personalized health...what's up?

Friday, March 28, 2008  by Cathy Lawrence
Category: gensona, personalized health, interleukin, health questionnaire, gene

rdknyvr has brought up an excellent point. Gensona Genetic tests vanish from view shortly after purchase, at a rate of 25 to 40% each month. Where do they all go?

They don't get redeemed at Interleukin Labs, that's for sure! Is it possible that people are buying them...and then just forgetting they did?

If you have ever sold even a single Gensona Genetic Test Kit, drop me a line and let me know: What's the story? Have you taken your test? Have you sent it in? Did you get the results? Did you enter them into the online Health Questionnaire? Let us know what's broken, let us know if you have ideas for fixing things. Send an email to nutrilite.products@quixtar.com I promise I'll read every one of them.

Thank you all so much for this dialogue!

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Comments

# Tom in Atlanta said on March 30, 2008 10:48 AM:

I bought both tests when they first came out. I swabbed and returned the tests asap. As soon as I got my results, I plugged them into the Health Questionaire andordered the customized packets. I found the process simple, private, helpful, efficient and convenient. Other than price, I don't see any reason why some wouldn't take advantage of this great heLth tool.

As far as customers go, it could be a combination of follow up from the IBO to make sure the customer hasn't forgot about the test, maybe some reassurance that knowing the results of the tests are better than not knowing or just offering assistance with the process.

Another idea, in addition to proper follow-up, may be if the corp. were to  offer relevant supplement samples for completing the process of all the components of the Personalized Health Program to both (new) IBOs and customers.

I'm sure someone will also mention again how beneficial it would be to have a Peresonalized Health retail site that explains the program exactly as it should be explained. It's hard to believe  that the program isn't promoted more after spending so much time and money putting it together. It's a great program and most anyone could benefit from it.

# rdknyvr said on March 31, 2008 7:20 PM:

Tom, thanks for bringing up the fact that Personalized Health is totally missing from the customizable retail sites. I brought that up numerous times last year only to fall on deaf ears. Wasn't a priority with Q Marketing or IT. Having a personal retail site option based on Personalized Health, or call it Optimal Health if you want, but include the Gensona tests and the IL-1 Heart Health supplement, and introduce Customers to the proper process including the online Health Questionnaire and the options to order customized suppleement packettes or the regular bottles... and related "health" products including health technologies. :) This should be a key element of a Personalized Health or Optimal Health relaunch this spring or summer. :)

# rdknyvr said on April 1, 2008 1:49 PM:

Cathy, I don't know how many replies you're getting via the email link above, but here's a thought: Why couldn't your colleagues in "Field Relations" or whatever they are called arrange with all the LOAs to send your email out to everyone on their lists, sans of course, the first line. I think it's that important. And Field relations could send the email to IBOs who operate independent of any LOA. Could also go into the "message waiting" function for all IBOs whenever they log on to Quixtar, and a message in the "What's New" section alerting them to the issue there. Might seem like a bit of "over-blast" contact, but it would reach a lot of people on an important market research issue... What say ye? Too much bureaucracy at Q to make it happen? Need the IBOAI Board approval first? :) Worth a try? :)

# The Big Apple said on April 7, 2008 12:50 AM:

Cathy, the whole approach to marketing the Gensona test kits, the IL-1 Heart Health Supplement, and the Personalized Health program was wrong.  They combined the PH program with the test kits/supplement when they should have been introduced separately to avoid confusion.

And, they should have used the "Kodak" approach to sell the test kits.  Before digital cameras, Kodak wasn't in the camera business, they were in the film business.  The cameras existed to drive the film business.  So what would the film/camera combination produce?  Memories.  Kodak was in the memories business.  

What are we selling with IL-1 and Gensona test kits?

If you want more details, I can post here or send you an email.

# Cathy Lawrence said on April 7, 2008 10:32 AM:

Big Apple, I appreciate hearing your point of view. Let me make sure I understand: Should I assume in your email, above, that "PH program" = health questionnaire and supplement recommendations, while "Test kits" = two or more genetic test kits bought by IBOs, with processing and results reported by Gensona? Assuming a separate launch, how would you have positioned each element? Would you consider, also, whether you would have called the program Personalized Health or not? Thanks for taking time to do this! If this comments box is too constraining, you can also email me at nutrilite.products@quixtar.com

# rdknyvr said on April 7, 2008 12:05 PM:

Big Apple, I'd love to hear your further thoughts on this... can you consider posting them here for the rest of us? :) With appreciation,

# The Big Apple said on April 10, 2008 1:44 AM:

Okay, let’s see if I can make sense of this.  I’ll start with Personalized Health.

Personalized Health is really a combination of recommendation and convenience.  Let’s look at a health food store.  When you walk in, you usually have a knowledgeable person (or one who purports to be knowledgeable) that you can ask for recommendations of what to take for this or that.  That is what the questionnaire on the Quixtar site is supposed to do.  (Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a very good job, but that’s for another discussion.)  Once you get your recommendation, you get your supplements packaged in a convenient pouch.  Very nice.  

Or, you already know what you want to take, but you hate counting out all the tablets, etc., every day.  Your life is too hurried and complicated.  So, you like the convenience of the pouches that are labeled for AM and PM.

So, which do you sell?  The recommendation service or the convenience?  

How many IBOs understand this basic aspect of the program?  How many IBOs understand that you can choose your own supplements to go in the pouches and not go through the test?

