Rock Your Brand Podcast

There’s a ton of noise going on lately about hijacked product listings. It sounds pretty scary, and in some ways it could be if you don’t know how to stop it, but as always Scott’s got some great, simple, actionable advice for you as to how you can protect yourself from your products being hijacked. Don’t let it rattle you. You CAN take practical steps to safeguard your product listings from hijackers… now there’s no guarantee all of this will prevent your product from being hijacked, but it will definitely make it much, much harder for it to occur. Listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear all the details.

What is a “hijacked” product on Amazon?

You’ve done the research to find and purchase your first product. You’ve listed it on Amazon. You’ve got it labeled as your unique brand. Then suddenly you no longer have ownership or control of the “buy box” on your own listing! Somebody has taken over your listing by sending products to Amazon that they “say” are identical to yours… but they CAN’T be. You’re the only one selling your products. You had them created just for you! Do you see the problem? Your sales will be impacted if you don’t do something to remove the hijacker’s products from your listing. How do you do it? That’s what this episode is all about so be sure to listen.


The first steps to un-hijacking your product listing.

What Scott recommends you do as the very first step if you see that your product has been hijacked is to send a “Cease and Desist” letter to the hijacker. It’s basically a legal-sounding, somewhat threatening letter warning the person of what could happen if they don’t stop positioning their product as yours. They are breaking the Amazon terms of service and could be kicked off the platform, so you’re using that possibility to motivate them to remove their product on their own. What exactly should you letter say? Scott reads an effective C&D letter verbatim on this episode, so make sure you put it on slow play and get every word!


The importance of registering your brand.

One of the things Amazon has put in place to help you safeguard your listings from hijackers is the “Brand Registry.” It’s a page on Amazon’s site where you can go to register yourself as the owner of your brand, give Amazon a lot of details, and set yourself in a very good defensive position should your products ever be hijacked. Scott recommends that every Amazon Private Label seller register their brand immediately, the minute they begin putting their products on the Amazon sales platform. Find out how on this episode of The Amazing Seller or by using the link to the Amazon Brand Registry included in the show notes.


If your Amazon product is hijacked, buy one of the products they are selling.

What? Why would you want to buy the product that’s posing as yours? Because when you contact Seller Support at Amazon they are going to ask you to document exactly why the product listed is not your product. That means you’ll need pictures of the product, detailed examples of how it is different from yours, and the overall ability to prove that it is not your product at all. So the minute you notice your product listing has been taken over, order one of the products. You’ll be that much ahead when it comes to rectifying the situation because you’ll be able to prove your product’s uniqueness sooner.


Make sure your product is uniquely different, as soon as possible.

It’s OK to put labels or stickers on your products to “brand” them when you first start selling on Amazon. But you can’t be satisfied with that. Stickers are too easy to fake. You want to do something unique that will make it much harder for a hijacker to create a fake of your product. Things like engraving, custom packaging, or combining your product with a related accessory that will be hard for the imposter to source, all those and more can help you set your product apart. Scott’s got other ideas too, so listen to the podcast to get all his thoughts.


OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Introduction to this episode on “hijacking” of products - a very vital issue!
  • [1:24] An important milestone for TAS community member Nathan Young!
  • [3:21] Scott’s big announcement: The FREE PRIVATE LABEL COURSE is ready! www.FreePrivateLabelCourse.com
  • [6:00] What happens when your listing is hijacked: Scott’s experience.
  • [11:00] Ways this can happen and things to be careful about.
  • [14:35] How to register your brand.
  • [15:32] Order a copy of the product that’s been placed on your listing.
  • [17:00] How Amazon brand registry works and what you should include on it
  • [19:00] The vital importance of having a domain name for your brand.
  • [20:10] Why you need to have your own UPC code for the products.
  • [21:15] The importance of differentiation (engraving, unique boxes, adding a separate component, etc.)
  • [23:29] Sending a “Cease and Desist” letter.
  • [25:00] Tips for dealing with Amazon seller support.
  • [26:20] What the “Cease and Desist” letter should say…and why you should try it first.
  • [29:10] Jeremy, A TAS Community member’s advice (see link below)
  • [34:01] Advice to people who have not started selling on Amazon yet.


LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Free Private Label Course - www.FreePrivateLabelCourse.com

Amazon Brand Registry - https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200955930

The TAS Facebook advice from Jeremy - https://www.facebook.com/groups/TAS.Private.Group/permalink/518908858277252/

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS105.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Every person who takes on the challenge of building their own business through Amazon’s Private Label options dreams of hitting it big with real product success from the start. Today’s episode highlights a guy who did just that. Scott Thomas and his partner stepped out of the ecommerce realm to try their hand at Amazon simply because the Amazon Sales platform is such a powerful machine for drawing in customers and closing sales. Even with their experience in Ecommerce they were shocked at how quickly their products took off. Hear the whole story on this episode.


The importance of quality checking your first order, yourself.

Scott and his partner put in their first order from a supplier in China and received it within a few months rather than having it sent directly to Amazon. They are very glad they did because there were a number of things wrong with the order. If it had reached Amazon as it was shipped things would have gone very wrong. Scott recommends that every Amazon Seller check their first couple of orders themselves to make sure everything is dialed in and the supplier knows exactly what to do every time. Hear more of Scott’s advice on the Amazing Seller.


A novel way of getting the first 20 sales of his product and the impact it had.

Scott Thomas and his partner have gone through Scott Voelker’s material and knew they could get sales and reviews by offering discounts on their product. But they had a hunch that if they had full price sales within the first few days of their product being listed, they’d bounce higher in the rankings almost immediately. So they explained what they were doing to 20 close friends and asked them to purchase their product at full price to help them get things rolling. Those 20 sales came in within a few days and things happened exactly as they suspected. Find out more about how Scott combined that tactic with Amazon PPC in this episode.


How should you go about determining modifications to make to your Private Label products to make them unique and more appealing to buyers?

Scott Thomas discovered that one of the best ways to find out what consumers want is to spend time reading posts in the forums where your ideal customers hang out. They often talk about specific products and their gripes and gratitude surrounding those products. From there a ton of ideas come up that enable Scott to make the modifications that people buying their products actually want. That’s just one of Scott’s tactics and you can hear the rest by listening to this episode.


Get on board Scott Voelker’s free live workshop to learn how to do Amazon Sales.

If you’ve never attended one of Scott’s free live workshops to learn the basics of how he sells products on Amazon, you’re missing out. Scott walks through is product selection and launch process step by step so you know exactly what to do. And as a bonus, he answers questions at the end of every workshop session. If you want to connect with Scott and other Amazon Sellers as a part of the next workshop, you can! Go to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop to sign up.


OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Welcome and introduction to this episode with Scott Thomas, an Amazon Seller who has hit it big!
  • [1:10] A shout-out to Ebony McClary, a member of the TAS Facebook group.
  • [3:21] Scott’s background: where he came from and how he got started in Amazon FBA.
  • [9:00] The importance of branching out, even beyond Amazon.
  • [10:25] How Scott chooses products and why it was important that they checked the quality of them, themselves.
  • [14:43] Why Scott launched a “side product” instead of his main product first.
  • [16:15] What Scott did to get his first sales - including asking friends to help by purchasing the product at full price.
  • [17:30] Turning on PPC from the beginning: Why and how it worked.
  • [18:40] Scott’s theory on why his products sold so well, including the organic sales factor VS PPC.
  • [20:22] Inventory issues: Running out of stock and being forced to buy more product without much data.
  • [21:30] The Power of Amazon: Just over $25K in sales within 2 weeks, compared to Thomas’ previous ecommerce business.
  • [24:00] Still selling after raising the price.
  • [26:29] A new product, customized and in the pipeline.
  • [28:00] What is Scott’s criteria when researching a product in Jungle Scout.
  • [29:50] How Scott determines the variations and improvements to make to his products.
  • [31:28] The strategy behind building a Shopify store and using social media.
  • [34:51] Specifics regarding Instagram and how Scott approached it.
  • [38:46] Thanks to Scott Thomas for being willing to come on the show and Scott’s parting advice.
  • [42:41] Your invite to a live workshops - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop


LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Get your Amazing Seller Tshirt - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/shirt (all proceeds go to charity)

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/56 - Greg Mercer’s view on prodcut research.

Jungle Scout - product sourcing software

Direct download: TAS104.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Scott’s got another great edition of “Ask Scott” on tap for you today. This is YOUR opportunity to get your questions answered about Amazon FBA, Private Labeling, Product Launching, and a whole boatload of other stuff having to do with Amazon sales. And you’ll get answers from Scott Voelker, a guy who’s been there, done it, and is still doing it successfully every single day. Scott is not one of those guys who teases you in with a little bit of knowledge and then tries to sell you a course to fill in the blanks. He doesn’t hold anything back. If you have a question, he’ll answer it as fully as he can. So ask your question by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask and Scott will see what he can do to include your question in an upcoming edition of “Ask Scott.”


A question from this episode about LeadPages and email follow up…

Scott often refers to setting up a landing page and one of the services he uses to do that is called LeadPages. It’s a ready-made sales/landing page that you can direct people to in order to get them signed up on your customer mailing list. A listener asks Scott how he can go about setting up a LeadPage for his business when he doesn’t have a website. Scott’s got good news for him - you don’t have to have a website in order to use LeadPages. Find out the details and hear Scott’s advice on setting up an email follow-up sequence as well by listening to this episode.


Why am I not winning the “buy box” when I’m the manufacturer of my product?

One of Scott’s listeners is a bit confused because he’s a manufacturer and is putting his products on Amazon to test the waters. He’s doing merchant fulfillment instead of Amazon FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) and is NOT seeing his product in the “buy box.” Why is that? Could it have to do with the fact that he’s not using FBA? Could it be that a competitor is hijacking his product listing? Listen to Scott’s answer to get the full story.


A product review was left as seller feedback. How should I handle that?

A new Amazon seller asks Scott a question relating to seller feedback. Seller feedback is the place where purchasers of your products are able to leave comments and ratings about the service you gave them. This person’s customer left a pretty good product review (4 stars) but did it in the seller feedback area. Should the seller remove the comments? Should they contact the buyer and ask them to leave it in the Amazon Product Review section? Scott’s advice is spot on, as always. Find out what it is by listening to this episode.


Amazon’s terms of service regarding product giveaways have changed. Is it worth me doing a giveaway at all?

It’s true. Amazon has recently changed its terms of service regarding product giveaways. It’s a topic that’s getting lots of buzz and has many people worried that their giveaways to generate product reviews are going to earn them a slap by Amazon. Is this true? Scott’s not all that worried about it and is continuing to do his product giveaways as he always has. Can you guess why? Find out his thinking on this episode of The Amazing Seller!


OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Welcome to this episode of Ask Scott.
  • [0:28] If you’d like your question answered, submit it at www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask
  • [1:00] Shout out to Ben Grover who’s taking action in the Amazing Seller Facebook group!
  • [2:33] An email Scott received from one of his Amazon customers that shows how a personal sounding email to a customer can have a huge impact!
    • [6:06] QUESTION ONE: How can I set up a Lead Pages “landing page” for my email sequence without a website?
    • [11:32] QUESTION TWO: We’re not winning the “buy box” so we can’t use Amazon advertising because we are doing merchant fulfilled shipping.
    • [17:45] QUESTION THREE: How do I communicate with buyers who have left seller feedback?
    • [25:40] QUESTION FOUR: Are product giveaways worth the risk given Amazon’s new terms of service?   
  • [31:05] Scott’s summary of the episode and invitation to join him for one of his live workshops (see the link below).

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Scott’s feedback/review email sequence - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/email

The Episode about landing pages - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/24


The TAS resource page - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/resources

Direct download: TAS103.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Scott loves bringing case studies to the TAS community. It’s one of the best ways to see what’s working, the hurdles that Amazon sellers face every step of the way, and the kind of success that everyday people can achieve if they are willing to take action. This conversation is with a long-time friend of Scott’s who has been around since the beginning of this podcast. Bill has moved from retail arbitrage to private label sales and his first product is now selling 30 units a day or more. How did Bill do it? Scott’s got all the details for you in this episode.


Why Bill prefers Private Label Sales to Retail Arbitrage.

Many people have great success doing the legwork required to pull of a successful retail arbitrage business, but Bill feels he’s not the kind of person who’s cut out for it. He was able to make some money but found some of the limitations and difficulties involved in arbitrage to be hurdles he didn’t want to have to get over. When he got into private label sales he enjoyed the kind of research, product sourcing, and brand building required and found it much more aligned with the kind of work he wanted to do. Find out all the details of retail arbitrage VS private label sales in this episode.


Bill didn’t want to source his products from Alibaba or another common supplier. Why?

Large Chinese product sourcing companies like Alibaba make it easy for Amazon sellers to find products that match their criteria. But sourcing products from them also has its disadvantages. Bill saw that if he sourced his products from a common source like that, they could be easily imitated or even hijacked, so he went another route. How did he go about it? By going directly to a manufacturer. You’ll have to listen to the entire episode to find out all the details!


Listen in to hear Scott’s recommended launch sequence, in action!

Scott’s guest today is a student in his Private Label Classroom and followed Scott’s recommended launch sequence. As a result he’s getting those 30 sales a day in record time! It’s a proven system that works when you take it step at a time, and Bill’s story proves it. Find out how Bill went about launching his product, got reviews, used PPC, and much, much more on this episode of The Amazing Seller.


