Rock Your Brand Podcast

Running a business is complicated in and of itself. There are all kinds of things you have to keep track of including taxes. There are many common mistakes made when it comes to taxes and on this episode of the podcast, Scott is talking with his friend Josh about the common questions that come to him when it comes to business text questions. Being a CPA, Josh has the actual answers you need in order to do things legally and ethically. You can hear all of these common questions and their answers on this episode of the podcast.

Are you calculating your product inventory the RIGHT way for tax purposes?

Many people think that in order to calculate their taxes correctly when it comes to inventory they simply need to add up how much they have spent on products during the calendar year. Scott's guess today is a certified public accountant and he says that is actually not the right way to do it. You will find up providing wrong figures to the IRS if you do so, and you could be liable for a much larger payment, plus penalties by doing it. On this episode, you were going to learn the right way to calculate inventory for tax purposes.

Is an IRS audit something you should be afraid of?

When you hear the phrase, “tax audit” it may cause you to break out in a cold sweat. But do you really need to be so concerned? What is the likelihood that you were really going to be audited? And if you are, which kind of audit is it that you should be concerned about? And this great conversation with a certified public accountant you were going to hear about the different kinds of audits, what each of them really is about, and what you should do if you are audited. It's a great episode to dispel a lot of the myths that are floating around in the business community, so make sure you take the time to listen.

What meals and entertainment are deductible?

Many people who run a business have been told that they can deduct meals and entertainment that have to do with their business with no problem. But is that entirely true? When this episode of the podcast a certified public accountant is going to tell us that you actually only get to deduct 50% of your meals and entertainment, and you can only do that if those are directly related to a business activity of some kind. If you want to hear the full story on this important issue, make sure that you listen. It could save you a lot of money in the end.

What business entity is best for your business?

There's a good deal of confusion about which business entity you should choose for your business activity. Should you be a sole proprietor? What about an LLC? Or maybe an S corporation or C corporation? If you're confused by all of these possibilities you are not alone. On this episode of the podcast, you will hear the definitions of each of these, what their advantages are, and how you should go about choosing the one that is right for you and your business. This section of the podcast alone is worth the time it will take you to listen.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:09] Scott’s introduction to this episode!
  • [3:19] How to deal with inventory as a business expense - the RIGHT way.
  • [11:29] Turning common personal expenses into business deductions.
  • [13:15] Home office space - how do you deduct it as a business expense?
  • [16:14] When the IRS contacts you for an audit - how does it happen?
  • [19:10] What meals and entertainment are deductible?
  • [21:06] Bookkeeping issues: How should you keep your records?
  • [25:41] A good rule of thumb for withholding federal taxes.
  • [27:20] The various business entities you can do business as.
  • [34:20] Can an S-corp be backdated to the beginning of your LLC creation?
  • [38:40] The issue of sales tax: How should you handle it?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

www.TaxJar.com

Direct download: TAS251.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

When was the last time you sat down to pick the brain of someone who is experienced at what you’re learning? It’s always a great experience where you get to learn what you don’t know. That’s the flavor of what happens on these Friday episodes of the Amazing Seller podcast. Scott answers questions that are submitted via voicemail to give you an idea of how he thinks about the challenges and obstacles that you come across when selling private label products on Amazon. Today’s episode includes questions about saturated markets, international sales, keyword usage, and more. Be sure you take some time to listen to this one. You’ll get lots of great insights from Scott’s responses.

I know a certain market very well, but it’s extremely saturated. Should I jump in?

Here’s a very interesting question about choosing a market: A listener has been working in a particular market outside of Amazon for some time and feels that he knows a lot about it already. But the market on Amazon is incredibly crowded and he’s not sure if he should take the risk of putting a product onto Amazon in that market. Scott’s got some ideas about how he could do it that may not be typical. It’s likely that you’re going to get your wheels turning about your own products after hearing the answers Scott gives to this great question - so be sure you listen.

My product sales are going quite well. I’m curious if I should expand my product to Canada or the UK.

On today's episode, a listener asked about expanding her product line into sales platforms outside of the United States. She is getting an average of 20 sales per day and thinks that expanding into Canada or the UK may be a good step for her at this time. Scott has some great insights into what it would take to become successful in other countries and gives her some tips on what to look for as indications that she could be successful doing so. If you've never sold your products in countries other than the United States you will want to hear what God has to say to this listener.

How should I best use the keywords and search terms in the Amazon backend?

