USANA Health Sciences Review
Name: USANA
Website: www.usana.com
Price: Depends on the product type
Owners: Publicly Owned – Listed on NASDAQ
Overall Rank: 9 out of 10
Please read on to the end as I have added information about USANA in an addendum section that non-members will not be aware of at all. I will be very interested in what you think about this revealing information!
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USANA Overview
USANA Health Sciences was founded in 1992 by scientist Dr. Myron Wentz. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and markets products in the Nutritional, Skin Care, Weight Management and Energy core health areas.
Its nutritional supplements are manufactured in its own facilities to stringent pharmaceutical grade standards used in the medical industry. Unlike the vast majority of nutritional supplements, USANA guarantees that the ingredients meet exactly what is stated on the label. Also, the potency of its products is guaranteed.
You may be surprised that nonpharmaceutical grade supplements have standards where what is inside the bottle can vary greatly from what is printed on the label. When the low price is your primary objective in purchasing vitamins, you are doing your body a disservice. You are actually wasting your money as the benefit you receive is virtually nil.
I discovered USANA in a book by Robert Allen called Multiple Streams of Income. One of the streams he promoted was Network Marketing. The company featured was USANA. But he never said its name. His secretary, Coleen Larsen, became a highly successful associate and remains one of the top income earners of USANA through its company called Larsen Global. I happened to have been recruited by an associate in her team.
In order to understand USANA, it is important to know a little about the scientist who founded the company, Dr. Myron Wentz.
Dr. Myron Wentz’s Vision
Research and development is at the heart of what goes into the manufacturing of its products. Dr. Wentz has always focused on offering products of the highest quality to its customers at a fair price. When your health is at stake, you do not want to put garbage into your body. It is worth paying for products that will have a positive impact on your health.
Why Take Nutritional Supplements Anyway?
Most people who eat healthy foods think that they receive all their necessary dietary nutritional needs from their grocery purchases.
However, farmers have used chemical fertilizers in the soil to deliver products that repel insects, look pristine as possible, and will have a longer shelf life than organically grown produce.
The trade-off is depletion of essential nutrients in the soil so fewer get into those beautiful-looking fruits and vegetables.
Even if you only ate organically grown produce, the amount of nutritional intake would not be adequate to counter the ravages of everyday life. The bottom line is, to make sure your body receives its optimal amount of nutrients, high-quality supplementation is necessary.
USANA has derived the following regimen to ensure you give your whole body the best opportunity for good health as well as to look good.
All it takes is 4 simple steps to create a health regimen that supports your health goals:
- USANA has created a nutrition supplement called Essentials, that provides you with a foundation that works best for you.
- We all have different health needs. Hence, USANA has created Optimizers for that purpose.
- Using its skin care products makes you look good on the outside to complement what you take for the inside
- Round out your routine with Food and Energy products to help fuel your day.
I suggest you also follow an exercise routine that works best for you.
Partners In Health
USANA has a talented team of doctors and scientists to ensure it always offers the most effective products possible. The company has also built relationships with well-known proponents of good health outside the company. One such individual is Dr. Oz.
Partners In Sports
We are all too familiar with cases in the sports world where athletes have tried to gain an unfair advantage by taking banned products, like steroids. USANA has proven that there is another way. A legal way that is in compliance with the regulations of the sports authorities.
All its supplements fall within acceptable products that can be used to ensure an athlete is at their peak of health to compete. Legally. There are more athletes in the world who take USANA products than any other company in this industry.
USANA has also partnered with various sports organizations to educate their athletes in how to use nutritional supplementation most effectively for their specific sports. Check out this website on USANA ATHLETES
The USANA Business
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I am certain you have not seen advertisements in the media for USANA. The reason is the company uses the direct selling model based on Network Marketing. This is working very well for USANA. It has expanded Internationally including the following countries:
- USA
- Puerto Rico
- Canada
- Mexico
- Colombia
- Caribbean
- United Kingdom
- France
- Belgium
- Holland
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Japan
- Korea
- Taiwan
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Thailand
This list will continue to grow as more companies are added.
