Mannatech Product & Business Opportunity Review [The Good, The Bad & The Ugly]

I signed up with Mannatech in 2016 and found the products to be amazing! Not only that, but the team I signed up under was also incredible – proactive and tech-savvy, just brilliant! Those are the upsides, stay with me as I share the good, the bad and the ugly about the Mannatech Product and Business Opportunity. Ready? Let’s go …

Mannatech Product & Business Opportunity Review

Thank you for visiting my site to have a look at this Product and Business Opportunity Review.

It brings me pleasure to review Mannatech because it means I can share some of my inside experience and research with you and help you find the best products and business opportunity possible.

Kudos to you for doing your due diligence before signing up with Mannatech (or anyone else for that matter), putting in the time now will create a smoother path ahead for you.

Show and Tell

As I mentioned above, I joined Mannatech in 2016. My experience with both the product and the team I worked under was more than satisfying. I purchased the TruPlenish pack, set my sights on health, fitness and weight loss goals and I was on my way to success!

The team I signed up under had developed amazing online systems and apps which make life so much easier for their downlines … one catch though, you need to pay for those.

That payment is over and above the money you shell out to become a Mannatech distributor. From a business costs perspective, I understand perfectly why that would be the case. Being a newbie signing on however, this would prove to be too high a monetary bar for me to clear.

Don’t get me wrong, I truly admire leaders of that team, they are hardworking, dedicated and committed people. They invest time in their downlines as I have never seen before. The affordability of the Mannatech opportunity was my issue.

Overview: Mannatech Product & Business Opportunity

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1 Excellent products

PRO #2 Mannatech hold patents for their products and put huge amounts of work into what they provide

PRO #3 The team I joined had amazing systems and technology in place for their downlines

PRO #4 Mannatech has been around since 1993, an achievement, especially in the MLM sector

The Bad:

CON #1 The products are expensive

Con #2 The price of the products being high also makes the business opportunity expensive to sign up and stay signed up with

Con #3 High turnover of distributors makes is really difficult to build the downlines required to earn a livable income

Con #4 Not a great business opportunity unless you stay committed and manage to work your way up through the levels – I would guestimate no less than 5 years of hard slog will get you there

Con #5 In order to generate a sizable income, you would be required to build teams of distributors underneath you. That would mean recruit, recruit and recruit some more.

Con #6 The FTC does not appreciate businesses which require their distributors to purchase product and recruit team members in order to generate an income.

Who Is Mannatech?

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Mannatech:

us.mannatech.com

Description

Mannatech is a publicly-traded, multinational multi-level marketing firm that sells dietary supplements and personal care products. It was founded in November 1993 by Samuel Caster, and is headquartered in Flower Mound, Texas. The company’s stock is traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol MTEX. Wikipedia

Mannatech Products

Mannatech has very cleverly positioned their products as “Transformational” which are focused on the following key areas:

• Integrative Health – This includes a range of nutritional supplements that help to improve your overall health. The word “integrative” refers to your body, mind, and spirit
• Targeted Health – As can be expected, this is a line of supplements designed to target specific needs, for example:
  • joint & cartilage,
  • heart,
  • immune system,
  • digestion,
  • stress,
  • bones, etc.
• Weight + Fitness – These are the products that appealed to me most and consists of weight loss shakes and supplements and sports drinks.
• Skincare – The Mannatech skin care product line is gorgeous and offers cleaners, moisturizers, anti-aging products, and the likes.
• Home Living – Here you will find high-quality essential oils and diffusers for your home

Their products are beautifully packaged, and I believe they are very high quality (though very expensive)

Mannatech Patents

As can be seen below, Mannatech prides themselves on all of their patents. They have more than 90 patents currently and more are pending. I have linked the image below to the download of the Mannatech Patents Portfolio for your convenience:

Mannatech Business Opportunity

Mannatech positions their business opportunity with the following statements:

• True financial freedom is within your reach
• They offer one of the most generous compensation plans in the direct selling industry
• You’ll be able to make a difference in your life and the lives of others (you can see why it appealed to me, right?)
• You can earn money for the extras
• You can create a substantial income
• Mannatech helps you find your purpose and freedom

Do I agree with all the above? Remember, I have had firsthand experience as an associate, not only that, I have research to share with you, which is very revealing.

The short answer is “no, I do not agree with all the above”. Here is why:

• True financial freedom is within your reach but not with Mannatech unless you work your way up to a high position
• The compensation plan may be one of the most generous in the direct selling industry, that does not mean you will earn substantial amounts of money – just better than if you joined one of their competitors in the direct selling industry
• You can make a difference in your life (health) because you will be consuming great products at a reduced price if you are a distributor, I do not believe the difference is financial gain.
• Your sales make a difference to others with the MLM5 social responsibility program Mannatech have put together – feeding those who are starving will always be a good thing. But consider this, if you were earning a 6-figure income (for want of a number) and decided to contribute 10% of your annual income to a worthy cause, you are likely making more of a difference as an individual. You could even purchase the Mannatech Glyconutrient products and distribute them to impoverished communities and probably make a bigger difference that way.

