Mon, 24 April 2017
Do you find yourself constantly looking for the next great hack or tip to try out for your business? What makes you do that? Do you have a fear of missing out on insights that others might have? Stop stressing about finding the best hack or tip! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott encourages sellers like you to stick with the basics. He goes through seven key strategies for selling your products. He drills down into familiar areas and wants you to know that you shouldn’t be looking for the next great secret or insight before you’ve mastered the basics. So grab a pen and some paper, and take the time to write out all seven of these strategies, you don’t want to miss it! Product and Market ResearchOne skill that you can always get better at is product research. Seriously. Don’t overlook this step. Go back to your product and your market and do an analysis, approach it with fresh eyes. Do the exercises that Scott teaches over and over again. Learn product research like the back of your hand. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott drills down further into this concept and the steps you can take to become an expert. This simple step could make all the difference between your success and the success of your competitor. Make sure to listen to this episode! Focus on SourcingGetting a good deal and cultivating a good relationship with a supplier is extremely important. Dig deep! Don’t just rely on Alibaba or Aliexpress to find a great supplier to source your product. If you can connect and build a relationship with a supplier that you can trust - that is HUGE! So get out there and network, be a good customer for these suppliers and if you get to the point where they can’t help you with a particular product, see if they can connect you with someone who can. If you’ve built a mutual trust and great communication with said supplier you will go far. To hear Scott expand on this further, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! Don’t forget to Optimize!An important step you can take to drive traffic and build your business is to go back through all your product listings, Facebook Ads, and even your own website to double check for optimization. You want to make sure that you take full advantage of tools like "Splitly" that can help you hone in on your Amazon listings and optimize it for improved results. If you’d like to hear Scott dive deeper into this topic, don’t forget to grab a pen and some paper and listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Expand your reach with list building and more!Do you have a solid outreach strategy? Do you know what corners of the internet that your target audience likes to spend time at? Have you directed your marketing resources in that direction? You’ve heard Scott hammer on this point many times but don’t skip it - build your lists! Do whatever you need to so you have an email list with people in your target demographic so you can run promotions and other key outreach activities through. If you haven’t built your list yet, what are you waiting for? According to Scott, this is the most powerful and overlooked step so pay attention! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 21 April 2017
Celebrate and Reflect on MilestonesIt’s tempting to just breeze past the little steps that you have taken on your journey toward success - DON’T! It’s very important to slow down to celebrate and reflect on the milestones you have reached along your journey. Naturally, it’s easier to celebrate victories but Scott encourages entrepreneurs like you to pause and reflect on the difficult hurdles you’ve overcome too. He has found that this simple practice of celebration and reflection has had a huge impact on his outlook on life and business. To hear Scott go further with this concept, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! When is a good time to start bundling your products?Do you have a product that would pair really well with another product and is a perfect fit for bundling? Would it give you an advantage among your competitors? If so, you really should consider bundling your product. Instead of just having a bundled or unbundled product option, Scott encourages sellers to have three distinct SKU’s, one for the main product, one separate for the product that you want to add to the bundle, and then a distinct SKU for the two products bundled together. If you’d like to hear Scott explain this process in more detail, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! The process of getting ungatedAre you trying to get into a gated category on Amazon? Have you been thinking about approaching this process in the near future? Then this episode is the one for you! Scott breaks down several different approaches to getting ungated and how you should handle this process. It can be complicated but if you have a product that you know will perform well, then go for it! Get everything you need to know about the process and other resources that will help you along the way on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Should you worry about US politics and how it could affect your business?It can be difficult to stay enthusiastic about the future and building your business when something like politics rears its ugly head. Many in the TAS community are a little concerned about US and China relations and how that will affect their business. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives his take on the situation and how he encourages sellers like you to prepare for the future. If this has been on your mind lately, make sure to take the time and check out what Scott has to say - you don’t want to miss it! Don’t let CHANGE stop you from TAKING ACTION!Along with the changing political climate, many TAS followers have concerns about changes with Amazon, Facebook Ads, Google and more. How can you prepare for these changes? What steps can you take to ensure that you don’t get left behind? All these questions are valid but Scott encourages sellers like you to take a longer approach. The truth of the matter is, change is constant. Don’t let the many variables and confusing changes paralyze you from TAKING ACTION! Stay informed, gather the best information available to you but at the end of the day, you are responsible for your own success. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 19 April 2017
How can you make significant steps toward building your brand and launching your Amazon product? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott reviews a recent coaching call he had with a TAS follower like you! Scott breaks down how the caller is currently fairing with his Amazon products, how he can improve, why he should build and email list, how he can leverage Facebook Ads and much more! If you’ve been trying to figure out your next step in growing your business, this is the episode for you! Grab a pen and paper, you don’t want to it! Why you need to build an email listWould you like to build your brand? Would you like to see your product sales take off? Then make sure you direct your energy toward building an email list! If you want to drive sales, increase traffic to your listing, and introduce new products the best resource available to you is a curated email list. If you can build a list that includes a majority of individuals who fit your target demographic then you have what you need to accomplish key goals toward growing your sales. If you’d like to hear more about how you can build an email list today, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! Leverage Facebook Ads!One of the best ways to grow your business is to expand your customer base. You can do this through email lists but you can also leverage Facebook Ads. Start by locating a target group on Facebook that aligns with your product's theme and category, then begin a marketing campaign directed at that group through Facebook Ads. Alternatively, once you’ve started an email list, you can feed that contact info into Facebook and market your product or offer to similar demographics via Facebook Ads. If you’d like to hear more about how you can leverage Facebook Ads to grow your business, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! What is your ONE THING?As an entrepreneur, the multitude of conferences, books, and courses available to you can be overwhelming. In fact, many business leaders are paralyzed with inaction because of so many options! How can you cut through the noise and make the changes you need to succeed? You’ve got to focus like a laser beam on that ONE THING. Do whatever it takes to silence the other voices and advice you have at your fingertips and just focus on one thing. Focus on it for the next 60 to 90 days and see what happens! To get more great tips and insights like this one, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 17 April 2017
It’s time for another Hot Seat session! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris review a product listing submitted by a TAS follower like you! These guys don’t hold back, they go over every aspect they can think of to give this listing a proper run down. If you are looking for tools to critically examine your product listing to optimize it to the best of your ability then this is the episode for you! Scott and Chris also go over why quality images are so important, the difference between keywords and search terms and so much more! Grab a pen and some paper, this is an episode you can’t miss! Don’t be generic, be specific!When you start selling online you might feel drawn to be as generic as possible with your product listing in order to get as many viewers to your page. Don’t do that! Be as specific as possible in your title and in your product descriptions. You want people to know why your product is the best for a specific use. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris break down how important it is to focus your efforts on the specific rather than the generic. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! Don’t skimp on quality imagesWhen you are building a small business, every penny counts. You might be tempted to use cheaper images of your product for your listing. As tight as finances might be, don’t follow the temptation to skimp on quality images! If you’ve been a TAS follower for very long you know this is one of the topics that Scott is passionate about. He mentions this time and time again because this is really your best method of having your customers “Touch” your product. You want what they see to wow them and the best way to do that is to spend the money on high-quality images. If you aren’t convinced yet, make sure to catch this episode and Scott’s explanation of how important this step is! Know the difference between Keywords and Search TermsDo you know the difference between keywords and search terms? When you are dealing with PPC, you want to make sure that you are optimizing for search terms NOT keywords. The search term is what an actual Amazon customer is typing into the search bar. Think of keywords as seeds you give to Amazon so they know what words to associate your product listing with. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris break down more differences between these two phrases and how you can navigate them to get the results you are looking for - don’t miss it! Approach your Listing with a critical eyeIt can be tough to approach something critically after you’ve poured large amounts of your time and effort into it. But that approach is exactly what you need to succeed when you review your Amazon product listings. You can’t let it become your baby. You’ve got to be able to look at it in a similar way that you look at your competitor's listings. This will be difficult for many of you to do but it will really benefit you in the long run. Catch this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear Scott and Chris talk about how important this step is in maximizing your success!
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Fri, 14 April 2017
Are you fired up and ready to go for the weekend? No? Then make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller and another installment of Ask Scott. On this episode, you’ll get important updates on TAS events and projects, Scott’s weekly message, and of course answers to questions from listeners like you! As always you’ll get the best insights and links to resources you need to see success and results in your business. Make sure you take the time to listen and even grab a friend who needs to hear about this great business opportunity! Movement + Patience = ResultsEveryone wants to see exponential growth and RESULTS. But seeing the results you’ve been dreaming about can be a long journey. You will need to learn some vital truths to get you where you want to be with your business. One of the most important lessons you can learn is to exercise lots of patience. This is especially vital when you are trying to build a business selling on Amazon. If you’d like to hear Scott go deeper with this truth, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Is it the right time to start Split Testing?If you’ve seen your product listing gain steady and sizable traffic and you are ready to start branching out with options like listing different variations it might be time to start split testing. What does that process look like? What results should you expect to see? There are so many tools and processes, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott walks through this process and how you get the most out of it. Make sure you grab pen and paper, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Gaining access to a gated product categoryGetting into gated categories on Amazon can be a very frustrating process. Have you done your research? Are you certain that the product you want to be listed in that category is going to bring you enough value to make the effort worth it? If so, there are a few options you have at your disposal to gain access to a gated category. Don’t give up hope! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott goes over his suggestions on how you can get access to a gated category. Don’t miss it! Enhanced Brand ContentWhat benefits can using enhanced brand content on your product listing bring you? This is a complicated issue because it's going to be different for each seller. The best way to figure out the effectiveness of this method is to do a test on your product listing. Because there are multiple factors in place, giving it a good test is the best approach. If you decide to do down this route, make sure you record your data before and after the test to note any changes to your conversion rate or additional numbers. If you’d like to hear Scott go into more detail about this topic, make sure to catch this episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 12 April 2017
How would you like to receive income from a product that you don’t have to continually market, ship, or promote? Does it sound too good to be true? It’s not! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from licensing and patent expert Stephen Key. Stephen explains how he got his start with licensing products, how you can get started, tips to save you money in the process, how to connect with potential partners, and how royalties work. This is a unique episode that will give you great insight into a profitable income avenue for sellers like you! Steps to start licensing your product!Learn from one of the best in the industry as Stephen Key takes Scott step by step through the process of licensing a product. The first step starts with analyzing the marketplace. Find your niche, find the problem you can bring a solution to or your improvement of an existing product. The next step is to have a professional create a 3D rendering of this product. You don’t have to actually create the product yet! Then create a sell sheet, this is what you will use to shop your idea around to potential partners. Lastly, you need to file a provisional patent application that gives you perceived ownership. Stephen masterfully goes through each of these steps in detail that could help you toward great success. Don’t miss this eye-opening episode of The Amazing Seller! Don’t waste your money!If you have an idea for a product improvement that you think will take off, don’t get ahead of yourself and spend too much money. There are steps you can take to elicit interest and even funds from potential partners that will get the product produced. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Stephen Key walks through the process of taking a product idea to market. You don’t want to miss his valuable insights that could save you money and help you strike a deal that will bring you royalties for years! How to connect with potential partnersIf you’ve decided that licensing your product is your next step in building your business, you’ve got to find partners. How do you find someone willing to buy the licensing rights from you? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Stephen Key gives some helpful advice and examples that will set you up for success. One exercise Stephen suggests is going down to your local big box retailer and find the place on the shelf where your product would go. Once there, look at the companies that are in that space, those are the business you want to try and partner with. You already know they are in a high-value space and if you approach them with an improved product, it’s a win, win scenario! To hear more insights from Stephen, make sure to catch this episode! How do Royalty rates work?Are you interested in licensing your product and want to know what to expect with royalty rates? You’ll learn a lot about royalty rates on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Scott’s guest, Stephen Key has all the information you need to start your journey toward licensing your product and getting a good deal on royalties. Stephen does a great job explaining what you should expect as you get started in this business arena. If this subject has piqued your interest, you don’t want to miss this informative interview! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 10 April 2017
You know Scott only brings the best guests on The Amazing Seller that give you value and insights into selling on Amazon and building your business. On this episode, Scott’s done it again with guest Greg Mercer. Greg knows the industry intimately and wants to help entrepreneurs like you get the most out of your efforts to make a profit. He’s created a great application called “Fetcher” that will help you navigate the processes and systems involved with selling on Amazon. This is a helpful and information packed episode that you don’t want to miss! Underestimating fees and expenses selling with AmazonWith some of the recent changes at Amazon regarding their storage fees, it’s good to get a helpful perspective from industry leaders like Greg Mercer. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Greg go over some tips to make sure you don’t overpay for storage fees, product returns, and more! This is a great chance to understand some of the more complex aspects of selling on Amazon. Make sure you grab pen and paper when you listen to this episode! Are you leaving money on the table?As a business owner, you want to make sure every dollar counts. You try to find every possibility you can think of getting the most value out of products you sell and systems you use. Greg Mercer joins Scott on this episode of The Amazing Seller to help you make sure you aren’t leaving money on the table with your Amazon business. Greg and Scott’s insights will help you understand the processes and in’s and out’s of Amazon's Seller platform. If you want to know how to make the most of your efforts, make sure to listen to this episode! Check out Fetcher - no RISK!Do all the software and tools available get your head spinning sometimes? There are so many options out there it can be hard to pick just one. To cut through the complexity, Scott’s invited Greg Mercer on the show to describe the benefits of his application, “Fetcher.” Greg has such confidence in the value and benefits Fetcher will give you as an Amazon seller that he’s giving away a FREE 30-day trial. Don’t worry about giving your credit card info. Just check out this great application and hear about all the benefits on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Is it too late to get into selling on Amazon?Are you wondering if it’s too late to get started selling on Amazon? You aren’t alone! Scott and Greg get this question a lot. Don’t be discouraged, it’s not too late. You can jump on board and find success and independence. Make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller as Scott and Greg give an update on the state of the marketplace and how you can get involved with helpful tools and insights. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 7 April 2017
Do you know your “WHY?” What drives you and keeps you going when business gets difficult? Have you taken the steps you need to keep that in front of you - like writing it out or printing an image of it and putting it next to your computer? You need to have this figured out so WHEN difficulty arises, you won’t be down for the count! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott drives this point home and tackles questions from listeners like you. This is an informative episode that you've got to catch! 1K Fast Track UpdateIf you’ve been a part of the TAS tribe for very long, you’ve probably heard Scott talk about the 1K Fast Track. This group is great for followers who haven’t jumped in and started their business yet. If are looking for a supportive and encouraging environment that will push you to reach the goals you set, this is the group for you! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives an update on the current group's progress and how you can sign up for the next one. You don’t want to miss it! Can you use Social Media to promote your brand?Maybe you’ve just started building your brand or you’ve been doing it for a while and you are ready to expand. Either way, you need to give serious thought to your social media engagement strategy. You cannot ignore this valuable tool to promote your brand and drive business! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott walks through some helpful tips and how you can use this platform wisely. Make sure you have pen and paper ready for this episode! Do you need a patent for your Amazon Product?What steps do you need to take to protect your product from getting hijacked? This is a question that Scott gets regularly. You have a few options you can pursue. If you want to invest in a patent for each and every product you sell, that can get costly. You can also take Scott’s advice, which is to go into selling that product with the understanding that someone might try to hijack it. That’s a risk you have to be willing to take. Scott has more thoughts on this topic that you don’t want to miss! Understanding Amazon’s BSRAre you in the research phase and having a hard time understanding how to pick a product or category that will work for you? Does all the jargon have your head spinning? You’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott breaks down BSR (Best Seller Ranking) and how you can navigate that ranking and use it to your advantage. If you are just starting out or if you've been at this for a while, you will find something to take away from this episode. Don’t miss it! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 5 April 2017
What does it take to build a successful career? What lessons and habits do you need to learn to grow your business? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from successful business leader, Noah Kagan. Noah and Scott discuss, work-life balance, taking action today, the “4 P’s,” and much more. Noah is a gracious guest who generously shares his experience as well as case studies with the TAS audience. If you want to know what it takes to find the success you are looking for, make sure to listen to this episode with pen and paper ready! Work Life BalanceCan you really have it all? Can you have a successful business AND a healthy personal life? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott’s guest Noah Kagan turns the table a bit and asks Scott how he finds time for both. Scott goes on to explain the boundaries he has set up to make sure he is there for his family even if it isn't’ the most advantageous decision for his business. If you have ever struggled with sticking to a disciplined schedule and balancing both your work and personal life, then this episode is for YOU! Start TODAY!Inaction is the enemy of success. Too often prospective entrepreneurs never get off of the ground because they are afraid of failure. Don’t wait, start today! If you have to flex your failure muscle a few times, don’t let that get you down, you are in good company. Failure means you tried for success, get back up and try again. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear Noah Kagan’s story. He shares his journey of ups and downs on the road to success. Noah has great insight to share, you don't’ want to miss it! The 4 P’sIt’s always good to have a set of principles or guide rails that help you stay focused on your pursuit of success. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Noah Kagan shares the “4 P’s” that will help you evaluate what’s important.
To hear Noah and Scott expand on the “4 P’s” and much more, make sure to catch this episode! Don’t try to reinvent the wheel!There is a huge temptation in business to come up with the next great idea or product. If you can do that, great! But most leaders need to hear this one piece of advice from Noah Kagan, go with what works. It’s that simple, don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Look at what has worked in your business and figure out what you need to do to build off of and expand it. Don’t overcomplicate it if you don’t have to. To hear Noah expand on this idea and more, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 3 April 2017
Scott often has so many high performing and hugely successful guest on the podcast that provide great business insight. But from time to time, he also takes the time to share his platform with listeners just like YOU. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott has Megan Lofton on the show. Scott and Megan discuss her journey discovering FBA, researching and selling her first product, overcoming obstacles, and her plans for the future. If you are just getting started on the journey or if you’ve been at it for a while know, this episode delivers the insights you need to find success, don’t miss it! Discovering Amazon FBAAre you looking for a way to change your lifestyle? Do you want to spend more time with your kids, get out of debt, or travel? Getting started with selling on Amazon with FBA is a great way to accomplish your goals! Driven businesswoman Megan Lofton joins Scott on this episode of The Amazing Seller to discuss her journey as a first time FBA seller. Megan got interested in selling on Amazon over a year ago. She has launched her first product and is getting ready to launch a second one. If you want an inside look at what it takes to get started with FBA, you have to listen to this episode. Email Lists can be a Game Changer!Are you ready to start expanding your product’s reach? Maybe you are preparing for your second or third product launch. Have you started planning your approach utilizing an email list? If you haven’t, why not? This is a great way to connect with your customer base, refine your approach, and build raving fans of your brand. If you have decided that an email list isn’t for you or you aren’t there yet, give this episode of The Amazing Seller a listen! Scott will change your mind. He has found that using an email list can jump start your products in HUGE ways. Find out more about this topic on this episode! You might be one missing piece away from success!Do you ever feel like you are right there, on the verge of a breakthrough in business but you can’t put your finger on what it would take to get you there? What if you had someone in your corner who could come and give you helpful insight to see the success you are striving for? That is exactly why Scott started the TAS community. He wants to help business leaders like you get that extra push to get to the top. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with a TAS listener like you, Megan Lofton. Scott gives Megan some helpful insights as they discuss her first FBA product. Learn through the processStarting something new can be really hard. You might find that you second guess yourself and wonder if you have what it takes to see it through to completion. You are not alone! Getting started with an Amazon FBA business can be tough, but you need to remember that you will learn through the process. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from Megan Lofton who just getting her Amazon FBA business off the ground. Her story serves as a great example of someone who is learning through the process, the highs and the lows. You don’t want to miss out on this great episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 31 March 2017
Have you figured out your “Why” yet? What drives and motivates you to reach for success in your business? You’ve got to find out what that is so you can tap into it when times get difficult. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives a personal update and a peek into his “Why.” When you hear Scott describe his life and the joy he gets from the freedom he has, you will understand why it’s so important to lock into what motivates you. Make sure to catch this great episode! Make sure to share your success!Have you ever done something really difficult that required a lot of determination and effort? During that difficulty, did you have anyone to encourage you or help you push through it? If you have experienced that before, you know it can make all the difference in the world. That is one of the huge benefits of the TAS Facebook group. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives a shout out to one of the TAS Facebook group members who shared his progress. If you aren’t part of this group yet, get on it! You will find encouragement, help, and camaraderie. It’s also a great place to share your success and get fired up! Learn more about this great resource on this episode. Quality goes a long wayYou’ve heard the saying, quality over quantity right? It’s an important lesson to heed when you are putting together your packaging for your product. Remember, anyone can turn out mass produced, low-quality products, but there aren't’ many sellers who take the time to add the little things that go a long way. It doesn’t take a lot to impress your buyers. Start small. Put some effort into quality packaging, a thank you note, a discount code on their next order, a product guide, and even high-quality pictures of the product in the posting. Any one of these options will elevate your product. Take the time and consider how you can take your product to the next level. Hear Scott expand on this concept and more on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Getting started with FBARemember when you were a kid and you were nervous about jumping into a pool without checking the temperature first? Do you ever feel that way when it comes to business decisions? Maybe you are wondering, like one of the listeners on this Ask Scott Session, what is the best way to get started with FBA? Scott gives some great advice and a couple of avenues to go down when you are just getting started in this pursuit. Make sure you take the time to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to catch all of the insight Scott shares on this subject! Get involved with other Amazon sellersIf you’ve been selling on Amazon for a while, you know how great it is to get with other sellers and trade tips and tricks. Joining the TAS Facebook group is a great way to get started with interacting with other sellers so you don’t feel like you are out there all alone. Another great option is joining or starting a local meetup with fellow Amazon sellers in your area. One TAS listener asked Scott what he thought about this idea. Scott is a HUGE fan of it and provided some excellent suggestions on how to get started on this episode. You don’t want to miss it! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 29 March 2017
You are in for a rare special episode of The Amazing Seller! On this episode, Scott sits down with TAS follower and fellow podcaster, Gordon Light from “Fit Successful Dad.” Gordon, an avid fan of Scott’s left a message for him on the “Ask Scott” line and the two connected. With a flip of the script, Gordon interviews Scott about life as an entrepreneur, parent, business leader, and more! If you’ve ever wanted to climb inside of Scott’s head for an hour, this is your chance! Don’t miss Gordon’s excellent interview with Scott on this episode! Making time work for youHow do you structure your work week? Has it been an effective use of your time? Scott always seems to be fired up and running on all cylinders. Part of his success is due to the fact that he has a very well thought out schedule. He has standing appointments for key business meetings, time planned to be with family, and time scheduled to work on passion projects like TAS. If you’d like to hear more about how Scott organizes his time and makes it work as a devoted husband and father, don’t miss this episode of The Amazing Seller. How it all startedSome of the best ideas start off in the smallest ways. Scott found himself looking for ways to supplement his photography business when he started dipping his toe into online sales. Before he knew it, his business selling items online took off. There were many ups and downs along the way but Scott’s story goes to show that sometimes it takes just a little push to get things moving. What’s holding you back? What steps do you need to take to put you on the path toward success? Check out more of Scott’s inspiring story on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Imparting values to your childrenHow did you learn from your parents? Did they sit down and impart wisdom to you or was it more from observation? What is YOUR plan to pass on your values to your children? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott talks about his personal life, more specifically his parenting. He describes how his life as an entrepreneur has impacted his children and influenced the way they see the world. You can tell that Scott is super proud of his kids and he loves to share how they are taking the values that he has imparted to them and building off of it. If you’d like to hear more about how Scott teaches his kids about his values, you’ve got to check out this episode. What is your “WHY?”Wouldn’t it be nice if someone came along and waved a magic wand and granted your wildest dreams? But would that “Dream come true” be satisfying? Isn’t half the satisfaction in looking back at what you did to make the dream a possibility? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott shares the advice he would give to parents who are considering becoming entrepreneurs. He emphasizes the need to understand your “Why.” Figure out what that dream is, write it out, print out images of it, and make it your goal. Be as specific as you possibly can so you know when times get hard, and you want to quit, you have something to look to and remember the reason behind what you are doing. To hear Scott expand on this concept further, make sure to listen to this episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 27 March 2017
What are the latest developments with the TAS crew? What new changes should you be prepared for? What can you do to get the most out of your business? It’s time for another session of the TAS Power Hour! Scott, Dom, and Chris are ready to deliver some great and exciting updates and tackle some important and relevant news. In their long-ranging conversation, they cover an Open Brand update, product positioning, keywords, product images, email list building, and so much more! You don’t want to miss this informative and helpful episode. Make sure your product is in the right categoryWhen you begin putting together your Amazon product listing, make sure to pay attention to the details. Even things like making sure your product are in the right category can be crucial to your success. The last thing you want is to get into the wrong category, start to rank really well, and then have Amazon come along and move you to your correct category and have you start from square one all over again. It may end up being a slow and frustrating process starting out but take the time and make sure your product is in the right category from the start to avoid a bad situation down the line. To hear Scott, Dom, and Chris discuss this further, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Don’t underestimate the power of a product’s image!Getting started with selling on Amazon can be overwhelming. There are a lot of moving pieces and details that you need to pay close attention to in order to get your business started on a solid foundation. Because of all the complexities, you might be tempted to skimp on the image quality for your product listing. A word of caution - don’t skimp! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott explains how important good quality images are to a successful Amazon listing. If you are tempted to take the shortcut, make sure you listen to this episode before you do! Build an Email ListWhat would it take for you to start a marketing email list? Do you need to hear the benefits? What about a successful example that will net you a great start to building a list? You’ve got to hear Scott, Dom, and Chris talk about how easy it is to get started with building a list. This is the vital next step you need to take to expand your business. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, they discuss their recent project of creating a Kindle book that they gave away and how that greatly improved and expanded their email list. It’s a great example of what you can do by learning these easy marketing strategies. If you’d like to hear more about building an email list make sure to check out this episode! 1K Fast TrackHave you been debating about launching an Amazon Private Label business? Are you still kicking the tires and trying to decide if this is for you? Just jump in! The best way to start is by getting involved with the 1K Fast Track. This is a group designed for people just like you. You will learn with others who are trying to get their start and who likely have the same type of questions and concerns that you do. Don’t wait any longer. Take the next step and get your name on the list for the next 1K Fast Track group. You won’t regret it! If you’d like to hear Scott, Dom, and Chris explain more of the benefits of this group, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 24 March 2017
How has your week been? Have you accomplished the goals you set for yourself? Or are you bogged down with problems in your business? Sit back and tune into this episode of The Amazing Seller. Whether everything is going great or you have experienced setbacks, this episode is for you. Scott talks about some key wisdom that has helped him focus throughout his week and accomplish his long term goals. He also tackles questions from TAS followers like YOU. As usual, Scott brings his fire and passion - you don’t want to miss it! Stay the CourseDo you have difficulty focusing on tasks for the long term? Are you often sidetracked by distractions less important that fill up your time? You aren’t alone! Many people struggle to focus and finish the things they set out to accomplish. One key lesson that Scott has learned and implemented in his life is this simple yet profound truth, “Stay the course.” Try it! Focus on one objective or plan and give it everything you’ve got for at least 90 days. Scott suggests taking it further and committing to 6 months, but find what works for you. Learn more on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Separate UPCs for each variationAll the talk about UPC codes and SKUs can be very confusing. Do you need a unique one for each variation on your product listing? The simple answer is yes. You need to make sure that each different option that you provide both in size and color options need to have their own unique UPCs. If you’d like to hear more about this topic and Scott’s breakdown make sure to take the time, sit down with pen and paper and listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. To go further with this topic and others presented on this episode, you can check out the resources section at the end of this post. How YOU can get reviews for your Amazon productNow that Amazon has rolled out its new “Terms of Service” many people are left wondering how to get reviews for their Amazon product listing. Scott shares his view that reviews are not the be all end all. He wants listeners like you to focus on getting sales, not reviews. Scott suggests that you follow up with the individuals who buy your product and offer them great deals. Wow, them, give them discounts and really treat them special. Then ask them to head over to Amazon and let them know how you feel. That's it. No guarantees, no promises, no gimmicks. If you follow Scott’s advice, you will see the positive results. If you’d like to hear Scott expand on this strategy and more, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller. Is retail arbitrage dead?With a lot of the changes going on with Amazon, it can feel like opportunities for sellers are diminishing. But is that feeling true? Are there still opportunities out there for endeavors like retail arbitrage? Don’t pronounce it dead just yet! Scott is convinced that there are still many opportunities for profit and growth while selling on Amazon. Don’t miss this episode of The Amazing Seller to get Scott’s opinion on the status of the marketplace and how you can still succeed in starting and building a business online. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 22 March 2017