Multilevel Marketing (MLM) Model
USANA uses the MLM model to market its products using a network of associates in all the above countries. Anyone can purchase products at retail from a USANA Associate.
It is also possible to purchase the products at a discount by becoming a preferred customer. When you arrange to have products automatically shipped and billed to you monthly, you are designated a Preferred Customer. The incentive is you get a discount.
If you want to earn a commission selling the products yourself, you can become an Associate. All it takes to qualify is to purchase a welcome kit for $29.95. There is no obligation to purchase the product.
However, commissions are only paid for products sold, and not from anything else. It makes sense if you are going to make this a business, even part-time, you might as well become a preferred customer yourself. Otherwise, how can you share the benefits with your customers? In fact, if you tell your potential customers you do not take the products, why should they buy from you?
Since the cost to become an associate is very low and there are no requirements to use the products yourself to sell them, it is not surprising that 54% of associates in the US earn nothing. You can conclude they must not be selling anything.
The company makes it very easy to build the business. Each associate needs to recruit only two new associates to grow the network and earn commissions. However, for the network to work, it must generate sales according to the Binary Compensation Plan. I have added links to a video and a PDF file so I won’t go into the details here.
I will touch on this plan only to make specific points about the sales and commission process.
Only 2% of associates earn between $5001 to $20,000 a year! There are only a fraction of high-income earners in the company. They are able to achieve that by creating a very large downline where a sufficient number of associates make small sales which all add up to pass override commissions up to those high-income earners. You can see what is earned in the following table.
The Essence Of The MLM Challenge Defined By This Earnings Chart
USANA is a very successful company based on sales. Definitely not great for most of the associates. Can you figure out why? Look at the table above.
More than 50% earn nothing. And this data comes straight from USANA. Who makes money? Less than 1% of associates make over $20,000 a year. However, 100% of active associates purchase the products. You have to make monthly purchases in order to qualify for commissions.
Everyone lives in the hope of making money someday.
It takes constant recruiting of new associates. When they are new, the chances are they will make some sales. However, as new associates try to recruit other members into their network, the majority fail. Giving up is not far away.
The people at the top have to work very hard to replenish lost associates and to train and motivate their organization to make sales. That is one of the reasons why so many high-energy conventions are held where the members are motivated to the max!
I don’t think this is a pretty picture.
But listen! If you are already an associate of USANA and are either meeting your earnings expectations OR well on your way to doing so, please continue to do what you are doing. IF IT WORKS, DON’T FIX IT! Â
But if what you are doing is not working out for you, why not change to a totally online method to build your business?
I was one of those associates from 1998 to 2006 who was getting nowhere. Some success came my way in recruiting a team of associates in the US, Canada and the UK. Neither of my team was very good at recruiting new associates. We used the products and that is how I was able to earn a meager income. In the end, our team just maintained our preferred customer status.
When the economic disaster occurred in 2008-2009, we all stopped purchasing the products too. However, I missed not enjoying the products as I felt real benefits from them.
The USANA Compensation Plan
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USANA uses a Binary Compensation plan to pay commissions to its associates. Instead of earning a flat percentage commission for the products sold, points are given linked to the price of each product. In some cases, the relationship is one point for one dollar. In most cases, it is less. Only by a small margin.
For simplification, I shall use one dollar of the product price to be equivalent to one point.
When you become an associate and purchase $100 of product, you are given one Business Center (BC) You can start of by setting up three Business Centers, the other two being placed on your right side and left side.
Associates link their product sales as well as new recruits to the right and left sides of their organization. These are applied to two sides of the associate. When the sales meet the requirement of the Binary Compensation Plan, commissions are paid out.
Usually, an associate will recruit two other associates and place them one on their right side and the other on their left side. As these associates make sales, points are added to each side of the associate. When they reach a specific amount, the associate earns a commission.
Watch this video to see how the USANA BINARY COMPENSATION PLAN works.
You can also download a PDF file for a hard copy CompPlan.
Since the commission is based on points earned, the actual earnings are translated to the currency where the associates live. In the US one volume point is equivalent to 1 USD. Every product has a volume point associated with it.
The main reason why USANA adopted the point system was to make it easy to translate this into commissions in the local currency wherever USANA does business.