The American public readily pays for convenience; they will forego quality for convenience.  (Have you ever compared internet music with a CD?)  So why aren’t IBOs flocking to the program?  Because it hasn’t been sold right.  Where’s the targeted message that this is first and foremost about convenience?  You can’t stand to deal with all those bottles, and you can’t remember what to take when.

The way to do this is to create a problem and solve it.  But this hasn’t been done.  I remember when pay phones went from ten cents to 25 cents.  A 250% increase!  What did the phone company do?  It ran adds saying, “So your running late.  Are you sure that restaurant will hold your reservation?  Better call and not take a chance.”  

Even when the “problem” already exists, you have to point it out to make people realize that they don’t like it and that there’s a solution.

Personalized Health solves two problems, but you sell one thing at a time.  Convenience, then recommendation.  This has not been done.

Gensona and IL-1 for tomorrow.

Good night!

# Cathy Lawrence said on April 10, 2008 6:03 PM:

Big Apple, I understand your point. And the fix seems simple enough. I'll wait to see what you have to say about the genetic tests and then we'll discuss further. Thanks for staying up so late/early to get your thoughts out into the forum!

# rdknyvr said on April 11, 2008 1:35 AM:

Cathy, Big Apple, I'll point out that this convenience service of AM and PM pouches is available only in the US, and not Canada :(

# Cathy Lawrence said on April 11, 2008 12:55 PM:

Rdknyvr, first, thanks for the reminder that "as goes the US, so does not always go Canada." Doesn't seem like we'd need to be reminded, but we do.

So, would it be true to say that because you don’t have customized packets, you're actually not delivering convenience to your customers and thus see no point in messaging convenience?

# rdknyvr said on April 11, 2008 1:17 PM:

True... but I would love to have the 'convenience value add' story as part of what I present... I did that with my sister-in-law a few months ago, and she was really excited about the convenience factor of the customized AM/PM packets as she worked her way through the Health Questionnaire, only to find out at the end that it wasn't available to her in Canada... :(

# Cathy Lawrence said on April 11, 2008 1:57 PM:

Ouch!

# The Big Apple said on April 15, 2008 1:27 AM:

This is about the IL 1 Heart Health Supplement (IL1), the Gensona Genetic Heart Heath Test (HHT), the Gensona Genetic General Nutrition Test (GNT), and certain other Nutrilite supplements..

Does Hewlett Packard’s printer division make its money on printers?  No.  It makes it on toner and ink jet cartridges — the consumables.  Which, in turn, gives the customer what they want:  printed images and information.  That is what Hewlett Packard sells: images and information.

What do we make our real money on, here?  Genetic test kits?  No.  We, too, make our money on the consumables: the IL1 and other supplements.  They help maintain health in individuals that may need those supplements.  We are selling good health.

We are selling whatever it is that we can claim that IL1 will do.  But since IL1 only benefits those with a variant IL 1 gene, how do you know if you need to take IL1?  You take the HHT, which tells you whether you might benefit from IL1 or not.

You use the features and benefits of IL1 to sell the Heart Health Test.

Similarly, you use the results of the General Nutrition Test to point out they may need more Vitamin B Complex, C, E, Selenium, and other antioxidants.  It’s what these nutrients can do for you that sells the test kit.

However, there are several reasons why people may buy a genetic test kit, yet not take the test.  One may be that they bought it on impulse at a training session and really didn’t want it or know why they bought it.  Another is they are afraid what they’ll find out.  Finally, procrastination or that they just plain forgot about it.

The Gensona Test Kits, IL-1, and the other related supplements are not about convenience or recommendation like the custom packaged supplements and the questionnaire.  But rather, they are about knowledge and health.  Knowledge is power, and this part of the program empowers people to exert control over what was previously not possible; their genetics.

That is what we’re selling here.  Control.

The test kits and supplement have to be sold on a completely different basis from the supplement packets and questionnaire.  Yes, there is a link between the two when you have the option of plugging in the Gensona results into your questionnaire, but that doesn’t mean they should be sold on the same basis.

# rdknyvr said on April 15, 2008 1:01 PM:

Exactly!!! Well put. Although I would say that the Health Questionnaire is far more powerful, potentially, than just as a custom supplement recommendations. It can be used as an "expert system" to help motivate use (ie. sales) of the Gensona kits, and if upgraded, could also be seminally important in providing health information -- power -- to the user through good lifestyle recommendations.

And don't forget, that since the producer of the Gensona kits is a public company, it has a requirement to show a profit, so there is a volume and revenue component that can't be ignored there as the IL-1 HHS is owned by Nutrilite, with only  a very small royalty going back to Interleukin Genetics.

Big Apple, many thanks for your insights and input on this topic. :)

# The Big Apple said on April 18, 2008 11:58 PM:

Certainly the Health Questionnaire can serve as an “expert” to help you customized your supplement regimen.  However, certain sections are very poorly done and self serving.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some very good areas, but take some of these questions.

“Are you interested in supporting joint health, mobility, flexibility, and optimizing cartilage?”

or

“Are you interested in maintaining visual acuity and normal eyesight?” or “Are you concerned with good night vision?”

“Uh, no thanks, I’d rather have bad vision and not be able to see in the dark.”

Come on, now, who isn’t interested in those things?

Those kind of questions are so blatantly there to drive the sale of certain supplements, that it undermines the credibility of the rest of the survey.  

There are others, too.  

I’m sure that there is a better way of asking the question, such as, “are you having challenges with night vision?”

Clean up the questionnaire and we’ll have a much better tool.

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