Jargon and a multitude of terms can be confusing. You might feel like you are just barely treading water with all the information that come at you in the world of Amazon selling. Sometimes it can be really helpful to just pause and take a moment to solidify which terms mean what and how they build upon each other. Whether you are just starting out or you’ve been selling for a while, this episode is for you. Scott and Chris breakdown PPC Sponsored Ads, keywords, when to pull search terms, and so much more! Their helpful discussion will bring you clarity and maybe even correct some previous misconceptions. Don’t miss this informative episode of The Amazing Seller! What is a “Keyword?”To understand how a lot of the moving parts work regarding PPC and sponsored Ads, you need to understand some specific terminology. One vital term to understand is “Keyword.” A keyword in terms of Amazon Ads is something that you insert and then Amazon takes that as a base keyword and attaches it to search results for other related items. The “Search term” is what the Amazon customer is actually typing in the search bar. Scott and Chris take the time to slowly unpack and explain the ins and outs of these terms. Make sure to take the time and listen to their helpful training on this episode of The Amazing Seller. How do you find the most relevant keywords?As you are building your listing and setting up your PPC campaign, you need to find the most relevant keywords to focus on. How do you find the most relevant keywords to use? The most obvious way is to go to your competitors. Look at their title, bullets, and their description. Those will be relevant to your listing if you have a similar product. Don’t just focus on one competitor, go to multiple competitors and find the common theme. This will give you a good idea of which keywords are the most relevant to your product. To take it a step further, utilize tools to scrape listings for keywords or search terms. "Scope" is a great resource to use, you can find the link to this tool from Seller Labs in the resource section at the bottom of this post. Don’t miss out on more helpful lessons on relevant keywords from Scott and Chris on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Make sure to OPTIMIZE your listing!What will it take to see your product listing take off? If you want to rank for certain keywords and if you want your listing to be shown for certain keywords, you have to focus on optimizing your product listing. Don’t neglect this crucial step! Go through your title, bullets, description, and your backend search field. Don’t just stuff your backend search field with random stuff that makes no sense. It will hurt you down the line. Learn more about keywords, relevancy, and optimization on this episode of The Amazing Seller! When should you pull a search term?Once you have let a PPC campaign gather the data necessary, you need to pull the search term. How do you know it's the right time to do that? Scott and Chris talk a lot about 50 clicks being the “True relevance point.” Chris will even pull it around 10 clicks. The closer you get to 50 clicks, it will cost you more but relevant your search term is at that point. If you can stay patient it will end up benefiting you in the long run. If you’d like to hear Scott and Chris expand on this concept and more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 20 March 2017
Success stories are great! But it’s also helpful to hear about the challenges that come with the success. Challenges are something everyone can relate to. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from one of your fellow TAS followers, Jarret Colton. You might remember him from TAS episode 252. Jarret has experienced recent success and challenges with his private label business. Scott and Jarret discuss inventory problems, building a brand, building an email list, and so much more! This is a great episode with practical applications that you can learn from to improve your business approach, you don’t want to miss it. Dealing with inventory problemsThe two biggest problems an Amazon seller fears are having a product that doesn’t sell and having a product that sells but running out of inventory. Have you thought through how to deal with these scenarios? Do you have a plan for liquidating your product if it doesn’t sell like you expect it to? What about a product that takes off and you run of out of inventory, what is your plan? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott talks with someone who has gone through one of these challenges. Jarret Colton has seen a good amount of success with his business over the last year but recently ran out of stock for some of his best selling products. Scott and Jarret discuss this issue and some steps you can take to prevent it. Are you creating a product or building a brand?It can be easy to get so caught up in finding a product that performs well on Amazon and then focusing on the next best seller that you lose sight of the big picture. Building a brand. The best way to create long lasting and sustainable success is to break into a niche market and start building a brand around those products. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott talks to Jarret Colton. Jarret is following through with this methodology and is building a great brand around a very specific market. If you want to learn more about the success of focusing on brand building over chasing the next successful product, make sure to catch this episode! Building an email listOne of the most important things you can do to start setting your business up for success and move away from just relying on Amazon sales is to build an email list. Jarret Colton learned this lesson after he attended a recent TAS event in Arizona. Jarret has a growing and successful private label business that he wants to take to the next level. He put all the pieces in place using the giveaway resource “King Sumo.” Before long he started to get people signing up for his giveaway - that soon translated to likes on the Facebook page he set up. Jarret was impressed with how great this strategy paid off. So what is holding you back? Are you ready to get started and take the steps necessary to build your email list? If you are, make sure to listen to this episode and also check out the email list building resource at the end of this post! Keep Looking Forward and Take Action!Are you struggling to find success with your business? Have you put the time and energy in only to see little or no results? Stay with it. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott has Jarret Colton give an update on his progress with selling on Amazon. Jarret has been an avid participant in the TAS community and attributes his success to following Scott’s advice. He wants business leaders like you to know that it gets better the more you press on. Jarret’s mantra through all the ups and downs of building his business has been, “Keep looking forward and TAKE ACTION.” That should sound familiar. Jarret also highly recommends getting involved with the in person TAS meetups and events as much as possible. He says that has been a HUGE factor in the success he has experienced. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 17 March 2017
Do you have the excitement and drive you need to reach your business and personal goals? Are you going into the weekend with focus and purpose? If you need to get fired up about your business or just life - you’ve come to the right place! You know Scott is ready to deliver on some great answers to questions from TAS followers like you. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott shares some personal insights and stories, addresses hijacked product listings, keyword optimization for multiple listings, and so much more! This is the way you want to wrap up your week and go into the weekend ready to TAKE ACTION! The healthy practice of graditudeWhat are some of the daily habits you practice? Maybe for you, it’s going and grinding coffee first thing in the morning. Or maybe it's getting the kids dressed and ready for school. Beyond the ordinary, do you have daily habits that center you? Do you have a rhythm that brings you focus and purpose? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott starts off his Ask Scott Session with some helpful advice. He’s been doing this a lot lately and you can tell that the wisdom he shares is really near and dear to his heart. This week Scott talks about the power of appreciation. It’s all about taking stock in the good that you have in your life and reflecting in gratitude. To hear Scott expand on this wisdom further, listen to this episode! Responding to a hijacked product listingIt’s every Amazon sellers fear - your product listing has been hijacked. Not only that, someone has hijacked your high-quality product photos too! What are your options? What recourse do you have available? Unfortunately, there aren’t many options after this has happened. What you do have is options to prevent this from happening in the future. It’s a difficult and cumbersome process but if you’ve been burned or if you are really nervous about someone hijacking your listing and/or product images, there are resources for you. If you’d like to hear what options are available to you regarding copyright and trademarks, listen to this episode and be sure to check out the resources section at the bottom of this post! Keyword optimization for multiple product listingsIf you’ve been listening to Scott for very long, you know that he is a HUGE fan of diversifying and getting multiple product listings out there. You’ve heard him say that it isn’t a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. If you’ve heeded this advice you might be in a similar situation that one of your fellow TAS followers is in. He called in and asked Scott how he should focus his efforts on keyword optimization when he has hundreds of product listings. That is a great problem to have! If you want to know the best method to using your time and resources effectively when you have such a large quantity of listings, this is the episode for you! How do you know you aren’t hijacking someone's product listing?With all the talk of listings getting hijacked and sellers losing out on hard earned projected profits, you might be wondering, how do I know I’m not hijacking someone else’s listing? If you are just getting started, it's easy to see why this can be confusing. You are trying to do good product research and break into a product category but you don’t want to be a hijacker. Good! Know the difference. When you find a category you can be competitive in - do your research. Don’t be afraid of swooping in and providing a better product and a greater value to the customers. There is nothing wrong with that. It becomes hijacking when you deliberately sell the exact same product that someone else is selling. To hear Scott expand on these differences, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 15 March 2017
You’ve been here before. You know the drill, Scott will have some rockstar guest on the podcast and you will get struck by some powerful insight and then days will go by. You haven’t acted on that great idea or pursued that ambitious goal. Scott’s guest Jamie Masters says that’s because you haven’t focused on “The One Thing.” Jamie is convinced that you often get too overwhelmed by all the possibilities that you fail to act on one great insight or lesson. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, she encourages listeners like you to slow down and grab one takeaway. There is so much content on this episode that it will be hard to choose which one, but having that narrow focus will set you up for great success. Push outside of your comfort zoneWhat is holding you back? Why haven’t you completed the goals you’ve set for yourself? It may sound familiar but one of the most important things you can do to increase your productivity and reach the goals you’ve set is to push outside of your comfort zone. If you keep setting low-risk goals, you will never stretch yourself and grow. There is an old adage that says, “If you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done.” What are you waiting for? Push through the trepidation and fear. Set difficult and risky goals that force you to go outside your comfort zone. You won’t regret it. Get more insight on how to push outside your comfort zone by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller! The power of meditationEveryone has a different reaction when it comes to the word “Meditation.” For some, it conjures images of relaxation, quiet, and peace. For others, it is associated with the words boring, useless, and too “Touchy feely.” But everyone needs to have clarity and focus in their lives. Everyone wants to have the peace and freedom that results from meditation but that word or the images it conjures scares them away. Jamie Masters works with powerful and serious professionals. She has found that one of the keys to their success and increased productivity is this habit of meditation. Because she works with professionals who are usually wary of meditation, Jamie has discovered some tools and methods to ease leaders into the practice. If you’d like to hear more about the power of meditation, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Getting into your “Flow State”Have you ever noticed that some periods of time in your day or week seem to drag on forever and then others zip by way too quickly? How can you harness these moments to maximize your efficiency and productivity? Business coach Jamie Masters joins Scott on this episode of The Amazing Seller to share the insights she has learned on the topic of time management. She explains that in a recent book, “Stealing Fire” the authors describe a “Flow state.” This is when you plan around and leverage those moments when you feel like you are “In the zone.” Most people are conditioned to notice those moments and think nothing of it, this is a way to hack those spurts of creativity and use them to their fullest extent. To hear Jamie expand on this idea, listen to this episode! The Master ScheduleDo you ever ask yourself “I have so many things, I don’t know what to work on?” Is it difficult for you to find focus and clarity to accomplish the tasks that you need to complete? Everyone has been there at some point. How can you get the tools necessary to move forward with a clear actionable plan? Scott’s guest on this episode of The Amazing Seller is Jamie Masters. She has a time-tested tool that will help you get the results you need to achieve success in life and business. That tool is the “Master Schedule.” Make sure to listen to this episode as Jamie explains how this tool can help business leaders like you. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 13 March 2017
Wouldn’t it be helpful to pick the brain of an expert on Chinese suppliers? Imagine the insights and lessons you could learn from such a knowledgeable individual. Look no further! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott’s guest is Sam Boyd. He has intimate knowledge of the Chinese supplier market. Sam lives in China and operates a business called Guided Imports that helps business leaders like you get all the resources you need to run your production smoothly. Scott and Sam cover why you shouldn’t focus on a single strategy, how to secure a dependable supplier, a streamlined product validation approach, and so much more! Sam is so generous that he also provides a product validation checklist. You don’t want to miss this helpful episode. Don’t rely on one single strategyA common mistake that many business leaders make when they start their efforts with selling on Amazon and dealing with Chinese suppliers is relying on a single strategy. You need to keep in mind that circumstances change, be flexible and adapt to how the market shifts. There have been many failed attempts to get an operation up and running because the business leader was locked into doing things one particular way and that handicapped their efforts for success. Don’t let that be you! Learn how you can be flexible to change on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Securing a dependable supplier for your Amazon Product in ChinaWhat is the best strategy when starting your interactions with a Chinese supplier? How should you present yourself? Do you go in acting like a big supplier or do you start off being upfront and honest about your size and scale? Sam Boyd lives and works in China, he has a unique insight on how to do business with Chinese suppliers. His advice to sellers looking for a dependable supplier is, to be honest and upfront. Years ago it would have been almost impossible to do business with a supplier if you were coming to them as a small-scale business, but that’s no longer the case. To hear Sam expand on his insight with Chinese suppliers, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! A streamlined Product Validation serviceDo you have a bunch of great ideas for products to list on Amazon? Is the one thing holding you back the time needed to validate each product idea? There is a proven and successful way to outsource this step. Scott’s guest, Sam Boyd has a service that will take your product ideas and help you validate them in a streamlined process. This is a game changer. Imagine all the time and resources you’ll save! Listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear how Sam’s service can help you fast track your business toward exponential success. Go with your gut, don’t be afraid to walk away from a bad Business DealGetting started as a Private Label seller can be long and laborious. Hang in there! By coming to The Amazing Seller, you have many of the tools you need right at your fingertips. Scott’s guest, Sam Boyd encourages business leaders to remain patient. If you are not seeing the numbers you would like to or if you don’t feel good about working with a particular supplier, don’t be afraid to start again. This is vital advice to consider that could save you a lot of money down the line. Go with your gut, don’t be afraid to walk away. Be confident that you have the resources there at TAS to help you overcome any struggles you face.
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Fri, 10 March 2017
TAS 331: Ask Scott Session #101 - Product Liability - Fix Negative Feedback - No Buy Box and Traffic
Scott is fired up and ready to deliver on this Friday’s Ask Scott Session! He has been traveling and had the opportunity to meet up with some TAS followers in Dallas, TX. Scott also had the fortune to learn from Tony Robbins! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott shares some important insights and lessons he learned from both of those experiences as well as get to questions regarding liability insurance, fixing negative feedback, and dealing with no buy box options. This is the place for answers to YOUR questions, so sit down with a pen and paper and get ready! Making a personal connection really mattersMaking the personal connection really matters! A lot of people may write that off as a platitude or simplistic statement but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Relationships matter in life and business. If you don’t get that, you won’t find success. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott describes how impactful it was to recently meet up with a group of TAS followers. He wants people like you to know that you have a HUGE influence on how he runs TAS and the services he provides. This isn’t just something Scott is passionate about, it’s applicable in business too! As you are building your business, consider how you can provide quality service and create raving fans - you’ll be better for it. Lessons learned from Tony RobbinsWhile Scott was traveling he had the opportunity to hear from Tony Robbins. He walked away so pumped up from the lessons and insights he gathered that he wants to share them with his TAS crew! Here are three key lessons Scott walked away with:
Scott also takes these lessons and shows how he has applied them to his life. He gives a great update on his progress with his personal fitness goals. Make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more! Do you need Liability Insurance?Getting started with selling products on Amazon can be intimidating. Many people have a lot of questions and there are numerous unknown factors. One of the leading questions that comes up is what to do about insurance? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gets a question about how to determine if you need insurance as a Private Label seller and also whether you need it as a product reseller. Are you at risk? What do you need to do to cover yourself? Scott isn’t a lawyer but he is able to provide some helpful guidance to this question. Listen to this episode to find out what you need to do to make sure you aren’t putting yourself at unnecessary risk. How do you overcome negative feedback?How do you overcome negative feedback as an Amazon seller? Maybe you made an early mistake and you are trying to recover. One of the best ways to recover your standing is to engage in retail arbitrage. Go out there and find items that you can list and hopefully turn a profit and start getting some positive feedback on your account. You can also reach out to your customers and go the extra mile to make sure they are happy and satisfied. This isn’t unfixable, this is something you will be able to overcome. You just need to sit back, make a plan and put it in place. To hear Scott expand on these solutions and more, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 8 March 2017
Wouldn’t it be great to get insight from someone who has worked at an Amazon warehouse? How about someone who has built a thriving eCommerce business and sold it at a good profit? What if you were able to get tips and hacks on how to build a strong and valuable relationship with Chinese suppliers? Look no further! Scott’s guest on this episode of The Amazing Seller is David Bryant. He has all the above experiences to share and a lot more. This is an episode you don’t want to miss. So make the time, sit down with a pen and paper and take in all the valuable insight David has to share! Establishing supplier relations in ChinaHow can you get the best value out of dealing with a supplier from China? Business leader David Bryant has some great tips and hacks to share about making the right connections and getting the best deals. David highly suggests traveling to China if you can make that happen. Once there you can go to trade shows and meet many of the suppliers and establish a relationship. David says that there are many suppliers that don’t show up on Alibaba and they are eager to get new clients. The best part is because they aren’t on Alibaba your competition is very low for their business. If you can’t make it to China, David suggests looking up the suppliers that are on the list for many of the trade shows in China. Then contact those suppliers and try to establish a relationship with them. To hear David expand on these tips and so much more - listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Selling your eCommerceBusinessStarting something new can be very intimidating, it can also be exhausting. But for David Bryant, it’s exhilarating. David recently sold his eCommerce business and is gearing up for starting something brand new. He has learned the valuable lesson that his worth isn’t in his company, it’s in the skills and expertise that he has discovered in himself over the years. This realization allowed David to do what seems crazy to a lot of FBA business leaders, sell his business. David doesn't regret it for a moment. He was happy to make the deal and he’s fired up for his next project. You can learn more about David’s story on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What is it like working in an Amazon Warehouse?What is it like inside an Amazon warehouse? Scott’s guest, David Bryant recently sold his successful eCommerce business and decided to take the free time he had to see what it would be like to work for a seasonal position at an Amazon warehouse. He describes the process as “Seeing the sausage get made.” It was a fascinating and eye-opening experience for David. He spent his time at their “Oversize items” warehouse where he learned that Amazon has the capacity to ship just about anything regardless of size or weight. If you’d like to hear more about David’s inside look at an Amazon warehouse, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! The key to a successful FBA BusinessWhat is one of the most important things you can do be successful with an FBA business? It sounds simple but David Bryant’s advice is to just get started. Don’t wait around for too long, get your feet wet! You might be really concerned about making all the right decisions - dotting your “i’s” and crossing your “t’s.” But the number one thing that is going to bring you success is getting the momentum started. David is confident that once you get that ball rolling, it will motivate you more than anything else can. So what are you waiting for? As Scott LOVES to say, TAKE ACTION! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 6 March 2017
Have you considered buying or selling an FBA business? Then you came to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with Justin Cooke. Justin specializes in facilitating the sale of eCommerce businesses. He runs Empire Flippers and has some powerful insights to share with the TAS audience today. Justin and Scott cover the importance of diversification, how to position your FBA business for sale, and how starting and selling small FBA businesses can be profitable. There is a lot of content in this episode so make sure you grab a pen and some paper and even check out the transcript at the end of this post! How important is it to diversify your business?How important is it to diversify your business? You hear a lot about how important it is to diversify your income in the eCommerce industry. Scott and Justin emphasize how necessary it is to grow your business in other sectors. Justin learned this firsthand when he had to make adjustments to his first business early on. The key is to remember that your business isn’t the moneymaker, you are. You are the one who has the skills and the ability to get stuff done. That is the lesson that Justin learned when he had to take his skills and pivot to find success. To learn more about Justin and Empire Flippers, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! What makes an FBA business attractive to a potential buyer?What makes an FBA business attractive to a potential buyer? If you are considering selling your FBA business, you need to know that cash flowing assets are key. Potential buyers are looking for a business that is ready to go and making consistent profits. They want to be able to take the products that you have refined and marketed and plug them into their operation. To learn more about how you can position your FBA business to look attractive and turn a profit, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Is starting up and selling FBA business a feasible business model?Is starting up and selling multiple FBA businesses a feasible business model? If you have found your niche and you are really successful at identifying and marketing products well it would be a great plan to start up small FBA businesses and sell them for a profit. Going down this route would put you in a great position to understand the market and leverage your skills as an entrepreneur and startup specialist. Scott’s guest Justin Cooke goes through the benefits of honing in on this ability and turning a significant profit. You don’t want to miss valuable episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 3 March 2017
This episode of The Amazing Seller is a special one! Scott is celebrating his 100th episode of the Ask Scott Session. Make sure to carve out the time for today’s episode. Scott will announce a very special opportunity for TAS followers like you to enter into a drawing for a FREE 30-minute coaching call with himself or Chris. This doesn’t happen very often and it's an opportunity with great value so pay attention on how to enter! Scott also covers celebrating wins, the future of eCommerce, getting Amazon reviews, and protecting your product from getting hijacked. This is an episode that you don’t want to miss! Celebrate your wins in life and business!With the rush of life, you can let “Wins” breeze past you without so much as a little pause and celebration. Don’t let that happen! Take the time to stop and look at what you’ve accomplished. You worked hard and sacrificed to get that win, celebrate it! Every little gain along the way adds up, to fight back against the doubts and setbacks you will need these wins to hold on to. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott celebrates one of these wins - the 100th episode of the Ask Scott Session! Scott’s enthusiasm is infectious - let his passion and energy get you fired up and ready to go out there and take action today! Is it too late to get started with eCommerce?A question Scott gets often is; “Did I miss the boat on eCommerce?” The answer is NO! It’s still a growing and ever changing market, the only thing holding you back from getting started today is YOU. Scott goes back to the main thing that helps business leaders and entrepreneurs thrive - offer a solution to a problem that lots of people are dealing with. If you can figure that out and market it well, you will be on the road to success. If you are on the edge about jumping into eCommerce, you have to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! What’s the deal with Amazon reviews?Do all the recent changes regarding Amazon reviews have you confused about what you can and cannot do? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives some helpful insights on where to get started with your review strategy. It is important to note that it is against Amazon’s “Terms of Service” to have your family members leave reviews for your product. Scott’s suggestion is to stay away from leveraging your family relationships for that reason. Also, avoid “Deal sites” that offer customers deals in exchange for reviews. Scott suggests going to influencers on blogs, Instagram, etc. and have them run giveaways of your product. To hear Scott talk more about review strategies, listen to this episode and check out the resources in the links! Working with manufacturers in ChinaInvesting a lot of time and energy into product research and connecting with an overseas manufacturer can be nerve racking. How do you know they won’t give your product design to someone else or use it themselves? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott tackles this scenario. There are a few things you can do to protect yourself and communicate to the manufacturer that you are serious about protecting your intellectual property. Scott also offers some thoughts on getting legal help and pursuing a patent. Make sure to catch this episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 1 March 2017
Crowdfunding has a huge presence and influence in the startup marketplace. There are so many headlines that tell of the overnight success of product campaigns on sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. This seems like a perfect platform to integrate your product into. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with Khierstyn Ross a specialist in helping entrepreneurs launch their products on crowdfunding sites and beyond. You’ll hear her take on product validation, building a prelaunch audience, and seeing crowdfunding as more than a “One-time event.” Get ready for some powerful insights! Validating a product for crowdfundingThe key to a successful crowdfunding campaign is momentum. You need to drive a lot of people to make pledges toward your product. How do you know a product will be a hit with a lot of people? Khierstyn Ross shares a few insights she has gathered as she consults with people trying to launch a product via crowdfunding. She encourages business leaders to get out and talk with everyday people about their product. Does it strike a nerve? Does it solve a problem that resonates? She doesn’t pretend to know the ins and outs of every industry or niche that a product will address but she knows how to help an entrepreneur ask the right questions. Get more helpful insights from Khierstyn on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What is the best way to build a prelaunch audience for your product?So you’ve done the research and you know your product is solving a problem that will resonate with people. How do you get people fired up about this product? How do you ensure that your launch day goes off with a BANG? Khierstyn Ross has a few ideas that will help you optimize your efforts to build a prelaunch audience. She has found that running Facebook ads with video is extremely successful in building that audience. This strategy is effective when you also include a special promotion to give ad viewers a discount percentage off of the item on launch day. To hear more tips from Khierstyn, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Is crowdfunding right for you and your product?It seems like there is no end to the variety of products available on crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But is this method of product promotion and audience gathering right for you? The truth is you don’t have to have a completely new original idea for a product to be successful on a crowdfunding site. It is a great place for original product ideas but you can also have a familiar product that has been repurposed for a specific demographic or with features that no one else is providing. One fact remains, you need to have a physical product. If you are considering leveraging crowdfunding for your product launch, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Don’t think of crowdfunding as a one-time eventMost people think of crowdfunding as a one-time event. You promote and publicize a product, gain the funding needed, then ship the item to the backers. Done. But is that thinking shortsighted? Could you leverage crowdfunding as part of a larger business model? Khierstyn Ross has built a business assisting entrepreneurs who are just getting their product on the market. She is convinced that crowdfunding can be utilized as a tool to launch into even greater success. Find out how you might be able to use crowdfunding with your product on this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 27 February 2017
Have you been waiting for Scott and Chris to get down to brass tacks and tackle a scenario like the one you are facing? Well look no further, it’s time for the Hot Seat! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris will break down a question from a TAS follower like you. They will cover product variations, keyword optimization, how to move your product quickly to recoup your costs, and so much more! This episode might have just right the tips, insights, and lessons you need to up your game and take action. Don’t wait. Grab your pen and paper tune and into this content rich episode. Use caution when adding color variations to your product listings.The last thing you want is to spend money that you didn’t need to. A critical step in the product research phase is to make sure you aren’t adding options that your potential customers are not expecting. For example, some products don’t need color variations, at least not right away. Listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller as Chris and Scott discuss the reasons to be cautious about which variations you add at to your product listing. If you are just getting started, make sure that you catch this helpful episode! Optimize the keywords in the title of your Amazon product listingSometimes the best solution for a problem you’ve been having is the simplest one. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Chris gives some great advice on how to optimize the title of your Amazon product listing. Don’t forget that quick glances at your product and titles MAKE a huge impression. Consider restructuring your title if you aren’t getting the results you are looking for. Don’t include unnecessary words. An example is using the words silver or chrome when describing stainless steel, those colors automatically come to mind for the consumer. If you are wondering how you can optimize your title, make sure to listen to this episode! Tips on how to move your product quickly.If you have some products that you’ve used in a testing phase or you just can’t seem to move them, what are your options? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives some great tips on how to move product quickly and recoup some of your costs.
To get more great tips and insights from Scott, make sure to listen to this episode! Approach your listing with fresh eyesAn old maxim says that “Familiarity breeds complacency.” You’ve seen this truth play out in your own life. You get used to the weird sound your car makes and you don’t notice it until someone who never rides in your car gets in. Well, the same can be said of your Amazon product listing. You’ve spent so much time building it and crafting it to be “Just right” that you may have become blind to it limitations. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Chris encourages sellers like to you to take a look at a competitor's listing and pick it apart. Then he wants you to take that same critical eye and turn it on your listing to see what you might be missing. This simple step could help you spot that one thing that you’ve been missing. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 24 February 2017
Are you fired up and ready to go? Do you have what you need to succeed as a business owner? If you are looking for that shot in the arm and some answers to questions you’ve been wondering about, then you came to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott starts by jumping right in with a “Thought of the week.” He then tackles questions about operating as an Amazon seller outside of the US, protecting your customer, and steps to protect your listing from getting hijacked. Before you head into the weekend, make this last stop to get the insight you need to equip you on your journey toward success. Don’t get comfortable in your business!Everything in our culture screams at us to get comfortable as quickly as possible and for as long as possible. Discomfort and difficulty are two words that our society trains us to run away from. Should you listen to that message? Is that good advice for life and business? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott tells a personal story about how getting comfortable led to a scary situation in his home one night. Listen to this episode and learn the lesson that Scott discovered that night and how you should avoid getting comfortable. What options do you have an Amazon seller outside the US?If you want to catch the wave with private labeling and selling on Amazon but you live overseas, what are your options? Is it worth the effort? Scott tackles the best options for business owners who are trying to get started with Amazon selling from overseas. One method is understanding that during the product research phase, this is going to be costly and not generate much of a profit, the point is the research on the product. Another option is having the supplier ship the product to Amazon with a PDF that you send to them. A lot of people are nervous about this option but it’s not likely to become an issue. If you want more details on these options, take the time to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Serve your customers with excellence.Making money and getting success is a key ambition for many business owners. Another concern should be serving your customer well. What do you do when you have a valuable product but it also has some elements of danger to it? Do you provide numerous warnings? What about including safety items to protect the consumer? Scott walks through a couple of options you have as a seller to protect your own liability and ensure that you are doing right by the customer. If consumer safety with your product is a concern, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Worried about getting your Amazon Listing Hijacked?So you are just starting out with selling on Amazon and you a little cautious. You aren’t sure if you want to spend the time and energy moving toward one product only to get it hijacked by someone else down the line. How do you prevent this from happening? Scott emphasizes that the product research phase is key here. You need to do as much of the work that you can and possibly even consult an attorney. Scott also touches on the value of bundling products to help keep others from hijacking your listing. To hear Scott expand on these ideas and more, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 22 February 2017
Complexity can be simplified if you have the right tools. Scott has your back. He looks for every bit of advice, tips, scenarios, and insights that will help you excel in your business. Because of his diligence and networking abilities, Scott came across a helpful blog post from Jeff Cohen and his team. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Jeff go over the tools you need to leverage your marketing list, how to garner reviews for your product, and how to go from good to great levels of success. You don’t want to miss this powerful and practical episode! Imagine, you have some products that have been slow or nearly impossible to move and Amazon is letting you know that you have an increase in storage fees coming. Should you pay it? Can you liquidate it? What do you do? Jeff Cohen came across a similar scenario when he heard from one of his clients. That client proceeded to utilize “Snagshout” and successfully liquidated his product, made money, and sold additional products in the process. If you are facing a similar situation or you just want the peace of mind by having the tools necessary to tackle it if it comes up, you came to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with business leader Jeff Cohen. Part of their conversation touched on garnering reviews for Amazon products. Jeff gives some helpful tips to keep in mind when trying to accumulate a good number of reviews.
