Training your distributors: expertise, the NOVO Academy and clear rules for every statement

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 13 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

As a brand, you are also responsible for what your distributors say and post in your name. Good training therefore rests on two pillars: expertise – covered by the free NOVO Academy with about 5 hours of video per language and a certificate per topic – and ground rules: offer only non-medical analyses, use only authorized claims, make no promises of cure, and refer questions about diseases to a physician. Approved copy and sign-off before posting keep the message clean.

The telephone game in your network

Remember the telephone game? A sentence travels from ear to ear, and what comes out at the end is something else entirely. In a network, the same thing happens to product statements. After a few retellings, “Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones” quickly becomes “protects against osteoporosis” – and an authorized claim turns into a prohibited promise.

That is more than a cosmetic flaw. As a brand, you are also responsible for what is said about your product in your name – in conversations, in chats and in social media posts. Unfair competition law spells out this liability:

Germany: If employees or agents of a business commit a violation, the claims for injunction and removal also lie against the owner of the business (Section 8(2) UWG).
Austria: The owner of a business can be sued for an injunction even if another person committed the unlawful act in the operation of the business (Section 18 UWG).
Switzerland: If employees or other auxiliary persons engage in unfair competition in the course of their work or business duties, an action can also be brought against the principal (Art. 11 UWG).

Whether an independent distributor falls under these rules in a specific case depends on how your partnership is set up. Assume that it may, and have it reviewed by an expert. The telephone game has a simple remedy: an original that everyone goes back to – and training that explains why this original exists.

Two pillars: expertise and ground rules

Good training for distributors rests on two pillars:

Expertise: What does a genetic analysis show? How do genes, a questionnaire and blood values turn into a formula? What does a Microtransporter do? Distributors who understand this explain it calmly and convincingly – without exaggerating.
Ground rules: What may I say, and what not? Which analyses may I offer? What applies in which country? Distributors who know the rules sell with more confidence and protect both you and themselves.

For the first pillar, there is the NOVO Academy. You build the second one with the building blocks in this article.

The NOVO Academy: science you can watch

The NOVO Academy is Novogenia’s training program. In video lectures, Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia, explains the science behind the genetic analyses. Novogenia partners train and get certified there.

Feature	NOVO Academy
Cost	free of charge
Scope	about 5 hours of video per language
Proof	a certificate for each completed topic
Mandatory?	no – optional for partners
Languages	German, English, Czech, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch
Topics (selection)	body weight, eating right for your genes, athletic performance, stress, skin, personalized supplements

Novogenia does not require the Academy. But you can make it a fixed part of your team’s onboarding – for example, with the topic that matches your most important product. A note on communication: a NOVO Academy certificate shows that someone has completed a topic. It is not a state qualification or a professional license, and your team should describe it accordingly. More in Training with the NOVO Academy.

The red line: lifestyle, not medicine

The most important rule for your team fits into one sentence: distributors offer non-medical analyses only – on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport. Medical genetic analyses, such as the Health analysis as a medical preventive analysis, are available only through physicians.

No diagnosis: Non-medical analyses are not a diagnosis or medical advice, and they do not replace a medical examination. Questions about diseases or medications belong with a physician.
Report, not finding: A lifestyle result is called a “report” or “result.” Words like “medical finding” are reserved for medical examinations.
Minors: They can only receive non-medical analyses, and only with the written consent of their parents or guardians.
Genes are one factor among many: Recommendations derived from a genetic analysis are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Saying so openly makes you more credible, not less.
Switzerland: There, even genetic analyses on nutrition and sport may only be ordered by certain health professionals (Art. 34 GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV). More in Growing internationally: languages and markets.

One sentence every distributor should know by heart: “The analysis shows how your body handles certain nutrients according to your genes. It is not a diagnosis – if you have health questions, please talk to your doctor.”