One of the many confusing things about the Amazon platform has to do with the use of keywords and Search terms in the back-end of the Amazon seller account. There have been quite a few theories and opinions shared about how to best use those fields for the best results. On this episode, a listener asks about how those fields should be used and Scott gives an answer that covers all the bases. If you've ever been confused about the search term fields in your Amazon seller account, this is a response you will want to hear.

Scott got to appear on Pat Flynn’s show, Smart Passive Income!

It's not often that your success is noticed by people who are further along the path than you are. But that happened just this past month when Pat Flynn reached out to Scott to ask him to submit a response for one of his podcast episodes. It was a great honor and Scott was excited to condense some of his hard-learned business lessons into a short sound byte for Pat’s podcast. You can find out how to hear Scott's responses to Pat’s question by listening to this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:31] How you can ask your own question.
  • [2:42] Scott’s appearance on Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn.
  • [5:00] QUESTION ONE: I’m looking at a very saturated market that I know well - when should I jump in and when should I run?
  • [12:20] QUESTION TWO: I’m curious as to when I should expand my products into other countries (Canada and the UK).
  • [18:55] QUESTION THREE: I’d love to get an overview from you about how to use the keywords and search terms in the Amazon backend.
  • [24:57] QUESTION FOUR: I’ve got a lot of questions from inconsistent sales to reordering products. Can you help?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS250.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

If you’re going to build a business you really need to think long-term. One product can’t sell on a sustained basis - you need related and sibling products that can fill in the gaps of what people who use that product need on a regular basis. On this episode, Scott wants to walk you through 7 steps that he suggests for building a brand from the ground up. It’s a step by step process from product and market research all the way to ongoing sales and customer retention. You’ll get a lot out of this episode of the podcast - in fact, you should be sure to grab the transcript so you don’t miss anything.

Do you understand the difference between a product and a market?

Scott talks about this a lot on the podcast because it is vital: are you building a business based on a product or aimed toward a market? It is entirely possible to build a business around one product. But in Scott’s view, that is not a long-term solution that you can count on. The reason is that one product can lose its appeal over time but if you have multiple products within the same product in it or Market you will be able to maintain consistent sales in spite of downturns in the sales of one product line.  On this episode of the podcast, Scott wants to help you understand the difference between a single product and a product line that can take over a product market so that you can be even more successful in your online ventures.

You need to know who your ideal customer is.

Once you have done the research to know the product line and Market that you want to reach with your products, you need to discover who is buying those products. That doesn't mean you need to know names and email addresses but it does mean you need to know the common characteristics of the people who are regularly buying those items. Are they men or women? How old are they? What other types of things are they interested in? As you are able to answer those questions you will find yourself getting a clearer picture of who your ideal customer is. When you know the characteristics of those people you will be much better equipped to position your product in the market in ways that are attractive to them. Make sure you listen to this episode so you can hear Scott's explanation of how to discover your ideal customer.

Content marketing can set your brand up for success.

If you are not familiar with the term “content marketing” you need to make sure that you understand it and know how to use it to advance your brand. The concept behind content marketing is that you are providing value to people through your resources and tools that help them understand the product market better and begin to view you as a valuable authority or resource within that market. When you can effectively do that you will gain the trust of the exact people you were trying to sell your products to and they will become more prone to purchase your product as a result. Content marketing is one of the most effective ways of building a loyal following of customers who believe in your product line. Listen to Scott’s explanation of how to use content marketing to advance your business and brand, on this episode.

Implement these 7 steps to build a brand that lasts.

Selling products online is not that difficult if you're willing to put in the work to build the foundation's necessary to support the success of the business over the Long Haul. On this episode is Scott is walking you through 7 steps that you can use to build an online brand that will weather the ups and downs of Market swings. None of the steps can be successful on their own, and none of them are easy. But if you break them down into bite-sized chunks you will be able to accomplish one at a time with the end result being an established brand and a somewhat automated system by which your products are promoted and sold. This episode has so much content you should grab a transcript so that you don't miss any of the details.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:06] How trends relate to brands and which is best long term.
  • [5:16] Scott’s overview of the 7 steps he’s going to cover and why they are important.
  • [5:46] How to discover the niche customer for the products you’re interested in selling and ask yourself, Can you create a product line in this market?
  • [14:47] What is an avatar and why is it important?
  • ]15:12] How to use Google keyword planner and Google trends.
  • [17:41] Starting to create helpful content around your product.
  • [21:28] Find out where your ideal customer hangs out online.
  • [23:17] Use your research to to gain followers and customers.
  • [27:26] Create the basic sales funnel for your products.
  • [31:15] An example of how a free contest could work to promote your products.
  • [37:44] Consider the possibility of a digital product as well.
  • [39:03] Why these are good long term approaches to building a business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

 

Direct download: TAS249.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

There is no argument with the statement that we’d all love to see more revenue coming into our business. But there are tremendous disagreements about the best ways to create that revenue. Scott is convinced that the “how” is not important as long as you are increasing your revenue and he wants to see everyone who listens to his podcast do so as soon as possible. On this episode, Scott walks through 5 ways to generate more revenue that you may not have considered, and many of them are able to be attached to your existing brand by going for a market, not just a product. You can hear it on this episode.

