Hey there sea changers, and welcome back to my series of MLM reviews. Today we journey into the vineyard with my Boisset Collection MLM Review. The sale of wine is not usually one that I would have associated with MLM but as it turns out there are quite a few of them around. So if you are interested in setting up an online business in this space then is the Boisset Collection MLM worth considering? Let’s check it out and see…

Note: I am not a member of the Boisset Collection MLM Program (and hence make no commissions from any of the links included within this post). The reason for this is that I prefer to write these posts based on what a newbie would be seeing if they were interested in joining – that way I feel I can make a better judgement on what it is that these companies are offering within their programs.

What is MLM?

Multi-level marketing (MLM) programs were originally the mainstay of the ‘party plan’ world of products such as Tupperware, Mary Kay and Amway etc. and, with the advancement in online technologies, the essential oils, CBD oil, and supplements niches as well. One of the reasons for this is that much of the sales and marketing for MLMs is now being managed online – alleviating the need to run parties – and, more importantly, not hassle everybody you know to join (you can of course, but you don’t have to).

The ‘multi level’ aspects of MLM come from its hierarchical nature in which you make commissions based not only on those that you sell to, but also the sales of those whom you ‘sign’ into membership arrangements as well.

In short, the process works as follows:

1. You join the program, either via referral from another person (known as your up line) or directly through their website.
2. You promote the products of the company via parties, workshops or online.
3. As you make sales, you offer incentives to your customers to sign up as a member of the program (there are different names for this but they all mean the same thing).
4. That new member is then placed ‘underneath’ you in a hierarchical arrangement (known as your down line).
5. You, and a number of levels of your up line, then gain extra commissions for everything they sell as well.
6. If they manage to refer their customers into memberships, they also become a member of your down line allowing you to make up line commissions as well.

The number of levels of your up and down lines will vary depending on the program you have joined. Commission rates will also change as your down line grows or contracts and many will also offer other incentives such as total company sales percentages and/or access to membership prizes as your own business grows.

Who is Boisset Collection?

Boisset Collection‘s Jean-Charles Boisset is a second generation wine maker after the foundation of the family’s first winery in Vougeot in the historic wine region of Burgundy, France in 1961. The company has since grown under the watchful eye of the Boisset family to where it is today with wineries in Burgundy, the South of France, California’s Napa Valley and Russian River Valley. These wineries operate with a fierce commitment to sustainable, organic, and Biodynamic® farming and the wine lifestyle.

The company is now based in California in the U.S. and operates within the following U.S. states:

What do they Sell?

Ok, so we know they sell wine from their wineries in France and the United States. There are so many to choose from amongst their 20 odd wineries and brands that it is impossible to list them all here. Their main categories however include:

Red

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Zinfadel
• Red Blends and Meritage
• Other Red Varietals

White

• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Other Whites and Blends
• Rose
• Sparkling
• Sweet and Desert

Wine prices run from around $17 for some of the white varieties up to over $1000 for specialty bottles and releases.

The added advantage for members of this MLM program however are in all of the supporting products that are available as well. This includes:

Jewelry

• Bracelets
• Brooches/Pins
• Cufflinks
• Earrings
• Necklaces

Homewares

• Books
• Accessories
• Glasses and Stemware
• Serving sets
• Decanters

All in all, there really is a great range of products here for those looking to promote the opulence that comes with a good bottle of wine.

MLM Program outline

The Boisset Collection MLM program calls its members ‘Ambassadors’ who join what appears to be a very simple MLM program. Their compensation plan can be found on their site and outlines the payment options available so let’s start with the basics:

Base Commission rate: 25 – 30% (Active) 15% (Inactive)

Ambassador Discount: 20% (as part of a ‘membership and cannot be used to purchase for private sale)

Down line commission rates: 3 – 8% to 6 levels (1st generation (down line level 1) rates 3% – Associate Ambassador level and up required.)

Minimum monthly spend to qualify for commissions

• Consultants are required to maintain 1000 Personal Volume (PV) per annum to remain as a member of the Ambassador program. 250PV sales volume is required per month to trigger full personal and downline commissions – these can be made up from either personal or customer purchases via personalised websites.

Payment terms: Monthly

Application required?: Yes – As this is a program dealing with the sale of alcohol, there are more acceptance criteria in place than are found in many other MLM arrangements. To be accepted into the program, Ambassadors must:

• Be at least 21 years of age.
• Have no prior DUI’s in past 4 years or felony convictions.
• Be a permanent resident of the United States residing in a state Boisset is approved for direct shipping (see map above).
• Have a valid Social Security number or Federal Taxpayer Identification number.
• Complete the online enrollment process and agree to the Ambassador terms.
• Have a valid email address.
• Have a valid credit card.

Purchase requirements to join: Yes

• Membership is free to join but a starter kit purchase is required – these range from $49 to $549 depending on the number of bottles and tasting party accessories (glassware etc.) required.
• Ongoing cost of $14 per month or $120 annually for the Cellar Suite (personalised website etc.).

Marketing materials provided: Personalised website, tools and advanced tracking as part of Cellar Suite.

As with the most MLM arrangements, down line commissions and rankings are determined by the total Personal Sales Volume (PV) which are the sales that Ambassadors and their customers place. Most programs manage it this way in that commissions are paid on the points assigned to a product rather than the entire sales total. The Boisset Collection MLM program offers a good PV rating of dollar per dollar on many of its products and 75% on most others. This means that commissions are paid on 75 – 100% of the total sales price of the product sold. Their calculation table is as follows:

Payments and rankings are calculated based on the total PV of the member, and their downline.