Say this – not that

This table belongs in every training folder. It does not replace a legal review, but it catches the most common mistakes:

Topic	This works	This is off-limits
Genetic analysis	“The analysis shows tendencies, for example how quickly your body breaks down caffeine.”	“The test detects diseases” or “predicts your disease risk”
Result	“report,” “result”	“medical finding,” “diagnosis”
Supplements	an authorized claim in its official wording, such as “Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones” – if the product meets the conditions for it	“protects against osteoporosis,” “cures,” “replaces medication”
Personalization	“The formula is a logical conclusion from your genes, your questionnaire and, where available, your blood values.”	“Your genes determine exactly what your body needs.”
Weight	talk about diet, exercise and habits	claims about the rate or amount of weight loss, such as “10 kilos in 4 weeks”
Recommendations	clearly label customer reviews as the customer’s opinion	“Recommended by doctors” as an advertising claim about the effect
Cosmetics	cosmetic functions such as caring for and protecting the skin	“cures acne,” “works against eczema”
Stories	your own genuine experiences, clearly presented as your personal opinion	presenting case examples from the Novogenia website as real customer testimonials – they are realistic examples with AI-generated portraits

The rules behind this: food information must not attribute to a food the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease (Art. 7(3) Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011). Health claims are only allowed if they are authorized and included in the list (Art. 10(1) Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Claims referring to the rate or amount of weight loss and references to recommendations of individual doctors are expressly not allowed (Art. 12(b) and (c)). What everyday social media adds is covered in Social media: what distributors may say; the legal overview is in Law in direct selling: claims and genetic tests.

Approved copy instead of improvisation

The telephone game is cured by an original. Build a collection of approved statements and hand it to everyone who promotes your product – team, agency, influencers, distributors.

Copy blocks: short, approved sentences for conversations, chats and posts – on the analysis, the product, the process and data protection.
Sign-off before publishing: Have posts approved before they go live, including images, graphics and symbols.
Reviews: Clearly label customer reviews as the opinions of your customers.
Question bank: Collect the questions customers actually ask and add approved answers. Your guide grows with every conversation.
Earnings: Anyone recruiting new distributors talks about earning opportunities only realistically and verifiably – with no income promises.

Your training plan in five steps

Basics: Every new distributor starts with the Academy topic that matches your most important product, plus a short overview of the kit, the analysis and the report.
Ground rules: the red line, the “say this – not that” table and the rules of the countries where your team sells.
Tools: access to the approved copy blocks, images and answers – and a clear contact person for questions.
Practice: role plays in the team: a first conversation, a question about a disease, a critical comment under a post. Anyone who has said the “please talk to your doctor” sentence out loud once will also say it in a real conversation.
Refresh: When products, formulas or rules change, your team gets a short update – and new questions go into the collection.

The chatbot on our website also answers first questions on sales training, training and certification, marketing materials, and legal and compliance topics.

Checklist: is your team ready to go?

Every distributor knows the red line: non-medical analyses only.
The sentence for referring to a physician comes naturally.
Everyone has the “say this – not that” table.
Authorized claims are used in their official wording.
Posts are approved before publishing, including images.
Customer reviews are labeled as opinions; case examples from the website are not presented as real testimonials.
The matching Academy topic is part of onboarding.
The country rules are known – especially for Switzerland.
Updates for product or rule changes are planned.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NOVO Academy mandatory for distributors?

No. The NOVO Academy is optional for partners, and it is free of charge. But you can make it a fixed part of your team’s onboarding – for example, with the topic that matches your most important product.

In which languages is the NOVO Academy available?

In seven languages: German, English, Czech, French, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch – each with about 5 hours of video.

Is my company liable for what my distributors say?

It can be. In Germany, injunctive claims also lie against the owner of a business if employees or agents commit a violation (Section 8(2) UWG). In Austria, the owner can be sued for an injunction over acts committed by other persons in the operation of the business (Section 18 UWG); in Switzerland, an action can be brought against the principal if auxiliary persons engage in unfair competition (Art. 11 UWG). Whether this applies to independent distributors depends on the case – training and sign-off pay off either way.

May distributors offer medical genetic analyses?

No. Distributors offer non-medical analyses only, that is, on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport. Medical genetic analyses are available only through physicians.

May a distributor put an authorized claim in their own words?

Only if it keeps the same meaning for consumers (recital 9 of Regulation (EU) No 432/2012). That is hard to judge in everyday conversation. The safest option is for your team to use the official wording from your approved collection.

Personalized products for your network?

Tell us about your sales organisation and markets – we will show you which model fits.

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Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.