No matter what business you decide to start, you’ve to surround yourself with a supportive community.

The guy you grab a drink with after work is probably not going to understand your entrepreneurial spirit. Your parents or siblings may not get it. But you’ve got to have the support and encouragement all the same. Where do you find it? In a mastermind or discussion group that is focused on accomplishing the same type goals you are. Scott has created his TAS Facebook community to help Amazon Private Label sellers come around each other for support, encouragement, tips, and help. You’re free to join, anytime. Listen to this episode or use the links below to become part of the group.


OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Welcome back to the Amazing Seller and introduction to this episode - a conversation to one of the first guys Scott ever met when he considered doing an Amazon business.
  • [2:59] Scott and Bill’s story together.
  • [4:46] Bill’s history selling on Amazon doing retail arbitrage and why he got started doing Private Label sales.
  • [8:00] Why Bill decided to move away from retail arbitrage.
  • [9:52] Bill’s journey into wholesale and how he began picking products.
  • [12:48] Why Scott or Bill neither one would be comfortable choosing a product for another person to sell.
  • [13:46] How Bill sources his products. He didn’t want to go through Alibaba, etc.
  • [15:56] The pricing and payment options Bill worked out with his supplier.
  • [16:32] The time frame from Bill sending his first deposit to receiving the products.
  • [19:00] Why Bill believes it’s important to get the product to market as soon as possible.
  • [21:21] Bill’s approach to review groups, family and friends reviews, PPC, etc.
  • [24:02] How many products did Bill give away to get reviews and how did he get them?
  • [26:07] How quickly were his discount codes used?
  • [27:00] The importance of the organic sales.
  • [27:53] Why Bill thinks he couldn’t have done what he did without using pay per click.
  • [29:17] Which keywords are important for you to target in PPC campaigns?
  • [31:19] Once the Pay Per Click was working… what did Bill do next?
  • [32:13] Bill’s thoughts about Amazon’s new terms of service and how it impacts his sales.
  • [35:08] Why bill might go back to review groups instead of dropping his product price.
  • [36:42] Bill’s sales now that he’s past the launch phase.
  • [39:11] Choosing a next product once a product is successful.
  • [41:00] Why Scott recommends choosing products where people are already buying instead of inventing products.
  • [42:00] The importance of reaching out to others to build community with those doing the same thing you are doing.
  • [43:15] The importance of mindset for the newbie to Amazon Private Label sales.
  • [46:08] Scott’s summary of the conversation.
  • [46:50] Your invite to the TAS Facebook group - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB
  • [47:20] Scott’s free live workshop - you can come - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop
  • [48:16] Scott’s private label classroom - www.PrivateLabelClassroom.com

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

www.UpgradedImages.com

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Scott’s private label classroom - www.PrivateLabelClassroom.com

Direct download: TAS102.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Way back in episode 8 Scott gave you a very simple, step by step launch sequence that he recommended at the time. In today’s episode he’s going back to that launch plan to tweak and update it based on changes that have happened on Amazon and additional pieces of software or technology that make the process a bit easier or more streamlined. If you’ve been considering the launch of an Amazon Private Label product, you really have no excuse now because Scott is going to show you how to do it successfully in this episode.

 

Do sales and reviews from family members do any good on Amazon?

 

You’ll hear a strange mix of answers on this one. Some people have had family member reviews vanish, or the family member never even receives the opportunity to leave a review on Amazon. Others have had no problem. What makes the difference? The honest answer is that we don’t know. Amazon’s criteria for determining what are “family” reviews and what are not is hard to pin down but we do know this. All reviews matter when you can get them, so you want to ask your family and friends to help you out with a review, or at least try. Scott’s got lots of great advice about getting reviews on this amazing episode of The Amazing Seller, so give it a listen.

 

What is the difference between “verified” reviews on  Amazon and “unverified” reviews… and does it really matter?

 

The difference between the two is pretty simple. A “verified” review is a review from a person that Amazon is able to track as an actual purchaser of the product being reviewed. Even if they purchased the product using a discount code, it was still an actual sale, so it counts as a “verified” review. An “unverified” review is exactly what it sounds like… Amazon knows the person did not purchase the product. Does it matter? Not always. When you launch your product you’re just wanting to get as many stars and numbers on your rating scale as possible. The average buyer doesn’t typically notice whether a review is verified or not, but they do notice whether you have 2 reviews or 200. Find out more about it on this episode.

 

You can use a Facebook fan page to promote your products AND build your email list.

 

One of the important steps Scott has in his launch process is the task of building a Facebook fan page that focuses on a topic related to your product. You’re doing this for a couple of great reasons. #1 - you’re building a community around the niche area your product is aimed at. You’ll be able to present offers to them, conduct surveys about your product, and offer free resources to help them. But you’ll also be able to use the page to solicit sign-ups for your email list and target special offers through Facebook ads. Don’t know how to do that? Great! Give this episode a listen and you’ll find out!

 

If you don’t have a follow-up email sequence to reel in your customers, you’re missing out!

 

Once a person purchases your product you’ve discovered something important about them. They actually WANT what you have to sell! You’ve got to be sure to follow up with them to make sure they are happy with your product, to solicit a review and seller feedback from them, AND (maybe most importantly) get their email address added to your “customer list.” You can do most of that through Amazon’s built in communication channels. You can also use inserts in your products. But how it all works requires some explanation, like what you’re going to hear on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome to this episode of the podcast!

  • [1:20] You’re welcome to join Scott for a free, live workshop at www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

  • [2:43] The first steps - the “Pre-launch” phase.

  • [3:00] Using discount codes properly to get reviews.

  • [4:10] The ways that Amazon sales to and reviews from family members will “stick” and won’t.

  • [5:50] The difference between “verified” and “unverified” reviews and why they matter (or don’t).

  • [7:40] Building a Facebook page for people interested in the niche your product is in.

  • [12:22] How to use a Facebook ad to build your email list.

  • [14:43] Starting your launch.

  • [15:25] Get busy using www.Tomoson.com.

  • [16:18] Work to receive 5 to 7 sales a day - how to aim at that target.

  • [17:17] Starting Amazon PPC, when and how.

  • [18:21] Create a 3-part email follow up sequence.

  • [18:40] How Scott uses Salesbacker to set his follow-up sequence in motion.

  • [20:05] Continue to push sales and reviews using Pay Per Click and Salesbacker.

  • [21:56] Sticking to the simple launch plan.