What if you became a USANA associate and had problems recruiting others into the business? What then? Is there another way to become successful just by selling the products yourself? Not really. Unless you use an alternate business model that I’ll discuss below.
Alternate Business Model – Sell The Products Only
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Check out this article for an alternate business model that can be used to market USANA:
MLM Secrets – Your Upline Doesn’t Want You To Know!
Please check this out to have a better understanding of what comes next.
Since USANA uses a binary compensation plan there is a small modification necessary to make this work. As an associate, you are assigned one business center (BC) with a right and a left side. The purpose is to place your recruit associates on both sides.
When you make personal sales you also have to assign them to both sides. As your associates make sales, the volume will build up on both sides. Each week commissions are paid at the rate of 20% of your smaller side.
Maintaining Balance Within Your Binary Network
It is in your best interest to keep the balance of sales on each side as equal as possible. Since we are using the Binary Compensation Plan to earn commissions through customers only, you will need to alternate your customers between your right and left sides.
There is one more condition. When you buy wholesale and sell retail, you keep the difference for profit. Of course, you do not have to make purchases yourself to earn a commission in this way.
However, if you want to take advantage of the lucrative Binary Compensation plan, you need to buy products equal to or greater to the sales volume of 100 points. In the US that is equivalent to about $100.
The alternate business model that I explain in detail in the above link is based on AFFILIATE MARKETING. You write compelling reviews about each USANA product that highlight a specific benefit that will solve a problem the reader will have.
Make sure you have a link to your USANA dashboard order page placed at the end of your article. In this way, you will help your readers make an informed decision to buy or not to buy. If they decide to buy, they will click the link and make a purchase.
Use Your USANA Online Dashboard
The above screenshot is an example of your USANA Dashboard. You can use this to sell products or sign up associates. Once your website article directs visitors here using your USANA link, they can take care of themselves. Everything is easy to follow.
Fortunately, USANA has a very wide array of great products that will provide you with ample opportunities to write a post on each for your website. These posts can be reviews, comparisons with competitor products, and even How To articles,
Since the USANA products also work together with other products some of your articles could group them into categories and write an article on how they synergistically work together for great effect.
At the end of your article add a Call To Action (CTA) to click the link to go to your USANA order page Make sure you have already set up purchases to be placed in alternating right and left positions. If you need help with this call the USANA associate helps phone number in your country and ask.
Alternate Business Model – Sell The Products First, Then Recruit
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The online method of marketing the products can also be used to attract business associates. My recommended approach is to initially focus on creating a huge following of happy customers. The income you will earn in this way will be very respectable as a part-time business.
In the process, you will create a sizable database of potential business partners. Now you can launch your Email campaign to promote the business with these valuable customers.
I strongly suggest using the opt-in process. Focus your Email campaign primarily on sharing company information. As well as to promote your blog posts. You can use emails at regular intervals to focus on the business side. Do not use high-pressure tactics.
When you recruit associates in this way, you will have the perfect opportunity to educate your new online associates on how to get trained specifically for building their businesses using Internet Marketing Techniques and Strategies.
Learn How To Build Your USANA Business Online
It makes sense to use the strategies developed for Affiliate Marketing to build your USANA business online. I’d like to recommend you learn from the best company that has been training millions of online entrepreneurs since 2005.
The company was founded by two highly successful online marketers called Kyle and Carson. They called it Wealthy Affiliate. You can read my review by clicking the banner below ==========>
Pros & Cons
Pros
There is a lot to like about USANA.
- Established over 25 years
- Excellent management
- First-class R&D personnel and facilities led by the founder Dr. Wentz
- Manufactures and markets science-based products of the highest integrity
- Has something for everyone, nutritional, skin care, essential foods, energy
- Strategic partnerships in the medical and sports communities
- Publicly traded company with stock growing in value
- Presence in 20 countries and growing
- Compensation plan with high pay-off potential
- You can have members in your team Internationally
Cons
As good as USANA is why are the vast majority of associates are struggling?
