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I have to admit, last night I sat down and listened to the most rehearsed, cultish, and intentionally deceptive conversation ever. It was a product training call by Danny McDaniel. Now, one might think intuitively that product training would have something to do with learning something new about a product, or better yet, how to sell it. Sorry, nothing new. The first thirteen minutes he talked about how important it was to use conviction to convince people to attend mixers. After that he tells them to use that same conviction to get them to attend a business opportunity meeting at the Champion Center. McDaniel believes that anyone that attends will be easily mesmerized by the lights, the music, and by the fantastic stories that will be told. He used the word stories, and they are just that, stories. Hold on here is the kicker!
McDaniel believes, because Advocare has been in business for over 20 years, it is because of their successful business model, and they are comparable to franchises such as Chipotle and others. Even though McDaniel does admit Advocare is not a franchise, he does leave a few things out. Firstly, there is a difference between your independent business, and Advocare. You do not work for Advocare! Advocare does not have stores all over the country called franchises. With that, franchises do not promote an endless chain of recruiting, and call them independent distributors, or independent business owners. They have employees that pay taxes on everything they earn, and all of them make money. So tell me Mr. (smooth talking) McDaniel, how the hell are the two companies comparable? Let me break it down for you, and remember I am comparing Advocares independent distributor business model, not Advocares business model.
Advocare Chipotle
Franchise: No Yes
Employees: No Yes
Guaranteed
To make money No Yes
Successful business
Model No Yes
Cult like Yes No
Sell Products Yes Yes
That is why I say McDaniel uses language that is no different than some of the most well known religious cults. Yes, Advocare the company has a business model comparable to Chipotle, although they are not a franchise. Advocare is guaranteed to make money, Advocare has employees, Advocare has a successful business model, and yes they sell products. But you independent distributors or independent business owners are not Advocare. McDaniel knows that once he has you on the line he can convince many of you to believe what he is saying, and it makes me sick. He twists the words knowing most of you will take the bait hook line and sinker. Unfortunately, the independent business model is not successful, and all you have to do is read Advocares yearly income disclosure statement. Every year, more than ninety-eight percent of you fail. If you have not read my articles you should. Why, because it is an unsustainable path, period! Unfortunately he does not stop there. He starts to turn into Dr. Danny McDaniel. Please, allow me to explain.
McDaniel starts out with the typical medical disclaimer indicating that neither he nor Advocare make medical claims, play doctor, or claim to have products that cure diseases or illnesses. He also claims they are a product driven company with the finest nutritional products in the world. Then he goes right into telling the listener that you cannot replace food, but not everyone can get enough nutrition from eating regular food alone, and anyone that believes that they can, is a complete moron. He goes into talking about the United States Department of Agriculture and soil degradation and how that is the sole reason. Well then McDaniel, the people at Harvard Health Publications must be morons then because they believe that you can get adequate nutrition from just food. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
He starts talking about the Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS) E (energy), C (appetite control), and 3 (a combination of the first two). According to McDaniel the product is supposed to curve your cravings, and create some type of bio-available energy. He goes on to claim that the product will revamp your metabolism. Not can, he said it will. At first I did not find his comments to be that big of a deal, until he went into trying to explain how the three product rank from one to ten on energy and appetite control. This is how he ranked the products:
Energy Appetite Control
MNS E 10 7-8
MNS C 7-8 10
MNS 3 5 5
He then goes on to say that he does not promote the use of MNS 3 because that is not what the McDaniel family uses. There he goes with the cult like control mechanism. He knows if he tells you something, you are likely to follow. Common sense tells me that if I can get E and C in MNS 3, then that would be the wise choice. McDaniel, has mastered the art of bullshit. He knows if everyone bought just MNS 3, sales would go down because people would stop buying E, and C. Yes that was one of my famous intuitive conjectures, but a viable argument if I do say so myself. That is when he begins to talk about the energy drink spark.