  • [23:17] Recap of these launch steps.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

The original “How to Launch a Product” podcast - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/8

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ppc

 

www.Tomoson.com


Salesbacker - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/resources (affiliate link

Direct download: TAS101.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

You’d better buckle up for this episode of The Amazing Seller! It’s over one hour and 15 minutes long… and for great reason! Scott’s hosting a “round table” episode with 3 three other Amazing Sellers - Chris Schaeffer, Rich Kibble, and Danny Brewer. They’re talking about how to launch products, changes to Amazon’s algorithms, marketing strategies, setting up your own ecommerce site, and tons of other great stuff. You’ll want to take notes and listen to this one more than once because there’s just TOO MUCH information to digest at one time.

 

Do you have the right mindset to be a successful Amazon seller?

 

What kind of mindset is that? It’s one that believes in the Amazon model and that anyone can be successful if they follow the steps Scott outlines. It’s a mindset that won’t give up even when disappointments or setbacks come. It’s a mindset that doesn’t try shortcuts, but patiently does what needs to be done each step of the way. It’s a mindset that surrounds itself with other people who are doing the same things, to receive encouragement and be an encouragement. It’s a mindset that takes action, over and over again. Find out more about how to be an Amazing Amazon Seller on this episode.

 

The fundamentals of building an Amazon Private Label business stay the same…

 

but you have to learn to be flexible as some of the particulars change. Over the last few years Scott’s formula for product research and product launch has proven to still work. His strategies for using reviews and PPC still get results. But since the Amazon market is getting more crowded, you’ll need work harder at those things and also add more effort to differentiating your product from others. You’ve got to stay flexible and be creative to make it work, but it still works.

 

What about the stuff going around that Amazon is cracking down on review groups?

 

It is concerning to think that potentially hundreds of reviews for your products could vanish because Amazon deems them to have been “paid for” through a review group. But is it really something to be THAT concerned about? In this episode of The Amazing Seller Danny Brewer says that so far it’s all seemed like smoke without a lot of fire. He still uses review groups to do what he calls his “aggressive product launches.” But other people say that they’ve had reviews vanish without notice. What do you think? What does today’s guest panel think? Find out more by listening to this episode.

 

You need to differentiate your Amazon products, but how do you go about doing that?

 

There are many ways to make your products stand out, but one of the guests on today’s episodes has a great trick: He finds sellers that are offering products that are the same or similar to what he’s offering, and goes into their seller profile. There he can see everything they’re offering. He might decide to carry a product that is like something that competitor is doing, or he might get a great idea from browsing around the items they offer. Either way it expands his possibilities and helps him build a business not just a successful product. Hear more ways of making your company pop, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome to the big 100! Scott’s celebrating with a special episode.

  • [1:54] Introduction of the participants:

    • Chris Schaeffer

    • Rich Kibble

    • Danny Brewer

  • [2:40] Why Scott invited these three guys - their experience and plans for the next year.

  • [3:28] Chris - His background, his consulting work, and his work on Amazon.

  • [5:36] Danny - How he started with Amazon and why he’s doing this kind of business.

  • [7:44] The kind of mindset required to be a successful Amazon seller.

  • [11:35] Rich - His Amazon story and outlook on his business.

  • [14:01] The fundamentals of an Amazon business stay the same, but…

  • [14:51] You can launch products simply from the free podcast episodes.

  • [16:41] The importance of rubbing shoulders with other people who are doing the same thing you are doing.

  • [17:35] How these 4 guys go about product selection… and what they predict regarding product selection for 2016.

  • [19:40] Using the seller pages of successful sellers to find other products that can fit into your niche.

  • [22:17] Additional steps to product selection.

  • [27:00] Rick’s focus on finding ways to evolve his product niche.

  • [28:10] What to do when you find 10 pages of people selling the product you’re considering.

  • [29:00] How to use product reviews on existing products to set your products apart.

  • [31:22] How to prevent hijacking of your products.

  • [32:54] How to use the Amazon brand registry.

  • [37:08] The importance of adapting your products and strategy as you go.

  • [39:03] Trademarks? When should you apply for one?

  • [41:40] How Rich took two complementary products and put them together.

  • [42:26] The launch process once you have a product chosen.

  • [45:54] The first push to get 5 or 10 reviews.

  • [46:30] Using Pay Per click for your launch.

  • [50:49] Following up your launch with PPC and customer follow up.

  • [52:21] Danny’s “more aggressive” way of doing a product launch.

  • [56:13] Danny’s thoughts on the new changes to Amazon regarding review groups.

  • [58:31] When to make the move of setting up your own store or website to sell independent of Amazon.

  • [1:00:00] Setting up a blog or website to funnel SEO traffic to your products on your site.

  • [1:05:05] Why Danny believes Amazon is still the best channel even if you are going to build a site of your own.

  • [1:08:22] Ecommerce comes down to 3 important things.

  • [1:10:00] Why no real business would be single-channel dependent. Amazon can serve as the launching and testing ground for a broader business.

  • [1:12:00] Advice for those just starting out with Private Label Amazon sales.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/23 - Chris Schaeffer’s previous episode

 

Rich’s episode - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/53

 

Episode that features Jungle Scout - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/56 (with Greg Mercer… and includes a video showing how its used)

 

The 500 dollar challenge episode - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/68

 

Karon Thaxton’s tips on benefits VS features - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/86

 

Find out about the 5 steps to launching your product in Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

Simple Keyword Inspector - http://www.keywordinspector.com/simple/index.php

 

Episode with Steve Chou about ecommerce sites - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/93

Direct download: TAS100.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

The 4th quarter is the undisputed champion in terms of retail sales in the United States. Amazon is one of the most popular marketplaces out there and as an Amazon Seller you’d be wise to maximize your products and product listings for the 4th quarter so you can make the most of this natural time of consumer activity. This episode is focused on helping you do exactly that. Listen in as Scott covers 5 basic tips to get yourself ready for the 4th quarter. And as a bonus, he throws in an additional 6th tip.

 

If you don’t have enough cash on hand to get your private label products ready for the 4th quarter, you can do something else to build up your business.

 

It’s called Retail Arbitrage. Simply put, you’re purchasing existing products at discounted prices - either through stores or online - and reselling them for higher prices on Amazon, using your FBA account. Many sellers use this strategy to get started on Amazon, making extra cash that they can then roll back into an Amazon Private Label business. Where do you find these discounted products? On clearance racks, in thrift stores, at garage sales, anywhere that deals are to be found. Hear Scott’s advice about using Retail Arbitrage to boost your income to eventually get into a private label business, no this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

If you don’t plan your inventory for the 4th quarter now, you’re going to have trouble.

 

One of the biggest problems private label sellers have in the 4th quarter is getting behind on their inventory. It never fails that sales or demand are higher than expected and they run out of product. That’s never a good thing since you’re sourcing from a manufacturer or wholesaler and will have to wait at least a few weeks to be restocked. Plan now to have enough product to last you through the 4th quarter sales season. Scott’s got stacks of his best selling product in his garage already and is gearing up for a big 4th quarter as a result. Find out what more you can do on this episode.