Who is Mannatech For?

Mannatech products are tailored for a very broad market, anyone who can afford them would keen to try purchase from their product range. Remember, they target the needs of people, from skincare to health & nutrition to weight loss.

Here are some ideas of who can enjoy the benefits Mannatech Products offer:

• Health-conscious
• Weight conscious
• Personal trainers (can use the products themselves and sell to their clients)
• Parents who want to provide good nutrition for their children
• People who are have compromised immune systems and their bodies will benefit from glyconutrients

Here are some ideas of who Mannatech say may be interested in the Mannatech Business Opportunity:

• Stay home Mums or Dads
• People looking to create a side gig
• Students
• Retirees looking for ways to generate an additional income
• Personal trainers

For all the above, I encourage you to look at my #1 Recommendation – no recruitment and training of teams, no up sales, not overpriced and so long as you put in the work, guaranteed to result in a successful online business and great income generator.

Mannatech Tools & Training

If you signed up under the same group as I did and you can afford to pay for the apps, then the tools provided are exceptional. Those Presidential Directors are also both great trainers, they are live in the Facebook groups very regularly, sharing knowledge and encouraging their teams and downlines with professionalism and care.

Mannatech themselves also provide a wide range of training opportunities with online talks and workshops by people like Dr Steve Nugent Speaking about their flagship products such as Ambrotose.

Mannatech is very committed to ensuring their distributors understand their product positioning and patents. Job well done.

The tools offered by Mannatech are more than adequate, you can expect the following:

• Apps which make your life easier (though they also cost more money)
• Call Sheets / Action Sheets
• Mannatech online order system
• Social Media Training & Groups

As usual, you do not need to take my word for anything, see below for a click through to the video speaking about the Mannatech+ App:

Training Within Mannatech

There is an extensive amount of training available with Mannatech, in the form of videos, blogs, weekly meetups, events, and free live webinars. These are listed on their main website as follows:

• Watch Live Stream – this provides an option to log in and enjoy the benefits of Zoom Meetings
• Tuesday Night Live – is a range of videos presented by a variety of trainers. This is where I found the Mannatech Business Presentation which I shared with you a little earlier
• Saturday Training – you have access to a wide range of training in this section, everything to do with the Mannatech Business Training to Product Training To broader by relevant subject matter such as Entrepreneurship
• Conference Calls – similar (if not the same) to the Leadership Calls below
• Leadership Calls – a range of recorded leadership calls to learn from
• Women of Worth – these really appeal to me, one because I am a woman but also the subject matter, they have a variety of women (and men) speaking about specific topics such as “Manna Moms” (their kiddies brand is Mannabears)

Depending on the team you join, you may also have access to purchase Apps and sign up for memberships which enable you to access higher-level training within the team. Between you and me, I see these as an upsell, and up-sells do not sit well with me.

We will get into the detail of how much it really costs to become a Mannatech Associate in a bit, that is where you will see just how expensive this “opportunity” can become.

Mannatech offers great training and the leaders are encouraged to participate in your customer calls with you. So the training is hands-on and practical. Their training teaches how to position your products, how to ask questions which will give you leads as to what the customer is driven by, or what their pain point is.

So for example, if your customer showed interest in TruPlennish, your conversation would be around the health and weight loss benefits of using that product.

This is very cleverly done, going as far as to use the same language as your customer. If your customer says she is tired all the time and tired of being overweight, for example, you would echo those words back and provide the solution that TruPlenish offers you more energy and weight loss too.

This type of training also allows the leaders to see how much potential their distributors exhibit.

Mannatech Business Opportunity Pricing

As with most MLM business models, there is more than one way to earn with Mannatech, you also need to be an actuary to understand the Compensation Plan, but for the purposes of this review, let’s keep it simple:

1. You can sell the gorgeous Mannatech products and earn a retail commission on each product
2. You are encouraged to recruit downlines, which become teams of people and build the teams. Here you get to bonuses and qualify for incentives, such as all-inclusive international trips to luxurious venues.

Before you get to do either of the above, you must sign up with Mannatech as an Associate, the cost of which is US$49 (no product or packs included)

You can also sign up with Product Packs, Prices Vary According To The Package:

• Basic Pack – US$99-$169
• All-Star Pack – US$499
• Premium All-Star Pack – US$999

The packages differ from each other, the lower-priced pack contains less product and the higher-priced contain more product plus higher income potential.

Not only do you have the upsells (from Basic Pack to Premium All-Star) but you also have an opportunity to earn higher income if you purchase the higher-priced pack.

That is a red flag for me. Surely you should earn the same from the get-go? The more you pay the more you earn? What is that all about?!

Unlike my #1 Recommendation which is an equal playing ground with no upsells.

