Hey there sea changers, and welcome back to my series of MLM reviews. Today we are going to look into the MLM program of a company that spans across a number of products common to the direct marketing industry in Cosmetics/Beauty, Supplements and Essential Oils. Yep, all three all in one place. This has the potential I guess to make it a good platform on which to build an MLM empire. So is Zija International MLM worth a look? Let's have a look and find out…
What is MLM?
Multi-level marketing (MLM) programs are the mainstay of the ‘party plan' world of products such as Tupperware, Mary Kay and Amway etc. and, of course within the beauty/cosmetics, supplements and essential oils markets. MLMs have become a little more popular lately, mainly due to the fact that much of the sales and marketing 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).
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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:
- You join the program, either via referral from another person (known as your up line) or directly through their website.
- You promote the products of the company via parties, workshops or online.
- 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).
- That new member is then placed ‘underneath' you in a hierarchical arrangement (known as your down line).
- You, and a number of levels of your up line, then gain extra commissions for everything they sell as well.
- 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 are Zija International?
With a slogan of “Healthy Shouldn't Be Hard“, Zija International was founded in 2005 by Ken Brailsford who has built a signature line of products based around the Moringa oleifera tree. This tree is native to India and known as the “miracle tree” due to its leaves that are rich in minerals, vitamins, and other essential phytochemicals.
The company is based in Lehi, Utah in the United States.
What do they Sell?
Ok, As I mentioned above, Zija International has a large array of products across a number of product lines. There is a so much there that for the purposes of this post, I will list the main categories only:
Weight Management
- Cleansing
- Nourishment
- Metabolism
- Appetite Control
Nutrition
- Daily Nutrition
- Water Purification
- Targeted Solutions
Home Essentials
- Essential Oil Singles
- Essential Oil Blends
- Infused Products
- Home Products
- Massage & Carrier Oils
- Culinary
- Diffusers & Accessories
Personal Care
- Face & Anti-Aging
- Skin & Body
- Hair Care
- Oral Care
Energy
- Energy Boost
- Focus
Active Life and Fitness
- Hydration
- Workout
- Protein
- Vitality
Most products are based on their Core Morninga Technology and sourced from Moringa trees which are grown in their “purest and most effective form”.
MLM Program outline
The Zija International MLM program calls their members Distributors. The compensation plan is directly available on their site and contains a fairly simple program with a basic retail and downline commission structure as well as a few bonuses along the way. Here are the basics as I have found them…
Discount: up to 25% for Consultants
Base Commission rate: 15 – 25% (based on retail sales on discounts above)
Down line commission rates: 6 – 12% to 9 levels (Emerald rank and above)
Minimum monthly spend to qualify for commissions
- Once they are designated as qualified, Distributors are required to generate at least 75PV to qualify for commissions – this can be made of personal or customer sales.
Payment terms: Weekly and monthly.
Application required?: Yes, Application form with first purchase
Purchase requirements to join: Yes
Membership enrollment fee – $25
Enrollment kits as such are not mandatory as far as I can tell however when you join, you are led to a purchase page. It does appear that you can pass this without purchase though.
Marketing materials provided: Not stated
As with the most MLM programs, downline commissions and rankings are determined by the total Personal Volume (PV) generated by the Distributor and their down line within a calendar month. Most MLM programs manage it this way in that commissions are paid on the points assigned to a product rather than the entire sales total. Zija International appears to calculate its PV allocations at roughly 60% or the sales price. So for example, if a product retails for $100 which gives it a 60 PV rating (these generally vary from product to product) then the commission is calculated on $60 only. So if a commission rate for a product is 10% then it will generate a $6.00 payment to the sponsor (i.e. 10% of the $60 commissionable amount).
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How can I get paid?
The compensation plan promotes 6 ways in which Distributors can make money when they promote and sell products. These are quite standard for a MLM program are outlined as follows:
Retail Profit
Retail Profit is the base profits earned by the general day to day retail sales that distributors can generate. There are two main ways here:
- Earn a commission of up to 25% of the purchase value if done so at retail prices (basically the difference between the affiliate discount and the retail price).
- Purchase products at the discounted rate and on sell them at retail prices within a shop front, market stall or kiosk – or even the traditional party plan method.
Note: Distributors do not need to be Active or Qualified to earn retail profit commissions/payments.
Fast Start Commissions
Fast Start Commissions are paid on every personally enrolled new customer or Distributor who makes an order within 28 days of enrolment. Sponsoring Distributors must be Active 75 to earn 15% or Active 150 for 25% (see below).
Qualification
A distributor is Active 75 if they have generated 75PV worth of sales in the previous four weeks at time of purchase and Active 150 for 150PV worth of sales within the same time frame. These levels must be acquired at time of purchase.