Listen to this episode to get more useful tips and insights from Jeff! Sometimes the easiest solution to a lot of problems is sitting right in front of you. Why not use the tools you have and the resources at your fingertips to solve issues you run into? Jeff Cohen points out that one of the greatest advantages to building a marketing list and cultivating a brand following is leveraging that when the time comes to liquidate products. He suggests that if you need to liquidate products quickly, offer them at a great discount to your brand following. It makes them feel special and it solves your problem. It’s a win, win! To hear Jeff expand on this thought further, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! It has been said that the enemy of doing something great isn’t doing something poorly, it’s settling for good. Where are you settling for good rather than pushing for great in your business? One area to be aware of according to Jeff Cohen is your storage fees through Amazon. He says that a lot of people focus their research and time trying to figure out how much it will cost to get their product to Amazon but less focus around how to manage their storage fees once it gets there. He is convinced that this one issue is holding a lot of business leaders back from seeing significant sales and profits. Don’t settle for good, shoot for great! Learn more from Jeff on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 20 February 2017
On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott interviews Steve Chou, a successful business leader, and entrepreneur. After years of building a thriving eCommerce business, Steve decided to take his insights and knowledge to help others get started in this booming industry. The primary way Steve is imparting his knowledge is by organizing high-quality and high-value conferences. Don’t check out at the thought of attending a conference. You might think it’s not worth your time, but you don’t know what you are missing! Listen has Steve and Scott make the case for leveraging the networking and collaborative opportunities available at eCommerce conferences. Let’s face it, conferences can feel like a HUGE waste of time. If you have a family, it’s super inconvenient to take off for a few days and leave your spouse and kids behind. Is it really worth it? Steve Chou use to think that conferences were a waste of time too. Now he attends five to six conferences a year and he’s become a conference organizer. What made him change? What value did he find? He found that collaboration and networking were a wonderful byproduct of attending these gatherings. Hear more about how Steve has leveraged attending conferences to expand his business and success on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What goes into crafting the most memorable and impactful conference events? What makes a conference stand out from all the rest? Avid conference attendee and business leader Steve Chou has learned over the years what makes a great conference. In recent years, he has turned to organizing conferences that stay small and intimate. Steve is convinced that the most value a person can get out of a conference lies in WHO they interact with. Information is wonderful and it’s an important feature but getting to know someone and bouncing ideas off of them is one of the most valuable yet underrated keys to a successful conference experience. Everyone has been there, you went to a conference to get a jumpstart to your business and yet days or weeks later you still haven’t taken any action on what you learned. How do you apply the information you receive from eCommerce conferences? Conference organizer and business leader Steve Chou suggests finding someone who will hold you accountable. Maybe this is someone you meet at the conference, maybe it's a family member or business associate. The key point here is, you need someone who will check in and hold you to implementing the information you gathered at a conference. There are many people curious about and trying to get started in eCommerce. Is eCommerce still a viable industry to start a business in? Is it worth taking the time to explore and invest in? Entrepreneur Steve Chou is convinced that the best is yet to come regarding eCommerce. He says that eCommerce is still just a small fraction of overall sales. Patterns show that it will continue to get increasingly difficult and competitive as more and more people pour into the marketplace. Steve highlights the necessity of finding the unique value proposition of what you are selling. To here Steve expand on this idea and more, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 17 February 2017
Have you just started taking steps to build your business? Or have you been at it for some time now? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott has some wisdom to share and questions to answer that will be helpful no matter where you are in the process. Listen as Scott shares a vital truth that has inspired him on his journey to success. Also, he addresses questions from TAS followers like you! Don’t miss out on Scott’s helpful insight and contagious enthusiasm! Small Wins add up to fuel success in life and businessEveryone is focused on the big wins and the splashy success stories. That’s what gets the clicks on web articles and even newspaper sales. What you won’t see celebrated in the headlines are the small wins. So why should you care about the small wins? When you stack up small wins over time, that leads to a story of success. Big gains and overnight success stories are the exceptions, not the rule. Most people live their lives and experience growth both personally and professionally just a little bit at a time. To hear Scott expand on this idea more, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! 1K Fast TrackWhat is holding you back from getting started with your own business today? Is it fear of failure that is holding you back? Or is it a lack of capital? Whatever it is that is keeping you from taking action - Scott has a plan to help you get started! Scott has successfully launched his passion project, The 1K Fast Track. He has already helped many TAS followers get started on the road to success and he wants YOU to be involved in the next group. Find out how you can get started with the next group by following the link included in the resources section at the end of this post. Chinese Sourcing Sites for your productsIs Alibaba the best option for sourcing your product? What about another Chinese sourcing site called “1688” that is cheaper but is only in Chinese? With an ever changing economy and dealing with partners in a different country, uncertainty is a common feeling for a lot of business owners in this market. Scott has been through a lot of these same scenarios and he has a vast network of colleagues whose wisdom he can draw upon. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott goes through the benefits of using a site like “1688.” He also addresses some possible advantages that Mandarin-speaking business leaders and entrepreneurs can leverage for additional income. If you’ve been wondering whether the sourcing site you use is the best option out there, you have to listen to this episode! Issues with Brand RegistryAre you getting ready to launch a product? Are you still in the research phase? There are some important things you need to know regarding brand registry. Scott breaks down how vital it is to have your business’ brand or logo on your product and also on your website. This is how Amazon verifies that you are the owner of that brand. Navigating these questions regarding brand registry and be very confusing and maybe even frustrating. Make sure you listen to this episode and search through previous The Amazing Seller episodes to cover all your bases. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 15 February 2017
Are you ready to get started with selling online? How great would it be to hear from someone who has recently found the success you are looking for? You might be wondering what does selling online look like, how can you get started? You’ve come to the right place! On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with Gary and Kim Rey who went from zero to one million dollars in sales all through Retail Arbitrage and Online Arbitrage via Fulfillment By Amazon. You will hear how they got started, how they divide the labor and some of their best practices and tips that you can implement today! Don’t let any more excuses keep you from pursuing success, take action! Retail Arbitrage and Online Arbitrage - what is the difference?Lingo and insider verbiage can be very confusing. You might be afraid to ask or maybe you forgot so here is a quick recap of what Retail and Online Arbitrage are. Retail Arbitrage is surveying retail stores to find products that there is a demand for on Amazon. Online Arbitrage is the same thing but it’s all done online, no physical shopping in the retail stores. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from a husband and wife team. Gary enjoys OA and his wife Kim enjoys RA. Don’t miss the lessons you can learn from their recent success! Retail Arbitrage is a great way to get started with selling online.You know you want to get started with selling online but you aren’t sure what route to take. Should you start with Retail Arbitrage (RA) or Online Arbitrage (OA) or something else? Kim Rey found that starting off with RA was really helpful for her. Kim started by buying just a few extra items here and there when she was out shopping. She would look at the profit that she would be able to make on each item and decide from there. Her strategy has changed over time but she found this to be a great way to get started. Find out what you can learn from Kim and her husband Gary’s experience on this episode of The Amazing Seller! If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Selling on Amazon using existing listings.Selling online can be very intimidating. There is a lot of different strategies and lingo to wrap your mind around and you are nervous about losing your money and failing. This is one of the reasons Scott invited Gary and Kim Rey on the show today. Gary and Kim have successfully learned and streamlined an approach to Retail Arbitrage (RA) and Online Arbitrage (OA) that works for them. They don’t even get involved with creating their own listings on Amazon. Gary and Kim simply find products that are performing well and that they can get at a low price and then post those products to existing listings on Amazon. This may not work for everyone but it does simplify the process. To hear more about Gary and Kim’s story, make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Don’t let your personal preferences influence what you buy and sell.You’ve heard it said that “You are your own worst enemy.” Gary and Kim Rey would agree with that statement. They have been highly successful engaging in Retail Arbitrage (RA) and Online Arbitrage (OA) over the last couple of years. One of their biggest tips when getting started with RA and OA is to avoid personal bias. Even if you cringe at the thought of black nail polish, don’t let that keep you from researching the price and possibly making a big profit. They’ve learned over the years that there are many different and niche interests in the marketplace and if they can learn and adapt to these interests, they will be more successful for it. Learn more lessons from Gary and Kim on this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 13 February 2017
Everyone needs inspiration. We’d be nowhere if leaders and passionate individuals didn’t share what fired them up. Scott’s guest, John Lee Dumas will get you fired up and ready to go with his powerful lessons and insights. On this episode, John shares about the power of a proven framework, how to master productivity, get a jump on your day, get out of a funk, and so much more! If you’ve been looking for the right encouragement and motivation to take you to the next level in your pursuit of success, look no further. John and Scott discuss the tools and tips you need to implement change in your life and business today. Get ready to take action! Master productivity, discipline, and focus with the “Pomodoro Technique”Do you find yourself limited on time? Are you constantly squeezing in just a tiny bit of time here and there for your dream project when you can? There is a better way. You can master your time management with a powerful tool. It’s called the “Pomodoro Technique.” Innovator John Lee Dumas has benefited greatly from this method of focus and discipline. He wants every driven individual to discover this tool and maximized their ability to pursue their dreams. To hear John expand on this idea and more tips to help you succeed, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller! Win Tomorrow Today!How do you stay on top of the untamable beast called life? What can you do to remain focused and dedicated to the goals and objectives you want to accomplish throughout the day? Business leader John Lee Dumas coined a strategy that can help you stay on top of the things that matter. He’s called it “Win Tomorrow Today.” John’s plan helps you shape a focused morning routine that you can implement as soon as you wake up in the morning. He wants every business leader to experience the success he’s found and get a hold of the day before it gets a chance to take it away from you! Do you see a problem in the world? Be the solution!You’d think after several successful product launches and a fruitful career as an entrepreneur and innovator, John Lee Dumas would rest on his laurels. You would be wrong. In fact, even as his latest product, “The Mastery Journal” is in full swing, John has his eye on the next endeavor. What is it that makes guys like John keep going? Simply put, John has an ability to see “holes” or problems in the world and he isn’t content with hoping someone else will solve it. He takes that old adage “Be the change you want to see in the world” to heart! John’s passion and drive are infectious, you won’t want to miss him on this episode of The Amazing Seller! How to get out of the “Funk”Sometimes you get stuck in a “Funk.” Even with all of the powerful and helpful tools at your disposal, sometimes the path forward seems clouded. Business leader and innovator John Lee Dumas has one key piece of advice to get out of your funk. John’s advice is going to sound really familiar to the TAS crowd - take action! If you want to be, you have to do. Don’t just dream of writing a book, you have to start writing. Get engaged with the things you dream about accomplishing. Just take a step, that is where success is made. To hear John unpack this idea further, make sure to catch this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 10 February 2017
Are you ready to take the next step on your journey to success? What piece of wisdom or encouragement could help you as you venture out into the unknown? Scott is pumped to bring this week’s episode of The Amazing Seller where he tackles audience questions and shares his experience and insight to help entrepreneurs like you succeed. On this episode, Scott give an update on the 1K Fast Track Launch, whether to take out a loan for startup funds, the risks involved in selling an ingestible or topical product, and so much more! Update on the Successful 1K Fast Track LaunchScott and his close friend Dom Sugar have successfully launched and filled their first 1K Fast Track group. Scott is fired up and passionate about the potential this experiment has to impact the lives of men and women who need a push in the right direction to get their business started. Although the first group is filled, Scott and Dom are highly encouraged by the huge demand that has stemmed from this project. If you want to learn more and get your name on the list for the next round, make sure to sign up! The link is located under the “Resources” section of this post. Don’t miss out on this powerful opportunity to TAKE ACTION! Is it wise to take out a loan to get your FBA business started?What do you do when you’ve followed Scott’s advice from episode 312 to put together some cash to start your business but it’s still not enough? What other options are available? Should you take out a loan to get started? If these questions resonate with you, you aren’t alone. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott tackles the topic of taking out a loan for startup capital. Scott’s cautious and hard earned wisdom is extremely helpful here. Don’t miss his thoughts on borrowing money and some possible alternative options so you can get started today. Ingestible and topical products, worth the risk?So you have a great product that you are certain will produce value to your customers and impressive profits. Sounds like a dream come true, right? If the product involves either ingestion or topical application for the customer, Scott urges caution. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott walks through the risks and potential hazards to selling products that people will ingest or apply to their skin. Don’t be discouraged if this sounds like your product, Scott doesn't rule it out. He provides helpful wisdom that will enable you to succeed. Make sure to catch Scott’s input on this topic and so much more! Confronting the risks and costs of starting an FBA businessStarting something new can be extremely intimidating. Let’s face it, a HUGE part of that trepidation is around the risks and unknown factors involved. Many entrepreneurs face this challenge, especially the ones starting out with launching an FBA business. So how do you handle the unknowns? What is your strategy? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott breaks the process down and gives helpful tips and tools that can start you on the road to success. Don’t miss the valuable lessons right at your fingertips! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 8 February 2017
What comes to mind when you think of marketing? Do you think of flashy advertisements on TV, in the mail, or maybe even popups? It seems that “Marketing” is a dirty word in today’s business climate. But there is NOTHING dirty about it. It’s simply storytelling. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott interviews email marketing rockstar Ryan Lee. They discuss the usefulness of email marketing, dealing with haters, and telling a compelling story. Most importantly they talk about building a relationship with your clients and how to avoid coming off as a JERK! Both Scott and Ryan are fired up and ready to GO! Are you? Is email DEAD?The trend right now in internet marketing is to gather an audience on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Email is dead, or at least that is what some might have you believe. Ryan Lee is convinced that this isn’t true. He explains that people are still drawn to the email inbox for business communication, file sharing, and more! Ryan has witnessed and continues to see the power behind email marketing. Don’t buy the hype and put all your eggs into the social media basket! Learn how to use email marketing effectively from Ryan on this episode of The Amazing Seller! Email Marketing, Strategy trumps TacticsWhen it comes time to start building your email marketing list, where do you start? How do you begin the relationship with your clients? Ryan Lee is an expert in creating compelling email marketing content. His advice is to stay away from gimmicks and “Tactics.” Ryan says that a relational approach is the key to success when it comes to email marketing. If you can get people interested in not only your product but in YOU by telling interesting and relatable stories, clients will keep coming back for more. Listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear more about how you can optimize your email marketing strategy for success! Dealing with the naysayers and hatersHow do you deal with hostile feedback? Most professionals in the business world understand the value of listening to and learning from reasonable critical feedback. But what do you do with the aggressive and persistent negative responses to your business? Ryan Lee has learned that the approach that works best for him is simply ignoring it. That sounds simple but Ryan has had to be intentional about this. He doesn’t even let the negative feedback come across his desk. He has an assistant who keeps that sort of feedback away from him. You might not have the resources for an assistant at this point on your journey - so find what will work for you. Don’t get bogged down with negative and unhelpful feedback. Marketing as StorytellingDon’t you love it when you get to hear a good story? The best is when you hear it in person from someone close to you. How can leaders in the business world capture this sense of interest and intimacy in their storytelling? After all, that’s what marketing is; storytelling. Ryan Lee has built great success around his ability to communicate to strangers via email marketing in a way that resonates with them. He says that the key lesson he has learned in his success is being true to who he is. He has found that being honest and authentic is attractive to his client base. To hear Ryan expand on this concept and much more - don’t miss this episode of The Amazing Seller! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 6 February 2017
What do you do if you have all the passion, dedication, vision, and organization to start your own business but technical nuances can sometimes overwhelm you? Don’t give up! You need experienced and thorough experts that can help you navigate complicated waters. Scott and his team at The Amazing Seller have gone through all the tough and “in the weeds” details so don’t have to! Let Scott and Chris guide you on this episode as they break down the UPC code debate, where to get UPCs, and other great business advice! Rest assured, you came to the right place. What are your options when obtaining a UPC for your product?If you are just getting started with selling on Amazon, a lot of the recent talk about UPCs can get really confusing. What you need to know is that UPCs are essential to selling your product on Amazon and with other retailers. You might be wondering, “Where do I get a UPC for my product?” You can get a UPC from GS1 or other Third party providers such as Snap. The big difference between these two options is that GS1 gives you ownership of your UPC. They create the unique UPC and hand it to you for a cost. Most third party providers like Snap obtain the first few digits of the UPC from GS1 and then generate the rest. You can verify via GS1 the UPCs that you obtain from Third parties to make sure you are compliant with Amazon’s standards. This might all sound very confusing but Scott and Chris take the time on this episode of The Amazing Seller to break down what this all means and how it directly impacts business owners like you. What you need to know regarding Amazon’s policy with UPCsLet’s cut through all the jargon and get to the clear cut information that you need to make sure you are compliant with Amazon’s standards. The last thing you want is to go into selling with Amazon or continuing to sell with them and go off of the wrong information. So here is what Amazon wants you to know regarding their recent change in UPC policy: “We verify the authenticity of product UPCs by checking the GS1 database. UPCs that do not match the information provided by GS1 will be considered invalid. We recommend obtaining you UPCs directly from GS1 and not from other 3rd parties selling UPC licenses to ensure that the appropriate information is reflected in the GS1 database.” This means that you CAN continue to get UPCs from 3rd parties but they MUST be verified via GS1. Anyone can verify a UPC through GS1. Don’t panic if your UPC is provided by a party like Snap. Just double check to make sure it is valid via GS1. If it’s not, there are steps you can take to address this. To hear Scott and Chris expand on this topic, listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. Key advice when you are just beginning your business.Lots of people come out of the woodwork when you start a business to share in your excitement and give you their advice. How do you determine which voices to listen to? It’s kind of like parenting in a lot of ways. When you first find out that you and your spouse are expecting, everyone wants to chime in on how you should start off as new parents. But at the end of the day, the best advice is what Chris mentions on this episode of The Amazing Seller. You can take all these opinions in and consider them but ultimately, you have to do what’s best for you. When all is said and done, you are the one that has to live with the decisions that are made. Don’t allow yourself to get pressured or convinced to take advice that doesn’t sit right with you. Don’t miss this simple step when starting your business!When you first decide that you are going to start your own business, emotions are flying. There’s joy, excitement, anxiety, nervousness, and so much more! In the rush of emotions, sometimes you forget the little details that are vital to success. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott talks about one of the early mistakes he made with his photography business that cost time and money him right when things were taking off. Don’t miss out on this great advice. Learn from Scott’s mistake and find out how you can start your business off with your best foot forward! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 3 February 2017
Most people slow down as they approach Friday but not Scott! He is fired up and ready to go. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott addresses some important questions regarding Facebook Ads, selling on different channels, suppressed listings, and so much more! Scott also gives an update on the status of his “Flow” and the temptations he’s overcome this past week. Make sure to listen as Scott challenges The Amazing Seller tribe to pay attention to what “Noise” you are letting into your mind. This Friday’s episode is a great way to kick off the weekend, don’t miss it! Removing the “Noise”Do you ever find yourself wondering, “Where did that thought come from?” Do you find yourself easily sidetracked by all the distractions around you? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott takes a moment to address what might be causing these common issues. He is convinced that the main reason you face distractions or “Random thoughts” is because you aren’t paying close enough attention to the substance you let into your mind. This might sound weird, but it’s true! What you consume intellectually has a direct effect on what goes on inside your mind. This isn’t a debated issue when it comes to diet and nutrition - why should it be a surprise when the same principles are applied to thought life as well? Listen to this episode to hear how Scott has found success silencing the “Noise” and how you can too! Looking forward to philanthropic opportunitiesFor many people part of The Amazing Seller tribe, the goal is financial independence. While that is a wonderful goal, there are others who have their sights set even higher. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you will hear from an enthusiastic member of the tribe who hopes to help others with his success. Scott then launches into a dream he has to participate in linking a successful product to a worthwhile cause. This is what success and financial freedom can bring you - the opportunity to dream big and get a vision for helping others! Effective product advertising on Social Media and beyondEvery seller wants their product to catch fire and bring success. In addition to the standard process and methods Scott and Chris tackle, down the line there are ways to engage a Social Media audience for your product. Where do you start? When do you start? These are great questions and it’s important to remember that timing and strategy are key as your product gains success and takes off. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott address these questions and how to begin Social Media engagement. Don’t miss out on Scott’s valuable insight! Dealing with Amazon Suppressing your listingImagine you are chugging along and your product is taking off, busting all your expectations. Sounds great, doesn’t it? What if, right in the middle of all that excitement and success, you find out that Amazon has suppressed your listing? Panic sets in. Then you find out that other listings that sell almost the exact same product that you were selling are still up and making money! What do you do? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott addresses this very scenario. His wisdom and helpful insight are on full display as he tackles this obstacle with all the experience he has gained. There are many reasons something like this might happen, it’s good to have resources like this one - just in case! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 1 February 2017
Does the recent news from Amazon regarding increased inventory storage fees have you worried? Are you scrambling to figure out what you are going to do about your shrinking profit margins? Don’t panic! Let Scott and Chris guide you through the information and give you some tips to understanding and dealing with storage costs. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris will discuss tools that can help with inventory projection, how to plan ahead, and even take some questions from the Facebook Live session! Make sure to catch their helpful solutions. Understanding the storage rate changes from AmazonWhenever there is a sudden change or a change you didn't see coming, you’ll experience a bit of shell shock. It can leave you reeling and trying to make sense of what is going on. Many Amazon sellers are facing this situation with the current change to the Amazon inventory fees. Scott and Chris have the experience to walk through what all of this change means for you. Don’t let panic and fear set in. Take a deep breath and listen. The changes are simply Amazon’s way of expediting their sellers. They need to keep product moving so they are increasing long term storage rates. What this forces you as an Amazon seller to do is to think carefully about how much inventory you really need for the next three to four months at the Amazon storage location. If you think about it, this change can spur you on to be a more shrewd business owner. Listen to Scott and Chris break it all down on this episode of The Amazing Seller! A helpful tool to project inventory needsInformation can be a helpful tool if you know how to use it. The wisdom to decipher and understand raw data comes often to those who have studied it and have spent a lot of time interacting with it. For most people, this seems completely out of reach and intimidating. Having one part to a two part solution isn’t only intimidating, it's frustrating. So when a tool, a tip, or person comes along to show you the way, you jump at the opportunity. That’s exactly what Scott did when he started using the online tool “Fetcher.” Scott knows a successful idea when he sees one and he has learned the value of using Fetcher. It’s tool that helps you makes sense of all the inventory data you have at your fingertips. To get ahead of the competition, Scott recommends checking out Fetcher. A lesson with inventory learned the hard waySome people have to learn the hard way. Scott has had his fair share of easy and hard lessons in life. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott shares a lesson he learned from having some troublesome inventory that wasn’t selling quickly enough in Amazon’s storage. He took a great opportunity that Amazon was promoting which allowed him to pull most of this troublesome product at no cost. From that experience, Scott has learned some valuable lessons regarding packaging, inventory costs, and much more. To hear Scott expand on this lesson, make sure to catch this episode! How should newcomers approach inventory costs and volume?When you are just getting started on a new venture like selling on Amazon, unknown variables can be terrifying. That is a huge reason why Scott and Chris started their efforts toward coaching and helping people get the hang of this exciting industry! They are here to help break down the process and make it easier for entrepreneurial minded individuals to find success and financial independence. So when a new challenge like the rising costs of Amazon storage fees presents itself, Scott and Chris want to remove the fear and intimidation that might bring. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Chris has some great advice he wants to share with sellers just starting out. If that’s you, make sure to listen in and find out how you can be smart with your inventory projections! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 30 January 2017
Does the state of your personal health and happiness really impact your ceiling for success in business? Scott has been on a personal journey over the last couple of years to improve and optimize his health. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and his guest Pat Flynn discuss the role physical health plays in contributing to success as a business owner. Scott is passionate about taking health seriously, his enthusiasm will get you pumped to make some intentional changes in your life and business! What do you do when you get stuck in business and life?There are a variety of factors that can cause you to get stuck in life. It might be relationship issues, struggles achieving goals, or just the monkey wrenches that life throws in the way. How do you overcome these obstacles? What do some of the high caliber leaders in business suggest? Pat Flynn has had his fair share of ups and downs over the course of his career. He is eager to share with The Amazing Seller audience how he has triumphed in the face of adversity and some steps you can take to do the same. Don’t miss this valuable episode bursting with great insight! Creating a Market MapOnce you start to hone in on the niche market you are trying to corner, Pat Flynn suggests creating a Market Map. This is a tool that will help you identify the three P’s of your audience. Pat suggests creating a spreadsheet and tackling each of the following: Places - Where does your target audience hang out? Podcasts, blogs, web properties. Where does this group go? People - Who are the influencers on this target audience? Who has earned their trust? Podcast hosts, authors of the blog's, top social media accounts. Products - List between 20 and 50 products to see and get a feel for what this audience is looking for. Once you have put in the time researching and identifying these three P’s it will reveal your position in the marketplace. This is your sweet spot, where you can deliver the best service to this target audience. Make sure to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller to hear Pat expand on these ideas and much more! Getting inside a customer’s head with a PLANAfter you have identified a position in a particular market niche, expert Pat Flynn suggests climbing inside your customer's head. What Pat means by this is figuring out how the customer thinks, what motivates them? To identify this perspective, Pat has developed a PLAN. Problem - You have to identify what potential problem you are trying to solve with your product for your customer. This happens through target market and research. Every successful business solves a problem. Language - What words is the customer using to describe their problem? It does not good to come up with the perfect solution to a problem without using the right language that speaks to the customer. Anecdotes - Engage with your customers. Know their stories and empathize with them. Need - If you can identify a real need from your conversations with your customers, you’ll be one step closer to designing your product to fulfill that need. Validating a product: The Pat Flynn approachHow often do you get to hear the approach of an expert in the arena you are trying to break into? The opportunity to get a peek into the process of one of the best in the industry is right at your fingertips. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott sits down with Pat Flynn. Pat is gracious enough to grant the podcast audience stellar insight into how he would approach validating a product. Grab a pen and some paper and get ready for some powerful insight, you can’t miss this! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 27 January 2017
Staying in “The flow”Do you find yourself often getting stuck or constantly starting something but never finishing it? Maybe you’ve said to yourself, “2017 is going to be different, I am going to get stuff done!” Scott is passionate about getting into and staying in what he calls, “The flow.” He encourages everyone who listens to The Amazing Seller to find what works for them. It’s all about making commitments and sticking to them. This will serve you well in your personal life as well as your business life. Scott’s enthusiasm is infections and hearing him talk about the changes and commitments he has made recently will get you fired up! So don’t miss it! How do you add color variations to a product listing?Optimizing your product for the best results can become something you obsess over. That drive to get the most out of your product listing it great! There are so many ways to tinker and tweak your listing for the best results. One of the best ways to do this is by bundling your product with another item or by adding variations in sizes or colors. Scott often gets questions about how to optimize product listings using these different variations. On this episode, he tackles a question about adding color options for a product listing. If you are looking for ways to get the most out of your listing, you won’t want to miss this episode. How do you know you are making a profit with Pay Per Click?When you are getting started with your first product, a lot of factors are on your mind. The primary one most sellers are concerned with is - PROFIT. That’s the reason you got into this whole venture. You want to make a profit and you want to make it quick. You wouldn’t be out here on the cutting edge taking risks if you didn’t want to see your profit margins take off. So how do you maximize your profits, especially when using a tool like Pay Per Click? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott tackles this question that plagues most sellers. Make sure you catch the wisdom that Scott brings on this episode. Product research: Is a product featured as a “Limited Time Special” a red flag?The product research phase can be intimidating. You don’t want to pick a dud from the get go. This trepidation can lead to extensive second guessing for many sellers getting started. Scott often says that you just need to dive in and get started - but sometimes caution is warranted. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott speaks to an important question regarding product research. If you are in the product research phase, make sure to catch this episode and the word of warning that Scott addresses. Should you pursue product reviewers who contact you via Amazon?Many sellers are eager to get their product out there and featured on blogs and various review sites. Should you take EVERY opportunity for a product review that comes your way? The truth of the matter is that not all opportunities are good ones. You have to be wise and discerning. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott tackles this difficult situation. If you find yourself eager to get as many reviews of your product as possible but you are unsure about which opportunities to pursue, you have to listen in. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 25 January 2017
So many people make excuses for why they can’t get started in private label or e-commerce sales. And one of the BIGGEST excuses you hear has to do with not having enough money. Scott is taking that excuse away today by giving you 5 ways you can make your first $500 in the next week. Seriously. It may sound kind of hype-y to say that but it’s true. Scott’s walking you through each step of his "find it - sell it" process so you can get rid of the money excuse. Are you ready to take action? You’d better be if you listen to this episode. Afraid of launching a DUD product? Stop making excuses!It’s hard to do product research that's effective. You want a product that will easily sell once you get it established on Amazon or another online platform. But many people use that difficulty as an excuse for why they are not getting started. As Scott says all the time - JUST START! You won’t make any progress if you don’t get rolling. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott is going to show you how you can take a fairly simple (not easy) action step to get yourself going - and the good part of this one is that it brings almost instant cash to you that will give you the motivation to keep going. You need to listen to this one! It takes ZERO money to make your first $500 in one week.If you REALLY want to get going in an online business you’re going to need money. No question. But there are ways you can make money from the junk you have lying around your house and create your own startup cash. This episode is focused on that approach to getting your business started. It’s simple, takes some work, but is something anyone can do. Scott’s walking you through the steps you have to take to make it happen on this episode. You can do a DEEP DIVE house cleaning to find stuff that will make you money today!OK, say you’re not a clean-freak. That’s GREAT when it comes to what Scott is talking about on this episode. He’s going to walk you through a deep-clean process you can do in your house that will actually generate some cash for you, so you can get moving on an online business with the money you earn. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. It works. Scott has seen it happen in his own life and with many others he’s advised through the years. You can find out how Scott would do it if he were in your shoes, on this episode. Do you want some help getting your business started? You need the 1K Fast Track!One of the things Scott has been experimenting with lately alongside his buddy Dom Sugar is a program that can help YOU make the money you need to start your business. It’s called the 1K Fast Track and it’s open now for 50 people. ONLY 50. So if you want into this pilot program that will show you how to make money quickly to support a larger scale business, this is the program for you. Find out how you can get into the program on this episode.