How can I get paid?

As mentioned above, the Boisset Collection compensation plan is extremely simple – in fact, one of the simplest I have seen in that it offers traditional sales profits and base level commissions only. All in all, there are two ways to earn within this program with two bonus options as well so let’s check them out below:

Note: The compensation plan I have used is from the website only so if I have missed anything please feel free to comment below if any of my information is inaccurate.

Retail Commissions and Bonuses

Retail Commissions and Bonuses are the traditional sales profit earned by the general day to day retail sales that Ambassador’s make via their website as a result of daily operations or ‘tasting’ parties (yep, this program relies heavily on the old party plan model). Commissions are tiered based on status and monthly sales volume as follows:

• Non Active Ambassadors (who have not reached 250PV in their previous months) earn 15% of sales CV.
• Active members (250PV reached) earn 25% of total sales (CV).
• Bonus commissions from 3 to 10% are on offer for those who make higher sales in a calendar month.

Full details are as follows:

Note: products can be sold for personal use only and not to businesses such as restaurants, cafes etc.

Team Incentives

Team Incentives are the Boisset Collection’s version of the stock standard Unilevel commission arrangements common to most MLM programs. Commissions are paid down to 6 levels (dependent on rank) on all generated volume within the downline of the Ambassador. Rates are as follows:

Distributors must reach the rank of Associate Ambassador before the Team Incentives are triggered however this just means that a downline is in place on which to pay commissions.

Onboarding Bonuses

Onboarding Bonuses are paid as a 5% bonus commission on the CV of the sales of a new ambassador who are still within their first 90 days of operation.

90 Day Jumpstart

The 90 Day Jumpstart is paid in product credit for sales made within an ambassador’s first 90 days with the program as follows:

• 30 – Day Mark: Submit 750 in Personal Volume (PV) in the first 30 days and earn $100 credit to shop for wines or merchandise.
• 60 – Day Mark: Submit 750 in Personal Volume (PV) in the second 30 days (31-60) and earn $200 credit to shop for wines or merchandise.
• 90 – Day Mark: Submit a total of 2,500 in Personal Volume (PV) in the first 90 days and earn an additional $350 credit to shop for wines or merchandise.

Click here for more information in regards to the 90 Day Jumpstart program including operations tracker and guidelines.

Ranking structure

As you have probably noticed, the commissions above are paid out depending on the ‘rank’ that Ambassadors are assigned within the Boisset Collection MLM program. This ranking structure is quite straight forward with commission qualifications rising based on total monthly PV and the number of underlings within the down line structures. Rank requirements are as follows:

As with most programs, rankings are determined by the total sales generated in a calendar month. As down lines grow, commission rates increase as outlined earlier within this post.

What is good about it?

So, after a good look around the site and looking at all the options I could find, I do like the following:

• Information in regards to their MLM program is easy to find.
• The program is extremely simple.
• Base level commissions are quite good.
• Commissions can be earned without reaching monthly targets (yearly targets however must be met).
• There are plenty of products and addons to promote.

What is no so good about it?

There are also some things to be aware of including:

• There are none of the extra bonus options that others have (such as rank achievement bonuses etc.).
• A monthly subscription is required to access Ambassador tools.
• There are limitations on where products can be sold.

How much can you make?

There is no information available as to how much a Boisset Collection Ambassador can make. I have also not been able to find anything online to lead me to say anything other than that as with most MLM programs, the percentage of members making the upper rank levels is generally very low and those making a supporting income is usually less than 1%.

It should be noted here also that the Boisset Collection MLM program prohibits its Ambassadors from making claims or representations of potential or guaranteed income or profits in connection with the Boisset Collection Ambassador program.

My final thoughts

Look, MLM is not an easy platform to make money in and this is an interesting one based purely on the simplicity of it all. I keep looking for all the extra payment options and wonder if the lack of them makes this a risky proposition. That said, the Boisset Collection program is extremely simple to understand with an ‘old school’ approach to sales and well as paying commissions for sales. I guess however that the lack of the multitude of added bonuses that many others offer may reduce earning potential in comparison.

The joining process is quite simple however there are some immediate financial requirements via the purchase of a starter kit and ambassadors will need to part with $14 per month to access their personalised website etc (most programs offer this for free). My only real ‘concern’ here is that although monthly personal purchases are not mandatory, I cannot see the contents of the starter kits lasting more than one, or maybe two tasting sessions hence I tend to think that ongoing purchase requirements will be necessary so that stock for tastings can be maintained.

The program is definitely aimed at the luxury end of the market which, depending on your customer base, make this a great or difficult market to get involved in. That said, at the end of the day, there is some good information available in regards to the commission structure so if you are passionate their products and like this brand (and can afford to keep your tasting stock levels up), then to be honest I cannot see much in there that would cause me to warn you off.

Reviews

I was unable to locate anything major in terms of negative reviews regarding non-payments or customer service for this site. There have been some legal issues in regards to levels of contaminants in some of their products which if that is something that concerns you then maybe something that should be checked out a little further. There are also some negative comments about the MLM program and products although it was not really anything that is uncommon in regards to most MLM programs.

Conclusion

So there you have it, my honest review and appraisal of the Boisset Collection MLM program. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions or experience with this program please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below – especially if any of my information is inaccurate.

Are there any other programs you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own Wine, Entertainment or MLM based website?

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Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price.