Danny McDaniel tells the listener that spark will give the listener 3 to 4 hours of energy and focus. There are no maybes, or it was designed to give energy and focus, he said it will. He then goes on to say that someone on the medical advisory board has claimed that spark is designed to send neural active precursors to the central nervous system to clear out the neural pathways in the brain. Funny, I do not remember seeing any research that supports such a claim, not to mention he never included the doctors’ name. I am going to say it was Dr. Mcdaniels. Then he goes on to talk about how the neurons are activated which sparks a chemical reaction where the neurons begin to spray chemicals on each other, which then causes some type of sequential firing within the brain. He goes on to talk about how spark is great to take when you have an afternoon low, but claims sparks does not result in a crash. If you drank spark in the morning, you should not have a low in the afternoon, right? Dr. Mcdaniels (kidding) also indicated that spark should be taken on an empty stomach. They do not tell you that on the Advocare website. Then he goes to the Advocare cleanse.
He tells the listener that it is intended to work in ten days, to filter out the liver, kidneys, and the digestive tract. He then goes on to make a comparison to a plethora of filters found in cars, dryers, and more. He then goes on to tell the listener that everyone should cleanse every ninety days, and it includes pro-biotic tablets and a fiber drink. Basically he is claiming that the 10 day cleanse promotes better nutritional absorption without viable proof of such claim. The next product he talks about is the OmegaPlex.
I notice, on many occasion he read directly from the product brochure. Then he goes into some mumbo jumbo about how healthy fat flushes the bad fat and increases your metabolism. Mcdaniels goes on to say that he consumes double or triple the OmegaPlex (Omega 3). Why? Well, he tells the listener that if he takes more, he will have healthier skin, hair, nails, and at some point have a healthier heart. It will also reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease according to Dr. Mcdaniels. Now I think you all understand why I called him Dr. Mcdaniels. You cannot claim that you do not make medical claims and talk about products that will lead to healthier hair, nails, heart, and reduce cardiovascular disease, can you? He then goes into a spiel about how Advocare Omega 3 products are manufactured better than any other manufacturer in the country, like there has been some test. Actually there has and Advocare does not seem to be on the list (here).
Then Mcdaniels goes on to the meal replacement shake. He goes right into how the product makes you feel better and look better, helps you lose weight, and gives you more energy. He tells the listener that eating 6 small meals a day versus 3 regular meals can turn you into a fat burning machine. Oh yea, and don’t forget the in-between snacks. Which, I have to say, is much less Dr. like compared to his Omega 3 predictions. Then he goes directly to what he calls his sleeper product, pro-biotic restore.
He claims that restore has something like 6 billion good live bacteria, which I would not doubt. Dr. Mcdaniels explains that in your stomach there is a war going on between the good bacteria, and bad. Apparently, the side that has more troops wins the war. Beside his strange analogies, there is research to support the use of pro-biotic products. My only problem with the pro-biotic restore is that Advocare offers products such as the colon cleanse to wipe the body clean of the majority of good and bad bacteria, and then promotes the use of restore to replace the bacteria. I wrote an article that talks about how our body has host specific bacteria, and you can find it here. Then he gets to the part about looking better, feeling better, and having more energy. He is killing me. Where are the Advocare studies that prove the pro-biotic restore will lead to all the aforementioned claims? Now, he is going to talk about how to retail the product.
The first thing you need to do to retail the product is to tell them a real or made up story. He does not say that, but if you visit the Advo-Truth Facebook you will read real stories about people that did what they needed to do to sell the product. You know the product story on how you lost weight, and how the products made you feel amazing. Mcdaniels tells the listener that they should expect questions after telling their story, such as what is in the product. He replies, “That is where you got to get good at (stops himself), you were not called here to be a scientist, that is why we have an impact magazine, and that is why you need to learn the bullet proof shield. He then goes into the same spiel about “I don’t know a whole lot about that, but what I do know”. He goes on to encourage the listeners to tell people that inquire about ingredients to reiterate they are not scientist, they are here to market the product to the general public.