 

To make the most of the 4th quarter you need to get your seller account and products up in the Amazon rankings.

 

How do you do that? By generating traffic to your products, converting that traffic to sales, then appealing to those customers for reviews and feedback on the product they bought. It’s really as simple as that. One of the best ways to start that cycle is through Amazon PPC. That’s “pay per click” advertising, which puts your products in the view of those who come to Amazon searching for itit.. and that starts the ball rolling. You’ve got to invest in PPC now and throughout the 4th quarter to get your products ranking higher throughout the selling season. Hear Scott’s recommendations on how to go about it, on this episode.



Now is the time to optimize your listing by testing the elements you include in it.

 

By the time the 4th quarter gets into full swing you want your listing to be optimized to its fullest. That’s why you should be testing the elements included in your listing now, so you have time to dial it in and get the most out of the high traffic season ahead. Experiment with images, verbiage, titles, bullet points - do anything you can to test your listing for peak efficiency and conversions. You can find out more about how to go about it on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome and introduction to this episode’s topic - maximizing 4th quarter sales now.

  • [0:30] Scott’s experience with the 4th quarter from last year.

  • [1:52] You’re invited to one of Scott’s live workshops - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

  • [2:30] Thanks to an iTunes reviewer who mentioned 4th quarter sales.

  • [3:47] Scott’s history as an Amazon seller.

  • [5:17] The significance of the last year’s work for Scott’s upcoming 4th quarter.

  • [5:56] Using Retail Arbitrage to build up cash to build a private label business eventually.

  • [6:42] Plan your inventory so it’s in Amazon by the 4th quarter.

  • [7:51] Using your past sales to plan out your inventory. You can also use www.camelcamelcamel.com

  • [9:20] Amazon PPC can help you get sales and to rank for keywords.

  • [12:42] How to use insert cards in your products to gain customer info.

  • [20:03] Create promotions in your listings for additional products.

  • [22:00] Optimize your listing and test your listing elements.

  • [23:13] Take advantage of email follow up for feedback and reviews.

  • [27:11] Scott’s recap of these 5 (6) tips for maximizing for 4th quarter sales.

 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

Google Trends to discover sales history and trends.

 

www.CamelCamelCamel.com - use to research sales history

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS099.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Most people who listen to this show or try to get a business started through Amazon FBA live in the United States. But Scott wants to offer help to everyone, no matter where they live. That’s part of what motivated this episode of the Amazing Seller. Scott chats with an Amazon seller from Israel, Yinon Shiryan and discovered that while many of the tips and tricks are the same, there are some very unique things that International Sellers have to deal with that make it a more difficult journey. But Yinon’s story is very encouraging because he’s persevered and overcome all of those hurdles. Hear his story on this episode!

 

Why Yinon got started trying Amazon sales.

 

Like most people, Yinon was already working a job that paid his bills, but he found himself never having time to get to the projects and other things her really wanted to do. His mind was dead after a full day of work. He heard about Amazon sales from a friend and was very interested. After only a little bit of research he decided to take the plunge and get started. He found a very popular product from a local supplier and looked to see what it sold for on Amazon. The margins weren’t very big, but he decided to go for it anyway. After stumbling through the process he has made his way to a very successful business. Find out how he got from there to here, in this edition of The Amazing Seller.

 

The obstacles International Sellers face are huge!

 

There are shipping issues, account issues, and support issues from Amazon. One of the most surprising things Yinon discovered was that Amazon support would not return calls to numbers that were outside the U.S. So he had to get creative, using a combination of Google Hangouts and another app to connect with Amazon support and get the help he needed. Yinon’s story shows how a commitment to reach a goal combined with massive action can propel anyone into a successful Amazon Sales business. Hear the entire story on this episode.

 

Making sales, even with a terrible listing.

 

When Yinon first started his Amazon Sales business, he admits he didn’t know what he was doing. His first listings, in his words, were “horrible.” He didn’t understand English as well as he needed to, so he had a very hard time optimizing his listings for keywords. But within a few weeks he was making sales anyway. What he discovered was that his product quality was very high compared to others in his niche and even though he was asking a higher price than others, he was beginning to make sales. At one point he dropped his prices to see if it would generate more sales and his number of sales actually went down. It’s a testament to value perception and the importance of having a quality product. Get all the details on this episode.

 

Variations of products have enabled Yinon’s products to rise in the Amazon algorithm.

 

Multiple listings for the same type of product, but with variations, has enabled Yinon’s products to gain a broader reach than many products do. His sales rank has benefitted from this and he’s glad that he chose a product with so many varieties. Yinon and Scott both feel that when you set up your product, you should list it as having variations so that should the time come when you want to add variations, you’re already set up to do so. Find out more about Yinon’s story and how variations are helping his products rank, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome and introduction - along with Scott’s thanks!

  • [0:42] The successes and failures of today’s guest - an International Amazon Seller.

  • [1:41] Scott’s thanks for your emails, comments, and iTunes reviews.

  • [2:03] Your invite to Scott’s free, live workshop - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Workshops

  • [3:04] Yinon’s story as an International Seller (he’s from Israel) and the reason Scott’s having him on the show.

  • [4:22] How Yinon got started with Amazon sales.

  • [7:24] Why it was so hard for Yinon to get started with his Amazon Sales business.

  • [8:20] Yinon’s tip for International Sellers to get in touch with Amazon support.

  • [10:34] Getting started without even doing product research yet.

  • [12:05] Shipping problems made Yinon’s start very difficult.

  • [13:12] In order to make it worthwhile, Yinon had to choose premium products. Find out why?

  • [15:02] Yinon’s first products sent to Amazon (100 products).

  • [16:13] Why his first listings were horrible.

  • [18:22] What Yinon did to start sales of his products.

  • [19:15] The first sales for his product and how it impacted his motivation.

  • [20:00] Making the switch from a local supplier to a Chinese supplier.

  • [22:08] The importance of Yinon’s unique product.

  • [22:48] Joining a mastermind group and advancing his strategies.

  • [25:00] Tweaks that Yinon could do to optimize his PPC campaigns.

  • [26:23] Scott’s advice on PPC campaigns for Yinon’s exact situation.

  • [29:52] Yinon’s plans moving forward - more products? More listings?

  • [31:12] A strategy to use a new product for a promotion.

  • [32:58] Yinon’s launch sequence to start out a new product.

  • [34:37] Decreasing pricing causes sales to go DOWN! Why is that?

  • [36:05] How Yinon goes about getting reviews on his products.

  • [37:39] Giving up feedback for reviews.

  • [38:25] How Yinon’s reviews compare to those of his competitors.