- People have problems doing well with the MLM model
- The traditional business building methods do not work for most associates
- More than 80% of associates are earning $1000 or less. More than 50% earn nothing
- The products as good as they are cost very high
- Associates who are in it to build a profitable business must spend at least $100 a month
- The theory is this expense will be covered by the earnings
- When the earnings do not materialize, the associates stop buying the products and drop out
- In order for this business model to succeed, there has to be constant recruiting of associates.
- Most associates would only be preferred customers
- The wrong type of individuals are brought into the business as associates
USANA Target Market
The company attracts people who want to:
- Lead a healthy lifestyle
- Have great-looking skin
- Are interested in losing and managing body weight
- Build up high energy for an active lifestyle like sports
- Make Money
USANA Tools & Training
The training tools of USANA are excellent. They combine old-school methods with the added function of using the Internet as a business-building tool. As an associate, you get your own USANA dashboard through which you can sell the products and sign up new associates.
Your dashboard has your own tracking ID to ensure you are given credit for products sold and new associates enrolled.
The old-school method of talking to everyone you know and buying leads to communicating and calling people are still the main method of building the business.
Hard copies of videos and print material are complimented by online equivalents. Even though USANA has a high online presence in social, media, the company does not use Internet Marketing as its main method of business building.
The traditional methods are very successful in attracting customers and associates. The only problem is the attrition rate is very high.
Training is extensive. This comes from two sources. The company itself as well as the various leadership teams conduct their own training.
USANA Support
USANA support is first-class for those who are using the company’s method of training. They have a great back office that is very responsive to customers and associates who need to make contact to address issues.
In addition, the associate who signs you up is usually part of a larger team. These teams also provide their own training to their members using the tools provided by USANA together with added techniques they have used for success.
USANA Price Plans
All the products offered by USANA can be found by clicking this LINK!
My Opinion of USANA
I have a very high opinion of USANA. As a member, I learned an amazing amount about health and wellness and found that the company had a lot of fun-loving associates. The Conventions I attended was a blast!
In 2002 my family went on a USANA Mexican Riviera 7-Day Cruise on the Carnival Elation. We were assigned a balcony suite and were spoiled for future cruises. This happened to be our very first cruise of many to come.
I met Dr. Wentz several times and found him very gracious during these casual interactions. I also met some of the early mentors of the company like Dr. Denis Waitley and Robert Allen.
Like every MLM company, the business model is pyramid shaped. The same is true for every major corporation. With one difference. In corporations, the pay structure is such that the scale declines the lower in the food chain you are located.
In a Network Marketing company, there are many pyramids. And members in the lower echelons of the company can and do earn more than those higher up because of their efforts. I would not call USANA a Pyramid Scheme as these are illegal entities. I call USANA a Pyramid Structure instead.
Summary
Website: www.usana.com
Owners: The Share Holders & Dr. Wentz who owns 42% of the stock.
Price: $19.95 to join
Verdict: Highly Recommended – Legit
Conclusion
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I feel that your decision to join USANA was a wise one. Even if you give up on the business, taking the products alone will be of great benefit to you. However, I have a question for you.
Now that you know there is an alternate way to build your USANA business totally online, there is no reason not to do so. You will need to learn how to sell the products online to as many customers as possible. Since USANA operates in countries all over the world, you can market to these countries from the US. And if you live in any of these counties, you can also market the USANA products not only in your country but also in all the other countries including the US. Isn’t that very cool?
But first, you need to learn the skills to become successful using the Internet. Click this link to get started for free. I, as well as others will be there to help you.
Finally, if you find out that MLM is not for you, why not consider creating a business marketing other people’s products? The same online marketing training will enable you to do this.
Please leave me your comments or any questions you may have about this article.
Addendum
I had to add this one bit of information about USANA you may not be aware of. At the beginning of the 21st Century, USANA built a 20,000-seat Amphitheatre on the outskirts of Salt Lake City shown below.
Its 2023 concert schedule features major acts like Luke Bryan, Snoop Dog, Charlie Puth, Nickelback, Matchbox Twenty, Shania Twain, Foreigner, and many more. Who would have thought, right? I’m attaching a picture of the venue as well as their 2023 concert season schedule in this link.
