Max International
Max International Overview
Max International is a nutritional supplements network marketing company with a home base in Salt Lake City UT. The company was founded in 2007.
Max was founded by two very heavy hitters in the field of marketing and inspirational speaking, Steven K. Scott and Gregory Fullerton.
Scott has made his name several times over in the field of direct marketing television and is personally responsible for more than $3 billion in profits for the two companies he has worked with. The co-founder of American Telecast and the creator of the Total Gym television campaign, Scott has worked with Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris to rake in more than $1 billion in sales for that company alone.
Gregory Fullerton is one of the world’s most sought-after speakers, having shared stages with people ranging from George Lucas to Senator Bob Bennett. He is also one of the co-founders of Franklin Covey.
These two marketing powerhouses came up with the idea for Max International to distribute a product originally formulated by Dr. Robert H. Keller, a professional who is as renowned in his field as Scott and Fullerton are in theirs. In addition to many, many other accomplishments, Keller has worked with NASA, the VA, and the National Institutes of Health and is currently the Chairman, CEO, and CSO of Phoenix BioSciences.
Today, Max International operates in three countries outside of the United States and, according to a 2009 review, had second year sales of approximately $50 million after debuting with $15 million in sales during its first year in business. The focus of Max’s marketing is on four products that differ somewhat in formula but all of which are designed to boost the body’s glutathione levels.
Max International Goals
Max International is run according to The Max Code, eleven statements which focus on the company’s commitment to honesty, providing value, and generally operating Max International in such a way as to truly benefit both customers and associates.
As of this review there was no information readily available as to whether or not Max International has participated as a donor or sponsor of charitable activities.
Max International Company Management
Today, Max International is run by a 12-person team backed by an Advisory Board with members from the field of medicine as well as top earners with Max International. The management team is headed by Peter Nordberg, a former high-tech executive who had worked with everything from startups to multi-billion dollar organizations before joining the Max International team.
Max International’s Products and Services
Max International markets four products that are formulated to boost the body’s production of glutathione, help boost people’s energy, and help flush out free radicals. The company’s signature product, Max GXL, focuses on glutathione levels alone.
The company’s other products are Max ATP, which concentrates on flushing free radicals from the body; Max N-Fuse, an antioxidant blend including green tea and broccoli-seed extracts; and Max GXL Sport, which has been specifically formulated to meet NSF International’s approval for having no ingredients which are on the banned list for professional and amateur athletes.
One potential problem with Max International’s product line, however, is the price. Three of the four product cost $85 retail and $69 wholesale for a 30-day supply. The last product, Max N-Fuse, is more expensive at $92 retail and $75 wholesale.
The only way to purchase products at wholesale prices is to sign up for a monthly auto-ship program.
While the company’s prices may be a resistance point for many people, the company is obviously marketing itself to an upscale, educated niche that will appreciate the depth of the scientific efforts that have gone into formulating its products.
The Max International Compensation Plan
The Max International Compensation plan is a somewhat complicated plan that rewards associates with retail sales commissions as well as commissions and bonuses for recruiting a downline. The company operates on a two-leg downline system, a sales leg and a strong leg, and pays commissions on the performance of the lower-performing of the two legs on a monthly basis.
One outstanding thing about the Max compensation plan, however, is how upfront the company is in explaining it. The Max International website offers no fewer than four publications about the compensation plan, ranging from a FAQ and glossary to a 14-page, fully detailed document. All terms are explained in common English without some of the complicated formulas that are an almost-standard feature of network marketing compensation plans today.
Max International’s Public Record
Max International has received a D- rating from the Better Business Bureau. However, the web page rating the company specifically mentions the fact that Max is a network marketing company and a supplement company and states that those facts, plus the fact that Max is a relatively new company, are the reasons for the ratings.
It’s important to note that this reviewer hasn’t run into those disclaimers when reviewing any other network marketing company to date, whether or not the companies marketed nutritional supplements or other products.
The company is involved in two current lawsuits, one of which claims trademark infringement. The other, however, could help determine how network marketing recruitment is done over the long term.
In that suit, Max International is being accused of unfair trade practices after the company recruited former executives at Melaleuca, another supplements company. A US district court granted an injunction in January of 2010 forbidding any further recruitment of former Melaleuca executives pending the outcome of the case.
Max International is not a member of the Direct Selling Association, which sets the standards for the industry in its Code of Ethics
Ryan Nelson Notes About Max International
Max International appears to be a company with a rare combination of positive factors in the network marketing field – it’s a new company, it has been founded by experts in the fields of marketing and medicine, and it markets unique, highly targeted products.
There are only two strong negative points that people who are interested in becoming Max International associates need to consider.
One is the fact that Max requires that its associates use only Max-provided, carbon-copy websites for online marketing. This reviewer found one such site, on which the associates, a married couple, still managed to do a decent job of branding themselves despite the strictures of the company-provided template.
However, these strict regulations mean that, between Google-slapping and the difficulties of taking full advantage of Internet marketing strategies on carbon-copy sites, new associates may have a difficult time leveraging the Internet to find their market niche.
The company’s issues with Internet marketing are made worse by the high prices of its products. Currently, someone considering becoming a Max International associate needs to already have access to a warm market of people who have the interest and money to spend on high-end, pricey supplements. Without access to the entire Internet marketing toolkit, it may be tough to reach out to or widen your access to that market.
On the other hand, the brains behind Max International are going to make sure that the company is prominently featured in television infomercials and by all indications will be funneling prospects from those ads straight to its associates. This alone may well make up for any losses due to the restrictions on Internet marketing.
The bottom line here is that Max International seems to have a winning formula. With the caveat that the most money in any network marketing company is made by only a very few people, Max seems to be one of the companies that’s going to do a better job of spreading that wealth around.
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