Mcdaniels goes on to encourage the listener to say that “We already know the products are safe, and work, and that there is science to back that claim, see, here is a list of scientist on the medical advisory board”. Then he gets to the second most common question and that is how much does the product cost. He teaches the listener to deflect common sense with can you afford $4.97 a day? By the way, he is referring to the cost of spark and MNS E, C, or 3. That is the typical cult like thinking. Circumvent logical thinking with crafty logic. Let me try to sum this up for you.
The product training is not really about teaching people how to sell the product. Even though he does do a better job of discussing the retail aspects. Mcdaniels does not show people how to use their personal website, he does not teach them where and how to look for new customers. What he talks about is what he has been talking about for years. How to incorporate deceptive rhetoric in such a way it will make it easier for them to deflect any negative and justified questions. All the years that have passed, and they still cannot answer questions without the “bullet proof shield”. Over twenty years in business, and still no viable research provided on the Advocare website. Go ahead and look, but you will not find it. Where is the third party research? That is what companies do when they want to truly test their product, and prove to the world that they have products that are safe and effective for their intended use. The recording was more of a indoctrination seminar! If that fails, tell your friend (you know will not return the product) that it is money back guaranteed. It was a well crafted cult like sales pitch, and unfortunately until the Federal Trade Commission does something about it, people like Mcdaniels will continue with the deceptive lies he refers to as “the successful business plan”. He even admits that many of the older distributors have changed their story to include the 24 day challenge. Although he admits that it is not a good idea to change your story, he is validating the fact that most of these stories are just that, stories. Through the whole sales pitch, I could feel his real message wanted to come out. Get them on the product, get them to the mixer, and get them to sign on as a wholesale customer so you can earn commission. This is the truth. The company has been in business over 20 years and is doing very well. But, the independent distributors are not Advocare, and the independent sales track record is, and always has been, dismal at best.
Let me just say this. On many occasions I have heard Danny McDaniel say that the products sell themselves, and that they are great products. Then why do you need all the bull malarkey?
Join the discussion at: Advocare Review Facebook
I have to admit, last night I sat down and listened to the most rehearsed, cultish, and intentionally deceptive conversation ever. It was a product training call by Danny McDaniel. Now, one might think intuitively that product training would have something to do with learning something new about a product, or better yet, how to sell it. Sorry, nothing new. The first thirteen minutes he talked about how important it was to use conviction to convince people to attend mixers. After that he tells them to use that same conviction to get them to attend a business opportunity meeting at the Champion Center. McDaniel believes that anyone that attends will be easily mesmerized by the lights, the music, and by the fantastic stories that will be told. He used the word stories, and they are just that, stories. Hold on here is the kicker!
McDaniel believes, because Advocare has been in business for over 20 years, it is because of their successful business model, and they are comparable to franchises such as Chipotle and others. Even though McDaniel does admit Advocare is not a franchise, he does leave a few things out. Firstly, there is a difference between your independent business, and Advocare. You do not work for Advocare! Advocare does not have stores all over the country called franchises. With that, franchises do not promote an endless chain of recruiting, and call them independent distributors, or independent business owners. They have employees that pay taxes on everything they earn, and all of them make money. So tell me Mr. (smooth talking) McDaniel, how the hell are the two companies comparable? Let me break it down for you, and remember I am comparing Advocares independent distributor business model, not Advocares business model.
Advocare Chipotle
Franchise: No Yes
Employees: No Yes
Guaranteed
To make money No Yes
Successful business
Model No Yes
Cult like Yes No
Sell Products Yes Yes
That is why I say McDaniel uses language that is no different than some of the most well known religious cults. Yes, Advocare the company has a business model comparable to Chipotle, although they are not a franchise. Advocare is guaranteed to make money, Advocare has employees, Advocare has a successful business model, and yes they sell products. But you independent distributors or independent business owners are not Advocare. McDaniel knows that once he has you on the line he can convince many of you to believe what he is saying, and it makes me sick. He twists the words knowing most of you will take the bait hook line and sinker. Unfortunately, the independent business model is not successful, and all you have to do is read Advocares yearly income disclosure statement. Every year, more than ninety-eight percent of you fail. If you have not read my articles you should. Why, because it is an unsustainable path, period! Unfortunately he does not stop there. He starts to turn into Dr. Danny McDaniel. Please, allow me to explain.