When USANA has its International Conventions, this amphitheater comes in very handy to hold convention outdoor events like massive BBQ shows and award presentations, etc.
I hope you enjoyed this unique review of USANA! I wish you much success in your USANA business, regardless if you do it the old fashion way or online.
And if you are looking to join USANA, why not do it? Better yet, why not build your USANA business totally online? Or even a bit of both. The choice is yours.
Cheers!
Edwin
Your review is very awesome for everyone. Now I know USANA has derived the following regimen to ensure you give your whole body the best opportunity for good health as well as to look good.
USANA support is first class for those who are using the company’s method of training, but MLM is not suitable for me. I am going to try affiliate marketing with your top recommendation. Thanks for sharing such useful recommendation.
Harish,
My aim was to connect with existing USANA associates as well as with people looking to join USANA. And then by building rapport, show them the challenges they face in making it with USANA, followed by the affiliate marketing alternative.
Glad that you are going to try affiliate marketing. You are making the right decision.
All the best to you.
Edwin
Hello Edwin, thank you for spending your time to share with us this in-depth review of USANA Health Sciences.
They have a lot of science and expertise to back up their products. But when it comes to marketing, the prices make it inaccessible by the lower-income groups. That’s the honest truth.
I am simply blown away and amazed at the same time at the standard of USANA. The line of products they’ve made is a proof that Dr. Myron Wentz utmost desire is the health of humanity. This is also a great way to earn. I’m considering joining an MLM opportunity in the future and this looks like it.
For now, I’d better go with Affiliate Marketing. Thanks!
Parveen,
Thanks for your perceptive comments. I think you made the right decision to pursue affiliate marketing first. It’s a shame that the USANA products cost so much. However, sales are very good as the company has and continues to do very well.
Thanks for this thorough review of the USANA Health Sciences platform. They have a wide range of products, and as they are listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, I immediately get a sense that they are a very legitimate company to consider getting involved with.
You laid out the details of the company and the way they operate, and the quality controls that have in place for their products means that you do not have to worry about not delivering what you may be promoting from their varied line. The people running the company also seem very qualified to be doing what they are.
The one thing that puts me off a bit is the fact that they are an MLM company. From my own personal experience, that business model works best for those that get in early, while most people who join later make very little money or lose money. I like the alternate method you suggest (selling the products versus becoming an “associate” or whatever they call people who join their program). Have you tried this alternative and if so, what were the results?
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your analysis of USANA. MLM is not for everyone. One correction to your earniongs conclusion. I know many who started with USANA at the beginning, had a little success, then stalled and left. Like any venture, it takes hard work and persistence to succeed.
I also know associates who entered just a few years ago and have become some of the highest earners in the company.
No matter at what phase, you need to be at the top of your own pyramid to succeed. It is your responsibility to build your own pyramid. However, your point is well taken that those above you who are actively building their businesses will be doing better than you since they are at the top of their pyramid.
In order for the affiliate marketing model to work you must create a boar load of traffic first. I am still going up that path hence no results yet. But I am not a member of USANA.
I will be using affiliate marketing for my LegalShield MLM business that I placed on hold till I build up traffic to my website. That is on hold.
Thanks for your fine comments Dave.
Edwin
Hello, USANA is a reputable company in the nutritional supplements industry. I believe that reputation did not come by chance. The fact that their loyal fan base includes world class athletes really says a lot. One aspect of an MLM company I usually look out for us the person behind it. Dr. Myron Wentz is obviously a reputable figure as well.
I like that there are several options for those looking to make money selling USANA’s products. I do however, think MLM opportunities are not right for everyone since making anything substantial requires recruitment. From my experience, it is a skill so very few masters.
In all, USANA’s products are great. The network marketing opportunity, I’m afraid is not for everyone like me.
Thanks for sharing
Hi NAksh,
I love your analysis and conclusion about USANA. It is very valid. And the Company’s results speak for themselves. It is not for everyone as effective recruiting skills are essential to build a successful MLM company.
That is one of the reasons I recommended an affiliate marketing approach.
All the best to you.