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Mon, 23 January 2017
One of the biggest obstacles to people who are considering the private label approach to online business is the cash to get started. But you don’t have to wait for a winning lottery ticket or go rob a bank. You can set up some kind of side job or side hustle to start earning some extra income that you can put into the start of an Amazon business. On the show today is Nick Loper, host of The Side Hustle Show to talk about different side income ideas that you can build that could launch your online business dreams. But I don’t have time to start a side hustle!Time is the one common denominator among every one of us. We all get 24 hours and what we choose to do with that time is what matters. On this episode of the podcast, Scott asked Nick Loper what he would say to a person who says they don’t have enough time and his advice was golden. If you’d like to hear what Nick said in answer to that question AND get some side hustle ideas of your own to try out, you’ve got to listen to this conversation. If you want it bad enough you’ll find a way to do it.When Nick Loper and Scott were talking about the time crunch we all feel when it comes to making a side hustle or other online opportunity work, they both came to the same conclusion. If you want it badly enough you’ll figure out a way to make it happen. You can’t give yourself any excuses, you just have to find a way to do what you say you want to do. It’s the people who take action who see success. Find out more about Nick’s approach to carving out the time to build side income, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. Make extra money by buying low and selling high using flea markets, garage sales, etc.One of the ideas Nick Loper had about how people could begin building side income to help fuel their Amazon private label dreams was to find things at flea markets that you can sell for more on eBay, Amazon retail arbitrage, or other places. It’s an amazingly simple thing to do with just a little bit of research and know-how. And guess what, Nick is on the show today to give you some of that knowledge, so what are you waiting for? Are you interested in making your first $1000 quickly to get a private label business started?Scott and his buddy Dom Sugar have been brainstorming a way to help you get a start even though you don’t have any money to put toward a traditional private label launch. Dom has been selling products through retail arbitrage for years and is a pro and knowing how to do it, how to find the right things to sell, and how to make a profit doing it. He and Scott are putting together a 50 person pilot program to see if they are able to help people earn $1000 quickly like they think they can. Would you like in? Listen to this episode to find out how! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 20 January 2017
The entrepreneurial road is one that involves all of life, not just what you’re doing in business. On this episode, Scott shares a good deal in the way of updates on his own family and personal life to show you how integrated life has to be with your business if you’re going to be truly fulfilled. In the midst of telling his stories, Scott highlights the importance of finishing what you start and how that kind of commitment will fuel in you in life and in business. It’s just one example of how The Amazing Seller is about more than the money - it’s about a great life. Are there certain states that are better for entrepreneurs?If you spend even a little bit of time in the online entrepreneurial space you’ll discover that there are certain places in the country that entrepreneurs seem to be drawn to. Two of those places are San Diego and San Francisco. But are there other places that are good locations for entrepreneurs to hang out and network? A listener to the show is moving soon and wants to consider these kinds of issues when he makes the decision about where he’s going to live - and he wanted Scott’s opinion. Be sure to listen to hear how YOU can help answer this question! When I order products from another country what format should my invoices be in?In past episodes, Scott has mentioned that it’s vitally important that you have the documentation you need from your overseas supplier to verify what you purchased, etc. It’s important not just for your records and peace of mind but also because of issues that can arise regarding customs, product specs, etc. It’s much better to be safe rather than sorry, so doing the legwork to get the right paperwork from the outset is worth it. You can hear Scott describe the kind of things your paperwork should contain, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What is it that makes a private label product truly “private label?”A listener who is fairly new to selling private label products is coming at it very carefully because he’s done numerous online business opportunities in the past that have not all worked out. He’s heard a lot about private label sales and wants to make sure he’s understanding the concept correctly - and know how to approach it wisely. Scott is very impressed with this guy’s thoroughness and spends a little extra time unpacking some of the nuances of private label sales, so be sure you take the time to listen. Do you want to ask an experienced seller your eCommerce or private label questions?The Ask Scott session of The Amazing Seller podcast is your chance to ask an experienced, street-wise Amazon and eCommerce seller your situation-specific questions. You can ask about anything - mailing lists, product selection, PPC, off-Amazon sales and websites, and much more. Don’t be shy. Scott Voelker loves to answer your questions to help you make the most of the amazing opportunities available. Listen to this episode to find out how you can ask your questions - maybe you’ll be featured on the next Ask Scott episode! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 18 January 2017
When you’ve got an established product on Amazon and your sales and search ranking suddenly go down, what happened? On this hot seat episode, Scott and Chris are chatting about a hot seat product where both those rankings have dropped 20% since last year. That’s a significant loss of revenue and the seller wants to fix the problem! You can’t blame him - and Scott and Chris have some great insights into why it’s happening and how the problem could be addressed. It’s all on this episode. If Amazon asks you to be THEIR vendor, should you jump at the chance?The hot seat participant in today’s episode of the podcast has an established wholesale brand that he’s been selling on Amazon and fulfilling himself (through his company). Amazon has seen his success and has approached him about being a vendor for them - meaning he’d sell directly to Amazon and they would purchase at a wholesale rate. There are all kinds of pluses to doing that, but there are also some cons you want to be aware of. The guys go over the pros and cons in depth on this episode. When your private label sales drop by 20% - what’s the problem and how do you fix it?Anytime a product that has been successfully selling drops in sales by 20%, you should be concerned. That’s what happened to this episode’s “hot seat” participant and he’s asking Scott and Chris to help him figure out what changed. You’ll hear the guys talk about all kinds of possibilities and pinpoint one thing in particular that is the most likely culprit. It’s a great episode that addresses a number of things so be sure you make the time to listen. Is being eligible for Amazon Prime an important part of getting sales?There’s no question that private label sellers who connect with the Amazon Prime feature by fulfilling through Amazon are at a HUGE advantage. Not only does it appear more professional, but anyone who has Amazon Prime can order your products and receive them with free shipping and free returns if they have issues with the product. That means there is a lot more motivation for them to choose your product over another. Find out how this seller is making the decision about getting listed with FBA, on this episode. How do you test keywords to see what is best for your products?If you are trying to optimize your product listing for the best keywords (and you should) then you’ll want to systematically test all the possible keywords for your product to ensure that you’re using the actual keywords and phrases buyers are using to find products like yours. How do you do that? You have to use the Amazon PPC (pay per click) promotions to drill down into what buyers are actually using to find your products. That’s the only way, and it does cost some money, but if you do it right it will yield great results. How do you do it right? Scott and Chris cover that on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 16 January 2017
Probably the most intimidating thing about sourcing products for private label sales from an overseas supplier is the issue of shipping. There are all kinds of issues that you have to be aware of including export licenses, taxes, when ownership of the products transfers to you (thus in indicating your liability), customs fees, and more. You can walk that path yourself or you can have someone help you. Scott definitely advises the later. Find out how it works on this great episode where Scott is chatting with Ryan Peterson, of Flexport. How Ryan started thinking about creating a freight forwarding company.It’s often the pain we experience ourselves that prompts us, entrepreneurs, to build something to solve that problem. That’s how it was for today’s guest, Ryan Peterson. Ryan had experienced some issues with his supplier and the sea shipping options that not only cost him a lot of money through fees and delays but also didn’t allow him to keep his products in stock as easily as he expected. He’d already worked in the overseas markets and figured he might be the guy to figure out some better systems to make things happen smoothly for others. Flexport is his solution. Find out more about Ryan and the Flexport story on this episode of The Amazing Seller. Product shipping issues can trip up your sales pipeline in a number of ways.One of the many problems Ryan Peterson ran into that caused him to build the Flexport solution for purchasers of overseas products was regarding timing. What he discovered was that everything had to legally be done in a certain sequence. If it wasn’t, and his product was shipped before a certain requirement was met, the shipping company would charge him daily fees for having his products “stored” at their facility. It’s just one example of the kinds of headaches it can be to ship by sea. But there are answers and Ryan has built the solution, which you can hear about on this episode of The Amazing Seller. When it comes to dealing with overseas shipping, make sure you understand the terms.There are all kinds of acronyms and terms used in the sea shipping and freight forwarding that can get you confused. And if you choose the wrong options, thinking they are the right option (which is not entirely unheard of) you can wind up paying lots of money in the form of customs fees and taxes that you really didn’t have to pay. So how do you navigate a field of landmines like that? You need someone to guide you - and on this episode of the podcast, Scott has just the guy - Ryan Peterson of Flexport. How are you going to deal with your freight issues for private label products?If you’re sourcing your products from overseas - China in particular - you are going to have to decide how you are going to handle your shipping issues. You can do it yourself. It’s possible, but you have to know what you’re doing. Or you can hire a company to be the go-between and the one to ensure all steps are being followed properly. To help you make that decision Scott’s brought on an expert from the freight forwarding industry to help you understand the pros and cons of each option - and hopefully to make a good decision for your situation. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 13 January 2017
Establishing and running a successful eCommerce business is a challenge for anyone - no matter how experienced or talented you are. There are so many blind spots and unknowns, it’s helpful to have some experienced advice going in. That’s what the Friday “Ask Scott” episodes are about - Scott’s answers to YOUR questions. You’ll hear him deal with all kinds of issues - from getting started to pivoting into bigger and better ideas outside of Amazon. You’ve got to hear this one, it’s got some great questions and good answers. Cash flow for a new eCommerce business: How do you do it well?Getting started with private label sales is not an easy thing, especially if cash is tight. But even if you have a lump of cash to start with you have to be able to stimulate sales in a way that keeps your cash flow consistent. If you can’t do that you’re going to run into all kinds of problems keeping inventory available, which in turn causes your search engine rankings to be inconsistent. If you want to hear Scott’s advice about managing cash flow, including some cool software or app ideas, be sure you take the time to listen. I got damaged custom merchandise from my supplier, should I return it?A listener called in to ask a very interesting question on this episode. He received some customized products from his supplier but they are damaged. He’s not typically shy about returning defective or damaged products but in this case, since they have his logo on them, he’s concerned about returning them. Why? Because he can envision the supplier fixing them, then selling them on Amazon themselves, bringing disrepute to his brand. What can he do? Find out how Scott suggests he avoid that possibility, on this episode. How to optimize a product bundle effectively.You’ve heard Scott talk a lot about creating product bundles to build a second listing on Amazon that can generate cash flow. There are all kinds of benefits to it, including the ability to rank for a different set of keywords than your original product. But that won’t happen if you don’t optimize the bundle listing well. On this episode, Scott answers a question about bundling complementary products and optimizing that new listing, and there are all kinds of tips he gives to help you do it right. You’ll want to hear this one. What are the best ways to move from retail arbitrage into private label sales?If you’ve ever sold products using the retail arbitrage model you know that it’s not a model that you can scale very well, simply because your product supply is inconsistent. You can’t expect to build a business on somebody else’s brand. So how can you make the switch from retail arb to private label sales? A caller asks for Scott’s advice about that very thing on this episode and Scott gives 3 free resources he can tap into to teach him the step by step process to get it done. Are you interested? You can use the same free resources too, so be sure you listen to find out what they are. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 11 January 2017
Hiring help to work with you in your business may be a scary thought. It takes money and time to invest in help and get them up to speed to do what you really need them to do. You may shy away from the idea initially, which is entirely natural. But today’s guest is not only going to tell you why hiring help from another country could be the shot in the arm your business needs, he’s going to show you how you can do it in a way that won’t break the bank. You’ve got to hear this great episode. Grow your business by adding things that you can’t do.There are certain things each of us is good at. On the other side of the same coin, there are certain things we should never touch because we STINK at them. Those are the areas where you can amplify the impact of your business by hiring people to do the things you’re not good at or don’t enjoy - but that are NEEDED for your business. On this episode, Scott is talking with John Jonas, a guy who has figured out how to find the best workers from the Philippines and train them to do the tasks that are taking up your time and don’t fit inside your skill set. You can change your business and your effectiveness for the better through this approach, so find out how on this episode. Outsourcing is not as scary as it sounds. Find out how on this episode.Many entrepreneurs (most entrepreneurs, really) don’t like the idea of handing off responsibilities within the business to others, especially people they don’t know. But it’s one of the things that has to be done if you are going to scale your business and realize more profits. Outsourcing is one of the ways you can do that and on this episode, Scott and his guest John Jonas talk about how to outsource the smart way without breaking the bank. You are going to get a ton of value from this episode. Dealing with a VA from another culture is a skill anyone can learn.One of the things John Jonas has discovered as he’s worked with VAs from the Philippines, in particular, is that every culture has its own norms. For example, workers from the Philippines are very loyal and eager to please. But they tend to need a very clear set of instructions and a boss who will continue check in with them to ensure they understand their tasks - until those tasks are being performed flawlessly. If you can learn how to patiently train the person who works for you, you’ll be able to find a long-term VA or assistant who will provide tons of value to your company. Find out more on this episode. What are the small things that are consuming your time? Pass them to someone else for greater effectiveness.Is social media eating up your time? Are emails and product research gobbling up hours that you could be working on more important things? You’re not alone. Many eCommerce sellers find themselves bogged down in the details - but there IS hope. You can find a very competent, foreign worker who can take the load off of you by taking on your low-value tasks that have to be done - so that you don’t have to do them. Find out how it works and how you can make it happen on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 9 January 2017
You never know what’s going to happen when you start something. Things can go way beyond what you thought would happen - which is exactly where things have gone for Scott Voelker. It’s been awhile since Scott has shared an update on his personal brands and progress as an Amazon private label seller, so this episode is going to do that. But he’s also got some plans for the new year regarding how he’s helping other people learn how to build their private label business. If you want to hear how Scott has been doing in his business and what he’s set as a goal for you this next year, be sure to listen! Weird things happen when the spotlight shines on you.Scott never imagined that the TAS brand and movement would become so big. When he first started his own Amazon sales business he only wanted to generate income for himself and his family. But the more he worked on things the more he came to see that what he was learning was of value to so many people - he just had to share it. That’s how the podcast and his workshops came to be and the rest is an unbelievable piece of history. But with that kind of notoriety comes some weirdness. People don’t always respond well. On this episode, Scott talks a bit about how he’s been received and what he’s learning about the things you experience on the path to success. Why Scott never wants to be a guy who doesn’t do what he’s teaching others to do.Over the past year, there have been a few people accusing Scott Voelker of being a “teach but not do” sort of internet guru. They think he’s phased out of selling on Amazon himself but is still making money from teaching others how to sell on Amazon. Nothing could be further from the truth. On this episode, Scott pulls back the curtain to show you what he’s doing in his own sales business and gives you the reasons that he NEVER wants to teach something that he’s not personally doing. It’s great insight into the character behind the TAS brand. Why you have to just start. No excuses.Scott Voelker has often said, “Just start.” He knows that unless you get moving, you’ll never have a chance of getting anywhere. That’s why he’s continued to stress the importance of taking action now before you get scared away or find a reason to give in to your personal insecurities that tell you, you can't do it. You’ve got to take action if you’re going to change your life for the better. Sure, there is a bit of risk involved but the potential rewards are far beyond what most people imagine. Scott’s got a bit of a pep talk for you on this episode about what it takes to get started and why you should - so be sure you listen. Scott’s goal: Help 500 people earn $1000 per month.Every new year most people in the entrepreneurial space set goals for their business. Scott is no different. He’s got personal goals for his income and sales numbers but he’s also got some goals for what he wants to do through The Amazing Seller podcast and brand. On this episode, Scott Voelker tells how he’s come up with the mission of helping 500 people make $1000 per month through eCommerce and online sales - and why it’s important for the trajectory of what he’s doing as an Amazon coach and consultant. Will you be one of those 500 people? You can be. Find out how on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 6 January 2017
It’s time for the Friday Q&A episode of the podcast - we call it the “Ask Scott” episodes. You can connect with Scott Voelker to ask your own Amazon or eCommerce related questions. It could be anything: product selection, email marketing, list building, website issues, really - anything. When you do, Scott will answer them on the podcast for everyone to hear. And when you ask your question be sure you leave your name so Scott can thank you personally and refer to you directly. For now, listen to this episode to hear Scott’s answers to the questions of other eCommerce sellers. Being an entrepreneur is a life of ups and downs. Get used to it and get fueled by it.It’s not uncommon for people who are trying to build an eCommerce or another type of business to be discouraged often. That’s because any time you’re trying to build something great you’re going to run into resistance. It’s just the way life is. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott has a pep talk for you about how to deal with the discouragements that will inevitably come and how you can turn them to your advantage for greater success. That’s something you could use, isn’t it? Be sure you take the time to hear this episode. What is the best way to use product discounts in conjunction with review requests?A listener called in to ask Scott about a particular approach to seeking reviews in conjunction with offering a discount code. He doesn’t exactly want to offer the discount in exchange for the review - that would be a violation of Amazon’s policy - but he does want to couple the two together. Is it a strategy that would actually work? Even more importantly, is it something Amazon would even allow without penalizing the seller in some way? You can hear Scott’s response to this creative strategy on this episode. I noticed that a certain product on page two is selling more than those on page 1. What’s up?An Amazon seller who is doing product research has noticed something a bit unexpected. There are products that are showing up on page 2 of the search results that are actually selling more products than the products on page 1 of the search results. How can that be? Doesn’t Amazon weight the search results in favor of those products that are selling more? Why would a higher seller be on page 2? Scott’s got some theories about what might be happening in this situation and he’s going to tell you what he thinks about it on this episode. Why you don’t have to start big on Amazon private label.When you are considering a business selling private label products on Amazon you may be a bit intimidated because you think you’ve got to put a lot of money into it at the beginning. But actually, there are advantages to NOT putting in a ton of money at the start. That way you can test a market, validate that there is good potential for sales, and get your feet wet a little bit at a time - learning how the entire process works. If you want to learn how to do it Scott has some great resources to share with you so make sure you take the time to listen to this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 4 January 2017
Everybody has a story. And every person who has an Amazon success story has a lot to share that can help the rest of us move forward. If you’re looking for an inspiring story to show you what’s possible in Amazon private label sales you want to hear this episode. It features Sophie Howard, an international seller who built her Amazon business over her maternity leave and recently sold it for 7 figures. Her goal was to build a hobby business and it swelled into so much more. Find out how Sophie did it and how her story could help you build your business, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. The amazing true story of a hobby business turned 7 figures within 2 years.What is your goal for your Amazon business? In other words, what is the REASON you are doing it? It’s got to be about more than just making money. Today’s guest is Sophie Howard, a resident of New Zealand who started her Amazon private label business in order to provide for the lifestyle she and her family wanted. She had two years in which to do it and the results were phenomenal. This episode is going to take you inside Sophie’s product selection, product launch, sales funnel, and so much more. You’re going to be inspired by her tenacity and drive and see how her success could be yours as well. How Sophie researched her niche - it was an intense process.As you’ve learned from previous episodes of The Amazing Seller, product and market research is a very necessary part of the private label sales process. If you don’t make a good choice at the beginning you may be stuck with a struggle for the lifetime of the product. Sophie Howard took that very seriously because she not only wanted to have a successful product, she also wanted to be confident that success was around the corner. And successful is exactly what she was, selling her business for 7 figures in just two years. You can hear what Sophie did to research her products and find the very best fit for her products in her market, on this episode. The power of joining Facebook groups surrounding your product niche.One of the ways that Sophie did product and market research was to join a number of Facebook groups that were centered around her product niche. She became a familiar face in the groups, asked questions, listened and took part in the conversations going on, and discovered what people who were already highly interested in that market were naturally interested in. She discovered through those relationships where there were gaps in the market that she could fill. If you want to hear the specifics, you can by listening to this great episode. eCommerce is changing so fast if you don’t enjoy learning you won’t enjoy eCommerce.Sophie Howard is a great example of the kind of person who does well in the eCommerce space. She’s an avid learner and isn’t afraid to jump in and find out how things work. She believes that you have to be eager to learn or else the eCommerce world will be a source of constant frustration for you - because it’s always changing and will continue to do so. On this episode, you’re going to hear the story of a tenacious, everyday mom who wanted to build a business on Amazon. And you’ll hear how she did it to the tune of 7 figures. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 2 January 2017
The new year is a great time to do some planning for what’s ahead, to set goals for yourself and your business to make sure you are able to accomplish the most you can. But it’s not only reserved for the new year, you should do planning and goal setting anytime you notice the need. On this episode, Scott walks through his own planning process for setting goals and accomplishing them. His process involves asking the right questions, planning backward, and pushing himself to go a bit farther than he thinks he can. You’ll benefit from hearing what Scott does so grab your notepad and pencil and take some great notes! If you’re going to accomplish what you want, you’ve got to plan to do it.One of the things Scott has noticed is that many people have wishes or hopes for what their life could be like, but very few people actually take the steps needed to ensure that their hopes become reality. It doesn’t make sense but it’s true. If you want to accomplish something you’ve got to be willing to create a plan for achieving it - and then you’ve got to be willing to take steps to make it happen. On this episode, Scott’s walking through his personal planning process as an example for you to follow in creating your own goals and planning to achieve them. The goals you shoot for depend on the questions you ask yourself.It’s very important in any business to create goals, but the success you have in developing the right goals depends on the KINDS of questions you ask yourself - and the WAY the questions are phrased make a lot of difference. On this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast, Scott is going to show you how the right questions can lead to bigger goals and a more spectacular accomplishment of them. You won’t want to miss this simple but powerful tweak that can help you set and attain the goals you really want. Backward planning is the best way to ensure that you’re going to get to your goals.Once you’ve got your goals in place - once you can clearly see what you want to attain - you’ve got to devise a very clear plan of action for how you will accomplish those goals. The best way Scott has found to do this is to start with the goal itself and work backward. Take one step back, just prior to accomplishing the finished goal and clearly outline what that place will look like. Then take one step backward from there and do the same thing. Keep going until you get all the way back to where you currently are. What you have before you at that point is a clear action plan that will take you step by step to your goal. Now it’s time to get busy by applying it to a timeline. Find out how Scott does it on this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast. Why you need to create a 3-year vision for what you want your business to look like.Do know really know what you’re headed towards? It’s not just about monetary goals and business success - it’s about the KIND of company you want to run, the types of relationships you want to have, the quality of life that you want your family to enjoy, and more. On this episode of the podcast, Scott highlights the importance of having a 3-year vision for where you are headed and why it can be a powerful catalyst for your forward motion and the accomplishment of your goals. You should take the time to listen. You’ll have a bigger vision and a more exciting motivation to reach your goals if you do. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 30 December 2016
What’s the latest sticking point in your Amazon or eCommerce business moving forward? Are you having trouble with product selection? Are there questions about using the Amazon dashboard or backend? Maybe it has to do with list-building or sales funnels. This is the Friday episode of The Amazing Seller podcast where you can ask your questions about eCommerce and private label sales on Amazon - and Scott Voelker is the guy who will answer your questions on the episode. Is it helpful to include a product video on my Amazon listing?One of the newest things the Amazon platform offers to private label sellers is the opportunity to create an enhanced product listing. You have to brand register your products to have the option but it allows you to adjust and improve your listing in lots of ways. One of those way is the inclusion of a product video to show more of the benefits and features of your products. But is it always a good idea? And if it is beneficial, what improvements in ranking and sales should you expect to see as a result? On this episode Scott walks through some of the initial things you can expect from adding a video to your product listing, so be sure you take the time to learn about this new feature. How important is a unique design for my new product?A listener called in to ask a question about the benefits of having a unique product design. He’s a graphic designer and as he looks through the Amazon catalogue many of the products seem to be pretty generic to him. He feels that he could create a better design for a product and quickly be THE go-to brand in the niche simply because his product is different. But is that true? On this Ask Scott episode, Scott Voelker walks through the pros and cons of creating a unique design for your products and when you should consider it in the product launch stages. If you’re curious about how to go about differentiating your products you need to hear this episode. How can I go about tracking my product inventory. Amazon’s numbers don’t look right?One of the listeners to The Amazing Seller Podcast called in to ask a question about the stats and inventory numbers that Amazon provides in the backend of the seller accounts. He doesn’t feel that his numbers look accurate because his total sales, returns, and remaining inventory numbers don’t add up. He’s curious if Scott has a better way to keep track of numbers instead of relying on Amazon’s numbers, and whether or not he should contact Amazon’s seller help to find out why their numbers are different. You can hear Scott’s answer on this episode.