McDaniel starts out with the typical medical disclaimer indicating that neither he nor Advocare make medical claims, play doctor, or claim to have products that cure diseases or illnesses. He also claims they are a product driven company with the finest nutritional products in the world. Then he goes right into telling the listener that you cannot replace food, but not everyone can get enough nutrition from eating regular food alone, and anyone that believes that they can, is a complete moron. He goes into talking about the United States Department of Agriculture and soil degradation and how that is the sole reason. Well then McDaniel, the people at Harvard Health Publications must be morons then because they believe that you can get adequate nutrition from just food. That is just the tip of the iceberg.
He starts talking about the Metabolic Nutrition System (MNS) E (energy), C (appetite control), and 3 (a combination of the first two). According to McDaniel the product is supposed to curve your cravings, and create some type of bio-available energy. He goes on to claim that the product will revamp your metabolism. Not can, he said it will. At first I did not find his comments to be that big of a deal, until he went into trying to explain how the three product rank from one to ten on energy and appetite control. This is how he ranked the products:
Energy Appetite Control
MNS E 10 7-8
MNS C 7-8 10
MNS 3 5 5
He then goes on to say that he does not promote the use of MNS 3 because that is not what the McDaniel family uses. There he goes with the cult like control mechanism. He knows if he tells you something, you are likely to follow. Common sense tells me that if I can get E and C in MNS 3, then that would be the wise choice. McDaniel, has mastered the art of bullshit. He knows if everyone bought just MNS 3, sales would go down because people would stop buying E, and C. Yes that was one of my famous intuitive conjectures, but a viable argument if I do say so myself. That is when he begins to talk about the energy drink spark.
Danny McDaniel tells the listener that spark will give the listener 3 to 4 hours of energy and focus. There are no maybes, or it was designed to give energy and focus, he said it will. He then goes on to say that someone on the medical advisory board has claimed that spark is designed to send neural active precursors to the central nervous system to clear out the neural pathways in the brain. Funny, I do not remember seeing any research that supports such a claim, not to mention he never included the doctors’ name. I am going to say it was Dr. Mcdaniels. Then he goes on to talk about how the neurons are activated which sparks a chemical reaction where the neurons begin to spray chemicals on each other, which then causes some type of sequential firing within the brain. He goes on to talk about how spark is great to take when you have an afternoon low, but claims sparks does not result in a crash. If you drank spark in the morning, you should not have a low in the afternoon, right? Dr. Mcdaniels (kidding) also indicated that spark should be taken on an empty stomach. They do not tell you that on the Advocare website. Then he goes to the Advocare cleanse.
He tells the listener that it is intended to work in ten days, to filter out the liver, kidneys, and the digestive tract. He then goes on to make a comparison to a plethora of filters found in cars, dryers, and more. He then goes on to tell the listener that everyone should cleanse every ninety days, and it includes pro-biotic tablets and a fiber drink. Basically he is claiming that the 10 day cleanse promotes better nutritional absorption without viable proof of such claim. The next product he talks about is the OmegaPlex.
I notice, on many occasion he read directly from the product brochure. Then he goes into some mumbo jumbo about how healthy fat flushes the bad fat and increases your metabolism. Mcdaniels goes on to say that he consumes double or triple the OmegaPlex (Omega 3). Why? Well, he tells the listener that if he takes more, he will have healthier skin, hair, nails, and at some point have a healthier heart. It will also reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease according to Dr. Mcdaniels. Now I think you all understand why I called him Dr. Mcdaniels. You cannot claim that you do not make medical claims and talk about products that will lead to healthier hair, nails, heart, and reduce cardiovascular disease, can you? He then goes into a spiel about how Advocare Omega 3 products are manufactured better than any other manufacturer in the country, like there has been some test. Actually there has and Advocare does not seem to be on the list (here).