The importance of multiple streams of income for everyone.

Think this through for a moment. If you put all your eggs in the “selling products on Amazon” basket, and Amazon changes things in a way that impacts your success, you’ve just lost all of your eggs. That means the money you were once making dries up overnight. Scott’s a great advocate of creating multiple streams of income to support your business and personal life. The more you have your income spread out the less vulnerable you are to the changes in any one platform. Today’s episode is filled with Scott’s insights into the ways you could launch some additional streams of income and support your life and business even more successfully.

Is there a book opportunity you could build off of your current products?

You probably haven’t thought of it this way but no matter what your product niche is, there are people who need to know more about that niche. There is probably an opportunity for you to create a digital book that you could sell on Amazon that covers some of the most important elements of the niche. You’d be providing a great service to would-be customers and creating an additional stream of income for yourself. Listen to Scott’s ideas about how to understand your market so that you can come up with ideas for additional streams of income.

If you have physical products is there a way to create a digital version of it?

It might require some creative thinking but many physical products can be pivoted into a digital version or a related product that is digital. There are so many ways you can create helpful things for people who are using your existing products and offer those items for sale. Creating additional streams of income is not as difficult as it might sound. You can do it - and this episode is full of ideas for how you can rethink what you do to increase your revenue.

You probably have a video course inside you. Yep. It’s true.

You may not be a technically oriented person. You may not know a thing about video. But you can be assured that there’s something you know well that others would pay money to learn. And more importantly, they would pay money to learn it in the WAY that you teach it. Scott’s got lots of ideas to give you about how you can create additional streams of income, and one of those is a video course that you can offer online or via DVD. You don’t have to be the expert on video, you can still create the course. Scott’s going to tell you how, on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:53] Scott’s invitation to you: Subscribe to the podcast and share it!
  • [1:55] The international TAS connections.
  • [4:39] The importance of multiple revenue streams for everyone.
  • [6:53] Have you considered a digital product version of your physical product?
  • [16:31] What about a video course? Do you have something to offer?
  • [21:48] Special downloads that relate to your product.
  • [24:27] Content creation that can be repurposed for additional revenue.
  • [29:46] A story from Scott’s experience: GarageBand and music loops.
  • [33:40] Scott’s tips to wrap up the episode - and a bit of homework.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS248.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

 

Welcome to this Friday Q & A episode of the Amazing Seller Podcast. We call these the “Ask Scott” sessions because it’s exactly that - your opportunity to ask Scott Voelker anything you want about selling on the Amazon platform. From product research and selection to shipping issues, to Amazon seller accounts and terms of service, to packaging, promotion, reviews, seller feedback - you name it and Scott is willing to address it on these Friday episodes. Be sure you ask your question. Who knows? Maybe it will be featured on a future Ask Scott episode.

Why results bring confidence in business and in life.

Everyone knows this but it’s true nonetheless. When you get results in any area of life you begin to gain confidence in that area. But you’ll never get the results if you never start. That’s why one of Scott’s biggest mantras is #takeAction. So if you’re struggling with confidence when it comes to your Amazon sales simply because it’s so new to you, you may need to simply take a step into the unknown so that you can gain the results you need to build that confidence. You can hear Scott’s thoughts on how he’s experienced this dynamic in business and in life, on this episode.

 

How can I best use Pay per Click to get myself to page 1 of the Amazon rankings?

Amazon’s pay per click tool is an amazing way to quickly make your product visible in the Amazon search rankings. But it’s not a normal listing that your potential customers see, it’s a promoted listing. But it’s what you’ve got to do in order to get your first sales. The first part of the launch is not about ranking, it’s about getting initial sales and reviews. That is where  Amazon PPC comes in as a powerful way to drive those sales. The next part of a launch is about ranking higher and that doesn’t happen through promotions, it happens through organic sales. And those organic sales are fueled partly by the existence of good reviews. Reviews serve as proof that your product is quality and actually something others want as well.

When I have variations on my products will my Best Seller Rank (BSR) apply to all variations or does each have it’s own BSR?

