Ada, Michigan – An innovative platform called The Voice has bridged the information gap between Amway and its independent business owners.
The interactive site encourages Amway Business Owners (ABOs) from around the globe to suggest ideas about current and future Amway products and increase the effectiveness of business tools already in place.
“We can put a question out there to the ABOs and we get their un-filtered feedback in real-time,” Amway Vice President of Research and Development Catherine Ehrenberger said.
“We’re not doing a study or going out and asking questions that take six months to get an answer for – during that time everything can change. That’s why I think the real-time and unfiltered aspects are really important.”
Connect with other ABOs on The Voice
The response from ABOs has been overwhelmingly favorable.
Ehrenberger noted a situation where the company was preparing to produce product demonstration videos and was able to communicate directly with ABOs through The Voice to see what kinds of content they desired. Sometimes the results create unexpected twists as well.
“We put out a question and received varying feedback from our markets. The opinions in America weren’t the same as Asia, and the opinions in Asia weren’t the same as Europe,” Ehrenberger said. “By asking our business owners directly, we’re able to get the varied input in real time, and respond just as quickly.”
Digital Lead Greg Bauman moderates much of the input on The Voice and filters it through to the appropriate channels for action.
“I don’t have to scroll down very far to see a Voice email that’s come through,” Bauman said. “I simply click on it, I go in and look at the idea, I comment on it, I respond right away.”
Many of the ideas that have already been implemented related to the Amway digital tools that ABOs use on a daily basis, yet Bauman adds another element into the interaction.
“We’ve actually brought ideas out to them,” Bauman said. “I’ve gone and posted ideas. If I would try to put one thing on the top of the list as far as value, it gives the ABO a voice.”
Since Amway relies on ABOs to represent the products and the business personally, Ehrenberger said the company pays special attention to ensure high quality – because the products personally reflect on the individuals who sell them.
“I think that’s an important aspect,” Ehrenberger said. “That’s what makes a difference and that’s what makes the input back to us so valuable.
“It’s more personal, thought-out and to the point – it’s what we need.”
The Voice encourages Amway Business Owners from around the globe to suggest ideas about current and future Amway products and increase the effectiveness of business tools already in place.
