Watkins Incorporated is a network marketing company based in Winona, Minnesota. The company was founded in 1868 by Joseph Ray Watkins. Watkins first product, produced in his kitchen and manufactured at home, was a topical solution used to treat a variety of ailments including muscle ache, body pains, arthritis, gout and rheumatism called Dr. Ward’s liniment. Still produced today and called Watkins Red Liniment, the liniment line has expanced to include white liniment. Both products reduce inflammation, relaxes muscles and relieves pain. Watkins liniment creates a deep penetrating heat that goes through the skin and relaxes muscle tissues, reducing soreness.
The Watkins line of products quickly grew to include Petro-Carbo salve, black pepper and cinnamon. Today the company produces 350 different products used in the home. The complete line of Watkins products now covers organic spices, flavorings, seasonings and extracts used in cooking, home cleaning products that are organic, biodegradable and safe for the environment, weight loss products, nutritional supplements, beauty products, first aid products and more.
Since its beginning, Watkins has relied on direct sales for marketing its products. I grew up in Louisiana on my grandfather’s 32-acre farm, accustomed to monthly visits by our “Watkins man.” My grandfather and parents used Watkins Petro-Carbo salve to treat every scratch, cut, puncture wound or burn experienced in our family.
Watkins Petro Carbo salve was truly a miracle ointment as far as my family was concerned, for accidents were always taking place on the farm. I can recall getting small wooden splinters in hands or feet that we couldn’t remove or would break off when we tried to pull them out with tweezers. My grandfather would say, “Dress that with Petro Carbo salve and it’ll pull that splinter out in a few days.” And guess what? His advice and predictions almost always came true. Although we used Petro Carbo salve religiously and often, there were many Watkins products we used and continue to use. Red liniment, for example, has been in the medicine cabinet of my family members for over 60 years.
I have purposely shared this personal story with you to demonstrate the value of Watkins products and what users of Watkins products think about them. All Watkins products are produced with the utmost care and attention to quality. For example, when Watkins decided to produce a line of nutritional supplements it made a decision that it produce them under the strictest guidelines of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Every supplement that Watkins produces is U.S. FDA approved. Watkins is only one of 99 companies in America with a FDA license. Countless network marketing companies that produce and sell nutritional supplements are not FDA approved. This speaks highly of Watkins management.
Speaking of management, in 1978 Watkins was acquired by Minneapolis businessman and billionaire Irwin Jacobs. Under Mr. Jacobs management Watkins quadrupled its sales between 1978 and 1990. Since then the company has continued to excel at a rapid pace. Today Watkins operates in the U.S., Canada and China and has co-branding and marketing agreements with companies designed to increase brand awareness to make marketing of its products even easier by its sales force of 50,000 Watkins associates like myself.
In the 1970’s I had my first taste of network marketing. For legal reasons I will not mention the company’s name. I was sponsored by a friend I respected and trusted. I quickly set some sales records but decided to quit within months because I simply didn’t like the hype and ra-ra mentality demonstrated by every successful marketer I met in this company. Although I did like and used the company’s products, I was really put off by the high-pressure sales tactics I saw successful reps practicing and the recruiting methods the company recommended.
Despite my solid belief in the network marketing business model, the experience of that first venture into network marketing was so distasteful I turned down anyone that every tried to recruit me to join another network marketing company for 33 years. That’s a very long time, but when you consider the fact that most people tell me I’m the greatest marketer and salesman they’ve ever met, you can imagine how many times I’ve had to say “no” to people wanting to recruit me into network marketing.
So what led me to Watkins? Strangely enough I wasn’t led, but I chose my path to Watkins. Looking for a new adventure and something to do after I retire one day, I decided to spend 6 months researching numerous business opportunities. My criteria were simple:
- I wanted an established company that made fantastic products I could believe in. For, if you don’t believe in what you’re selling, an honest and caring individual will not be successful in selling the products they represent.
- I wanted a company that had a solid, trusting and caring management team. I wanted a company that not only I, but my customers would consider to be ethical. Irwin Jacobs and his son Mark passed this test with flying colors because they take into consideration the lives, families and financial future of their associates in every decision they make regarding their product line, their compensation plan and their marketing methods.
- I sought a company with an impeccable reputation when standing behind is products. Since Mr. J.R. Watkins is given credit for having invented the name infamous “moneyback guarantee,” and Watkins continues to offer a moneyback guarantee on each and every one of its 350 products, Watkins policies in this area surpassed my greatest expectations. In fact, Watkins not only offers a moneyback guarantee on its products, but also on its sales kit for new associates. That’s right, if you join Watkins and find it doesn’t meet your expectations, you can return your sales kit to Watkins for a refund of your money. I honestly don’t know of another network marketing company that makes such an offer.
- I wanted a company with a broad line of consumable products that are not only used regularly by my customers, but will be preferred over competitive products to the degree that my customers would call me before they opt to buy a competitive brand in their local grocery or department store. I read countless documents during my research on Watkins to confirm that the company uses the purest and freshest ingredients known to man. For example, since its founding Watkins has gone to the four corners of the earth in search of cinnamon, pepper and spices to get the very best quality and grade of product from countries like Indonesia, India, Colombia, etc. In short, Watkins passed this test with an A+ in my book.
- I wanted a company that had an excellent compensation plan and a realistic chance of making a six-figure income within 3 to 4 years. Watkins associates start with a 25% commission on all personal sales they make and can earn up to 39% in commissions as their business and downline grows. If you stop and think about it, there are numerous businesses in the world that don’t gross 25% to 39% profit. Knowing that for as little as $39.95 I could start my own home-based business and earn up to 39% if I’m successful was more than I had hoped for or could have dreamed.
- Now here’s the tricky one. I was searching for a company that could offer all of these things and more but had not saturated the market. After all, how difficult would it be to sell a company’s products if every time you turned around you were bumping into another company representative. After thinking about Watkins I realized that in the 24 years I’ve lived in Houston I’ve never had a Watkins representative approach me. I’ve always ordered Watkins products through my mother and father’s Watkins associate. I thought about this some more and realized that 50,000 Watkins associates in Canada and the U.S. equate to roughly 0.0149% of the total population. Stated in terms easier to understand, there is approximately 1.5 Watkins associates for every 10,000 inhabitants in North America. That was proof enough, a true confirmation that there is lots of fertile sales ground to plow for me and every associate I recruit.
- I sought a company that did not believe in high-pressure sales tactics, or result ot ra-ra overhyped recruiting tactics when sponsoring new associates. And this, my friends, is the true beauty of Watkins. The company doesn’t condone these practices either. In fact, my upline sponsors have made a point of recommending that when recruiting new members to emphasize that while Watkins is a great way to earn income, it is not a “get rich quick” opportunity.
This not only sums up my reasons for joining Watkins, but also demonstrates why Watkins is one of the most successful network marketing businesses of all time. Because the company has been around so long and so many young people these days want to “get rich quick” — they frequently make the mistake of choosing “the next new thing” or fad, only to find themselves the victim of another bankrupt network marketing company that can’t fulfill their promises. If only I had been smart enough to have joined Watkins when I was in my 20’s. I consider my failure to do so the “mistake of a lifetime.” My advice to young people wanting to own their own business and build a six-figure income in 3 to 4 years, starting parttime in the process, is to consider a Watkins business. I honestly believe that the Watkins opportunity has never been better, never been more grand. There’s great things happening with Watkins, I encourage you to be a part of it. For more information, visit my Watkins Summit Group link below.