Premier 20 & Elite 40
Premier 20 and Elite 40 are all about the recruitment of new distributors leading to free product and cash bonuses. It is a periodic program where points are earned based on the number of new enrollments sponsored who make purchases at enrollment, on an ongoing basis or if they rank up.
Points are allocated towards rewards as follows:
Team Commissions
As with many MLM programs, when a new Distributor is added to a sponsor's downline, they are generally assigned to a leg. As sales are made within the downline, the total PV is calculated within the legs as applicable. Team commissions of 10% ($50) are paid out every time a minimum volume of 500 PV is reached in both legs.
Lifestyle Bonus
The Lifestyle Bonus is a bonus paid to those who reach the higher ranks within the Zija International MLM Program. Once a distributor reaches the rank of Gold at least twice and have 15,000 in Sponsor Tree Volume they qualify for the Lifestyle Bonus as follows:
Note: A ‘cycle' is one week and a ‘Period' is four weeks.
Leadership Pools
The Leadership Pool is Zija's version of the stock standard Unilevel commission arrangements common to most MLM programs. Commissions of up to 12% are paid down to 9 levels on all generated volume within the downline of the Distributor as follows (Bronze and higher):
As with most programs, the higher the rank, the more commissions are paid. Distributors must achieve a rank of Emerald or above to qualify for Leadership Pool payments.
Ranking structure
As you have probably noticed, many of the commissions and bonuses paid out above are reliant upon the ‘rank' that you are assigned within the Zija International MLM program. This ranking structure is fairly straight forward where personal commissions earned rise based on total monthly PV and the number of underlings within the distributor's down line. As is common, the more sponsored distributors and the higher the total sales volume, the higher the rank. Rank requirements are as follows:
What else do you get?
On top of the potential earning methods outlined above, Zija International also offers a couple of bonus options for its distributors. These include:
3 & Free
The 3 & Free program provides for access to free product for Distributors and customers who enrol at least three people with a 150 PV order at time of enrollment. Once this is achieved, distributors earn a free 150 PV Zija Rewards Purchase (a $200 value).
Note: Any new Distributor can qualify for this program in their first three full periods from their enrollment date. For customers, this promotion is ongoing.
Distributor rewards
Distributors who meet extra monthly targets (set each month ) and/or rise through the ranks can earn an array of prizes, awards, incentive trips (recent destinations include Mexico, Thailand, and a Caribbean cruise)!
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:
- Commission/discount rates for entry level sales are good.
- Large array of products allows for a number of cross promotion opportunities.
- No ongoing monthly sales requirements for new entrants to make retail commissions.
- Compensation plan is simple and easy to follow.
What is no so good about it?
There are also some things to be aware of including:
- There are not the full array of bonuses that are evident in other programs within this niche.
- Distributors must reach higher ranks to qualify for unilevel commissions.
- Membership fee to join.
How much can you make?
Zija International does not provide projected income figures on its website however based on my research, it has to be assumed that as with most MLM programs, the percentage of members making the upper rank levels – and hence earning a living – is very low.
My final thoughts
Look, MLM is not an easy platform to make money in and there is not much that I have seen here to put this program above the many others I have seen.
The main advantage here for those who are looking to get into the MLM business is the large array of products on offer with the ability to promote in three well-known and popular online niches. Even though there is a membership enrollment cost, Distributors can make base commissions and profits without the need to purchase or meet monthly sales volume targets. This means that they can get their business off the ground without any of the initial out-of-pocket costs that can strain the finances at this time. Although if I am being honest – I think that to be successful in any MLM program, you will need to have a good understanding of the products, hence personal sales are necessary.
There are however, as is the usual operating procedure for MLMs, qualification processes for higher ranks with monthly PV requirements in place. This does not have to be made via personal contributions – unless shortfalls need to be made up if targets are not made via customer sales of course The only real red flag here is that unilevel commissions can only be earned by higher ranks although there are some good opportunities for those new to the company as well.
At the end of the day, whilst this does appear to be a program very much aimed at recruiting new members there is nothing here that would make me tell you to avoid it completely as long as you go in with your eyes open to the fact that success in MLM is not easy and takes a good amount of time, patience and often, financial commitments as well.
I was unable to locate any negative reviews in terms of non-payment etc. however there was some negative comments about the quality of products and the MLM program itself – although it was not really anything that is uncommon in regards to MLM programs or products within this niche.
Conclusion
So there you have it, my honest review and appraisal of the Zija International 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 Supplements, Cosmetics, Essential Oils 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.
Zija International
$25Pros
- Commission/discount rates for entry level sales are good.
- Large array of products allows for a number of cross promotion opportunities.
- No ongoing monthly sales requirements for new entrants to make retail commissions.
- Compensation plan is simple and easy to follow.
Cons
- There are not the full array of bonuses that are evident in other programs within this niche.
- Distributors must reach higher ranks to qualify for unilevel commissions.
- Membership fee to join.