Driven by the purpose to get affordable, natural, and high-quality products into as many hands as possible, we cut out the middleman. Unlike some billion-dollar power-players in the essential oil industry, Plant Therapy doesn’t rely on a network of distributors who have been carefully trained by their company to sell, sell, sell. That means we don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for everything we offer and can focus our efforts on providing customers with the highest quality products, an abundance of aromatherapy education, and unbeatable customer service.
What is MLM?
Most people who have casually dabbled in essential oils have probably been confronted by one (or two, or three) well-meaning friends, family members, or acquaintances who just have to tell you all about the essential oils they sell. AND they want YOU to sell them too! With promises of making tons of money and being financially independent, certain companies rely on the Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) business model to fuel their bottom line. In a nutshell, it works like this:
- You PAY to become a distributor. You purchase the company’s products, then your first goal is to sell those products at a higher price to anyone and everyone. Are you already seeing extra dollar signs add up for the customer here? This may sound obvious, but without a distributor, you don’t need to pay for a distributor. Whenever you purchase from a distributor, know that you are paying for the cost of the product AND paying for the distributor to sell you that product.
- A distributor really makes money when they convince people to sign up in their “downline” as a distributor. That way, the distributor gets paid by the products they sell, the amount of people they recruit to also sell, and they take a commission with each sale on their downline. That’s real money coming out of your wallet to pay for this hierarchical selling system.
- The more people selling products in a single distributor’s downline, the more money that distributor makes. You’ll notice the emphasis of this business model is to recruit new distributors so that the people at the top have a constant flow of income coming in from commissions. It’s all about that money!
While it can be said that a certain few individuals have struck gold with this system, the failure rate is high since success depends on the ability to build a large downline. MLM companies often report that less than 1% of all distributors earn money, while others can hope to break even. Some lose money because they can not sell through their inventory fast enough (there are quotas to meet after all!) and/or they struggle to build a downline.
Why are MLMs so popular?
At this point, you might be wondering: Why would anyone pay so much more for something they can purchase without the middleman? Great question! If you’ve ever had a conversation about essential oils (or makeup, or supplements, or skin care products — lots of things are sold through this system) with an MLM distributor, then you know it’s their way or the highway, baby! The commitment to their company’s products are unwavering, because how can they sell and convince other people to sell them if they even hesitate about the ethics of this kind of business model? You might as well be talking politics or religion in some cases. Distributors rely on selling, and other people selling under them, to make money, and will say anything to meet that goal. The passion is contagious and many people stop in their tracks right there, especially if their distributor is someone they trust.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is the way to go!
Plant Therapy is a DTC business model where products are sold directly to consumers. No middleman required. But you'll enjoy more than just cost savings with this model. Let’s take a look at why everyone should be on the DTC train!
Actual Employees: We don't rely on random distributors to hawk our products. Plant Therapy is a people-first oriented company that puts their employees on the payroll, with amazing benefits to boot! We’re a hard-working team that loves this company and are intricately involved in every step of the process, from carefully sourcing each amazing ingredient to answering all of your questions after a purchase. This isn’t passive income for us; it’s not a part-time gig. This is what we do, and we are here for you every step of the way!
Real Education: Our Certified Aromatherapists learn through nationally and internationally recognized aromatherapy programs and follow safety guidelines set forth by leaders in the industry. For an MLM, the training distributors receive are all done internally, meaning that company can instruct that distributor to say whatever they need to say to sell products. This leads to distributors touting illegal or unsubstantiated claims for products, giving unsafe advice, and generally just not knowing what they’re talking about. Essential oils can be harmful if used improperly and we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have someone in your corner who really understands what these concentrated botanical compounds can do.
Fanatical About Quality: Any essential oil company worth their salt, MLM or not, should have published GC/MS reports on their oils available for customers. If they don’t, run away. Any company can shout all the fluff they want about quality, but these tests are essential to really know what’s in your bottle. You can compare any of our tests against those of a big MLM, and you’ll see that both are pure, unadulterated, quality oils verified by third parties. So why pay triple the amount? Because you’re paying for your distributor to tell you that only they have the best, even though you can clearly see that is a tailor-made response to keep you coming back.
Something extra special about Plant Therapy is that we were the first to set this groundbreaking standard of publishing third-party GC/MS reports. Other companies quickly fell in line. Today, alongside a team of chemists and aromatherapists, we have a full analytical laboratory dedicated to making sure our oils are the highest quality. Because we’re awesome like that.
Customers Come First: Our products are affordable because we want everyone to experience their benefits. Whether it is a luxurious body cream or a bottle of Lavender, we’re not trying to gobble up your income — especially in such unpredictable times as today! We also stress the importance of conservative use when it comes to essential oils. You really don’t need to drink them, encapsulate them, sprinkle them straight on your skin, or use up half your bottle in a lotion to enjoy their amazing properties. In fact, many methods of use commonly hyped by MLMs can be very unsafe. These are highly concentrated and precious plant materials that deserve to be treated thoughtfully, no matter how you love to use them. Sometimes just cracking open the bottle and taking a few intentional whiffs is all you need! We know your money and time are valuable, and we’re not here for you to waste either.
But don’t take our word for it.
The next time you’re about to put hundreds down to buy oils from your cousin’s friend’s brother’s girlfriend, just remember…you really don’t have to. Plant Therapy is just a click away! Great prices, free shipping, no hassle returns, great quality, and an awesome Customer Satisfaction team ready for all of your questions. No risk, no commitments, no worries!