  • [41:45] The power of having variations of products and setting up variations from the start.

  • [43:03] Scott’s encouragement to Yinon and summary of his experience. You can do this!

  • [43:52] Yinon’s advice: Don’t give up! Just get started to figure out the process.

  • [45:11] What Yinon is selling right now - $21K income per month.

  • [46:42] Don’t forget Scott’s live workshops. They’re free!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS09820.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Today’s episode is one of Scott’s “Bonus Episodes” covering his income through his Amazon Business for August of 2015. These episodes are designed to be an encouragement to you, to show you that a real income can be provided through an Amazon sales business done the right way. That’s what The Amazing Seller podcast is all about.

 

So grab a pencil and paper to take notes and listen in as Scott reveals the actual numbers of his business - expenses, profit, sales, everything. It’s one of the most open episodes you’ll hear. He’s going to open up not only with his numbers, but with the lessons he’s learned over the past month.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS Q & A EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Intro to this bonus episode.

  • [0:27] Scott’s numbers have gone down, and he expected it!

  • [1:32] Why the summer months are typically the slowest for ecommerce.

  • [2:46] How to be prepared for slow months… by banking money from your busy months.

  • [4:00] Why you should not give up when your numbers are slow.

  • [5:21] One thing that caused Scott’s numbers to be lower, and why he decided to do it intentionally to sustain his sale velocity.

  • [8:34] How you can test pricing to find the best place for your product pricing.

  • [9:08] The Amazon Terms of Service Update - how Scott feels about the things that have changed.

  • [11:12] Scott’s number for August, item by item.

  • [11:59] $25K sales revenue for August, and multiple sales to the same customers.

  • [13:12] $8,135 profit for August 2015.

  • [13:53] What might have happened if Scott had not reduced his product pricing a month ago - good and bad.

  • [14:53] Why Scott is making pricing decisions to set himself up for the 4th quarter.

  • [16:04] Scott’s plans for the future - add more products to spread out the sales to mitigate the effect of the slow seasons.

  • [16:41] Lowering sales may not be right for your products. You have to decide.

  • [17:16] Why you should not be discouraged by a slow summer season.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE


Scott’s free live workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

Direct download: BONUS_Income_Report_August_2015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s always nice to have a trusted and experienced person to ask about questions that you have, in any area of life. That’s what Scott hopes these Friday “Ask Scott” episodes can be for you. He’s got 3 (actually 6) questions lined up today dealing with everything from customs fees to hijacked product listings. It’s a great show with some very practical, relevant content that should help you avoid some pitfalls and ramp up your business.

 

What is this I hear about a $2,500 limit on product costs to avoid customs fees?

 

There is a little bit of truth to the question, but it’s not that you avoid customs fees altogether. What happens is this: When you order products from China or other territories outside the United States, and the total product cost is over $2,500, your products are bumped into a different category where your order is processed by customs manually. That incurs additional customs fees that you will have to pay. Scott’s not sure if $2,500 is the exact limit, but received that information from a DHL representative. Listen to this episode to learn how Scott avoids that fee now.

 

Scott, help! My product listing has been hijacked!

 

It’s a very maddening thing when you go through the work to get your private label products purchased and sent in to Amazon and then someone else takes advantage of all your work by listing their product on your listing and works hard to get the “buy box.” What should you do? That’s the exact situation one caller is in and he asked Scott how to handle the situation. Scott’s response includes a “cease and desist” letter that one of the TAS community members uses to address those issues in her business. You can listen to hear how she uses the letter and what kind of response she gets.

 

When sourcing products through Alibaba, do you focus only on factories or manufacturers, or do you use any company?

 

The Alibaba listings can be confusing, especially when many companies have similar names. In today’s episode a listener asks Scott what to do when there’s an “XYZ wholesale company” and an “XYZ manufacturing company,” and an “XYZ Medical company” and they all offer the same or similar products.  Should he go with the one that seems like the actual manufacturer or does it make a difference? Scott’s answer is focused more on the terms of the deal than the type of company it is, and he goes into his thinking in detail, so listen in!

 

If you’d like to get your Amazon FBA or Private Label question answered…

 

All you have to do is ask! Go to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask and leave your own voice mail, asking your question. Scott would love to include your question on an upcoming episode and answer it at the same time! Don’t be shy… get over there right now and ask your question!

 

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome to this episode of “Ask Scott.”

  • [0:30] How you can submit your question to Scott.

  • [1:10] Scott’s excitement about Periscope and how he’s using it to connect with listeners.

  • [3:05] Sign up for one of Scott’s live workshops (free). Register at www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

  • [3:57] QUESTION 1: Isn’t there something about a $2,500 limit on customs to make sure you don’t have to pay too much for customs fees?

  • [10:32] QUESTION 2: What should I do when my product listing was hijacked by somebody else? I’ve connected with Seller Central but am finding it difficult.

  • [17:21] QUESTION 3: Do you only work with factories through Alibaba? Does your payment to DHL cover customs fees? Have you used E-Packet and how does it impact the duties and customs fees?

  • You can ask your question by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask

  • Your invite to Scott’s free seminar. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Ask your question: www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Ask

 

Find Scott’s Periscope sessions www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Scope

 

The episode about avoiding a customs mistake - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/32


Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS097.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Every Amazon seller has to learn how balance and manage their time in order to get their business rolling and keep it rolling. There are tons of ways you can organize your time, but on today’s episode Scott has a guest who’s going to help us get a better handle on our time. Welcome Kate Erickson, best known for her role in creating the Entrepreneur On Fire Audio Blog, “Kate’s Take.” Kate uses a process called “SCRUM” to help her focus on her goals and get more stuff done. Listen to this episode to discover how you can apply the same process to get more things done in your Amazon sales business.

 

How do you decide where to focus your energies each day?

 

That’s the first question Scott asked his guest, Kate Erickson on this episode. Her answer was very enlightening. She uses a process called “SCRUM” to help her dissect each goal to the basic, elementary steps of what is required to get them to the point of completion. It’s fully focusing on your goal one step at a time, no distractions, no pauses, no excuses. It enables her to knock out one aspect of a larger goal in a relatively short burst of time and then get on to the next step toward the goal. Hear more of how Kate goes about this process in this episode.

 

Many of you are Amazon Sellers on the side… so how can you best use these concepts to your advantage?

 

It’s not uncommon for people who are trying to build their business outside of regular work hours to find the time crunch almost impossible. There’s only so much time each day and you’ve got to be able to use it effectively. But there’s so much other stuff that demands that time - family, friends, hobbies, fun - it’s limitless. How do you go about using the “SCRUM” process Kate Erickson covers in this episode to manage all those obligations and needs? You’ll have to listen to this great conversation to find out!

 

The power of just getting started.