Edwin
Hi Edwin. Reading your review brought back so many memories of my MLM years. I was an Herbalife distributor for many years and actually made great money. I earned enough to quit my day job. However, I got tired of watching people come in and invest their life savings just to lose it all. Like you mentioned in one of your comments, not everyone has the personality to be able to recruit and grow a downline. For me, I made a decision to quit MLM for integrity reasons.
But I never lost my desire of helping people. I quickly found Wealthy Affiliate and I learned how to do affiliate marketing by following my passion. Now 9 years later I have a few websites in different niches. My most profitable website is 100% focused on helping people take responsibility for their nutrition and get healthy. So your Usana products are interesting to me.
Anyways, I just wanted to leave a note and let you know that I really enjoyed reading your post. Thank you!
Hello Lalita,
Firstly, thanks for saying that you enjoy reading my posts. And congrats for making a success in MLM with Herbalife. Their HQ used to be along the 405 Freeway in LA just north of the airport. I used to see them everyday commuting to work. It appears they have moved further south to Irvine I believe.
MLM is tough for three main reasons. You need to have the abilty to sell the products. And then be able to recruit new members. Finally, these new associates must follow your approach for success.
Some people think that by just throwing money into the business is enough to make it work. Sadly when they find out what is really necessary, they give up and loose their money.
Affiliate Marketing is by far superior especially for new members/.
All the best
Edwin
Hi Edwin,
It’s great to know that they are in the market for 25 years and Usana is a legit company. Sharing from your own experience adds more value to this review post.
The pros and cons you shared are very helpful in making my decision. Although there are many good things, I am not a fan of the MLM business model. Based on their Income Disclosure Statement it shows that even with the genuine company that has the MLM business model making money is going to be very challenging.
89.72% earn less than $1000 per year with Usana & that tells you the story ($1000 per year itself is below average). This is the problem with the MLM business model and success is rare with MLM’s.
Affiliate Marketing is the best option to go with compared to MLM.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your perceptive conclusion. I feel the same way too. I will be doing a series of MLM reviews with the goal of building empathy with their current associates. As well as with their prospects.
My objective is to steer them towards affiliate marketing via Wealthy Affiliate. And the hook is to use affiliate marketing strategies to find customers to sell the products first. And then use Email marketing to share the business opportunity. I am suggesting this to justify them joining WA first.
Once they join, then I will do my own communication to help them build a traditional affiliate marketing biusiness where they will be obligated to make monthly product purchases.
What do you think about that strategy?
Cheers.
Edwin
This is a very informative post about USANA and their many many products. The information on how their system is set up is great. You left no stone un-turned and was honest with how people struggle to make it work.
You gave a great way to make this all work with that Wealthy Affiliate link. I know after clicking on it and reading the rest of your post that I need to read up on Wealthy Affiliate.
It’s a shame that more people don’t know about USANA’s products. I can see lots of benefits from using their skin care products to helping with weight control and overall health.
Thank you for the honest and information post.
Thank you for your well thought out comments Zach. All the best to you.
Edwin
Hi Edwin,
It was only recently that I started taking Usana supplement (Procosa II) for my knee pain, recommended by a colleague. I should have known it was an MLM company but I didn’t simply because I wasn’t paying much attention to it.
Honestly, my experiences with MLM is not that good. Been recruited by friends on several occasions. In the beginning, there was excitement, yes, but it soon runs out of steam. And one actually disappeared after recruiting.
Putting myself on the recruiter’s shoes, I understand how challenging it is to maintain a high level of energy to succeed in MLM. Anyway, you have given a very good alternative to make MLM works, utilizing the affiliate marketing method.
I have been doing affiliate marketing mostly Amazon and other independent companies but never thought of promoting MLM companies or products.
Let’s see how the supplement works for me. If I get good results, it will be a good idea to do it your way.
Thank you so much for sharing the insights of USANA and a great way to workaround.the sales and recruiting issues.
Wishing you all the BEST!
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
The best situation is if the products work for you.When that occurs, the price disappears from being an objection as how to you put a price on reduced pain?
MLM is a really tough business. That is why so many do mot earn enough or anything at all. However, when you have a great personal testimonial, that carries more weight.
I wish you all the success in the world. Thanks for your comments.