Is retail arbitrage still an option? How can it be combined with private label sales?Many Amazon sellers get their start by selling products through retail arbitrage on Amazon. That simply means they find discounted products under existing brands and sell them on Amazon as a wholesaler. But most people move from there into private label sales, which means they source their own product, brand it themselves, and have exclusive rights to the sale of that product. But it’s possible to do both at the same time and to continue doing both to add more cash flow to the business. In response to a couple of questions about retail arbitrage, Scott Voelker shares how some sellers are doing exactly that, so be sure you listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 28 December 2016
It’s episode 300 of the Amazing Seller podcast and it’s been an amazing ride! To commemorate the journey Scott has asked his good friend Chris Shaffer to come on as the HOST of this episode to help Scott walk through his own journey so that you can see that there’s nothing special about how Scott has gotten to where he is except for one thing - and it’s the thing that you hear Scott say episode after episode of this podcast - he’s TAKEN ACTION! How Scott Voelker learned that he didn’t want to work a 9 to 5 job.Scott Voelker has had his share of 9 to 5 jobs, “working for the man.” Right out of school he worked for a local cable company, connecting and disconnecting cable TV, climbing poles, etc. He’s worked as a supervisor or foreman in his Dad’s construction business, and he’s also run his own photography business. Scott decided through that journey that he didn’t like putting in a load of hard work to advance someone else’s business when he wasn’t being compensated for the amount of quality work he was putting in. You can hear how he made the transition from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur, on this 300th episode of The Amazing Seller. Why you can overcome any obstacle if you are determined to do it.One of the overriding principles you’ll hear on this episode that recounts Scott’s journey from 9 to 5 employee to full-time entrepreneur is that he was willing to do the work needed to overcome the obstacles that blocked the path to success. Scott is convinced that if you set a goal and are determined to reach it, nothing can stop you. You may have to stop for a bit to learn a new skill or to find someone to help you, but you won’t be stopped for good if you think in terms of possibilities instead of obstacles. Scott’s journey is an inspiring example of how it works so be sure you take the time to listen! An important question for any endeavor: What’s the worst that could happen?As Scott has worked toward building his own online sales and training business he’s discovered that one of his greatest assets has been his wife. At many points along the road he’s been hesitant to step into something new, including the start of the Amazing Seller Podcast. But his wife was always there behind the scenes encouraging him to give it a try. One of the things she said to him repeatedly which you can take as a great tool for your progress is this: What’s the worst that can happen? When you can answer that question you’ll see that it’s usually not as bad as you think and not as difficult to press ahead as you imagined. I knew if I could help enough people - eventually, I’d be compensated for it.In this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott was asked by his friend Chris what his plan was for the monetization of his podcast when he first began. Scott said that he didn’t worry about that at first because he knew that the old Zig Ziglar quote was true - if he helped enough people get what they wanted, he would eventually get what he wanted - which did include a certain amount of compensation. It’s proven exactly true and Scott says to this day that it’s his greatest joy to see people apply what he teaches them and then go out to rock their own Amazon or eCommerce business. You can hear Scott’s story on this amazing episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 26 December 2016
Anyone who is busy selling eCommerce products, either on Amazon or other places, knows that the eCommerce space is always changing for various reasons. With those changes come both challenges and incredible opportunities for those who are willing to put in the work to learn what the changes mean and how to get their products rocking in light of them. This episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and his buddy Chris are chatting about the changes that have happened over the last year, what it has meant for building online eCommerce businesses, and what can be done better moving forward to make 2017 a rocking and powerful year for you. Why changes over the last year on Amazon have shifted the launch mindset.For a very long time, everyone who‘s been building a business on Amazon private label products has been able to motivate people to leave reviews by offering them a discount in exchange for that review. But that’s an advantage that has gone away due to changes on Amazon. The change has forced Amazon sellers to shift their mindset about how to promote products and how to build a more successful business. You’ve got to do new things to make sales happen now, that's the long and short of it. On this episode, Scott and Chris cover some of the mindset shifts that have been forced by Amazon changes and suggest ways you can make your business fly even higher by using the advantages that come BECAUSE OF the changes. The changes Amazon has made lately make it BETTER for serious sellers. Here’s why.The changes that have happened on the Amazon sales platform this year in relation to reviews have made one thing very clear. Many people were building a business solely on the back of being able to offer a discount in exchange for reviews. What that has done is make an opportunity for those who are serious about building a business on Amazon and independent of it. The learning curve is high but it’s actually a BETTER opportunity for those who are serious business people who want to build a long lasting eCommerce business. Find out how you can be one of those long-lasting brands, on this episode. The winning way to choose private label products in light of recent changes on Amazon.As things have changed on the Amazon platform over the last year it’s become apparent that the old way of doing product selection doesn’t work anymore. Why? Because reviews are now harder to come by so if you’re going to use reviews as a way to establish social proof you’re going to have a harder road getting there. That means you’ve got to target product niches where the most successful products have fewer reviews. If you’d like to hear more about how Chris and Scott go about selecting great products to launch on Amazon you can listen to this episode and get all of their insights. Here’s how you can leverage lightning deals to promote your products and get more sales.The Amazon platform has always allowed you to use the “Lightning Deal” feature, but the way to use it and exactly WHO can use it has changed a lot over the years. But now, it’s much more available to everyone than in the past and it’s a way you can utilize to get more product sales in spurts through Amazon’s promotion of your products. On this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast, you’re going to hear how Scott and Chris suggest anyone can use the Lightning Deal feature to boost sales and sales rank so to get your products rolling and build momentum. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 23 December 2016
It’s time for another of the Friday “Ask Scott” episodes where you get to hear Scott’s answers to the real-life questions of other Amazon sellers. And what’s even better than that is that YOU can ask your own specific questions for Scott to answer. You’ll be able to learn all kinds of great things about product listings, marketing funnels, sales issues, and much more. If you want to hear Scott’s answers and even learn how to ask your own questions you should make sure you listen to this “Ask Scott” episode. How much detail should you include in your product listing? Will other people copy it if you do?A listener asks today whether he should include the kinds of things that set his product apart when it comes to product materials, densities, etc. He has two different thoughts about it. #1 - it IS the type of product that those things really matter so he sees it as a possible way to show that his product is high quality. #2 - He’s concerned that others in the market may use his detailed descriptions to copy what he’s doing and bring more competition to his market. Scott’s got a great way of looking at this issue so be sure you listen to get this episode. Selling an electronic product? Do you need to be compliant with FCC regulations and such?One of the things Scott has often advised AGAINST is the sale of electronic products. His main reasons have been that there are too many products in the space and that the likelihood of product returns due to product defects is much higher. But there are other issues having to do with government regulations, etc. that you need to be concerned about. On this episode, Scott dives into that issue and the various things you want to keep in mind so you don’t get yourself into trouble. It’s an amazing amount of detail for a short response so be sure you listen, take notes, and take action! When you launch a second product and want to offer a discount to your list, how do you do it wisely?A caller to the show named April is about to launch her second product. AND, she’s been building an email list for her first product and is eager to send a discount to her list for the new product. Way to go April! Her question on this episode has to do with the best way to provide a discount to the people on her list. Should she give a discount code that anyone can use? Should she create a single-use code and reply to each person who wants to use it? Or is there a better way? Scott’s got some great ideas about how to do this in a powerful, simple, and search-boosting way, so be sure you listen. When it comes to the time you have available, here’s a caution to help you budget it well.One of the things Scott has been learning (again) is that time is a very precious thing. Every minute that passes is a minute that you can never get back. Here we are approaching the holidays and most of us will be spending a lot of time with family. But we’re also eagerly building Amazon and eCommerce businesses. How do you effectively make sure that the time you’re spending with your family is time WELL SPENT with your family, with your mind engaged in the moments you have with them? You can hear why this is becoming more important to Scott and what he suggests you do to keep yourself on track when it comes to the wise use of your time, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 21 December 2016
Today’s topic on The Amazing Seller is not all that appealing at first glance. It’s the issue of figuring out exactly who your target market is - your ideal customer - and how to speak the language they actually use in real life so that you can relate better to them and increase your conversions. For this episode, Scott has asked Josh Bauer to come on the show because he’s got tons of experience in this area and has been working to hone his skills in customer messaging to amplify his impact and sales. You won’t want to miss this because the results that can come from a few small tweaks can be powerful for sales conversions. Be sure to listen! The #1 way you are wasting your marketing money.Everybody who is selling products online - whether private label products or some other channel - understands that marketing is what keeps the wheels of the machine rolling. But you can’t just shoot out marketing messages and expect people to buy your products. You’ve got to produce marketing messages that connect with real people in real life. When you do that well you are showing a real person on the other end of your message that you care about them and that you can provide the perfect solution to their problem or need. Josh Bauer has learned how to craft his marketing messages to truly connect with the person on the other side of the message - and he shares his top 5 tips on this episode. Why you’ve got to use the features of your product to highlight the benefits.When you’re setting up a product listing inside the Amazon dashboard you have the opportunity to set up bullet points to highlight the features of your product. It’s important to list the features because they are a finer point of the things that make your product unique. But you’ve got to learn not to major on the features but instead focus on the benefits the end user will receive from using the features. The people who are purchasing your product need to understand what they are going to get from using your product and each feature needs to be tied into that basic human need to benefit personally. Find out more about how to do this like a pro, on this episode. Here’s why you have to understand your customer’s journey to increase sales.There’s more to marketing your products than simply putting out your message and receiving the sale. You’ve got to understand that your customers are on a journey of sorts, a progression from recognition of their need all the way beyond making a purchase to meet that need - into a relationship with the person who helps them meet it (you). On this episode Scott and his guest Josh are chatting about how important it is for you to understand your customer’s buying journey and how you can create marketing messages that not only take it into account but go beyond that to utilize it to help them see the benefits your products will provide and lead them along on that buying journey into relationship with you. How to use the knowledge that extroverts are led by excitement and introverts are led by security.There are two types of people in the world in terms of how they relate to others - introverts and extroverts. At risk of being too simplistic, you can use those two personality types to your advantage when it comes to selling your products. Extroverts are led toward a decision, many times, by excitement. Introverts, on the other hand, are led to a decision oftentimes through their desire for safety. Listen to this episode to better understand how your use of those motivations can help you position your products and marketing messages to tap into those underlying needs and gain more sales and customer relationships as a result. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 19 December 2016
There are lots of ways to start selling products on Amazon. But there are some approaches that restrict you more than others in terms of the categories you are able to sell within and the variety of products you can offer. On this episode, Scott talks with his friend Dom Sugar about what it means to build an open brand, why it is a faster way to find and launch products, and how you can approach this style of selling, on this episode. Are you married to your product brand? What would happen if you weren’t?The idea of selling products under an “open brand” is foreign to a lot of sellers who are trying to build a brand in a certain niche. An open brand enables you to sell products in all sorts of niches, testing as you go, learning what products are popular and which are not. This approach enables you to get products started faster and cull the ones that aren’t working while still building a business. You can even have multiple niched brands within your open brand. If it doesn’t make sense to you now, that’s OK. Listen to this episode to hear Scott and his friend Dom Sugar explain what the open brand strategy is. How retail arbitrage can connect to an open brand sales model.Dom Sugar has been selling products online for years. Most recently he’s been selling private label products and is doing so very successfully. But he’s not exclusively selling private label products, he still sells products under a retail arbitrage model through his open brand. He finds the opportunities, puts them on Amazon to see what will happen, and lets them sell at whatever rate they will. It’s a way that he has low-volume sales going on all the time to support his other business endeavors. It’s a great model that you can learn more about on this episode. An open brand enables you to build brands within your brand.As Scott and Dom talked about the concept of building an open brand on this episode, it became clear that it’s possible to build a handful of individual brands within a larger “open” brand. The open brand may be the name on the seller account - “ABC Products” for example. Then underneath that main brand may be a home brand, a pet brand, a sporting goods brand, and more. It enables you to try all kinds of products in any niche, regardless of whether you’re already doing that type of product or not. Find out how to make it happen in your business, on this episode. The power of an open brand is that you’re able to test for beneficial, larger brand possibilities.When you keep your brand broad and open you are able to try a variety of products without having to remain within a certain niche. When you find one that begins to sell at a rapid pace then you have the opportunity to think through the possibility of selling related products and actually building a brand from it. This is one of the tips that Dom Sugar shares with Scott on this episode. Dom’s been selling products online for years and has lots of perspective on how you can go about finding and selling products profitably. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 16 December 2016
Whenever you start something new there’s a ton of things that can stand in the way of you getting started - and much of it has to do with ignorance. When you don’t know everything involved with starting it all seems pretty large, pretty overwhelming. That’s why it’s helpful for someone who’s been down the road ahead of you to come alongside to help you navigate the questions and pitfalls. That’s what these Friday “Ask Scott” episodes are all about. It’s your opportunity to get your questions answered about private label sales on Amazon and eCommerce business in general. Find out how you can ask your questions on this episode. I can’t get Amazon to approve me for a seller account. What’s the problem?A listener to the podcast called in today and has a very unusual problem. She’s applied to have a seller account on Amazon and has been denied. And no matter how much she follows up, trying to get an answer to why she’s being denied, she’s not getting anywhere. So she called in to ask Scott what he would recommend. Should she give up? Should she just go to Etsy or eBay and forget about Amazon altogether? Scott’s got some great insights for this person - and you can hear it on this episode. My wife has always dreamt of starting a clothing boutique. How can we get started on Amazon?A listener from Ireland called Scott to ask about the different issues he might face trying to sell clothing on Amazon. The clothing category is a very crowded space and it’s difficult to get started. But there are some things that you need to keep in mind that could help you set yourself apart from the rest of the products you’ll find listed on Amazon. What sort of things could you do to stand out? You can hear the kind of things Scott recommends on this episode. I somehow missed the deadline to get my products listed before the holidays. What should I do?A while back Amazon made an announcement that new FBA sellers would not be able to send in products until after December 19th. That’s because the Amazon warehouses are packed with products that will be sold through the holiday season. What should new sellers do if they have missed that cutoff deadline? Scott’s got some great insights into things you can do to maximize your impact when you are able to send products to the warehouse AND he’s got some suggestions for other places you might be able to sell your products over the holidays. Find out more on this episode. If you want to start selling eCommerce products online, join the FREE private label workshop.One of the things that Scott Voelker has provided free of charge for a long time is the private label workshop. He’ll walk you through the 5 phases involved in researching, buying, and launching a product on Amazon and to top it all off, he’ll stick around for questions after the workshop is over. You can find out more about the private label workshop and how you can get registered for the next one by listening to this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 14 December 2016
One of the frustrations about selling products on Amazon is that the platform is changing all the time. But one of the GREAT things about it is that things are changing all the time, too! Every now and then a change is made to the terms of service or tools that make it much BETTER for those selling their private label products on Amazon. On this episode Scott is walking through some of the most recent changes, helping you understand what they mean for you, and showing you how to use them effectively on your products to ramp up sales. If your products are not brand registered you are now SERIOUSLY missing out on new features!For a while now Amazon has been allowing private label sellers to apply for brand registration - a way to register yourself as the only owner of your brand. So far there have only been a few benefits to being brand registered but as of the last week, there’s a HUGE reason to get your products brand registered - you can get new formatting tools to make your product listing stand out in some special ways. Images, text enhancements and formatting, additional bullets, and more are now yours - but only if you’re brand registered. Find out how you can take advantage of it, on this episode. What if you could build a long form sales page for your private label products?Leadpages and ClickFunnels are two of the popular landing page software services that enable you to build sales pages on your own website. Statistics prove that landing pages of this sort are much more effective in making sales. Now Amazon has created some template-based features for all brand registered products that make your product listing much more like a long-form sales page. You can find out the details and learn how to start building your own product listing sales pages on the Amazon platform - on this episode of The Amazing Seller. Do you have access to the new Enhanced Content on your Amazon listings?Amazon has been rolling out a new feature - enhanced content - to all brand registered sellers over the past few weeks. But not everyone is seeing it yet. If you’re not seeing this new option in the advertising tab of your seller account then you need to reach out to Amazon to see how you can get it. Chris and Scott walk through what they suggest you do if Amazon has not given you the enhanced content yet, on this episode. Now you can get rid of hijackers forever - by getting brand registered.For quite a while now it’s been possible for someone to list products under your product listing and eventually take it over, leaving you with no control over your own product listing. But Amazon has now created a way for you to prevent that from happening, but you’ve got to be brand registered first. But not everyone gets approved for brand registry the first time. How do you keep working to get your products registered if you’ve been rejected? You can find out by hearing what Scott and Chris have to say, on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 12 December 2016
One of the things Amazon sellers can easily overlook is the issue of liability. Is your product safe? Should it include a choking warning? Is there a risk that you could be sued or that your product could be held liable for harm done to a person or their property? These are not things we like to think about but they are a necessary consideration when you’re building a business. On this episode, Scott is chatting with Michelle Love about the issue of liability insurance, both for your business and to cover your products. You’ll want to hear this one. Do you know when you need to purchase product liability insurance for your Amazon biz?Many Amazon sellers who are just getting started have small supplies of their products and very low investment in the business. The thought of purchasing business and product insurance could serve as another reason to quit or not get started at all. But you don’t need to worry about that hurdle yet because Amazon has sales thresholds that you have to meet in order for them to require you to purchase insurance. Do you know what it is? On this episode, you’ll find out and get a lot more advice about insurance for your business from Insurance Agent Michelle Love. How much can Amazon sellers expect to pay for product liability insurance?When you are trying to budget for the expense of product and business insurance you really need to have some figures you can start with to ensure you’re going to be able to pay for it when the time comes. But it’s hard to know exactly what you’re going to need to pay because the premiums depend on the specifics of the products you are selling. How risky are they? What dangers might be involved? It’s not an easy issue to unravel without professional help. On this episode, you’re going to be shown exactly how to know when and what insurance you need in order to cover yourself from lawsuits and liability. How do you know if you’ve got the right kind and enough insurance for your Amazon business?Insurance is not the most exciting thing to talk about but if you’re going to run a business you’ve got to make sure you do everything needed to protect yourself and handle any legal claims that may come against you. On this episode Scott is chatting with Michelle Love, an Insurance Professional who is also selling products through Amazon FBA, so she knows the particular issues that Amazon sellers face and can help you navigate the confusion. Find out how you can know the right insurance and the right amounts of it to purchase, on this episode. Did you know that the Amazon Terms of Service you signed require you to purchase insurance?The habit we all have when it comes to terms of service is to quickly scroll through and hit “accept.” But that’s a practice that can come back to bite you eventually, especially if you are agreeing to do something in the arrangement - which most terms of service do require. In Amazon’s terms of service, there are requirements on you as an Amazon FBA seller that you buy product liability insurance when you reach a certain sales threshold. Did you know that? More importantly, do you need insurance now? Find out the answer for your situation on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 9 December 2016
What’s the deal with this year? It’s just flown by! Here we are in the 4th quarter, the first part of December 2016 and we’re looking at Christmas coming up. But there is lots to be concerned about that’s much more important than product sales. Yep, you heard that right. You’ve got family at home and kids around and the holidays are almost here. So make sure you take a breath, look around you, and enjoy the moment. That’s the first thing Scott has to say as he starts this “Ask Scott” episode of the podcast and he’s learning it himself as he goes. If you’d like to hear this episode and ask your own question, you can ask Scott yourself. Listen to this Q&A episode to find out how! I’m doing well with my first private label product but am still on page 8. How can I improve that?A listener called in to ask how he can improve his product ranking. At this point, he’s consistently on page 8 or page 9 and his niche is a very competitive sub-niche of the sporting goods category. Even though he’s getting a decent amount of sales he’s curious if he’s ranking so low because his seller account is new. He’s also curious what he can do to improve his product rank. Scott’s got one main thought about why his product is ranking so low. Can you guess what it is? You can find out on this episode of The Amazing Seller. No more discounts in exchange for product reviews. What should you do now?In case you haven’t heard, Amazon has now changed its policies to forbid private label sellers from offering discounts in exchange for a review. That doesn’t mean you can’t give discounts. It doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for reviews. But it DOES mean that you can't offer the discount only if the purchaser agrees to leave you a product review. The practice of discounts in exchange for reviews used to be one of the most powerful ways to drive product reviews, which in turn helps with social proof, which in turn drives sales. So… since it’s not allowed now, what should you do to get a product going? Scott’s going to tell you how he’s modified his strategy, on this episode. Can you tell me what the best way is to research great keywords for my products?A listener called in on this episode and he's a Jr. in college and has already launched 4 products and has two more on order. He’s rocking the Amazon private label sales world already and is eager to find out how he can find the best keywords that his products can best rank for. He knows that getting his products found for the keywords people are actually searching for is what is going to help him get in front of the people who are wanting exactly what he has to offer. If you’d like to hear how Scott recommends all sellers go about finding their best product keywords - including the tools he’d use to find them. If private label sales are proving to be a challenge, here’s how you can get your questions answered.The Friday episodes of The Amazing Seller podcast are aimed entirely at answering YOUR Amazon, business, marketing, and private label sales questions. If you are struggling to get your private label questions answered, Scott is the guy. If you want to know how to do better list building and online marketing, Scott’s here to help. Don’t miss these Friday episodes. Not only can you find out how to ask your own questions, you can also hear answers to other sellers’ questions - and that will help you as well! OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 7 December 2016
It’s almost every week that somebody says Amazon is too crowded for anyone to build a successful business selling private label products. But this episode should prove to you that those are entirely false beliefs. This episode features a couple who started out selling products via retail arbitrage but soon transitioned into wholesale products from China that turned into a successful business. It wasn’t overnight and it took a lot of hard work and smart product research but this couple has done it. You can hear every step of their process and the things they’ve done to keep the ball rolling on this episode. How to get past the discouragement to become successful selling on Amazon.In any business, you’ve got to understand that discouragements are going to come. So what can you do to prepare yourself for the discouraging times? How can you set your mind in such a way that you’re more likely to press forward than give up? One of the most important things you can do is to find yourself an encouragement partner. That could be a person who is committed to cheering you on during the difficult times, or it could be an actual business partner like the couple featured on this episode. They have found that when one of them is down the other is able to encourage so they keep moving forward together. What’s your strategy for staying encouraged? Find out how it works for this couple, on this episode. Did you know that you can be rid of Amazon product hijackers once and for all?One of the best things that has happened on the Amazon platform in a very long time is that the powers that be at the Big A have added a new perk to the benefits of brand registering your products. Once you have a brand approved on Amazon it is now impossible for anyone else to begin listing products under your product listings unless they first ask your approval to do so. That is an incredible benefit to private label sellers, virtually eliminating the possibility of hijackers taking over your listing. On this episode Scott and his guests talk about the safety and power of this new ruling, so be sure you listen. Product research criteria #1: Less than 100 product reviews in all of the top 10 listings.When Scott asked this amazing couple what they were looking for when it came to product ideas one of the things they said is a non-negotiable for them is that every one of the top 10 products in any niche they consider must have less than 100 reviews. If you’ve been researching product ideas on Amazon for any length of time that may sound impossible to you but this couple says they find products that fall within that criteria almost every week. You can hear how they are finding them and the tools that make their search easy, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. How poorly optimized Amazon product listing are something you can use to your advantage.When you’re checking out the listings of the competition in a niche where you are considering a possible product launch one of the things you need to look at carefully is how well the competitor’s product listings are optimized. If you find low-resolution pictures or a small number of pictures that’s a sign that you might be able to quickly capture the sales in that category by optimizing your own listing much better than theirs. That’s just one of the product research tips given on this episode by a couple who’s become very successful at selling private label products without resorting to PPC or giveaways. Find out more by listening. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 5 December 2016
So many things having to do with Amazon private label sales change from week to week. With changes happening that rapidly it’s hard to keep abreast of everything and to actually KNOW how to apply the changes effectively for your brand and products. That’s why these TAS Power Hour episodes are so helpful. Three experienced Amazon sellers unpack the current happenings in the Amazon ecosphere on the spot, as they are announced so you can get some perspective on what’s happening and what it means to you. Be sure to listen - this is a great episode that covers a handful of very important topics that have happened lately. Are you using the enhanced listings for your Amazon products? Why not?!!!If you aren’t aware of it, you need to know, Amazon has now rolled out an amazing feature for anyone who has brand registered their products. You can now use the Amazon enhanced listing feature to build out your product listings very much like a long form sales landing page. The drag and drop format and enhanced formatting options like bold, underlining, and more make it possible for you to make your product listing incredibly attractive and powerfully effective as a sales tool. You’ve got to hear the details from the TAS Power Hour guys, on this episode. No more “dollar off” discount codes on Amazon products. It’s true.It used to be the case that you could create discount codes for your Amazon products in two different formats - dollars-off and percentage-off. But it’s not that way anymore. Amazon has now restricted the options to only allow percentage-off discounts. Why is this a big deal? Because the percentage option allows those who receive it to game the system - sort of - and cost you some extra cash as a seller. The guys unpack the issue on this TAS Power Hour episode so be sure you listen so you can know the best ways to use your offer codes. Does Amazon allow you to send discount codes to your email list?With all of the changes going on surrounding review policies on Amazon and the use of discounts in exchange for a review (which isn’t allowed anymore), many people are confused as to what is legal and what is not. One question that comes up over and over is whether or not you as a seller are allowed to send out discount codes for your products via your email list. On this episode of the TAS Power Hour the guys discuss that strategy - tell why it’s so powerful - and what Amazon really thinks about it. You’ve got to hear this one. It’s now possible to lock down your Amazon products to prevent hijackers.For a long time now, Scott and his buddies have been recommending that every person who is selling products on Amazon go through the process of brand registering their products so they can get in on the many benefits it brings. Now there’s another benefit that’s been added to the brand registry perks - and it's amazing! You can now essentially lock down your products so that anyone who wants to list a product under that listing has to ask YOUR permission to do so. It’s incredible. Find out how to take advantage of this new perk on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 2 December 2016
It’s one thing to learn the hard way. It’s an even BETTER thing to learn from the hard mistakes that OTHER PEOPLE have made. You can be one of the smart people who learns from that second option by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller. It’s one of the Friday, “Ask Scott” episodes where you are able to ask your questions, share your mistakes, and find out how to an experienced Amazon seller would handle your situation or circumstance. It’s a great way to learn from the experiences of others to shorten your learning curve and make your business more profitable, faster. What happens on Amazon when you change your product packaging?One of the listeners to The Amazing Seller podcast called in to ask Scott about the impact of changing his product packaging. He’s making improvements to the quality and appearance of his product, which is always a great thing to do for the sake of customer perception of your brand and products. But does a change in packaging change the way Amazon handles his products? Does it affect his product listings in any way? Is he going to run into trouble because his products are not exactly the same as they have been in the past? Scott Voelker has a great answer about this issue and even gives some advice about how to go about deciding on the better packaging options for your products - it's all on this episode. Use existing products and reviews to magnify sales of product variations.When you’ve got an existing product for sale on Amazon and the reviews have already been coming in, you’ve got a great asset that you need to capitalize on. But how do you do that? Scott’s got some suggestions for how you can use the reviews and the ratings on your current Amazon product SKUs to help you build brand awareness, cross-selling possibilities, and more for your related or variation products. He’s sharing those ideas on this “can’t miss” episode of the podcast, so be sure you make the time to listen. How to create a brand name or brand identity for your eCommerce products.We all know the brands that have dominated the retail industry. Nike. Apple. Harley Davidson. These companies are known for their brand identity as much as they are for the products or services they provide. How do you create a brand that is THAT powerful? Is there a simple but effective way to begin the process? Scott Voelker is a proponent of what he calls “Open Branding” and on this episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast, in response to a listener question, he walks through what it takes to build an open brand, what it means for you as a person growing a brand from nothing into prominence, and how you can get started today. What is your biggest eCommerce or Private Label struggle? Get a solution here.There’s nothing like an experienced voice of reason to come alongside you when you’re struggling to find an answer to a pain point or problem you have. In business, that can be extra helpful because every delay or misstep can cost you money. This is an “Ask Scott” episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast where Scott Voelker answers your eCommerce, business, and Amazon sales questions. You don’t have to learn all the lessons yourself by making mistakes. You can learn from someone who’s been down the road ahead of you and is happy to help you learn to navigate your journey using his mistakes and lessons learned. If you’re at all interested in eCommerce, this episode is a great introduction to what it takes to build a successful business. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 30 November 2016