Then Mcdaniels goes on to the meal replacement shake. He goes right into how the product makes you feel better and look better, helps you lose weight, and gives you more energy. He tells the listener that eating 6 small meals a day versus 3 regular meals can turn you into a fat burning machine. Oh yea, and don’t forget the in-between snacks. Which, I have to say, is much less Dr. like compared to his Omega 3 predictions. Then he goes directly to what he calls his sleeper product, pro-biotic restore.
He claims that restore has something like 6 billion good live bacteria, which I would not doubt. Dr. Mcdaniels explains that in your stomach there is a war going on between the good bacteria, and bad. Apparently, the side that has more troops wins the war. Beside his strange analogies, there is research to support the use of pro-biotic products. My only problem with the pro-biotic restore is that Advocare offers products such as the colon cleanse to wipe the body clean of the majority of good and bad bacteria, and then promotes the use of restore to replace the bacteria. I wrote an article that talks about how our body has host specific bacteria, and you can find it here. Then he gets to the part about looking better, feeling better, and having more energy. He is killing me. Where are the Advocare studies that prove the pro-biotic restore will lead to all the aforementioned claims? Now, he is going to talk about how to retail the product.
The first thing you need to do to retail the product is to tell them a real or made up story. He does not say that, but if you visit the Advo-Truth Facebook you will read real stories about people that did what they needed to do to sell the product. You know the product story on how you lost weight, and how the products made you feel amazing. Mcdaniels tells the listener that they should expect questions after telling their story, such as what is in the product. He replies, “That is where you got to get good at (stops himself), you were not called here to be a scientist, that is why we have an impact magazine, and that is why you need to learn the bullet proof shield. He then goes into the same spiel about “I don’t know a whole lot about that, but what I do know”. He goes on to encourage the listeners to tell people that inquire about ingredients to reiterate they are not scientist, they are here to market the product to the general public.
Mcdaniels goes on to encourage the listener to say that “We already know the products are safe, and work, and that there is science to back that claim, see, here is a list of scientist on the medical advisory board”. Then he gets to the second most common question and that is how much does the product cost. He teaches the listener to deflect common sense with can you afford $4.97 a day? By the way, he is referring to the cost of spark and MNS E, C, or 3. That is the typical cult like thinking. Circumvent logical thinking with crafty logic. Let me try to sum this up for you.
The product training is not really about teaching people how to sell the product. Even though he does do a better job of discussing the retail aspects. Mcdaniels does not show people how to use their personal website, he does not teach them where and how to look for new customers. What he talks about is what he has been talking about for years. How to incorporate deceptive rhetoric in such a way it will make it easier for them to deflect any negative and justified questions. All the years that have passed, and they still cannot answer questions without the “bullet proof shield”. Over twenty years in business, and still no viable research provided on the Advocare website. Go ahead and look, but you will not find it. Where is the third party research? That is what companies do when they want to truly test their product, and prove to the world that they have products that are safe and effective for their intended use. The recording was more of a indoctrination seminar! If that fails, tell your friend (you know will not return the product) that it is money back guaranteed. It was a well crafted cult like sales pitch, and unfortunately until the Federal Trade Commission does something about it, people like Mcdaniels will continue with the deceptive lies he refers to as “the successful business plan”. He even admits that many of the older distributors have changed their story to include the 24 day challenge. Although he admits that it is not a good idea to change your story, he is validating the fact that most of these stories are just that, stories. Through the whole sales pitch, I could feel his real message wanted to come out. Get them on the product, get them to the mixer, and get them to sign on as a wholesale customer so you can earn commission. This is the truth. The company has been in business over 20 years and is doing very well. But, the independent distributors are not Advocare, and the independent sales track record is, and always has been, dismal at best.
Let me just say this. On many occasions I have heard Danny McDaniel say that the products sell themselves, and that they are great products. Then why do you need all the bull malarkey?
Join the discussion at: Advocare Review Facebook
Well said!
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