What Do Mannatech Associates Qualify For?

For the R49.99 per year, you receive the following

(I am quoting for the Mannatech site):

• Turnkey business with global distribution
• 90 days of free premium business tools (NB 90 days, not forever, there will come a time when you pay for premium business tools)
• Earn income via commissions, bonuses and incentives
• 10% discount off retail pricing
• Earn up to 20% in Loyalty Points
• Special value bundles
• Eligible for automatic orders (actually, these are encouraged rather than being a benefit – you receive more if you have an automatic order in place)
• 180-day money-back guarantee
• Join a global community of independent associates for support, events, and fun
• World-class customer support

Can You Be Successful With Mannatech?

As I’ve mentioned already, you can make money with Mannatech, however, the bars you need to jump are numerous and high – recruiting a team is not easy and this is really where you get to make money.

Why do I say that? Well, research has shown a downward trend in the interest shown by potential associates (i.e. your downlines and team members) over the years. When you are reliant on building a team in order to become successful with Mannatech, this is a big concern.

Plus, the opportunity to be successful with Mannatech is very slim, take a look below to see the 2018 US income averages statement as released by Mannatech themselves. Note the level you would need to make it to in order to generate an income, also note that the highest is $6956.91 – this is the annual income averages statement! That is not a lot of money considering how much you would need to pay in and how much work you would need to do to build a team to get you there.

Don’t take my word for it, you can see the 2018 Income Average Statement for yourself screenshot below plus a link to their online PDF too:

As you can see above, Mannatech has listed out the numbers and percentage of people at each rank plus their incomes.

Don’t miss this, it is important. The people who do really, really well are positioned at Platinum Presidential Director, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Presidential Director level. Most of their members don’t earn more than $1,000 per annum.

Surely this is not a sustainable business? The costs of running the business have to be covered too!

This looks like a way to get into debt rather than out of it.

If we took US$30,000 per annum as a target income, according to the above income disclosure, only a handful (out of how many thousand?) made it.

I don’t know about you, but I do not see this as a great opportunity. Definitely not.

Not to mention the complexity of the Compensation Plan – have a look for yourself. One big advantage is that Mannatech is transparent, but, you would need to be an actuary to work out how they calculate their commissions! This is typical of MLM’s and one of the big caveats for me. If you cannot understand how it works, why would you get involved in the first place?

What Is Mannatech M5M?

The M5M stands for Mission 5 Million and this is all about Mannatech’s social responsibility program. From a personal perspective, I believe every single profitable organization that exists anywhere in the world should have a social responsibility program, without having to be offered tax benefits. The fact that tax benefits are offered is just a huge bonus.

Anyways, my opinion aside, Mannatech has a product called Phytoblend which is a highly nutritious meal and supplement and is offered to disadvantaged children. Awesome outreach, I just wonder if they couldn’t offer more. I am socially-hearted though so my expectations may just be unrealistic.

Is Mannatech A Scam?

My experience and research have shown that Mannatech is definitely not a scam.  There are better business opportunities out there than Mannatech offers, but that does not make Mannatech a scam.

No, Mannatech is not a scam.

If you would like to protect yourself from scams, the best place to start is to learn how to identify them, I wrote an article entitled Pyramid Scheme Companies [How To Spot & Avoid Them] and encourage you to forearm yourself by having a read.

My Final Opinion of Mannatech Product and Business Opportunity

When it comes to its products, Mannatech has been very smart by creating many patents. This helps them stand out from the rest. Not only that, but they have also conducted clinical trials on humans to showcase the effectiveness of their products.

Mannatech is a legit MLM business opportunity. The opportunity to make good money does exist but there are many high bars to clear before you reach that level.

Your success with the Mannatech opportunity rests on your ability to recruit and train your downlines. Remember the high turn over of distributors? That is the real challenge.

Plus, the stats have shown that most people do not make a profit from the Mannatech opportunity.

I would not recommend the Mannatech business opportunity for the above reasons.

I promised you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I do believe I have met that promise:

The Good – Mannatech Products, the quality, the patents, the packaging

The Bad – The costs – the money you will be expected to invest in signing up and for the business tools you will require, plus the amount of work it will take to get to a high level where you can qualify for high earning

The Ugly – The limited earning potential unless you achieve the higher-level rankings. Not just a higher-level but really high level! It would be a struggle to attain that, in my opinion.

My Final Thoughts

Mannatech is definitely not a scam. They offer a quality product and equip their distributors with great training and sales tools. I do not think they offer the best business opportunity – the numbers they provide themselves reveal the truth loud and clear.  Your income is also heavily dependent on the teams you recruit and maintain – the maintenance of the teams being your biggest challenge.

If you are interested in building your own online business, I encourage you to take the time to review My Number One Recommendation.

Not only do you get to build your own successful online business but you have the opportunity to take the system for a FREE test drive. That is right, 100% free.

Look forward to seeing YOU on the inside!
Blessings!