Juice Plus Website
Have you been researching Juice Plus and now you’re asking “What is the Juice Plus Scam?” If you’re interested in the Juice Plus business opportunity then all these claims of a scam has caught your attention. You’ll want to keep reading as I answer the question of “What is the Juice Plus Scam”. I’ll describe what is behind these scam claims and why it’s important to your decision in the Juice Plus business opportunity.
The Juice Plus Company
The company was founded in 1970 when it sold fire detectors. In its 40 year history, they have sold several different products. In 1993, they started their current Juice Plus product line. Through out its history, the Juice Plus company has used the multi-level marketing (MLM) business model for the sale of all of its products. Juice Plus is a multi-million dollar company based in Tennessee that operates in over 20 countries.
The Juice Plus Product
Can tablets or powders really be the same as fruit and vegetables?
The main product line is called Juice Plus. It’s a nutritional supplement that is claimed to be as good as actual fruits and vegetables. The marketing indicates that the nutrients come from whole foods so they are not a vitamin supplement. With a little research, you’ll find that there is much controversy over these claims. Is this why people are asking the question: “What is the Juice Plus scam?”. Most definitely, there are many people with concerns about these Juice Plus product claims. But this is not a health and fitness website so I’m not going into the merits of either side of this debate. In considering this business opportunity, it’s important for you to consider the fact that there is a controversy about the Juice Plus products and their claims of the product benefits.
The Juice Plus Business Opportunity
Juice Plus calls their business opportunity a virtual franchise but the reality is that it’s an MLM business. Their business model has little resemblance of a franchise and looks like an MLM business. Over the years, the MLM has become the equivalent to being a scam. So, I understand Juice Plus desire to distance itself from this image but the company has used the MLM model for 40 years. When you read the virtual franchise description, it screams out that it’s an MLM. Not the MLM’s of today but the true nature of MLM’s.
The big reason that the MLM business model is legal is that every distributor can make money by selling the product. So the MLM focus should be on the sale of the product but most of today’s MLM’s focus on recruiting new distributors which is the same as a pyramid scheme. The Juice Plus Virtual Franchise claim is that they focus on the sale of the product with recruiting being secondary.
What Is The Juice Plus Scam? The Test
At the corporate level, Juice Plus appears to be presenting all the correct stuff to be a legit opportunity. As a former member of 3 different MLM’s, I’ll tell you that what you see as distributor can be very different from the corporate level. Depending on who recruits you and who recruited them, they could be operating very differently than the corporate level. They could be operating in a mode that is a scam or even illegal. This is very common in MLM’s.
Here is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) view on Multi-Level Marketing:
According to the FTC, if the money you are making is based primarily on recruiting then you are in a pyramid scheme. So here’s a test for you:
- Are people recruiting you promoting the sale of the product first and recruiting second? If yes, not a scam.
- How many product sales are they doing directly not including sales from their network? If none then it’s a scam.
- How much of their time is spent selling the product? If none or almost none then it’s a scam.
- How much of their time is spent recruiting people into the MLM? If it’s most of their time then it’s a scam.
Even the most legit MLM company at the corporate level can become a pyramid scheme at lower levels depending on how the individual distributors approach the business. To keep the business legal it needs to be all about the product. When the company or distributors focus only on the recruiting then it becomes a scam.
What Is The Juice Plus Scam? The Answer
97% of people that join a MLM never make any money
The Juice Plus company is a legit company. The Juice Plus business opportunity is not a scam. But there is a big problem with the virtual franchise a.k.a. MLM. Across the MLM industry, the failure rate for new distributors is extremely high. As many as 97% of the people who join an MLM will never make any money. Why? Most people that get into an MLM do not have the skill set needed to excel in this business. They quickly get frustrated and give up.
The average person joining a Juice Plus or a MLM have no experience or training in how to sell the product or the business opportunity. They are typically told to make a list of family and friends then try to sell to everyone on that list. If lucky this may produce a couple of sales but this list will dry up quickly then where do you go. Most MLM’s have training but typically the training is filled with self promotion and has little valuable content.
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My MLM Advice
First, I’ll say that I’m not a fan of MLMs. There are much better ways to make money. My advice is to stay away from any MLM. If you are still considering joining Juice Plus or any MLM then I have the following advice for you:
Find A Great Product That You Love
As you saw from the FTC, the product is what makes the MLM legal or not. If you must join a MLM, find one that has a great product that you would be willing to sell. Then focus on selling the product. Your potential recruits for your network will be your customers that love the product as much as you do. If you go into a MLM focused on recruiting with no concern about the product then you are joining an illegal pyramid scheme. With the focus on recruiting, you’ll be scammed and you may scam other people out of their money.
Get An Education In Marketing
Education is key to your success
When you get involved with a MLM or really any business opportunity, you will need to market your product, the business opportunity and yourself. Depending on your background you may have no experience or training in marketing or selling. If this is true, then how could you possible expect to succeed at something you know nothing about. Even with the most legit MLM, you stand little chance of success without some knowledge of marketing and selling. The MLM company will provide some training but I would advise going outside of the company for additional training. The following two websites provide top-notch education in internet marketing. Regardless of the type of business you get into internet marketing can help you to achieve success
My Lead System Pro (MLSP): They provide step-by-step training that is specific to the MLM industry. They have some of the best training when it comes to Facebook, blogging and video marketing online. Check out my review of My Lead System Pro.
Wealthy Affiliate: They training for an online entrepreneur certification. They lead you step-by-step to build an online business. With Wealthy Affiliate, you can build your business around any passion you may have. They are not focused on any specific industry. They have a free starter membership and they provide two complimentary websites with the starter membership. Check out my review of Wealthy Affiliate.
Final Thought
From the outside, Juice Plus seems to be as legit as they come in the MLM world. There are some questions about the extravagant claims they have made about their products. Having been in 3 different MLM’s, I would advise staying away from any MLM opportunity. With any business opportunity you chose to join be it MLM or any other, educate yourself on selling and marketing and you’ll significantly increase your chances of achieving success.
In the comments below please give me your thoughts about what is the Juice Plus scam. I have never been a member of Juice Plus, so I would love to hear about your experience with Juice Plus. Please share your Juice Plus experiences (good and bad) in the comments below.