It’s nearing the end of the year and most sellers are so busy preparing for a great fourth quarter that they aren’t thinking a bit about preparing for tax season. That’s pretty normal but could be a mistake. You’ve got to begin thinking through your tax liability a long time before tax season comes. That’s why Scott is doing this episode with his friend and business accountant, Josh Bauerle. Josh works with lots of online entrepreneurs and Amazon sellers and has a great deal of experience dealing with the tax implications of those kinds of businesses. You’re going to learn some great things from Josh on this episode so make sure you carve out the time to listen and get yourself ready for tax season. One of the biggest tax mistakes Amazon sellers make has to do with inventory.As a seller of online products you naturally have inventory. Inventory is the products you purchase to resell through your online platforms. You can write off your inventory when it comes to taxes - BUT inventory for tax purposes is NOT what you might think it is. You’ve got to know what the IRS considers to be inventory, how it handles these things, and how it requires you to keep your inventory records. Josh Bauerle is an expert on these things and he’s got a very clear explanation of how you need to handle your inventory issues - and he shares it on this episode. Sales tax is a real headache for eCommerce sellers. Do you know how to handle it?Every person or company who sells products online is liable for sales tax on those products. It's not only a federal issue, it also varies with each state in which the products are sold. If you spend even a small amount of time thinking about that you’ll realize that the potential sales tax liability for an Amazon private label seller can get pretty heavy, pretty quickly. And on top of all that, every state handles the rules differently. You’ve got to get this one figured out though - it could make or break your business. CPA Josh Bauerle is Scott’s guest on this episode and he’s got lots of wisdom for you regarding taxes and tax liability. Why it’s legally vital for you to keep business funds separate from personal funds.Many people start out in business flying by the seat of their pants. Every business expense and every personal expense seem to be the same thing because they are living off of the money they make from the business. But today’s guest, Josh Bauerle is a CPA who has worked with business people for a long time and he’s got some horror stories about the kind of things that can happen when you co-mingle your personal and business expenses. On this episode, he highlights the reasons you need to keep those funds separate and how you can easily track and coordinate them to keep you out of tax trouble. This section alone is worth the time it will take you to listen. Are you getting all the business tax deductions that are rightfully yours?When you start a business of any kind you’re going to spend money for a variety of things that go into the operation of your business. From office supplies, to educational resources, to trips, you can legally and ethically write off many of the expenses you have in order to decrease your tax liability. But there are guidelines for how you do it that you have to understand so that you don’t get yourself in trouble with the IRS. Find out how to do tax deductions the right way from Josh Bauerle, CPA on fire, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 28 November 2016
In the business world these days you hear a ton of talk about mindset. There’s a reason for that. Mindset is one of the things that determines your progress and your ultimate level of success. And the good thing is that it’s one of the main things you can actually control. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott’s going deep with a friend of his, Ryan Daniel Moran about the development of a strong, success-oriented mindset. Both of them are convinced that the true bottleneck to success and growth is right between our ears. If you want to know how to break out of the limiting mindset habits you have, you’ve got to hear this great episode. Often, the bottleneck in growth and success is mindset.What you believe is possible for you will naturally limit what you find possible practically. It’s a fact of life. If you don’t think you can lift a 50-pound weight, you won’t be able to do it. In fact, you might not even make the attempt. That’s a simple example of how mindset can be the bottleneck to many things in our lives. On this episode, Scott chats with his buddy Ryan Moran about this issue of mindset - and they go deep. You’ll learn a handful of strategies to help you reset your mindset over time and reach greater levels of success as a result. Beliefs TIMES strategy and execution TIMES time = resultsOne of the most powerful things Ryan Moran shares on this episode of The Amazing Seller is his formula for how our mindset impacts our results. Here it is: Beliefs TIMES strategy and execution TIMES time EQUAL results. What it means is that what you believe will be multiplied through the approach and actions you take and over time your results will come about. It’s a bit confusing to see in print but Ryan explains it incredibly well on this episode, so be sure you listen. The 10X exercise is a way you can stretch your perception of what is normal and possibleOne of the things Ryan Moran does with those who he coaches and who attend his events is what he calls “The 10X Exercise.” He has you write down the level of income you are experiencing right now. Then he has you write down where you want to be. Then - one more step - he has you write down 10 times what you want. A very interesting thing begins to happen as people write down that 10X number, something most people don’t anticipate. Do you know what it is? On this episode, Ryan shares the story and tells you what it reveals about mindset, beliefs about possibility, and more - on this episode. Association and input determine what you believe is possibleEveryone is a product of the environment they have lived within. The things you hear as “normal” are the things you come to believe ARE normal. It’s THAT perception of what is normal that dictates what you believe is possible. How do you stretch that boundary? How do you get yourself to believe that more is possible for you, for your business? On this episode Ryan Moran shares some of the ways he’s found it possible to break through those perceived limitations for himself, so be sure you listen to find out how you can begin moving into a place of greater success and possibility. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 25 November 2016
There are always ways to learn. There are always ways to build your existing business even bigger. These Friday episodes of The Amazing Seller podcast are aimed at helping you learn how to do that by answering your Amazon private label or eCommerce questions. On this episode you’ll hear real-life questions from real-life sellers who are doing their part to learn how to build a business or make their existing business bigger. You can learn a lot by listening to the questions and answers on this “Ask Scott” episode of the show. What’s the best way to get my brick-and-mortar products selling on Amazon?One of the callers on this “Ask Scott” episode is curious what he needs to do in order to bring his existing products - that he sells in his physical location - onto the Amazon sales platform. Scott thinks this is an amazingly helpful question because in his view, every person who is already selling things offline should immediately (if not sooner) get their products listed on Amazon. On this episode, Scott’s going to share why he thinks this person should get his products onto Amazon and how he should go about it. It’s a great response to a very good question that you’ll want to hear. How do I enter a market if I’m concerned that it might be too saturated?If you are curious about what it takes to build a successful product business on Amazon then you need to hear the question one of Scott’s listeners asked on this episode. She’s curious how she can determine if a specific market she’s interested in is too crowded with sellers - and beyond that, she wants to know if there is a way that she can begin to offer products within the wider market without coming into direct competition with the big players. Scott’s got some very creative and interesting approaches to this question and he shares his ideas on this episode. What are the best ways to work alongside your spouse in a business partnership?One of Scott’s listeners is eager to get started with Amazon private label sales. He and his wife have been listening to the show together and want to work on their Amazon business as a team. He called in to ask for Scott’s advice regarding how to best work together with a significant other. He’s concerned about the stress and potential for difficulty and conflict - so he wants to head those things off before they get started by applying Scott’s great advice. What would you tell him? You can hear Scott’s answer and suggestions on this episode. Do you have a question about business, eCommerce, or selling private label products?It’s always good to have an experienced person in your corner, a coach or advisor who can point you in the right direction and give you their lessons-learned from experience. That’s what this “Ask Scott” episode of The Amazing Seller podcast is all about. You can call in to leave a voicemail question for Scott Voelker and he’ll do his very best to answer your question - and include it in one of the next Friday episodes of the show. You can find out how to ask your question and get an answer from Scott by listening to this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 23 November 2016
One of the things Scott and Chris do on The Amazing Seller podcast now and then are “hot seat” sessions where they look at a real-life Amazon product listing to suggest tweaks to the listing and give advice about how to optimize the product for better sales. This episode of the show is exactly that - and it’s a bit different than usual because the product they are looking at is in a very competitive niche with competitive products that are well established and making lots of sales. How would you approach the promotion of a product given those circumstances? You can hear how Scott and Chris would do it on this episode. Is it smart to go after a super competitive product niche?On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and Chris are looking at an Amazon product listing that is in a very competitive niche. The product owner asked the guys to look it over and give some suggestions about how he can increase his sales and gain more of the market share. But neither Scott nor Chris would have tried to sell this product in the first place because the market is crowded with heavy-hitting competitors. But now that the product is established and selling what should the product owner do? You can hear how Scott and Chris would approach it on this episode of the show. Why an external strategy is key for products in a competitive product market.Much of the reason that new products in competitive niches don’t have much chance of becoming popular with buyers is because of the social proof the larger, more established products have. They may have thousands of positive reviews when the new product is first introduced, which makes it an uphill climb to gain any share of the market. If a product like this is going to gain any traction it’s going to come from building a mailing list and doing promotions outside of Amazon. On this episode Scott and Chris walk you through how they’d do that and why it’s so important - so be sure you listen! Should you create a lead-in product to stimulate existing product sales?If you have a product that is being overshadowed by dominant competition there is a long-term approach you can take to gain ground in the market. Scott calls it a lead-in product. Here’s how it works: You begin offering a second product that has a less crowded market but is related to your first product. You do the things you need to do in order to get it selling then offer the first product (the one that’s difficult to sell) as an “also bought” or related product. It’s one way to come at buyers from the back door, giving them the opportunity to see your great product through another product's channel. You can hear Scott describe how he’d go about creating that kind of related product on this episode. Do you know how to target your Amazon product to a specific person?Many Amazon sellers feel that their product listings are optimized when there are many things they could do to make their listing more compelling. One of the things Chris and Scott suggest is to change the wording of your bullet points to reflect the benefits a specific type of person would experience if they were to buy your product. It’s called targeting - aiming your product at the person most likely to purchase your product - and you do it by getting into their world and determining what would be of greatest benefit to them relating to your product. Scott and Chris give some great examples of how to do it on this episode, so be sure you take the time to listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 21 November 2016
The second TAS Breakthrough LIVE event just wrapped up and the amazing conversations and ideas that happened are hard to describe after the fact. But on this episode, Scott and Chris are going to give it a shot! So take some time to listen in to find out if events like this are something that could move your online business forward in the future. These two guys are sold on the value of these events and even read powerful testimonials about how this event served to move the businesses of other people forward. So sit back, listen to what these two guys learned, and how you can get involved in a similar group or event in the future. The important role that personal connections make in the advancement of your business.Everyone knows what it feels like to be discouraged. And conversely, everyone knows how good it feels to be encouraged by someone who is like-minded and gets where you are headed. There’s nothing like it. Chris and Scott have learned that events like TAS Breakthrough LIVE are a wonderful place for people who are working in a specific niche to gather, learn from each other’s experiences (successes and failures), brainstorm ideas for making each other more successful, and much more. But none of it will happen if you aren’t in a situation where you can be encouraged in those ways. Find out how you can connect with these events yourself, on this episode. Once you’ve got a private label product on Amazon should you go wide or go deep?Once you start to experience a bit of success selling private label products on Amazon you have a decision to make. Are you going to sit back and be satisfied with your current level of success or are you going to press forward to grow your success? If you’re going to press forward you have another decision to make. Are you going to go wide by finding building new brands that are unrelated to your current product? Or are you going to go deep by adding adjacent products that make your current products even more effective? On this episode, Scott and Chris talk about a scenario they discussed with the group who attended the TAS Breakthrough LIVE event where a current successful Amazon seller was asking this question. Should you use Kickstarter to launch your products? It’s possible, but not easy.If you are looking to launch a private label product on Amazon there are many ways you can go about it. But every one of them is going to require hard work and effective marketing. At the latest TAS Breakthrough LIVE event, one of the hot seat sessions focused on a successful Amazon seller (he’s making $25K per month presently) who has used Kickstarter to launch every one of his current products. In every case, he’s had a successful campaign that fully funded his product launch, but he wants to do even more. The guys had a great time helping him think through his Kickstarter strategy, why he’s doing things in that way, and what his end goal is for his Amazon business efforts. You’ve got to hear this part of the conversation, it’s a fresh look at the product launch approach that you’ll enjoy hearing. There’s often potential to grow your brand even if you’re already successful.At the recent TAS Breakthrough LIVE event, one of the people on the hot seat was trying to decide how she could grow her brand even more, even though she was already selling $80K per month. What? Isn’t that successful enough? Maybe, but it depends on your end goals. This seller wanted to build her brand even more and was unaware of some very obvious things she could do to make what she’s currently doing even more successful and the hot seat session helped her get clarity on a game plan for moving forward and reaching even higher levels of success. You’ve got to hear her amazing story. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 18 November 2016
It’s always good to learn from the success and failure of someone who is already down the same road you’re walking. That’s one of the reasons Scott does these Friday “Ask Scott” episodes of The Amazing Seller podcast. You can hear other real-life Amazon private label sellers call in to ask Scott a question about their private label sales issues - and who knows, you may hear a question that addresses an issue you’ve been dealing with yourself. My seasonal product has almost sold out. Should I replenish or wait until the next season?On this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast a listener called Scott to ask what he should do in regard to his inventory. He sells a seasonal product that is very successful in the summer months, so it makes sense that in November he’s almost out of stock. He’s curious if it makes sense for him to replenish his product inventory now or to wait to make those purchases until right before his busy season. If you take the time to listen you’ll get to hear how Scott thinks about it - why he believes he's got the best approach - and you might be surprised by his answer. Can I create a bundle as a variation of my existing product?A listener called in to ask if he can create a bundle product (more than one item included in the one product listing) but do it as a variation of an existing product. He wants to benefit from the reviews and sales he’s already gotten on the “mother” product and would love to do so by adding this bundle as a variation. Do you know the answer to his question? On this episode, Scott answers the question and goes on to give some ideas about bundling products that will work for Amazon sellers. Is it harder to get started on Amazon today?Many people out there in internet land have insisted that the Amazon ship has sailed. They say the market is too crowded, too many people are snatching up the good product ideas, and you don’t have a chance to get significant sales from selling private label products through Amazon. On this episode of the podcast, a caller asked Scott if he thinks there’s still room to successfully sell products on Amazon, and Scott’s answer is a resounding, “YES!” You can learn why Scott feels that selling products on Amazon is still one of the best ways to get a business started by listening to this episode. Why Amazon private label is a great place to start and a terrible place to stop.While the Amazon marketplace is still a viable option for starting your own product sales business (you can hear why Scott believes so in answer to a listener question, on this episode), Scott believes that Amazon is a terrible place to stop your business efforts. On this episode, Scott reveals why taking action is vital - and how Amazon private label can help you do that - but he also briefly unpacks why it’s important that you don’t plant your flag on Amazon alone. If you listen, you’ll get a lot of insight from a guy who’s been doing e-commerce and Amazon sales for some time. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 16 November 2016
One of the things Scott and his buddies have been enjoying are the Friday afternoon chats they have about Amazon private label sales, e-commerce, online business, and much more. They’ve been having so much fun they decided to start recording them so you can benefit from their experiences and insights. On this episode, the guys talk about Amazon lightning deals, yet ANOTHER change to the Amazon Terms of Service regarding product reviews, product giveaways, off Amazon sales channels, and much more. Be sure to listen to their great conversation. What’s an Amazon lightning deal and how do they work?One of the ways Amazon enables sellers to move products is through offering lightning deals. You’ve got to be approved to participate but once you are you can offer your products at discounted prices for a short period of time - but the bonus is that Amazon HELPS YOU promote them in a handful of ways. It’s a great opportunity to sell a lot of products quickly if you know how to use them. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott and his buddies chat about some lightning deal experiences they’ve had recently and how they didn’t pan out as successfully as they had hoped. Amazon is changing the review policies AGAIN! Get the scoop on the most recent changes.It was just a few weeks ago that Amazon changed its terms of service regarding product reviews that prohibits discounting products in exchange for reviews. Now it seems that those rules are changing again and it’s surprising that this time it’s AMAZON that’s encouraging a certain type of discount in exchange for reviews… and it has to do with gift cards. Want to know the whole story? The guys chat about this new development on this episode. Contests and giveaways: new ideas you can use to sell your Amazon products.More and more creative ways of using contests and product giveaways are being devised where you can encourage people to enter your drawing - thereby building your email list - in hopes of winning one of your products. And there are ways of doing this outside of Amazon, including social media, that can really ramp up your opt-ins and sales at the same time. Find out some of the ways people are successfully using giveaways to promote their products, on this episode. In order to move your business forward, you have to keep learning.When it comes to setting up contests and sales channels outside of Amazon it’s easy for private label sellers to get intimidated and scared. There’s a lot to learn and it can be a bit confusing when you first start. But on this episode, Chris Shaffer makes the point that everything is at least a little bit confusing when you first start. But once you make the commitment to dive in, learn, and master the process involved in learning the new system you’re able to get it running and working for you in a relatively short period of time. If you’re interested in finding out how to build your business outside of Amazon you’re going to learn a lot from this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 14 November 2016
When Amazon changed its policy concerning discounts given in exchange for product reviews the private label sales community exploded. People panicked, bailed out of Amazon, and encouraged others to do the same. But much of it was an overreaction. The companies and sellers who were doing well long before the policy changes adjusted their strategies and continued making a killing selling their products on Amazon. One of the people who was dramatically impacted by the change was Greg Mercer. His company, Review Kick had to entirely rebrand and change its business model but is still viable and running effectively. Today Scott is chatting with Greg about the things he’s learned from the changes and how he sees Amazon handling the issues it affects. What did Amazon’s attorneys have to say about the review policy changes?One of the opportunities Greg Mercer had when the Amazon terms of service changed - no longer allowing discounts in exchange for product reviews - was to speak personally with attorneys from Amazon’s legal team to understand the particulars of what the changes mean on a practical level. Today Greg shares what he learned from his conversation with the Amazon legal team and how he understands the terms of service now that they’ve changed. You won’t want to miss what Greg has to share. It could save you a bunch of headaches in the future. Why private label sales on Amazon is an even better opportunity.When Scott asked his friend Greg Mercer if he still thinks Amazon private label sales is a good opportunity for those who want to start their own online business, Greg said that he believes it’s an even better opportunity than before. He thinks that Amazon’s penchant for changing the rules periodically has scared off those who are unwilling to work hard - those only looking for an easy buck. That leaves more room for those who understand what it takes to build a successful business and are willing to put in the effort. You can hear the ways Greg thinks the recent review policy changes will improve the ability to sell on Amazon on this episode. How the policy changes at Amazon impacted a business built on Amazon reviews.Greg Mercer is the head of a company called Review Kick. The focus of the company was to help Amazon sellers get more reviews - and they did so by helping sellers effectively promote discounts in exchange for a review. But Amazon’s terms of service recently changed and that practice is no longer allowed. As you can imagine, it was potentially devastating news for Greg and his team. But rather than throw in the towel they decided to pivot and make their business better than ever, even creating an avenue to expand their user base outside of Amazon sellers. You can hear how Review Kick became Jump Send, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. How you can effectively use deal sites to promote your products.One of the concerns about Amazon’s changes to its review policy is that any discount offer sellers make might prohibit those discounted customers from being able to leave a review. But Greg Mercer doesn’t think that’s the case. In fact, he’s done a few product promotions on his own since the changes went into effect and has seen reviews of those discounted products post on Amazon. On this episode, Greg gives you his take on what the Amazon legal team says about the new policy changes and tells you how he’s used deal sites like JumpSend to promote his own products. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 11 November 2016
Fridays are one of Scott’s favorite days of the week because it’s the day that the Ask Scott session of the podcast hits the airwaves. These episodes are designed to do nothing more than help you get your answers about Amazon private label or e-commerce sales answered. Scott’s got years of experience in both realms and is eager to help you become successful selling your products online. If you want to ask Scott a question about your particular situation you can find out exactly how to do that on this episode of the podcast. Who knows, maybe you’ll be featured on a future episode of the show! I’m having some issues with my supplier putting my logo on my product. Can you help?A listener called in to ask Scott about a problem he’s having with his supplier. He’s trying to get his product branded by having the logo imprinted on the product but the supplier is telling him there is not enough space to do a good job of it. He’s curious how this will impact his possibilities of getting his product in Amazon’s brand registry and if there are any other options Scott can think of to get his branding on his product. As you might expect, Scott’s got a great answer for him that includes a couple of possible solutions. Can I get multiple manufacturers to work together to create product bundles for me?One of the approaches to building a unique product on Amazon that Scott often suggests is through bundling your primary product with an accessory or other related product. When you do you’re able to offer something that no other Amazon seller is able to offer. It’s a great way to stand out. Today a caller asks if Scott knows of a way he could get his product suppliers (he uses more than one) to work together to bundle his products for him. That way he won't have to have the products shipped to his house and be required to do the work himself. Scott actually knows somebody who is doing that exact thing and has some suggestions for how the caller can handle the situation. How can I discourage others from copying my product?An Amazon seller who is just starting called Scott to ask if there is a way she can discourage others from copying her product now that it’s selling pretty well (15 units a day). Without knowing the particulars of her product and market it’s hard for Scott to give detailed answers but there are some guiding principles he has to share that might help this seller - so he shares them on this episode. If you’d like to do your best to make your product the stand-out item in your market, Scott’s answer to this question may be just what you’re looking for. Should I work to keep ahead of my competition in terms of reviews?Positive product reviews are important when it comes to Amazon products. They lend a sense of legitimacy to your product, telling potential customers that others have bought and enjoyed your product. But is it important to make sure that you stay ahead of your competition when it comes to the number of reviews you have on your product? On this episode, Scott dives into the issue of reviews and outlines how good reviews help a product and at what point the number of reviews begins to lose its significance. Are you interested to know what he has to say about it? You can find out by listening to this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 9 November 2016
Brainstorming Amazon private label and e-commerce strategies is something Scott and his buddies love to do. They have been connecting on Fridays for a while now to do that and thought it would be great to record their conversations and publish them for you to hear. That’s what this episode of The Amazing Seller is - and they’re calling it the TAS Power Hour. And more than simply pontificating about what’s going on they also field questions from people who are watching on Facebook Live and Periscope so you can hear them address real-life scenarios and questions as well. Does driving traffic to my Amazon listing help my ranking?It’s a good idea to drive traffic to your product listings on Amazon. No question about it. But you have to understand that while it’s a great thing to get people to your product, if they don’t actually buy the product you could be hurting yourself. On this episode of The Amazing Seller Scott and the guys chat a bit about how the Amazon Algorithm calculates a product’s popularity from visits to the product page. It turns out the action visitors take from there has a huge impact on whether or not the product is ranked higher or lower. How long do they stay on the page? Do they buy? Do they click away from the page? All of it matters, so be sure you listen to discover the best strategies. What are the best ways to get my product to page 1 - besides pay per click?Amazon pay per click is definitely the simplest way to get your products listed at the top of the search rankings, but it costs money. Are there other ways you can rank your products without spending that kind of money? Scott, Chris, and Don say there are only two other ways. The first is to sell products. They don’t say that in a smart alec way but because it’s true. If you could sell products consistently without any PPC or advertising of any kind, Amazon would organically rank you at the top of your category because sales are the main thing the algorithm looks at. But there is another thing you can do to maximize your potential of landing your product on page one, and Scott and the guys tell you what it is on this episode. Is it OK to include inserts in my product packaging? What should I include on them?There has been some debate about whether or not it’s OK with Amazon’s terms of service to insert some kind of promotional or call to action card inside your product packaging. Scott, Chris, and Don all feel that it’s totally legitimate to do so. But if you’re going to do it, what should you put on that card? The guys talk about insert cards at length on this episode and address a number of possible things you could include. If you want to know what they think is the absolute best use of insert cards, you need to listen to this Power Hour episode. What’s the best way to create product giveaways?One of the strategies that Scott, Don, and Chris recommend for promoting your products is the use of product giveaways. You’re able to gather email addresses of people who are interested in your products and get eyes on your products at the same time. But there are ways of doing it that are not quite as good as others and the guys walk through the reasons behind using a professional giveaway service on this episode. If you’re considering a product giveaway you’ll get a good deal of insight from this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 7 November 2016
There’s been a lot of talk going on lately about whether or not Amazon is still a good or viable way for people to create an online business. Some people feel that crowded product markets and Amazon’s ability to change the selling platform at any time make it an uphill battle at best. Others feel there’s still lots of opportunity for new sellers and existing sellers alike. On this episode, Scott talks with his friend Jeff Cohen, a man whose company is neck-deep in Amazon related issues. He’s got lots of insight into what’s going on within the inner workings of Amazon and what it takes to build a new product on the Amazon platform successfully. You will get TONS of value from what Jeff has to share, so be sure you listen. There is still lots of optimism surrounding product sales on Amazon.When Scott asked Jeff Cohen whether or not he feels Amazon is still a viable place for new sellers to get started with an online business, Jeff said that he’s still seeing lots of optimism when it comes to selling products on Amazon. He thinks the key is to learn how to minimize risk - which is what Amazon is doing with their ongoing policy changes - and work successfully within the rules that Amazon establishes. In his mind, the benefits of selling on Amazon far outweigh the negatives. You can hear Jeff’s view on this episode. Why Amazon private label is not a plug-and-play business.There are many people who have started a business on Amazon with the false belief that it’s a plug-and-play type of business. That means they think that putting their product on the Amazon platform will enable them to rake in the money without having to do much to keep the business running. Jeff Cohen says that Amazon businesses are no different than a regular brick and mortar shop in that business owners have to continually be tweaking, adapting, pivoting, and working to build a more successful business than they had the day before. You can hear how Jeff suggests Amazon sellers do that, on this episode. As your Amazon business grows you must learn to reduce your risk.There are many places in the product cycle where risk is part of the game. But as a business owner you have got to learn how to reduce your risks at every point you can. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Jeff Cohen and Scott Voelker chat about what it means to run a true business as a private label seller, working hard to make your processes and products more successful as you go. You will learn a lot from Jeff’s insights as he works behind the scenes for Amazon sellers who use his software products. Any Amazon business that’s focused on the customer is going to win.The focus of your efforts promoting and marketing your Amazon private label products should not be about the money. Your focus should be about your customers. If you keep your eyes on what will make your products a better value to your customers you won’t go wrong. Jeff Cohen mentions this powerful point as he emphasizes the importance of working WITH the Amazon terms of service instead of trying to game them to your own advantage. You can hear his insights into how you can do that in this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 4 November 2016
If you’ve got question or curiosities banging around in your head about selling products online, Amazon private label, online marketing or business, then you have hit the jackpot! This episode of the Amazing Seller podcast is aimed at answering questions that every day people ask about selling products online or anything else related to online business. You can ask your questions by listening to this episode and following the link Scott shares. Nothing is out of bounds so be sure you take the time to listen and then ASK your questions. What should I do? I’ve found someone selling my products on eBay!A listener called in to ask Scott about something she’s discovered: her products are being sold by someone on eBay. What many private label sellers don’t know is that there are a handful of software packages out there that can be populated with information from an Amazon product listing and then posted automatically on eBay. These software packages can even monitor the price of your items and raise or lower the eBay price automatically in response. Is that something you should be concerned about? If so, what can you do about it? You’ll get to hear Scott’s response on this episode of The Amazing Seller. I’m trying to determine if a product niche is a good one to get into. Can you guide me?When you’re considering a product to sell on Amazon as a private label item you want to do some careful product research. But you don’t want to look ONLY at the product and similar products, you also want to look at the entire market surrounding that product. By doing that you can determine if there is enough demand for those types of products to expect that your product would be able to garner enough sales to make the work worth it. Scott goes deep into the issue on this episode so be sure you listen so you can learn how to research a product and market effectively. I got a sample product from my supplier and it doesn’t look like the picture I was shown.When you order products from a supplier, whether a U.S. supplier or a foreign supplier, you want to ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want - in terms of quality and appearance. If you ever receive a sample product or even your final product and it’s not exactly what you want it to be like, you need to remember that you are building a business. You want everything to be top quality for your customers and for the sake of representing your brand. How should you handle a situation where the product you receive is not what you want? Scott’s got the answer on this episode. I’m ready to create a logo and packaging for my product. Where do I start?One of the most important aspects of your overall product design is - believe it or not - the logo and packaging. Those are the first impression your customers will have of your product so you want it to be the best it can be. You don’t want to cut corners here because what you present to your customer first is what will represent the quality and feel of your entire business from that point forward. On this episode, Scott gives some great advice about how to find a good graphic designer or package supply company to represent your brand exactly as you want. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 2 November 2016
One of the most dreaded and devastating things that every Amazon private label seller fears is account suspension. Remember, all of us are playing on Amazon’s playground and they are the ones who get to make and enforce the rules as they understand them. That means that for any number of reasons the items you sell can be reviewed by the Amazon powers that be and be rejected - even after you’ve been selling them successfully for some time. That’s the exact scenario Eric experienced and he’s with us to tell his story on this episode of the Amazing Seller. Scott isn’t trying to scare you by highlighting Eric's story. He wants to help you avoid these problems with insights from Eric’s experience. You can’t depend on Amazon private label as your only source of income.If you do, it’s only a matter of time until you'll wish you’d diversified your sources of revenue. The reason is that Amazon can and does change things from time to time. The changes often come without warning and in areas that dramatically impact the way you sell and offer your products. Changes of this nature can impact your income dramatically overnight. On this episode, Eric shares a situation where Amazon’s decision about his products slashed his income instantly, he lost his page 1 ranking, and almost got kicked off of Amazon entirely. Please listen to Eric’s story to hear the reasons Amazon put his products on the chopping block so you can safeguard yourself and your products the best you can. The choice not to inspect his products almost got him booted from Amazon.Eric’s products were selling like crazy. He had great revenue coming in every week, was ranked on page 1 for many of his keywords, and things were running smoothly. At one point he needed to reorder products and decided to shortcut his normal process by not doing an inspection of the products between the supplier and Amazon. In that shipment, some of his products didn’t have a clearly stamped logo on them (they were blurry) and customers complained that they had received a “generic” product. Those complaints served as a red flag to Amazon and Eric’s product was suspended without any questions. What did he do to rectify the situation? You can hear the entire process on this episode. Much of the advice you read about importing products from China is wrong.Since building his successful Amazon FBA business Eric has moved on to become director of marketing for a company that is American owned but with boots on the ground in China. What he’s come to discover since going to work for the company is that much of what he’d read online by supposed experts about China manufacturing and sourcing is flat out wrong. On this episode Eric shares some great resources you can use to find out the truth about sourcing products from China and how you can safeguard your investment even more, so be sure you listen. Learn how to sell private label products on Amazon from this free workshop.Every now and then Scott Voelker offers a free private label workshop that walks would-be Amazon sellers through the 5 steps he’s discovered for researching, sourcing, purchasing, shipping, branding, and listing a product on Amazon. If you’ve been eager to learn how to source your own private label products you won’t believe how much incredible knowledge Scott shares for free in this workshop. Take the time to listen to this episode so you can hear how to get involved in the next private label workshop. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 31 October 2016