 

At first it may be hard for you to determine what steps are needed in a larger project in order to get it done. The first step in the “SCRUM” process is making a plan for achieving that goal, and you do that by breaking it down into smaller steps. But you won’t always know what those steps are when you begin. What do you do? You just get started. You’re going to launch into the project and your mind is going to naturally gravitate to the first things you need to do. Get started and write down your steps as they come to your mind. Set time frames to guide you, and get busy. Find out more about how Kate Erickson recommends you take on these projects, on this episode.



The impact of not taking action - on you and others.

 

There are many things that keep us from moving on the things we know we need to do. We feel that we don’t have enough information, that our idea isn’t good enough, that there are other things we’d rather do. But we need to realize that when we allow those things to keep us from action we are not only hurting ourselves, but also the people who are depending on the outcome of our work. Those may be family members, customers, or people like Scott’s listeners who would never have been helped by his knowledge if he hadn’t started this podcast (and he almost didn’t.) Hear Scott’s story about learning this lesson on this episode of The Amazing Seller.



OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Introduction of this episode from Scott!

  • [2:00] Welcome to Kate Erickson.

  • [2:40] How Kate’s audio blog has inspired Scott.

  • [3:20] How do you decide what to focus on each day?

  • [4:25] The importance of S.M.A.R.T. goals.

  • [5:31] How the side-hustle person can put a schedule to work to optimize their productivity.

  • [7:37] The best way to create rules for yourself and how to keep yourself accountable.

  • [10:31] The importance of sacrifice and keeping your head clear about what’s truly important for you long-term.

  • [11:53] What is “scrum” and how does Kate recommend applying it for an Amazon seller.

  • [17:45] How to determine dependencies and timelines in the “scrum” model and getting to the end goal.

  • [19:45] The power of deadlines in the “scrum” model.

  • [21:17] The reasons people play the “what if” game regarding their goals.

  • [22:33] How to deal with the fear element in taking action.

  • [23:31] The impact of not taking action - a personal example from Scott’s life.

  • [24:18] Leveraging the help you’re providing to others to keep you on track in your business.

  • [28:40] How Kate’s story has inspired Scott and many others.

  • [29:30] Scott’s wrap-up of this episode.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Kate’s Take - Kate’s podcast

 

Entrepreneur On Fire - John Lee Dumas’ podcast

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS096.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

True story: A new Amazon seller followed Scott’s instruction step by step and the results were phenomenal. In the first 30 days of his product going live John made $11,305.94. It’s proof that the model of private label sales on Amazon not only works, it’s a legitimate way to earn a very substantial income. In this episode of The Amazing Seller Scott talks about the highlights of John’s experience, gives encouragement about how you can go about the same processes that John followed, and most of all, continues to stress that you have to take action now.

 

John quit his job and dove into Amazon sales. Should you?

 

That took a lot of guts. Not everybody would feel comfortable doing that. Scott is one of those people. His Amazon sales business took a full 90 days before he started seeing any kind of significant growth. If he’d quit his job to get into it, he would have been in a world of hurt before significant income came in. While John had incredible success in his first 30 days, Scott says it’s better to do your homework on the side and get started part time. That way you don’t put yourself or your family in a difficult spot. Find out more about why Scott advises caution when it comes to quitting your job to start Amazon FBA sales, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

The 10X10x1 Formula worked like a charm for John.

 

John gives the credit for the quick launch and success of his Amazon business to Scott’s 10X10X1 formula. What is the formula? Simply put, it’s this: 10 units - $10 profit - 1 day. So 10 units sold at $10 profit, every day. That formula is what you’re shooting for to keep your product sales (and business growth) rolling in a positive direction. John set the 10X10X1 formula as his goal when he launched his product and discovered that the focus enabled him focus only on products that were already selling at least $10 per day, and to work smarter and more diligently as he tried to get his business going. Find out what those steps were by listening to this episode.

 

How did John learn everything that he did to make his private label business successful?

 

John learned everything that he did from Scott’s podcast. But he didn’t just listen to each episode once or twice. He listened to every episode multiple times because he learned that the first couple of times through he heard what he wanted to hear, not what he needed to hear. The repeated listening enabled him to pick up things he’d missed in the first listens that were critical to his success. Hear how John suggests you go about learning the things you need to know in order to make your products take off like his did, on this episode.

 

How John maximized his promotions - it’s not a common way of doing it, but it worked.

 

John offered some discount promotion codes for his product when he first launched. He put out the codes on fliers that he hung up at a local convenience store. He also made the offer that if the people using the code recommended the product to their friends, he’d give their friends a discount as well (10% to 20%). The fliers disappeared from the convenience store and every single one of the discount codes was used! That’s an amazing response to an unorthodox way of getting the offer out. Hear the details of how that promotion impacted John’s product launch, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Welcome and introduction to this episode!

  • [0:55] The story behind this episode’s content.

  • [1:45] Do you know about Scott’s Periscope adventures? You can join him! www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Scope

  • [4:33] You are invited to Scott’s live workshops, including the live Q&A. www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

  • [5:21] The post from the Amazing Seller Facebook group that highlights the situation that brought in over $11K within 30 days.

  • [6:59] Scott’s caution about how to get into Amazon private label sales in a wise way.

  • [7:56] The details of the product John was providing.

  • [8:39] The 10X10X1 formula.

  • [10:18] The interaction surrounding John’s post and the questions that came in.

  • [11:00] What it takes to be successful.

  • [13:20] The importance of listening to your mentors (podcast episodes) more than once.

  • [14:00] How John started out printing physical fliers to use his promo code and get product sales started.

  • [16:23] John believes that the problems people face in their Amazon sales is because they are missing something.

  • [17:10] How John went against conventional wisdom and priced his product lower than expected.

  • [18:29] The promotional tactics John used - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/launch.

  • [19:46] Why Scott is not a fan of doing continual promotions but does see the use of them at the beginning.

  • [21:30] Taking action is the best teacher - John’s experience is an example.

  • [22:15] What you can learn from the Amazing Seller Facebook group - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB

  • [24:18] Scott’s summary of John’s experience.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

 

http://www.Tomoson.com - the website where John got some reviews.

 

Interview with Greg Mercer - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/35

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS095.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s another great episode of “Ask Scott” where you get to ask your questions about Amazon FBA sales, private labeling, promotions, keyword and product research, and all the other things that go into building your own Amazon sales business through the amazing Amazon platform. In this episode Scott fields questions from 4 listeners - one all the way from Singapore! You won’t want to miss out hearing Scott’s responses to questions about pumping up slow sales, U.S. manufacturers or suppliers, optimization of search terms, and dealing with imitators of your product. All that on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

You’ve followed all of Scott’s suggestions, but sales are very slow… now what?