Every product in the Amazon catalog, including yours, has a seller rank. Every seller wants their product to achieve a best seller rank that shows potential customers that their product is worth buying. A listener asks about how variations of a product impact BSR. Do the variations each  have their own BSR or is the overall “parent product” the only one that has a BSR to be concerned about? It’s a great question and Scott has one of his “it depends” answers for you on this episode.

Should I have my products shipped first to my home address or directly to Amazon?

It may seem like a sensible shortcut to have the products from your supplier sent directly to the Amazon warehouse. After all, why would you want to keep inventory in your own home? Isn’t that what we’re trying to avoid through FBA? But the issue is that when you send products directly to the Amazon warehouse you have no quality control process in place to ensure that your products are free of defects. The only way you know is that customers begin leaving negative reviews on your products - which is never a good thing. On this episode of The Amazing Seller Scott outlines some of the options for shipping that make sense for international sellers and domestic sellers.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:28] Random thoughts from Scott: results build confidence.
  • [5:28] QUESTION ONE: How do I get to page 1 using PPC and how l can I track it?
  • [12:18] QUESTION TWO: Questions about product variations and shipping.
  • [19:16] QUESTION THREE: My products are large and heavy but sell well. What can you tell me about freight forwarding services?
  • [26:50] QUESTION FOUR: Can you recommend a good copywriting service for me since I don’t speak English as my first language?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

 

Direct download: TAS247.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

One of the most important parts of running a successful Amazon private label business is making sure you are establishing your brand and products as high quality and reputable. A HUGE part of doing that is getting honest reviews from your customers. If you don’t know how to effectively get those reviews you’re going to have a very hard time building a successful sales channel. On this episode, Scott and his friend Chris Guthrie are here to walk you through the ins and outs of reviews - what makes a good one, why you need them, and how to get them. Be sure you take the time to listen. It could increase your sales tremendously.

Amazon is cracking down on reviews. Here’s how to keep your product reviews safe.

There’s a lot of talk lately about Amazon’s attitude when it comes to product reviews - and it’s actually more than JUST talk. Amazon has adjusted its terms of service and is cracking down on reviews that it considers being fake or in some way manipulated. There’s only one way to ensure that your product reviews are safe from the Amazon crackdown and that’s to get real, legitimate reviews in the first place. This episode of the podcast is dedicated to making sure you understand the right and wrong ways to go about that - including some thoughts about the use of review groups, so be sure you listen.

What makes a real review and what makes a fake review?

You hear the terms “real” and “fake” applied to product reviews on Amazon all the time. But do you know what constitutes a real or fake review? On this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast, Scott has asked his buddy, Chris Guthrie to come on the show and unpack the details of what makes a good review and what contributes to the kind of reviews that Amazon has been removing from product pages. It’s their hope that using the information you hear on this episode you’ll be able to not only safeguard your product reviews from being removed but also get better quality reviews in the first place.

Why you need to follow up with your customers via Amazon’s integrated email.

You may not even have known but Amazon provides an email contact option within your seller account that you can use to directly contact your customers. Using that email tool is the best and most effective way to follow up with your customers once they’ve purchased your product - and part of that follow-up strategy can and should include a reminder to your customers to leave an honest review for your product. We all need reminders now and then, right? Your customers are the same way. Find out how you can use the email solution Amazon has provided on this episode - and learn how you can automate it so you don’t have to worry about it ever again!

Keep seller feedback in mind - not just reviews.

This episode of The Amazing Seller podcast is all about product reviews - OK, well not ALL about reviews - there’s a section right toward the end of the conversation where Scott and his buddy Chris Guthrie chat a bit about seller feedback and its role in making sure your account and products stay in Amazon’s good graces. Sometimes in the rush to get good reviews we forget about seller feedback, which can be a mistake. Be sure you hear this part of the conversation. It could keep your account from being banned for shut down temporarily.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:30] A LIVE review workshop coming up that you can attend for free!
  • [4:10] Review clubs: should you be using them?
  • [5:58] Does Amazon respect reviews that come from product promotions?
  • [7:37] The purpose and reason behind getting legitimate reviews (social proof).
  • [11:25] Why follow up email to customers is crucial - and how to do it!
  • [14:58] Gifts you can expect from the upcoming free webinar.
  • [25:30] Things to be careful of when asking customers for reviews.
  • [28:50] Chris’ advice to get your first initial batch of reviews.
  • [34:25] How does seller feedback relate to reviews and why is it important?
  • [41:14] The importance of looking at your business and sales from a long term perspective.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS246.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

When dealing with a huge platform like Amazon you've got to expect that there will be places where confusion sets in. This episode is an example of that very thing. Karon Thackston is with us today to help us understand the new items within the Amazon terms of service. Not everything is coordinated and not everything makes sense but if you learn how to operate within the Amazon guidelines your products were ranked better and your sales will increase. Karon Is here to help us navigate the changes and make sense out of all of it.