More often than we’d like to admit our choice of a private label product was not the best choice we could have made. It’s either got too much competition or is not in a viable market to expect sufficient volume of sales. When that happens your sales can stall out or never get started at all. If you’ve done everything you can to get your listing optimized and jump start sales but still can’t get things moving, you may need to liquidate those products. On today’s episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott chats with Brad Kugler, who is an experienced liquidator both online and offline. Brad shares some amazingly generous tips on things you can do to sell your products and cut your losses. You won’t want to miss this one. What does it mean to liquidate your products?Anytime you run into a situation where your products are not selling as quickly or for as much as you had anticipated and you forecast that future sales will not be much different, you may be in a situation that requires that you liquidate your products, cut your losses, and move on to another product. Liquidating is the process of selling your products at the best price you can in order to recoup some of the money you’ve spent on the products so you can move on. Today’s episode features a professional liquidator, Brad Kugler. He’s got lots of tips to share about how you can do your own product liquidation quickly. Can you use eBay to get rid of products that aren’t selling?Brad Kugler says that one of the best tools that you can use to sell products that you want to get rid of is eBay. The platform seems to work very well for product liquidation and he has found that the buyers on eBay are very different from those who typically purchase through Amazon. Therefore you are able to get your products onto Ebay quickly, sell them faster, and get back the money you’ve invested so you can cut your losses and move on. On this episode Brad shares some tools you can use (most of them free) that will help you get your products on eBay and sold as quickly as possible. Is retail arbitrage success still possible on Amazon?One of the things Brad Kugler deals with often is the process of doing retail arbitrage. That’s because he often purchases bulk lots of items from stores or vendors that are liquidating and will resell those in whatever way he can. One of those ways is through retail arbitrage. When Scott discovered that Brad is familiar with the current state of retail arbitrage he asked what he thinks about the possibilities of successfully running a retail arbitrage business today. You might be surprised at what Brad has to say, so be sure you listen. Do you know about the Amazon Giveaways feature?One of the great Amazon tools that Brad Kruger recommends on this episode of The Amazing Seller is the “Amazon Giveaways” option. It’s a way that you can use the power of Amazon to promote products that you’re willing to giveaway to one winner. But all the other people who enter the contest receive a discount on the same product. This enables you to move a good number of units quickly because Amazon is the trusted source that’s promoting your contest. You’ve got to hear the tricks Brad has discovered to make the giveaway feature work for liquidations, so be sure you listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 28 October 2016
Many people who get started selling products online, whether on eBay, Amazon, or other sites run into snags and obstacles that they can’t figure out how to overcome. Wouldn’t it be great if someone who’s been in those shoes would advise you on what to do to overcome your obstacles? That’s why this “Ask Scott” episode on Fridays exists. Scott wants to help you navigate the sometimes troublesome world of online sales so you can be more successful and confident when it comes to marketing your products and building a business through private label sales or any other kind of online business. Be sure you listen so you can learn how to ask Scott a question. Under what circumstances can you place the ™ symbol on your products?A listener called in because he has a pending trademark application submitted to cover his private label product but he’s not sure what the rules are for whether or not he can include the trademark symbol on his product yet. Thankfully, this guy was smart enough to ask somebody who’s been down that road before - Scott Voelker. Scott’s got a very helpful answer for this listener but he also throws in some thoughts about whether or not worrying about those kinds of little details is really worth the energy and effort. You’ll find out what Scott thinks about it on this episode. Can Amazon re-sell your products they have damaged?If you are selling products on Amazon, every now and then you will receive a notification that one of your products was damaged in Amazon’s warehouse. When that happens the company typically asks you what you want to do with it and one of the options is to have Amazon reimburse you for the sales price of the product. What happens if you decide to take the reimbursement? Could Amazon then relist the product as “used” and list it under your original product listing? A listener to the show called in to say, “That’s what’s happened to me!” and wants to know what he can do about it. You can hear Scott’s answer on this episode of The Amazing Seller Is there such a thing as automated product discount codes?One of the strategies that many sellers follow during a product launch is the creation of discount codes to encourage initial sales of their product. A listener called in for this Ask Scott session to find out whether Scott knows of a way that he can produce single-use discount codes and distribute them without having to manually create them and send individual emails to every single person who wants the code. Scott has an answer for the guy on this episode, so be sure you listen to find out the best ways to use coupon codes in the current selling environment. Do you have an Amazon or online sales related question you’d like to ask?If you’re trying to build a business that sells products online, don’t reinvent the wheel or spend way too much time researching an issue on your own. Take advantage of the Friday episodes of The Amazing Seller - the Ask Scott sessions. Scott Voelker is ready to answer your questions about Amazon sales, private label, online marketing, and much more. Listen to this episode to get a feel for the kind of expertise Scott has to offer and to learn how you can ask your own questions. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 26 October 2016
The recent changes to the Amazon review policies have lots of people panicking about whether there’s a future selling products on Amazon. Since everyone is still rebounding and trying to figure out what the new rules mean for sellers Scott thought he’d take some time to chat with his friend Chris Guthrie who has made it his business to help sellers communicate with their customers. The two of them chat about what these changes mean practically for sellers on this episode. These two guys know their stuff so you’ll get some great insights from what they are thinking and the strategies they are putting in place to help their businesses continue moving forward. When you play on somebody else’ playground the rules change.If you are going to try to sell your wares on a platform you don’t own (like Amazon, or Facebook, or eBay, or whatever) you’re going to have to play by their rules. And they get to set the rules. And change them. That’s what has happened on Amazon lately and though many people are crying that it’s not fair what you need to understand is that the people who run Amazon get to decide what they are going to require you to do as a seller on Amazon. Period. So you’ve not only got to learn to play by the Amazon rules, you’ve got to adapt each time they change them. Chris and Scott think it’s good for you and for your business to have to pivot like that. It keeps you on your toes and makes you get creative when your competition may not do the same level of work to stay alive. The Amazon review changes kill the strategy of approaching top reviewers.It used to be a great strategy to contact the top Amazon reviewers and offer them a free product if they would leave a review. The belief was that doing so added some clout to your product if a top reviewer left a good review. But with the recent changes to Amazon’s review policy that strategy is out because you can no longer give a discount on your products in exchange for a review. You can hear other effects this change has on the way you build your business and market your products, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. A new way to promote your products to your email list and boost sales.Even though you are not allowed to give a discount in exchange for a review, if you’ve done the work of building up a mailing list you can use it to get some spikes in your product sales. For example, you could contact your list and tell them that on this upcoming Saturday you’re going to be offering a $10 off price for 6 hours only. Those people will be the only ones who know about the discount and will go to get the deal. You should sell a good number of products over that time span and your sales ranking will rise accordingly. Then you just need to follow up via Amazon email and your own list to encourage those purchasers to leave a product review. Scott and Chris have more ideas like this on this episode of the podcast. Private Label sales on Amazon are far from over.Many people are all doom and gloom about the recent changes on Amazon but on this episode, Scott and his buddy Chris Guthrie chat about why there is still plenty of opportunities for people to get started selling products on Amazon. The recent changes actually make thing similar to how Amazon was when both Scott and Chris began their sales journey on Amazon. In that respect the changes don’t seem all that bad to them. They share some new strategies and approaches to building an Amazon business on this episode so be sure you listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 24 October 2016
It’s becoming more and more common that unscrupulous Amazon sellers are sending letters to their competitors that sound very official and legal but are fakes. These letters are sent to intimidate competitors into taking down their listings and eventually removing their products from Amazon altogether. The practice is a kind of bullying that Ted Luymes, an attorney who deals with Amazon related issues in his practice sees all the time. On this episode, Ted shares some of the things to look for if you receive a letter like that and gives advice on what you can do to make the bullying stop. What if somebody says you’ve infringed on their product’s patent?Even if you were very thorough when you went through the product research phase it’s possible that you have infringed on someone’s patent, but you won’t know unless you did an actual patent search, which can be expensive. On this episode, Ted Luymes talks about the steps you can take to assure yourself first of all that your product is not stepping over legal lines, but also what you can do if someone accuses you of doing so. He’s got great advice for you so be sure you take the time to listen. What does Amazon do if a complaint is made that you’re infringing on a copyright?Any Amazon seller has the right to file a complaint with Amazon that claims another seller has infringed on their product patent, copyright, or trademark. When this happens Amazon typically doesn’t ask questions first, they just take the listing down. Then they begin an investigative process. On this episode of The Amazing Seller attorney Ted Luymes shares what you can do to expedite the process if this happens to you. You’ll want to hear this because the longer you are on the Amazon platform the more likely it is that you’ll experience things of this nature. Do you know how to use a DMCA counter-notice?If Amazon happens to suppress your product listing or take your listing off of their platform because of a copyright or patent complaint, you have the right to file a DMCA counter-notice. By law, the person or entity who filed the claim that you’ve violated their copyright or patent has a limited amount of time after that to prove their claim. If they don’t, Amazon must put your listing back on the platform. That’s how the law works. But there are a number of steps you should take before you resort to the DMCA notice. Do you know what they are? Attorney Ted Luymes is on the show today to give us the answers. When you deal with people regarding your Amazon business, learn to be professional.Imagine this scenario: You’ve just opened your mail and find a cease and desist letter from another Amazon seller. They say you are selling an unauthorized version of their product that infringes on their copyright. If this happens to you the last thing you should do is write a snarky or angry email reply. There are much better ways to deal with the situation. On this episode, Attorney Ted Luymes gives some solid advice about how you should respond to those kinds of letter or notices and tells why it’s so important to do so if you want a favorable outcome to the issue. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 21 October 2016
It’s time for the next Friday episode of The Amazing Seller podcast - the “Ask Scott” episode where Scott Voelker, an experienced online business guy and Amazon seller answers listener questions. That means YOU can get in on the action by asking questions related to your Amazon Private Label business - or any other business you may be running. Scott’s got the experience to give you some insight to feel free to reach out to him with your situation - and listen to this episode to find out how you can do that! Here’s one way you can use product variations to your advantage.One listener to the Amazing Seller called in to ask how his competitor is getting his product to show up in search results for two different, gender-specific searches with DIFFERENT TITLES for the same product! Does he have two listings? Scott says it’s most likely that he has the product set up with variations. Product variations, when done right and in a way that is genuine are a great way to target your product to different audiences. You can hear how Scott describes it and get an idea of how you can use product variations on this episode of the podcast. When dealing with product suppliers, should I use a domain-based email that matches my brand?A listener called in to ask about the best way to correspond with a potential vendor. What he’s concerned about is whether or not the vendor will take him less seriously if he uses a generic email like gmail or yahoo mail - as opposed to an email that was something like NAME@GarlicPress.com. Do you know if it makes a difference? What do you think Scott recommends? You can find out my listening to this episode of the Amazing Seller podcast. If you were just starting out, here are Scott’s most important episodes you should listen to.A listener’s wife is getting started on Amazon as a private label seller and he wanted to know which of Scott’s over 270 episodes of would be the most important for her to listen to in order to understand the basics and get started. Scott says that even though Amazon has changed a lot over the years the basics of how to get started are pretty much the same. So the episodes he mentions all have to do with product research and selection. You can hear this list of “best of” episodes from Scott on this episode. Would you like to sit across the table from Scott to get some helpful advice?That’s what’s going to happen at the TAS Breakthrough LIVE event coming up in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2016. A small group of Amazon sellers will come together to experience the power of corporate strategizing, brainstorming, and “hot seat” product evaluations with Scott Voelker leading the way. This event could truly change your profit margin and the success of your business like nothing else. If you’d like to get in on this great event you can find out how to get registered on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 19 October 2016
So many people are having such great success selling private label products on the Amazon platform through FBA that it’s not too far of a stretch to think that some of them may be interested in selling their business. You may not be thinking about that possibility now but the opportunity may come your way someday. That’s why Scott wanted to have someone on the show who is experienced at buying and selling online businesses who could shed some light on what can be done ahead of time to ensure that should the time come that you want to sell your business, you’ll be able to do it with the least amount of trouble and the greatest amount of profit. You can hear more about this exciting possibility on this episode of The Amazing Seller. If you do the right thing by your customer, you won’t have any problems.Too often businesses are built on the strategy of doing everything possible to take advantage of the loopholes in a sales platform’s terms of service. The practice may result in huge profits in a short amount of time but as soon as the platform learns that sellers are abusing the system you can be sure that changes will be made and those businesses will be dramatically hurt, and possibly kicked off of the platform. Today’s guest has tons of experience buying and selling e-commerce businesses and his advice is simple: Do the right thing by your customers and you’ll be OK when it comes to surviving whatever changes do come. You can hear more sage advice like this on this episode. Set up good clean financials to sell your business more easily and get more offers.Many entrepreneurs start out doing whatever it takes to make a buck. They may set up one umbrella LLC or Corporation and run all the finances for many smaller business ventures through that one entity. That’s OK at first. It’s entirely legal and most people have to do that to get started. But if you ever want to sell one of those businesses you’re going to discover that there will be fewer buyers interested because you won’t be able to clearly demonstrate the profits of that business on its own. So today’s guest has some tips on how to set up good clean financials for your business so that you can be ready to sell it easily and for more when the time comes. A business that is successful both on and off of Amazon sells faster and for more.If you’re considering the sale of your Amazon private label business it’s entirely possible. But will you get top dollar? You won’t if your business is only selling on Amazon. A potential buyer will be more averse to buying your business if you are selling your products on only one platform because if something on that platform changes in a way that adversely impacts your business, their revenue stream could dry up if they were to buy your business. But if the risk is spread out over many sales channels, they’ll be more open to considering your business. On this episode of the podcast, you’re going to learn how important it is to start building those sales funnels and establishing an off-Amazon presence for the sake of selling your business in the future, on this episode. Buying an existing business can be a very good investment.There’s so much emphasis these days on building a great online business, and it’s a great strategy for many people. But what if you’re a person who doesn’t really want to go through the hassle and hard work of building a business from the ground up but would be open to buying an existing business and growing it? That’s a great strategy, one that today’s guest sees implemented all the time. If you’ve got money to invest in a business and are curious how it works you can learn a lot from Scott’s guest today, so be sure you listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 17 October 2016
There’s a lot of stress being felt in the private label community since Amazon has made changes to its product review policy. But is it living up to the doom and gloom we’ve heard from some people? Scott doesn’t think so. In fact, he believes this is a good thing for anyone who wants to be successful in private label sales. On this episode of the podcast, Scott is going to tell you why this policy change is a good thing and what you can do to make the most of it. What would you do to sell a product if Amazon didn’t exist?If there was no Amazon - what would you do to sell a product online? You’d probably figure out a different way to do product research. You’d learn about other platforms where you could sell your products online (Etsy and Ebay come to mind). You’d figure out what it takes to sell on your own website and drive traffic to it using Facebook Ads or Google Adwords. The point is that even if Amazon was totally gone you’d still be able to sell products. It may be a bit more difficult than it is now, but it would be possible. That’s why you need to understand that the recent change to Amazon’s product review policy is not the end of the world. Find out how Scott is moving his private label business forward in spite of the changes, on this episode. Private Label will never die. Here’s why.The term “private label” means that somebody is selling a product of their own. They’ve sourced it. They are packaging it. They are distributing it. It is THEIR product. That happens every day and you see the outcome of it on the shelves of Walmart and other stores across the nation. You will always be able to create your own product and sell it. The recent changes to Amazon’s review policy don’t change that at all. It only limits the WAY you can go about promoting your products. So what are you going to do? You’re going to have to figure out ways to advance the sales of your products within the boundaries you have - and part of that is Amazon Terms of Service. Find out how Scott recommends you take advantage of the new changes, on this episode. Gaming the system only lasts so long. That’s what the Amazon review policy is about.No matter what the rules are that govern an online platform, somebody will work the rules to their advantage and do everything they can to milk that advantage for as long as possible. We call it “gaming the system” and those who run the platform in question will eventually make changes to keep people from unfairly using their systems. That’s what’s happened with Amazon’s recent changes to product review policies. On this episode, you get to listen in as Scott thinks out loud about what these changes mean for him and his business as well as discover what he plans to do to keep his products selling like normal. This Amazon review change is good news. It levels the playing field.There was a time when companies that had deep pockets were able to offer dramatic discounts in order to entice people to leave them a review on Amazon. That, in turn, made it look like many people loved their product, when in fact, it may not have been the case. As a result, the little guys were not able to keep up and fell further and further behind the sales curve. But not anymore. The recent policy changes to Amazon’s Terms of Service have put an end to that practice so now everyone has an equal chance of getting favorable reviews from legitimate buyers. Find out what the changes are and how they impact your Amazon private label business, on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 14 October 2016
Scott is back with another “Ask Scott” session of the podcast. Be sure you listen to these real answers to real listener questions, submitted by Amazon private label sellers. On this episode, Scott answers questions about product photos, what to do to increase your ranking once you’ve run out of product inventory, how to modify your products to be a feasible offer in a different country, and how to build an email list as an ongoing asset to your business. As usual, you’re going to get a truckload of value from this episode, so be sure you listen. Should I switch my product into a different market?Imagine that you sell an electrical adapter. As you probably know, it would have to be a different model adapter if it was going to be used in Europe than if it was to be used in the United States. Today's episode features a question from a private label seller who has a product that has similar unique qualities that vary from country to country. He's got questions about what he should do to generate more sales when his product details don't exactly match the country he's selling in. It's an interesting conundrum that Scott answers, on this episode. My product ranked well before I ran out of inventory. Now I can’t get it selling again. Help!There are times when your products on Amazon sell faster than you expected (a good problem to have). But it causes issues because you run out of product, which in turn causes your sales rank and organic search ranking to go down for as long as you are out of inventory. When the product is back in stock, it’s sometimes hard to get the product ranking and selling again. On this episode, Scott answers a listener question about how to get a restocked product selling again. It’s a problem you’re bound to run into eventually so be sure you listen to find out how to handle the situation. Should you put a watermark on your product photos to keep them from being stolen?Many Amazon sellers know about the possibility of someone hijacking their products. It’s something we are all vulnerable to but there are things you can do to protect yourself. A listener of the podcast called in to ask if one thing that could be done is to watermark his photos. That would make it easier for him to prove that the photos belonged to him. But Scott’s not so sure it’s a good idea and says that he will probably never do it himself. Find out why Scott is not too keen on the idea of watermarks on product photos, on this episode of the podcast. I need to start building an email list. What’s the best way to do it?It seems like every episode Chris Shaffer is on lately he harps on the fact that an email list is your single most valuable asset as an Amazon private label seller. The reason he believes it so strongly is because it’s the only way you can contact your customers and prompt sales of your products anytime you want to do so. Today’s episode features a question from a listener to wants some tips about how to go about building his first email list. Scott’s covered the issue before but thinks the issue is so important he was willing to address it again. You can hear how he suggests you get started building your own email list, on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 12 October 2016
As you’ve probably heard by now Amazon has changed its policies regarding whether or not you as a private label seller can ask for a review on your product in exchange for a discount on the product. What Amazon has said is, "No, you can't." that's going to be a problem for many private label sellers because they have centered their entire product launch sequence around the allowance of reviews for a discount. So how does this impact the way we go about launching a new private label product on Amazon? That’s what this roundtable discussion with Scott Voelker, Chris Shaffer, and Dom Sugar is all about. The guys chat about the actual policy change, what it means for product launches, and why in some ways, it’s a better thing for the private label community overall. You can hear the entire conversation on this episode of the Amazing Seller podcast. The recent Amazon review changes actually level the playing field for all private label sellers.It’s important to look at the recent changes to Amazon’s review policies from the perspective of a brand new seller. Before this change the climb to a successful product launch was made very difficult because competitors with bigger budgets were able to invest lots of cash in building reviews through giving huge discounts to potential customers in exchange for a review. But now, Amazon has removed that possibility so everyone is required to launch their product without the benefit of huge discounts in exchange for a review. In short, the big boys in any niche now have to deal with the same limits as the little guys. You can hear more insights into the ways the little guy seller benefits from the recent Amazon review changes, on this episode. “I don’t care about reviews, I care about sales!”The strategy of getting lots of reviews on Amazon for your products is meant to build the social proof for the value and quality of your products. That way more people will possibly feel comfortable buying your product because others have done so, and are happy with it. But that’s all assuming that more reviews equal more sales. But it’s not always the case. Scott has interviewed plenty of sellers who have launched and gotten a huge jump on product sales without any reviews. On this episode, both Chris and Dom agree that sales are much more important than reviews, not only because sales put cash in your pocket but also because sales are what causes your product to rank higher in the Amazon search results. Reviews don’t do either of those things for you. Find out more about how the guys view this Amazon policy change, on this episode. Why did Amazon make its change to the review policies?Everything Amazon does is to increase the ability of sellers to sell quality products. That’s how Amazon makes its money, through sales of truly helpful, high-quality products. The recent changes to the “review in exchange for a discount” policy is aimed at making sure that the reviews given for products actually reflect the product quality, instead of being done in exchange for a personal benefit to the reviewer. That should enable the reviews on any product listing to be more honest, giving potential buyers more assurance that the products they buy from Amazon are something they will be happy with. Amazon will have fewer return issues and the platform itself will become better trusted and more effective. But the change will require sellers to come up with new ways to launch their products and use reviews effectively. You can hear how Scott, Chris, and Dom are thinking about the issue at this point, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. If you’re going to run your own private label business, you’ve got to learn how to flex with the changes.As with any business, Amazon private label sellers have to learn how to adjust to the market and selling platform changes. Amazon will never be a static sales platform, meaning that Amazon will always be tweaking its algorithm and policies to increase sales and make their business more trusted and secure. As a seller on Amazon, you’re going to have to learn how to deal with those changes each time they are made in order for YOUR business to remain viable and healthy. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott’s hosting a roundtable discussion with a couple of guys who have been working in private label sales for a long time. They’re discussing the recent changes and the types of pivots sellers will have to make as a result. Be sure you listen. You’re sure to hear things that you hadn’t thought of yet.
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Mon, 10 October 2016
If you’ve never looked into the possibility of selling your own private label products online to build a business of your own, this is the episode for you to hear. My guest today is Paul and he built his own private label sales business from scratch - and started out with only $30. That’s right - $30. On this episode, he debunks many ideas about getting started with online sales by sharing exactly how he took each step to move from a $30 investment to thousands of dollars in sales every month. You can hear the whole thing on this episode of the podcast. Overcoming the fear and roadblocks to building your own private label business.Fear is a natural response to something you don’t understand. You wonder if you’ll have what it takes to handle the difficulties and challenges the situation may bring. But fear is also something that you can use to your advantage to motivate and drive you forward. On this episode, Paul shares how he stepped past the fear he felt by taking small, less risky steps to assure himself as he went along. It’s a smart strategy and one that worked out very well for him. You can hear the entire story on this episode of the podcast. Starting small from where you are is the key to success.There’s nothing that can really hold you back from becoming successful at private label sales if you really want to be successful. Paul’s story is a great example of that. He started out very small, with only $30 worth of product. As that began to sell he purchased more with the profits and scaled the business larger and larger over time. You don’t have to order tons of product right off the bat and Paul’s story demonstrates how true that is. You’ll get to hear Paul’s story, the steps he took all along the way to success, and where he’s come over time on this episode. You can also hear what he’s doing now to expand his business beyond Amazon, so be sure you take the time to listen. Why you need to think outside Amazon with your product sales.Amazon is a wonderful place to get started with online product sales. The FBA setup is one of the simplest and easiest ways to get started and everyone interested in product sales should at least look into it. But Amazon is not the end game - or shouldn’t be. There are many risky aspects to using Amazon that you want to consider when it comes to the long-term sustainability of your business. On this episode Scott and his guest, Paul talk about the kinds of things they’ve seen that have caused them to look outside Amazon to establish their own, entirely controllable platform for generating income for themselves. You’ll learn a lot just from this short part of their conversation. BEST ADVICE: Take it step by step to get started building your own business.As Scott wrapped up this interview with his guest, Paul he asked what one piece of advice Paul would give to people who are considering Amazon private label sales. Paul’s advice flows right out of his own experience: take it step at a time and go slowly. Nobody says you’ve got to invest tons of money or do highly risky things to get a business going. Amazon FBA makes it possible for you to start as small or as large as you are comfortable starting and to grow your efforts from there. If you wonder if it’s really possible to succeed at private label sales, you need to hear Paul’s story. He’s got a great one to tell and it will benefit you to hear it. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 7 October 2016
It’s time for Scott Voelker to answer your questions about Amazon Private Label sales because this is the Friday episode of the Amazing Seller Podcast. We call it the “Ask Scott” episode because that’s all the episode is - your questions about Amazon product sales and FBA related issues that Scott fields and answers. His hope is that you’ll be helped by the questions and answers you hear and that you’ll also step forward to ask your questions so that others can be helped by hearing an answer to YOUR sticking points. Listen to this episode to find out how you can ask your own questions. A new idea for using another product for building a sales funnel for your product.A listener called into the show to share a strategy he’s been using to promote his products and build his email list -and it’s not the normal thing that you hear of people doing. He’s creating a giveaway contest where people who enter have to submit their email address to be entered - but the giveaway item he’s using is not his product. It's a very desirable one in the same niche as his product. That enables him to follow up via an email list to all the contest entrants with pitches and helpful information that relate directly to his product. You’ll not only hear how the strategy is working for him but you’ll also get to hear what Scott thinks of the idea, on this episode of The Amazing Seller. What’s the best way to assess if a product idea is a good one?When it comes to product research there are so many things that you need to take into consideration that it’s impossible to cover them all in a short blurb like this. But what we can say is this: There’s more to it than simply looking at sales numbers. You’ve got to be able to look behind the numbers to understand the sales cycles of the product niche you have in mind so that you can make a better-informed decision. On this episode, Scott points you to a powerfully helpful resource that can help you do product research and make better decisions about the products you offer on Amazon private label. My sales conversions are low. What can I do to improve sales?The sales conversion numbers you see relating to your Amazon products have so many moving pieces that it’s almost impossible to talk about all of them on one podcast episode. But the main thing you need to keep in mind is that sales are ultimately an issue of traffic to your product listing. If you can get the eyes of people who are interested in your product to actually see it, then you have a much better chance of selling them the product. But if they never see your product then naturally they won’t become a customer. On this episode, Scott talks about the main strategies you can pursue to get more eyes on your products. Does the amount of inventory I have available on Amazon impact my search rank?Today Scott fields a very interesting question that he’s never been asked before. Here it is: “If I have a low amount of product on the shelves of Amazon’s warehouses but my competition has a high amount of product available in Amazon’s inventory, does my low inventory number negatively impact my search ranking?” Scott admits this is a question he’s never really given much thought to but after being asked about it, he decided to ponder it a bit. You can hear his answer on this episode and find out what he recommends to keep your product inventory higher regardless. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 5 October 2016
Scott has been hosting the TAS Power Hour on Fridays at 1PM EST and the response has been great. This episode of the podcast is a replay recording of one of the recent power hours where he and his friend Chris Schaeffer discuss a handful of important strategies you can use to increase product sales on and off of Amazon. You’ll probably hear some ideas on this episode that you’ve not heard before and Scott and Chris walk you through the steps it takes to put most of them in place and begin profiting. The benefits of live events and why TAS Breakthrough LIVE is a BETTER event.Scott and Chris recorded this episode of the podcast live at a conference that the two of them attended together. The things they heard and experienced at the event caused them to chat about the benefits of that kind of event and why Scott has put together a different kind of event. You’ll be intrigued by their ideas and the benefits of a low number, hands-on event like Scott and Chris hold frequently. Find out how you can get into the next TAS LIVE event on this episode. How content overload can lead to content paralysis.One of the things Chris and Scott realized as they experienced the Content and Commerce event was that events (and podcasts) can provide so much content and great information that the people attending or learning can become a bit paralyzed. They don’t know where to start, what step to take first, how much of what they’re learning applies to their current situation, and more. On this episode the two of them talk about that situation and why they take care not to let themselves get into a place of paralysis. You’ll learn a lot by listening to this one. The impact of variations in product sales.You’ve probably heard Scott talk about the addition of product variations to your product line. What are the benefits of adding variations to your products? Does a variation actually add to your workload of stocking product SKUs without adding much financial benefit? There are many concerns about the approach of product variations and Scott and Chris address all of those questions on this episode of the show. Why an email list is your most valuable asset.Chris Shaeffer has said it before and he’ll continue to say it: Your email list is the greatest asset your business owns. On this episode, as he and Scott talked about the importance of an email list for any business that sells products or services, Chris covered how you can use your email list to target your audience through platforms like Facebook and how you can also use it to create what’s called a lookalike audience of potential customers who could quickly and naturally opt-in to your email list - and it all starts with compiling your own customer list in the first place. Find out all the details on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Tue, 4 October 2016
There's big news from Amazon this morning (10/4/16) concerning reviews and the policies that govern them. Listen to this episode to get the full scoop!