That’s the situation a listener finds himself in and on this episode he asks Scott if perhaps he missed a step or has not done something correctly. He’s getting a few sales a day, but is not even coming close to catching the top seller in his niche when it comes to product reviews. What should he do? It’s a hard question for Scott to answer without all the details, but he gives it his best shot, providing a handful of things to look at that could result in higher sales.

Wouldn’t it be great to find a U.S. Manufacturer to source your products?

There’s been a lot of chat on the Amazing Seller Facebook Group about this one: finding U.S. based product sources to keep the cash flowing within our own borders. Scott’s all for finding U.S. suppliers, but knows that in order to make a profit you have to spend as little as possible on the product side of things. That’s why this question is such a difficult one to answer definitively. In this episode Scott highlights some of the ways Amazon sellers might be able to find U.S. based suppliers, and invites anyone who HAS found a U.S. based source for their products to contact him to share their tips!

How important is it to key in on the search terms and suggested customer profiles available in the product page setup?

In every Seller Central product page there’s an option to give suggested categories of people that might be interested in the particular product you’re adding to the Amazon catalogue. A listener asks Scott how important those fields are and what might be done to optimize their use. Scott’s answer points to a previous episode where an expert on Amazon listings shared a wealth of fabulous tips about making your product listing the best it can be. You won’t want to miss Scott’s suggestions and that valuable resource, on this episode.

Someone seems to be imitating my product, right down to the images, description, etc. What can I do?

Here’s the scenario: A new seller of the same product I sell has shown up in the Amazon listings. His images are exactly the same as mine. His product descriptions are exactly the same as mine. The product is the same as mine. Should I patent my product? Should I contact Amazon? How can I keep this person from horning in on my sales by offering a product that is by all intents the exact same thing as mine? Scott’s answer on this one might surprise you. Listen in to find out the details.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Welcome and introduction to this ASK SCOTT episode!
  • [1:20] How to get your question answered on one of these episodes.
  • [2:03] QUESTION #1: Very slow sales after doing promotions… what’s normal? What should I be considering? Did I miss any key factors?
  • [8:42] QUESTION #2: Could you speak to the issue of finding manufacturers from the United States.
  • [13:32] QUESTION #3: What are the best practices for optimizing search terms and the profiles on the seller central account?
  • [18:58] QUESTION #4: What can I do when another person is imitating my products, including images, description, and packaging?
  • [24:29] Scott’s free workshop for you to be a part of - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop    

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Find Scott on www.Periscope.tv - @ScottVoelker

Get your question answered - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask

The episode about Amazon optimization - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/86

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS094.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Steve Chou has been building his own, private ecommerce stores online for a very long time. He did so way back before the days of Amazon FBA. In this great interaction Scott gets schooled by Steve on why every Amazon seller should consider, at least down the road, setting up shop on their own private ecommerce store. Steve tells the story of how he and his wife did that very thing, how they’ve grown it over the years, and how they’ve even used Amazon’s own system to drive traffic to their private store. You won’t want to miss this.

Why would an Amazon seller want to set up his own ecommerce store?

 

Steve Chou thinks it’s a must for every Amazon seller to eventually move beyond Amazon to set up their own store. There are many reasons, but two of the greatest are #1 - the ability to create your own promotional content, and #2 - the ability to capture your customer information and follow up on them during and after the sale. He’s found that ability alone to be a significant source of conversions for his products. If you’ve been thinking about setting up your own platform for sales outside of Amazon, don’t miss this episode.

You mean I can use Amazon to drive traffic to my own private ecommerce store?

 

Yep, that’s exactly right. Steve Chou has been doing it for a while now through what Amazon calls “sponsored ads.” It’s a way you can take advantage of the search traffic Amazon draws in… and it’s not just any search traffic - it’s people who are ready to buy exactly what you’re offering. Listen to Scott’s interview with Steve to find out how Steve sets up these sponsored ads and the kind of traffic and conversions he’s getting from doing so, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Have you ever considered creating content to drive people to your products?

 

Bloggers have been doing this for a long time. It’s that great article, or video, or “how to” lesson that gives great value to the audience and then drives them to purchase the blogger’s product or course. You can do the same thing for your products. Steve Chou and his wife have been doing that for a long time and have found it to be a powerful way to feature their products and get people to check them out. Find out all the details of how Steve does it on this episode.

How to use Pinterest to drive traffic to your products.

 

It’s becoming more apparent all the time that out of all the social media platforms available today, Pinterest is one of the best at driving traffic to product pages. Why? Because oftentimes people are searching Pinterest for ideas or products to solve a particular problem. What better place to post your product images and posts? In this episode of The Amazing Seller Steve Chou talks about how he uses Pinterest to drive traffic to his products, and he covers some important tips on how TO and how NOT TO use Pinterest. You won’t want to miss this.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Introduction of the topic & today’s guest Steve Chou

  • [1:07] Scott’s personal update and a meet-up with a TAS meetup group.

  • [3:14] Your invite to Scott’s live workshops - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

  • [4:22] Who is Steve Chou and why he’s able to tell us about creating ecommerce stores.

  • [5:27] Steve’s story of creating an ecommerce store with a variety of products.

  • [7:00] Why Amazon sellers might want to consider an external channel (ecommerce store).

  • [8:15] The path to starting an ecommerce store - Steve’s story using PPC services, keyword research, and product research.

  • [10:40] What’s the first thing to do to establish an ecommerce store?

  • [11:00] How to build great content to draw people to the products.

  • [13:12] How Pinterest has become a marketplace.

  • [14:10] How Steve personalizes each of his products through his own site.

  • [15:56] What ads does Steve recommend for beginning ecommerce sites to drive traffic?

  • [17:03] How to create “sponsored” ads on Amazon that can drive traffic to your external website.

  • [20:29] How long does it take to set up a quality ecommerce store?

  • [21:25] Dos and Don’ts of setting up products on your own store.

  • [22:10] Is it possible to use Amazon to fulfill products sold on your private ecommerce store?

  • [23:48] What paid traffic options would Steve begin with?

  • [27:38] Steve’s process for getting product reviews on his private site.

  • [29:26] Which social platform is best for getting products into the public eye?

  • [30:56] Steve’s Pinterest strategy for promoting products.

  • [33:22] How Steve suggests finding a person to handle a Pinterest account for you.

  • [34:05] Why Steve thinks it’s important to have your own platform, independent of Amazon.

  • [35:00] The reason Steve began his blog - www.MyWifeQuitHerJob.com

  • [39:00] Scott’s recap of the conversation and his call to action.



LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Steve’s website - www.MyWifeQuitHerJob.com

 

Steve’s podcast - http://mywifequitherjob.com/category/podcast/

 

Scott’s free workshop  - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop


www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

Direct download: TAS093.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

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