Edwin
In every legit network marketing business, there’s always what we call “maintenance cost” which is required for every active distributor. Like for example, if you want to enjoy commissions from the purchase done by your team members, you have to buy a certain amount of product monthly either for resale to outside customers or for personal consumption. In the case of USANA, how much is the monthly maintenance to enjoy a matched bonus?
Good question Gomer. To qualify for commissions for the sales volume in your group, you need to make a monthy purchase of 100 points of product. In the US that amounts to approximately $120. That will qualify for up to $5000 a week in commissions. Assuming you are able to meet the group volume in sales. every sale in your downline is added up to calculate your weekly sales volume.
You will need many associates in your downline to achieve this kind of sales volume. The alternate approach is to generate the sales volume yourself using affiliate marketing techniques.
Hope this helps.
Edwin
I have heard about USANA and my opinion of it has not changed that much after reading this review. I will say from the outset that USANA is not a scam but like many MLM models, making a profit is very hard. I didn’t really know how hard it is to earn enough money until I saw that income earnings chart.
My feelings about MLM companies especially those that have health and wellness supplements as their main product, is that it would be extremely hard to make a decent monthly income and here is why. I looked at the cost of many of the USANA supplements and I know for a fact you can buy high quality supplements for a lot less.
Every health supplement MLM, markets their products as “high quality” an “exclusive” or a “proprietary” formula and that justifies the higher cost. I have a lot of knowledge in nutrition and nutritional health supplements. You do not need an exclusive proprietary formula to have a high quality product. This is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
There are several other doctor formulated high quality supplements that anyone can buy online that are equal in type of product but half the price. Why would people want to buy USANA supplements when they can buy high quality similar supplements online for less money? People care about high quality for a low cost.
Between that fact and the mandatory $100 of personal products you must buy to qualify for commissions, it is no wonder it is hard to earn money. Plus these perks like rallies, do you have to pay any expenses? If you do that is more money out of your pocket. I would save your money and increase you chances at sale by building an affiliate marketing website.
Hi Robert,
Please tom say you and I are on the same page with MLM companies like USANA.
Did I understand you correctly when you stated it is possible to get the highest quality supplements at the lowest price? That is not possible for any product and I feel the same for nutritional supplements.
From my experience the cheap supplements do not guarantee the actual ingredients in the product match the label. That is because by law, supplements are considered under the food category. Hence they only need to meet food standards. Meaning the ingredients can vary by a huge margin from what is on the label. Another flaw with cheap supplements is their formulation does not allow optimum absorption into the body. That’s why they can sell them so cheap. They are a waste of money as the benefits are virtually nil.
On the flip side, I completely agree with you that it is possible to purchase supplements that are manufactured under pharmaceutical grade labs. And the ingredients are selected for high quality and absorption. However, these prices fall in between the high cost MLM supplements and the cheap variety. As you stated, about half the price of what USANA charges. From my experience I haven’t found pharmaceutical grade supplements in grocery stores. For these it is necessary to visit stores like the Vitamin Shoppe. And their prices are higher. And in some cases almost as high as what USANA charges. Half to two thirds the USANA cost is more like it.
In order to pay the commissions and bonuses, the money has to come from somewhere. I feel that is factored into the price set by the MLM companies, including USANA. They are able to meet the legal requirements of not being a Ponzi Scheme by demonstrating their R&D labs as well as their pharmaceutical grade manufacturing facilities.
When I was a USANA associate, it was a fun experience. I bought into the hype. Loved going to events and conventions. That was the drug that kept associates on board. That eventually wore off after I realized my earnings didn’t match my expenses, let alone providing me with a profit. So I dropped out.
The purpose of these MLM reviews I will be doing is to show the associates of these companies a better way to be an entrepreneur. And that is through Affiliate Marketing. Unlike the MLM model they are mot compelled to purchase products at all from the affiliate companies. And there is no recruiting for business associates necessary.
However, if they feel strongly about doing the MLM business I want to show them that affiliate marketing strategies can be applied to finding CUSTOMERS for their products using a website by writing stellar reviews that show research results as well as good testimonials. Once they have a string of customers then they can use an Email marketing approach to share the business opportunity. I actually wrote a post about this approach that I used as a link in this article you commented on. I doubt you clicked to that article.
