Top Desk
September 2009
Saying ‘yes’ to a better life …
Colin Jones is European General Manager of Mannatech, one of the world’s top providers of scientifically tested food supplements, weight management and skin care products. Here he talks about the importance of direct selling regulations, the secret of his company’s success and how the industry is re-branding itself in response to the economic downturn…
THERE was a time when the direct selling industry was about selling the opportunity for a big house, big car and the red carpet lifestyle. With the onset of the current economic downturn that type of selling and prospecting has had to change. Now the focus is on helping people to become debt free and to take control of their lives.
At Mannatech we have taken a quantum leap forward in our branding. As leading providers, globally, of wellness products, we now look upon wellness not just with regard to your health but also with regard to your bank balance.
There are a lot of people in Europe in a lot of debt. We are now focusing our business on providing an opportunity to reverse that situation. One of the tools we have launched to address the recession is to create an economic stimulus plan of our own. We have branded this the ‘Yes Plan’ and it provides a step by step understanding of how our products and our income opportunities can provide a better life and can also help people towards debt free lives.
Every time we go into recession there are a lot more people in debt and a lot more people looking for a second income or an opportunity to work for themselves. Historically, the direct selling business model has thrived during times of economic downturn and this period of time is proving no different. Our business at Mannatech is improving daily across Europe as a direct result of the troubled economy.
Mannatech has been a leader in the food supplement industry since 1994 and this year we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in the UK. I joined the company in 2004 and before that held several key positions with Amway in Europe and was closely involved with the launch of Amway Scandinavia. For me, the big attraction to join Mannatech was its plans to expand into Europe. Rather than being a caretaker of a business I would be a creator — building something new. Currently we are operating in the UK, Germany and Denmark with further expansion plans in the pipeline.
A key feature in Mannatech’s ongoing success story is our focus on recruitment, retention and duplication and also our award-winning compensation plan that pays out up to 43 per cent in commissions, making it one of the most lucrative in the industry. What also sets us apart from a lot of other companies is that we offer scientifically tested products based on patented, proprietary technologies on the cutting edge – they are also safe and natural. We have a dedicated research and development team that actively explores new technologies as well as a product safety monitoring programme that has functioned over the last 10 years. Long before the US Food and Drug Administration demanded by law that people in the supplement industry had to have a product safety monitoring programme, we already had one.
The high standards we have maintained and set at Mannatech have also played a key role in our success. We believe direct selling regulations are absolutely vital for maintaining standards within the industry generally. There is an extremely high standard of accountability and responsibility within our industry today more than ever before. It is crucial that we maintain high standards and also maintain the self- regulating environment that we have. Being members of the US DSA and the UK DSA is paramount for providing a set of strict quality assurance guidelines and a code of conduct.
Though generic business regulations are almost identical across Europe – apart from the £200 maximum spend in the first seven days rule in the UK – on the product side, the regulations differ vastly from country to country when it comes to cosmetics and food products. This is something I often enjoy having to educate our American friends about when they come across. The impression is that EU laws apply to all member states. But when it comes to cosmetics and food supplements, each country has its own regulatory standards, processes and demands. On a corporate level as well as among our associates, it is important that we are knowledgeable about what is allowed and what is not allowed and about the standards we have to maintain in each country.
For example, we have our Mannabears product which is a type of wine gum and is also a food supplement in the United Kingdom. In Denmark the food authorities don’t consider Mannabears to be a food supplement, yet in another market they do consider it to be a food supplement because of the vitamin and mineral content. In one market it’s a regular food so we don’t need to notify the authorities while in another it has to go through certain processes before we can market it in that country.
I believe Mannatech and the industry generally will continue to have a bright future. We aim to remain one of the top providers of food supplements, weight management and skincare products globally. We are well positioned for growth, in a market where everyone is talking about wellness both in health and wealth.
This growth has been assisted by the advent of the internet which has brought many benefits to the industry in recent years, enabling our business associates to build their businesses globally. At Mannatech we use a lot of internet networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter. However, it is still the one to one contact that creates the trust and the confidence. The internet can be our friend or our worst enemy. Maintaining good practice and a high standard of ethics online is crucial. Direct selling companies that don’t make use of new technologies are going to be left behind. You’ve got to be cutting edge.
Our philosophy is that we are born for success and conditioned for failure through an education system that focuses on your faults rather than your achievements. When we are kids we believe we can be anything and somewhere along the line life just beats us down. Our role in the industry is twofold. Firstly, we can help people out of debt and, secondly, we can recondition them for success. We are all born for success. The goal is to rediscover the child within us and the mindset that we can do anything.
One of the best things about working in the direct selling industry is being around positive people. I am a life long student of this industry and I will be learning till the day I die by simply being around positive, upbeat people who have made a personal decision to make a difference.
