friends and they respect me more now for not trying to INFLUENCE them into anything and instead ENCOURAGING them to think for themselves, I have another IBO who quit and blames me and says I scammed them ( this after reading the materials I suggested at the beginning of the year,) I have another IBO who said Well I am gonna continue with this full force infact stronger this year and I am a firm believer in the system and upline and feel that there is no reason to go digging for answers in that jargon the company uses, I have all the information I need. All these responses are met with " Thats great, I know you will achieve whatever you set out to and I respect your decisions" People are gonna do what people are gonna do, and they will do it better and feel better about it if you dont PUSH them or try to INFLUENCE them or TALK THEM INTO anything, respect what they decide, appreciate what they do, and SUPPORT any and every move they make whether you agree or not, thats how to be an effective leader and Upline. Just say Okay, and mean it. Dont say okay then walk away calling them a loser or saying well they wont ever make it. Believe in them!!! If someone changes what they are doing or stops doing something, dont run out and tell others "your version" of whats really going on, it only ends up making you look bad in the end, as depicted here. My upline chose to "corral the horses" when they saw that I was off tapes and out of the system and "investigating". They corralled the horses ( my downline ) by calling them ASSUMING I HAD ALREADY DONE SO. Telling them well they are confused and going through ISSUES and we think its best if you just give them some time to figure some things out, and if you need something just call us. Well all they did was make everyone suspicious because I in fact HAD NOT contacted ANYONE downline saying anything about what was going on. With one exception, there is 1 IBO in my downline whom I have had very close contact with throughout this but I dont consider that person downline or even an IBO its my close friend QBlog and his wife . This is my soapbox and tonight I really needed to use it, I am finding out that those people who "loved me" and wanted to see me "win" really just used me as a PV generator and a sponsoring machine, And boy I produced for over a year. The buck LITERALLY stops here!!!!!! Am I quitting? No, I like what I do. Am I mad? Kinda. What does my downline think? Im not sure. I have only had contact with a few and some of them are not even personally sponsored by me they are in depth, I just keep bouncing them off Quixtar and the IBOAI board, just as I used to bounce them off upline. I answer their questions honestly if they have them, but most of them dont, most of them know me and know the business well enough to just expect to get weird calls now and again and just write it off, so most dont realize there are troubled waters between me and upline and that they are out to get me revoked, they dont need to know. Anyone got any experiences similar? What is your judgement call when it comes to downline???
( I am no longer in Quixtar or involved with them in any way, I still have close relationships with most in my downline and some in my Upline )
*Originally posted March 17, 2003 11:22pm*