Direct download: BIG20AMAZON20NEWS20-20Major20Review20Announcement20and20What20it20Means20for20Sellers2028First20Thoughts29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:17am EDT |
Mon, 3 October 2016
Many people see the value and power of selling private label products on Amazon. But they take far too long to get started. There are reasons they hesitate and reasons they never get started. On this episode, Scott is going to talk about the fear that accompanies the dream of starting a business and how to overcome it. You’ll benefit a ton from this episode so you should make the time to listen, learn, and take action.
Why is Amazon the best way to get started selling online?
There are many reasons Amazon is the ideal place to begin selling for the first time. First off, the traffic on Amazon already exists. People are there looking for products without you having to go find them. There’s no fancy website needed so you can get started with less upfront work. You also don’t need a shopping cart so the learning curve is even smaller! Here’s a big one… You don’t have to store products at your house. And finally, you can do this yourself. In other words, you don’t need employees. Today Scott is going to tell you how to step past your fear to get started with Amazon private label sales.
There are reasons people fail at Amazon private label sales.
Much of the time the fear of failure is a primary reason people don’t get started selling their product ideas on Amazon. But that fear can be dealt with powerfully if you understand the most common reasons people fail and avoid the mistakes they make. On this episode, Scott is going to walk you through some of the most common mistakes that lead to failure and tell you how to avoid them. You’ll get an earful of insight through this episode, so be sure you listen.
Are you looking at product reviews as part of your product discovery process?
Pretend for a moment that there’s some reason that you can’t sell products on Amazon. But you still have access to the reviews people leave regarding products they have purchased on Amazon. Do you see that the data you are able to glean from the reviews about existing products are a wonderful way for you to research whether people want a specific product? It also tells you some of the main issues purchasers are having with the products as they currently exist. Once you know those things you could create the same product with improvements and sell it on your own website or another channel. Scott gives some great ideas about how to use reviews for product research, on this episode.
The fear you feel about choosing private label products is not unique to you.
In fact, if you didn’t feel fear about making a wise product choice you would be in a dangerous place and you'd likely make some dumb decisions as a result. The fear forces you to do your homework, to look at all the indicators, to examine the data about whether or not the product you have in mind has the possibility of being a winner at all. On this episode, Scott’s insight into the process of selecting a product for private label sales will help ease your mind and give you the confidence to step past your fears. You’ll want to hear what he has to share. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 30 September 2016
If you have questions about Amazon private label sales one of the best things that could happen for you is to be given the opportunity to ask an experienced Amazon seller the specific questions you have. That’s what you get on this episode of The Amazing Seller. These Friday episodes are “Ask Scott” sessions where Scott Voelker answers questions listeners submit, in detail, and completely. No half-measures here. You’ll be benefitted by what you hear others going through and what Scott has to say to advise them. Be sure you take some time to listen.
How do review groups work and is there a way I can pay Amazon fewer fees on promotions?
When you do a promotion or giveaway to get your products noticed or reviewed, there are costs you still have to pay Amazon for the privilege of using their platform. It’s just a cost of doing business. Among the misconceptions is that people feel like since they’re giving away a product, they shouldn’t have to pay fees. But any brand new business needs to make sure they let others know they exist - and that’s called marketing. It’s an expense of any business. You can hear how Scott addresses reviews, discounts, and giveaways and the fees involved, on this episode.
How to list a product on Amazon that is already there under a brand name.
A listener just purchased a company that owns a patented product and some of his existing distributors have the product available on Amazon. He’s curious if he should set up his own brand listing or if there is a way to combine their listings with his since it’s his product. Scott’s got a very helpful, clarifying answer to situations like this on this episode. Make sure you listen to this response because there are multiple applications of this concept to product sales on Amazon.
How soon should I start building an email list for my products or brand?
A listener today has heard Scott talk about the importance of building an email list but he’s a bit confused about why it’s important for a beginning private label seller, whether it’s worth his efforts, and how he should go about it when he begins using it. There are some great questions there. Is it really necessary for a new seller to begin creating an email list from the beginning? You can hear Scott’s in-depth response to this important question on this episode. He even tells you how to go about getting people to opt-in to your email list.
How would it benefit you to be in a room with experienced Amazon sellers to get their feedback on your products?
What benefit would you receive to sit with 20 to 30 experienced Amazon sellers as they analyze and give feedback about your product listings to help you optimize them for more sales? How would it benefit you to sit in the room as the same thing is done for others? You can probably see that you’d get a ton of value from seeing through the eyes of other sellers. The good news is that you can do this coming up November of 2017 at Scott’s live TAS event in Phoenix, Arizona. Listen to this episode to get details about how you can be a part of this business-changing event.
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Wed, 28 September 2016
Scott and his friends - Chris Schaeffer and Don Sugar have been doing some Periscope and Facebook live sessions talking about various issues that have to do selling products on Amazon. They’re calling these “TAS Power Hours” and they’ve been a lot of fun so far. Today’s podcast episode is a republication of one of those power hours that was done recently and it has some incredible content about current issues being experienced selling on Amazon. You’ll get to hear a lot about new ways people are hijacking listings, brand registry, product research, and more.
Is Amazon hijacking listings?
Many people who sell private label products on Amazon are concerned about people hijacking their listing. That means that a person comes into your listing and offers similar, but not the same products under your listing. There are ways they can do that and gain control over the product listing to change things and potentially damage your brand. It turns out that there are some new ways that hijackers are taking over listings using some of Amazon’s own tools - so it looks like Amazon has taken over the listing. It’s a bit confusing so make sure you listen to this episode.
Amazon brand registry is even more important for private label sellers these days.
Because of the more creative ways that black hat folks are taking over product listings (hijacking) it’s more important than ever that you get your product brand listed on Amazon’s brand registry. It’s not a defense against being hijacked but it definitely gives you the right to get the control of your listings back if they are hijacked. You’ll want to hear this discussion about brand registry and how you can take steps to get your product line registered with Amazon.
Are you afraid of choosing the wrong private label product?
One of the things that Scott hears often is that many people see the opportunity of selling private label products via Amazon but are scared to take the plunge because they are concerned that they will choose the wrong product. It’s a reasonable fear, and one that Chris Schaeffer says he feels every time he chooses a product. But should that be a reason not to get started? Everybody on the podcast today says, “NO!” You’ve got to hear why they say that on this episode.
Should you try to launch a product on Amazon that isn’t there at this point?
Some people who consider selling products on Amazon think that their wonderful new idea or invention is a perfect fit for Amazon private label. But if the product is brand new to Amazon - there’s nothing even close to it already selling - there are reasons to be cautious. What you might do first is launch a product in the same niche that IS already on the platform, then once it’s rolling and you have a good email list and customer base, launch your new product. You can hear how the guys would go about doing it on this episode of the podcast.
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Mon, 26 September 2016
One of the things Scott enjoys is learning from the successes of others. One of the ways he’s able to do that more effectively is to pass along what he’s learned by teaching you about it. Lately, he's been learning quite a bit concerning retail VS online sales from the television show, Shark Tank. He’s hearing some repeated themes and stories from the show and wants to pass along his observations to you so that you can learn some of the things he’s noticed. So take a few minutes to invest in your own education by hearing what Scott has noticed from the experts on Shark Tank. You’ll be glad you did. Do you understand what “proof of concept” means?One of the things Scott has noticed when he watches Shark Tank is that the investors always ask about sales numbers right from the start. Why do they do that? It’s because sales numbers indicate that there is already interest in the type of product that the newcomer is proposing. That’s called “proof of concept” and it means that there's good reason to expect success with the product you’re wanting to create and sell. Scott’s got some ideas about how you can use the tools provided on Amazon to discover if there’s adequate proof of concept for the products you want to sell, on this episode. Do you have to educate people about your product before they will buy?People come to Scott all the time with a great new product idea that is entirely original. He’s all for new products coming to the market but he also knows that if there're no other products in the market like it then there may not be enough demand to warrant creating the product in the first place. On this episode, Scott’s going to talk about that situation and give you some ideas for what you should do if your DO indeed have an entirely new product. What should you do if you have an entirely original product?Anytime a world-changing new development or technology comes on the scene there’s a ton of work and money that goes into helping the public understand exactly what it is, why it’s needed, and how to use it to best effect. As Amazon sellers, few of us have the resources to launch that kind of product on the scale needed to accomplish all of those things. What should do if you have a world-changing product that nobody’s heard of? On this episode, Scott gives you some suggestions regarding what he would do if he was in that situation. Why do you want your products to be in retail stores?Many of the people who bring product or company ideas to the Shark Tank TV show are seeking investment money because they want to get their products into retail stores. That’s not a bad idea but many times it’s premature given their situation. On this episode, Scott shares what he’s noticed about the advice the “sharks” give those people and relates it to Amazon sales and business. You’ll learn a lot from what he has to share so be sure you listen. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 23 September 2016
Here it is! The “Ask Scott” session of the Amazing Seller podcast. This is where we talk about all kinds of things relating to online business, private label sales on Amazon, and anything having to do with making a better life for yourself and making a difference in the world. On this episode, you’re going to get straight, helpful answers to real life questions. And the person answering your questions is Scott Voelker, an experienced online businessman, and Amazon seller. You can also hear how to ask your own questions, so be sure to listen and learn! The power of surrounding yourself with like-minded people.Scott has recently moved from upstate New York to South Carolina and he’s noticed the difference his surroundings are making on his own mindset. In particular, he’s aware of the people in his neighborhood. Their focus on fitness and healthy eating are impacting Scott and his family, encouraging them toward their own version of fitness and health. It’s an example of why the people you surround yourself with are hugely important for your life - and Scott's got some encouragement for YOU along that line, on this episode. What are the pros and cons of listing a new product as a variation VS a stand alone product?Many people are discovering opportunities to create multiple products based on their first product. Sometimes it’s as simple as creating a variation of the product (color, size, etc.) and other times it’s a new product that is different in a unique or significant way. On this episode, Scott covers the advantages of variations VS new product listings and encourages Amazon sellers to think about who they are targeting with their product as one way to decide whether there are advantages to one approach over the other. Be sure you listen if you’re interested in creating multiple products as a spin-off from your original product. How does my product rating relate to my number and quality of reviews?There isn’t any way to know for sure how your product rating relates to your reviews simply because Amazon doesn’t reveal how its algorithm works when it comes to product ratings. But there are some things you can focus on to help you improve your product rating. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott gives a couple of very practical things you can focus on to improve your product rating overall. Both are simple but do take some time. So make sure you listen and commit yourself to doing the work to improve your business and products. I’m creating product packs from a bulk quantity but I’m having trouble scaling.A listener called in to ask for help from Scott concerning scaling his sales to a higher level. He’s purchasing bulk size orders of various products and breaking the bulk packaging apart to place the individual products into smaller quantity packages. The problem is that the labor of doing so is slowing down his ability to scale his sales. It’s a very creative and intriguing idea that’s getting good sales traffic but he wants to have more opportunity. Scott’s got some great ideas about how he can leverage others to help him scale the business. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 21 September 2016
One of the most common sticking points Scott hears from people who are looking into the possibility of placing products on Amazon is the product discovery phase. Many people experience brain-lock when it comes to figuring out what to offer for sale. On this episode, Scott’s got a couple of great stories of how he figured out some product and business ideas that should help you see the kinds of real life things that can help you discover product ideas. You won’t want to miss this one. It covers some of the most practical ways you can discover unique products to serve a particular market. What are you good at?There are many people in the world who are also engaged with the exact areas where you have skill and expertise. They need resources to help them become even more accomplished in that niche. What knowledge, skills, or expertise do you have that can be turned into a product that you could sell to those people on Amazon or other online platforms? You have a leg up on the competition because you already know the market and need. That’s just one way that you can create a product that you can be fairly certain is going to be a success. Listen to this episode to hear the whole story of how you can discover product ideas. What do you want to learn more about?Every one of us has our interest in a new topic piqued from time to time. When that happens there are many things you have to learn or resources you need to purchase in order to get started in that area. Right there are a handful of product ideas that you could possibly begin selling through private label on Amazon. What are you interested in right now? Are there any new hobbies or areas you’re about to step into? Listen to Scott’s ideas on this episode to help you sort out the many opportunities that exist around you right now. What are your kids or friends’ kids into right now?Scott’s daughter has just begun to get involved in two new activities - playing the piano and volleyball. In each of those areas, she’s got to gather the resources she needs in order to be equipped for the activity. For piano lessons and practice she may need a metronome or staff paper. For volleyball, she may need specialized shoes or knee pads. Those pieces of equipment are some of the things that many people need when they are interested in the same activity. On this episode, you’re going to learn how you can observe the things you’re already doing or just getting started with so that you can generate product ideas to sell on Amazon. Do you have friends or neighbors who have a skill that could help you launch a product?Scott just moved to a new home in South Carolina. As a result, he’s meeting lots of new people and getting to know his neighbors. In almost every conversation he’s noticing skills, interests, or knowledge that his new friends have that could be leveraged into a product idea to sell on Amazon. On this episode, he’s not only going to tell you a handful of stories about those encounters but also give you some ideas about how you can begin to pay attention to the relationships you have that could be tapped into for the sake of product ideas. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 19 September 2016
One of the most unaddressed and confusing issues when it comes to selling any kind of products online is the collection of sales tax. One of the reasons it can be so confusing is because every State has its own set of regulations surrounding sales tax as well as its own process business owners need to go through in order to register and pay their taxes. That description alone should show you how difficult it is to remain in compliance. State sales tax issues are one of the most frequently asked questions Scott receives so he decided it was time to get someone on the show who could answer the basic questions about sales tax. That someone is Mark Faggiano of Taxjar. You can hear their conversation on this episode. I have to collect State sales tax? Really?Sometimes the fact that the internet is worldwide makes it seem like State and National jurisdictions don’t apply to what goes on, on the World Wide Web. But the fact is that when a product is purchased that transaction is taking place in a particular place. In other words, the purchaser is sitting at a computer or other device within a specific jurisdiction. It makes sense that States would want to collect sales tax when that happens. So yes, as a seller of products you really do need to be collecting sales tax with each product you sell. But how do you do it? That’s what this episode of The Amazing Seller is all about, so be sure you listen. As an Amazon seller, what States do you need to collect sales tax for?When it comes to knowing what States you should collect sales tax for it comes down to a couple of issues. First is the issue of “nexus.” Nexus refers to the place where you as a business are actually doing business. The most obvious qualification for where your business nexus is located, is the State in which you reside and do your work. But what if you have employees in a different state, or a warehouse in yet another State? And what if Amazon is warehousing your products in a number of States? As you can see, it gets very complicated. But Mark Faggiano from Taxjar is on the show to help us sort it all out. He’s Scott’s guest on this episode. Do I really need to register with a state to pay a very small amount of sales tax?What if you discover that you’ve sold enough products in a particular state - let’s say Maine - to owe $15 in tax to the State of Maine. Does that mean that you should register with the State of Maine so you can fork over that $15? Technically, probably so. But there’s another way to look at it that most people who do product sales for a living feel is safe and ethical. You can hear abou the varying approaches to the issue on this episode as well as hear all of them explained in detail. What are you waiting for? You should listen to this one. What if I had lots of sales in the past and never collected sales tax at all?It’s entirely possible that many people who sell products on Amazon - either private lable or retail arbitrage - are just now hearing about the possibility that they may owe sales tax to various States. If that’s you, here’s something important you should consider. What kind of sales volume have you done in various states in the past? That may impact whether you should be concerned about the issue or not. But at the very least it’s an issue you should look into because of the possibility that a given State may decide to audit you to come after their Sales tax money - and that could be even more costly than paying the tax of your own accord. Find out how you should think through the issues on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 16 September 2016
It’s time for that cup of coffee and a conversation across the virtual table as you and Scott get to chat about the Amazon private label questions that are on your mind. If you’ve got a sticking point, a lesson learned, a piece of information you need to know… this is your chance to ask Scott about those questions. If you are eager to get answers to your Amazon questions this is the episode for you. Find out how to ask your questions directly to Scott by listening to this episode. I’m not quite sure why Pay Per Click is important? It seems like a huge expense?A listener to this episode of The Amazing Seller asks why it’s important that private label sellers use Amazon Pay Per Click. It’s quite an expense over the long haul and she’s not quite sure why it’s beneficial. On this episode Scott answers her question, telling her why PPC is vital to getting your product started generating sales from the beginning, which in turn will drive your organic sales higher in the Amazon search rankings. What is BSR ranking and why is it important?The BSR ranking on any product in Amazon tells how often and well the product is selling. There are ways you can track the sales ranks of your products and your competitor’s products manually, but it is tedious and requires a good deal of discipline. On this episode Scott describes how he did this using a spreadsheet when he first began selling products on Amazon. He also tells how you can use software to do it much quicker - and offers an affiliate link for you to get the software to try for yourself. I’m about to launch a clothing product. When should I use variations and when should I create a new listing?A listener called in for this episode of the podcast to ask about her product launch. She’s going to be selling items that belong in the clothing category and is curious when she should create a parent product with variations underneath it for size, color, etc. - and when she should start an entirely new listing for products. It can be a bit confusing so Scott tells her what he’d do if he were in her shoes, and more importantly, why. You can hear his answer on this “Ask Scott” episode of The Amazing Seller. The next TAS LIVE event is on the calendar. Want to join Scott, Chris, and other Amazon sellers?October of 2016 is going to see the beginning of Scott’s next TAS LIVE event. This time, it will be held in Phoenix, AZ. It’s a two-day event that allows 10 Amazon sellers to go on the hot seat. The entire group will analyze their business, products, listings, and make recommendations as to what can be done to increase their product sales and improve their brand. The last event was sold out quickly so if you want to be part of this one head over to the show notes page for this episode and find the link to TAS LIVE. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 14 September 2016
Occasionally Scott likes to have roundtable type discussions with people who he’s come to know through his experience selling private label products on Amazon. On this episode, he’s recorded their conversation which was originally published to Facebook Live and Periscope. You’ll hear Scott, Chris Shaeffer, and Don Sugar chat about some of the things happening around the Amazon private label space and how the issues impact private label sellers and retail arbitrage accounts. Stick around for this one, there’s a lot of insightful thoughts to learn from and some cautions that could save you some real headaches.
We’re hearing that changes are happening in the Amazon terms of service.Much of what’s going around in the online communities that surround Amazon private label is not verified by Amazon yet, but nevertheless, there does appear to be some changes happening. What is the stink about? Most of it surrounds the issue of brand registry and the conditions Amazon is requiring. There are also many brand products that Amazon is bringing into the issue, requiring that sellers prove their right to sell the product. It could be a mess, or it could be a blessing. Find out why on this roundtable episode. How to the recent Brand Registry changes impact private label sellers?Many private Label sellers are concerned about the brand registry requirements Amazon appears to be enacting but Chris Shaeffer says that it’s a blessing more than a curse. Why? Because it is going to make it more difficult for hijackers to take over the listings of private label products. In fact, that could very well be the issue Amazon is trying to address with the new actions they are taking regarding brand registry. You can hear Chris’ argument on this episode and find out other things going on in the Amazon universe, on this episode. Why is it vital to capture email addresses of potential customers?Part of the discussion on this episode of the podcast surrounds the tactic of building an email list of potential or previous customers. Email list building is a proven online sales strategy that many private label sellers have not tapped into. On this episode, the guys chat about why email lists are so important, how to go about building one, and how you can use them to generate sales and build your brand. How many potential sellers are using these issues as an excuse not to start.One of Scott’s concerns when things in the Amazon community begin to get stirred is that people who might be considering private label sales might use the confusion as an excuse not to get started. If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time you won’t be surprised to hear Scott addressing that issue. After all, he’s the guy who’s coined the term, “Take Action.” No matter what’s going on in the Amazon space there are always going to be hurdles. But don’t let them scare you away. Everything is going to take some hard work, diligent research, and learning. But the benefits are much larger than the difficulties it takes to get started. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Mon, 12 September 2016
If you are curious how an experienced Amazon seller would go about optimizing a product listing that isn’t performing very well, this episode is for you. On this one, Scott chats with his friend Chris Schaeffer about a product one of their listeners is selling. The listener feels that she might want to liquidate the products to get rid of them so she can start over with an entirely new product. Scott and Chris talk about that approach but also give her some ideas about what she might be able to do that could increase her sales. Just because you launch a product on Amazon doesn’t mean it’s going to be a winnerMany people who try to sell products through Amazon Private Label if you don’t take the time to do the research required. You’re going to need to know what products are selling well and how much room there is for you to introduce another of those products. Just because you don’t launch a product on Amazon doesn’t mean it’s going to be a winner. On this episode, Scott and Chris talk about what can be done if you didn’t do your product research properly to make something out of the loser products you have listed. OR - you may want to liquidate the product altogether. Scott and Chris talk about both options on this episode. How can you formulate an exit strategy for loser products?Sometimes in spite of your best efforts and product research, you’ll get a product listed on Amazon that isn’t selling well - and won’t - no matter what you do. That’s when you want to create an “exit strategy” to get rid of those products. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, you’re going to hear how Scott and Chris would go about selling off unsuccessful products in order to get as much out of the failed effort as possible. That way you can begin to invest your time and resources in another product that might be able to do better for you. Is it better to continue PPC or to do a new promotion?There are two ways you can drive people to your products on Amazon using the Amazon tools provided in your seller account. The first is PPC (pay per click). That’s an ad platform that enables you to place your products on the top or side of the search page when people search for the keywords you want. PPC is great - but it can be expensive. The other option is doing promotions - which can cost you much less. When should you do PPC and when should you do promotions? On this episode, Scott and Chris answer the question. What is this thing I keep hearing about called a “sales funnel?”When you begin selling products through your own website you’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity you have to sell products to the people who join there. One of those opportunities revolves around your creation of a sales funnel. It’s a simple but powerful tool you can create to capture email addresses and market to people in a way that is appealing and helpful to them. Scott and Chris walk through a real-life scenario, telling a listener what they would do to create a sales funnel for her products, on this episode. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Fri, 9 September 2016
This is the podcast that teaches you, step by step, how to find, source, purchase, list, and sell your own private label products on the Amazon sales platform. It’s The Amazing Seller with Scott Voelker. This is one of our Friday episodes where Scott answers real life questions from private label sellers like you. If you’d like to ask Scott a particular question about what you’re experiencing, the challenges in your business, or the Amazon sales platform itself. If you’d like to ask your own question, you can listen to this episode and hear how you can do that! Why you really need to figure out your “why” if you’re going to move forward.Scott has found it incredibly helpful to keep a clear sense of why he’s doing his Amazon business in mind at all times. A clear and compelling “why” fuels your business and motivates you to keep working on the things that really matter. On this episode you’re going to hear Scott riff on why his “why” is important - and he’s going to tell you how you can develop your own compelling why that will keep you moving forward and taking action. Two separate listings for variations, one sells better. How can you increase traffic?A listener has a pretty interesting situation - he’s got two products that are identical in all other ways except that their colors are different. One of those colors sells very well and pretty consistently. The other doesn’t. His question is this: How can he optimize or promote the product that is not selling as well to get its sales numbers higher like the other product. Scott has a great set of suggestions for this listener and there’s a good chance that you’ll hear something that’s helpful for your business as well. I’m launching a product in a gated category that doesn’t allow PPC.One of the best tools provided on the Amazon sales platform is the pay per click tool that can help you drive sales to your products. But there are some product categories that do not allow sellers to use PPC. What do you do then? Scott’s got a handful of suggestions that center around optimizing the listing, researching your top 5 competitors, doing some sales promotions, and running ads from Facebook to a Leadpage. If you don’t know what all that means - you need to listen to this episode. Scott breaks it all down for you. What is your daily routine to run your private label business, Scott?Running a business of any kind can be quite a challenge. And if you’re a solopreneur or solo entrepreneur like Scott is (and many of you are), it can be especially tough. That’s because when you don’t have anyone telling you specific things to do in order to move the business forward, you’ve got to figure all of that out for yourself. On this episode Scott is asked what his daily routine looks like, and in typical Scott style he doesn’t answer the exact question - but what he does have to say is worth its weight in gold. You’ll want to hear this one. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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Wed, 7 September 2016
Today’s conversation is one that should give anyone considering Amazon private label sales hope that they can be successful. Jarret Colton is a guy who went to Scott’s LIVE event in 2016 with his head spinning. He’d listened to almost every TAS podcast episode and knew a lot of information, but it was all a grable in his head. Once he was able to talk with other sellers who had seen success and glean a lot of tips from the speakers at the event, he took action - and that action translated into incredible sales. You can hear how Jarret did it, on this episode. We sometimes overthink these things and need to go back to basics.Jarret is an example of a person who got his head crammed full of information and began to overthink things. There are too many things you CAN do to attempt to make your private label products sell, but there are not a lot of things you SHOULD do at first. So the back to basics mindset that Scott talks about on this episode is the prescription for many people. Be sure to listen to Jarret’s story so you can be inspired by what’s happened in his business - and get some ideas about what you can do to move your sales forward. What is YOUR next move?Every person who has placed a product on the Amazon sales platform has a next move that they need to take. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling lots of products or very few. You have something you can do to move your product sales forward. On this episode you’ll hear how Jarret made the decision to shut off all the noise and information that was clogging up his mind and simplified his process so he could simply do the next thing. You may be in the same place Jarret was - so be sure to hear how he got himself taking action on the right things. The power of professional product photos.One of the most important things that Jarret and his wife decided to invest in was professional photos for their product. He knew that once a person searches for his products he had to have some way to catch their eye and get them to click on his listing instead of the listing from his competition. The photos were exactly what did it for him. You can hear how Jarret found his photographer, the difference the professional photos made, and how he uses them within his listing, on this episode. 4 of his main products appear on page 1. Wow.After applying the tips and strategies that he learned at the TAS LIVE Breakthrough event, Jarret was able to increase the search ranking of his product listings. In fact, he was so successful at optimizing his listing that he’s now got 4 out of 6 of his main “parent” products showing on page 1 for their primary keyword. You should take the time to hear Jarret’s story. It’s inspiring and instructional for anyone who’s looking to rank their listing higher and get more product sales. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER
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