When associates fail, as most will, I will suggest they change course and do affiliate marketing the best way it was intended to be done. The Wealthy Affiliate Way!
My eventual goal is to find recruits for my Wealthy Affiliate business by helping those fed up with MLM to learn affiliate marketing.
Thanks for your perceptive comments and insights Robert.
All the best to you.
Cheers!
Edwin
I will have to go back to my old copy of the book Multiple Streams of Income. I don’t recall the name of USANA. No doubt that most of those who do not make money with USANA need to know more about affiliate marketing and how to build their own business. Without a system to help you sell the product, it’s difficult to make consistent sales. I’m very interested, and I will do more research about that business opportunity.
Great to hear from you.
A friend recommended I read Robert Allen’s Multiple Streams of Income and that is how I discovered USANA. You are right that USANA is not mentioned in the book, Robert Allen devoted a chapter to MLM and the individual he used as a success story used to be his secretary. This same friend told me that the MLM company she joined was USANA and this secretary was called Collette Larsen.
When I was active in USANA I met both Robert Allen and Collette Larson in USANA. I happen to be in her downline. Her distributorship is one of the highest paid in the company.
People say that you got to be one of the early members of an MLM company to be a big money earner, I know of many USANA distributors who joined more than 10 years after the company was created and grew their businesses to great success and eve n became 10 Star Diamond directors like Collette.
It all comes down to how hard and smart you work. It is not easy to achieve success as I found out. But it can be done.
There is a WA member called Chuck Holmes who has built his MLM company totally online who you may wish to contact. Check out his blogs and search for his MLM posts.
I wish you much success in your affiliate marketing journey.
Cheers.
Edwin
Good products. Thank you for mapping out another way to market the product online and still make profit. I use wealthy affiliate as an affiliate marketer. But the online entrepreneur certification is well suited for any online marketing business. The course is well packaged for learning online marketing. This will be a better way to market USANA
Thanks for commenting. I agree that the training for the Online Entrepreneur Certification can help a USANA associate learn how to market the USANA products online and build their business in that way too.
All the best to you.
Edwin
Haha thanks for the article my guy! Ya know, to be completely honest with you, I can’t say I’ve ever even heard of USANA Health Sciences.. After reading this article, I can definitely tell that it would be a wise decision to partake in it. However, I simply won’t be doing so.. I think it’d be smart to for some people, but it doesn’t really suit me. Thanks anyways!
I hear you. MLM is not for everyone, even if it is done online. USANA has been in business since the mid 1990’s and is listed on the NYSE. It has a Market Cap of $1.6 Billion. Not bad for a Health and Wellness company.
Thanks for commenting.
Edwin
Reading about Usana, I would definitely not classify this company as a pyramid scheme, as they are selling a real products, not just exchanging cash. The products I have heard are also very good, and if you are going to buy supplements from companies that use distributors, make sure that it is a quality product that you are getting, not just an inflated product.
And after all, how many of these types of companies can afford to build an Amphitheater?
Hello Michel,
Thanks for your wonderful comments. Your observation about knowing the source of your supplements is spot on. I have visited their manufacturing center in Salt Lake City several times and was very impressed.
And the Amphitheatre. Right? The acts that perform there are amazing. One point I didn’t make was USANA is listed on the NYSE. I made money buying and selling its stock. It is definitely a wise purchase to buy and hold for the long term. Every stock has risk. But USANA is well regarded Worldwide that helps to mitigate that risk.
All the best to you.
Edwin
Thanks for sharing your experience with USANA. It’s very helpful to see the results after you have invested so much time and effort towards your success. I see a lot of information about potency and efficacy guarantees, which definitely helps to ease concerns about making any kind of investment. I feel like I’m much better informed about how USANA works after reading this!
Hello Aly,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I have visited the USANA manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City several times and was impressed with the clean rooms, and automation used in the manufacturing process. Hence I know that they are doing what they say.
Whatever you do I wish you much success in your online business ventures.
Edwin