IBOAI SPEAKER GUIDELINES
IBOs work hard to do the right thing in business and in life. To help guide IBOs in the way they speak about their Independent Businesses powered by Amway, the IBOAI Board and Amway developed Speaker Guidelines for Independent Business Owners.
It is important to remember that when you are speaking on stage, you are not just representing yourself or your part of the LOS, but you represent all of Amway.
Focus on Business. Follow the Golden Rule. Be Clear. Be Accurate.
Positioning the Amway Opportunity – It is important that IBOs do not position the Amway Opportunity as anything other than the Amway Business.
- Customer Sales are an essential and necessary part of the Amway Opportunity.
- Amway supplies the Opportunity – the Approved Provider offers training and educational materials as well as community support.
- Keep in mind that the cost to enter the Business is $76.00. Any purchase other than that must be positioned as optional. No bundling of privately produced materials (“BSM”) is permitted.
- When describing the IBO Compensation Plan powered by Amway, the roles of a balanced business – retail sales, personal experience, and sponsoring – must be accurately explained.
- Retail sales to consumers (non-Plan participants) are required of every IBO and must be taught as part of an upline’s responsibilities pursuant to Rules 5.5 and 5.6 of the Amway/IBO Rules of Conduct.
- Only typical and realistic income potentials are permitted. Please refer to the current version of Amway’s Income Disclosures for more information about earnings claims made to Prospects and IBOs.
- When discussing the Business, it is important not to minimize time and effort or to guarantee success. In addition, IBOs must not set timeframes on income or success.
- The Amway Business may not be referred to as a tax shelter, wholesale buying club, virtual mall, franchise, etc.
- Amway Corporation or the Opportunity must not be represented as any of the following: an internship program; sponsoring company; an investment; no selling required; a mentoring business; the supplier; as an inheritance, risk-free; referring to prospective IBOs as candidates; or making an offer of partnership.
Discussing Earnings
- Any earnings presented must be based solely on Amway earnings and must be typical and realistic. No earning representations are permitted without proper disclosures. Please refer to the current version of Amway’s Income Disclosures for more information about earnings claims made to Prospects and IBOs.
- Amway income may not be referred to as residual, passive, royalties, endorsements, rebates, or represent money saved in personal use as income.
- IBOs are not allowed to make any guarantees of success.
- Income earnings must include proper disclaimers set by Amway. Please refer to the current version of Amway’s Income Disclosures for more information about earnings claims made to Prospects and IBOs.
Please Note for the Above: Please refer to Rule 5 of the IBO Amway Rules of Conduct for specific requirements with regard to income and lifestyle representations.
Business Environment - This is an equal opportunity business
- It is important to stay business-focused and not use the stage as a platform to excessively promote your personal religious or political affiliation, and/or moral standards.
- All references to a particular ethnic, religious or political group or words alluding to them, and misplaced humor about them, should always be avoided.
- No demeaning statements regarding personal lifestyle, ethnicity and gender roles, or political figures or views.
- Jobs and education should not be demeaned.
- Spiritual references must be personal and brief in nature and may not be the focus or main message of any communication.
- Support for political candidates should only be mentioned if the support relates to the agenda of the Amway Business.
- No demeaning, inflammatory labels, or personal attacks on government officials.
- Moral judgements should not be made from stage on any issue.
- There are certain words that some use in their everyday speech that can be offensive from stage. It may seem acceptable when said from stage but can be offensive when heard on an audio without the benefit of hearing it “live” and in context.
- Selling to customers is a necessary and essential part of the Amway Opportunity.
Positioning the Approved Provider & BSM
- Amway supplies the Opportunity – the Approved Provider offers training and educational materials as well as community support.
- System Participation and the purchase of Business Support Materials (BSM) must be presented as optional. Positioning participation as a required component of building an independent business is not appropriate and should not be made. Nor should any IBO share stories of financially irresponsible decisions as means to purchase BSM.
- Approved Provider/Line of Affiliation (LOA) offers an environment that can help you learn about and grow your independent business.
- The cost to enter the Amway Business is $76.00. Any other purchases must be positioned as optional. No bundling of privately produced material is permitted.
- Many IBOs find it helpful to purchase and use BSM, but no budget suggestions in order to purchase BSM should be made.
- Pressure to purchase function tickets is not allowed – promise of success from function attendance must not be made.
- Equating BSM to a college degree must not be made.
Describing Amway Products
- No product claims unless approved by Amway.
- Amway makes claims in its marketing and advertising materials (e.g. its websites) and on its product labels. IBOs may use claims for Amway products provided they are from official Amway sources and cannot be altered in any way.
- Statements on Amway products may only be taken from official Amway literature and official Amway websites intended and approved for use in the Region.
Speaker Contracts & Quality Assurance Standards
- To achieve Accreditation Plus, Approved Providers adopted Accreditation Plus approved Speaker Contracts. All speakers or presenters from stage must read and retain the Speaking Guidelines and sign the required Speaker Contracts.
- Be sure to read the Content Standards of the Quality Assurance Standards thoroughly to understand these Speaking Guidelines and make certain that anyone presenting from your stage at any event understands the Content Standards of the QAS and these Speaking Guidelines.
These guidelines are not intended to replace the Quality Assurance Standards or the Rules of Conduct, which can be found on both Amway’s and the IBOAI’s websites.
Revised July 25, 2023