Amazon says you should make sure your title is less than 200 characters. Period.

The rules have changed many times over the years but now Amazon has a new guideline when it comes to the length of your product title. 200 words is the new limit and you have to be careful because the back end will not stop you from putting in more characters. But if you do you could be subject to a suppressed listing or even worse, Amazon could change the title for you and not allow you to change it back to something of your choosing. You've got to hear this one to believe it, and you can hear it on this episode of The Amazing seller.

Be sure to watch the Amazon style guide for what is allowed. Nothing else.

You can take a few minutes to click around the Amazon website and find conflicting guidelines for how you should list your products on their platform. But today's guest, Karen Paxton believes that you should only pay attention to the Amazon style guide when you are trying to conform your listing to the Amazon standards. The things Karon shares on this episode are from the Amazon style guide and as you will see, are not all that simple. But Karon is a pro and can help you navigate it more simply, so be sure you listen.

Why you should contact seller support over and over when you have issues.

If you run into issues with any of your product listings and need to contact Seller Support it is likely that you will run into a support agent who doesn't know the facts of how Amazon runs. Why would we say that? Because it's absolutely true. You can call Seller Support and talked to two or three different agents and get two or three different answers to your questions. That's why our guest today, Karon Thackston,  recommend that you continue to call Seller Support until you get help with the things that you need. Eventually you will be able to talk to supervisor and get things straightened out.

You should be careful with those search term fields from now on.

 

It wasn't too long ago that Amazon increased the number of Search terms you could enter in the search type fields in your product back end feels. But now they have come out saying that the search term fields don't really need to be used at all as long as your keywords are included in your description and bullet points. But Karon Thackston doesn't believe you will be penalized if you leave words in the search term fields, and is not recommending that any more experienced sellers go through their listings to remove them. You can hear the entire fiasco on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode with Karon.
  • [5:00] Karon’s summary of what she’s covering for you today.
  • [8:15] Another reason to build a platform of your own off Amazon.
  • [9:56] The issue of title suppression (titles over 200 characters).
  • [13:45] Why you should contact seller support if your backend doesn’t reflect the 200 character limit.
  • [20:40] The new guidelines for search terms to optimize your listings.
  • [25:40] Is any aspect of the product listing weighted more than anything else?
  • [27:33] Scott’s recent keyword test.
  • [29:04] Amazon’s latest guidelines for keywords (to kill keyword spam?).
  • [34:34] And Amazon still says you should not use commas in keyword fields.
  • [38:02] What Karon recommends to sellers who have been around a while.
  • [41:14] The importance of split testing to ensure what’s truly working.
  • [44:05] Do not use competitive product names in your listing anywhere.
  • [50:08] Overly long content in the description, etc. is not advised either.
  • [51:02] Taking account of common abbreviations and plurals in descriptors.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS245.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:49am EDT

Nobody knows it all. Not even those who have been doing something for a very long time. We all need to ask for help from time to time and these Friday episodes of the Amazing Seller Podcast are an opportunity for you to ask your questions about Amazon sales and private label products. Scott LOVES these episodes where he gets to sit down and deal with the real life situations that you and many other sellers like you are facing each day in your business. You can listen to the questions people have already asked and even ask your own questions, right here on the Friday episodes.

When should I start PPC (pay per click) on my new products?

On today's episode a listen to the podcast asked whether he should wait to start his pay per click campaigns until he has a significant number of reviews, or whether he should begin PPC immediately once his product is live on the Amazon platform. What would your answer be? Today, Scott has an answer for this listener and has advice for you if you are trying to determine when and how to start your PPC campaigns. You can hear it all on this episode of the podcast.

If I rank for a long tail keyword will I also rank for shorter keywords within it?

Do you know what a long tail keyword is? A long tail keyword is a keyword phrase that uses a primary key word with other qualifying words added to the beginning or end. For example, garlic press maybe the base keyword. But long tail keywords would be, “stainless steel garlic press,” OR “long handled garlic press.” On today's episode a listener asks if he will rank for all of the keywords within a long-tail keyword phrase, or only the long tail keyword phrase itself. It's a great question and Scott has a great answer. Be sure you listen to find out what it is.

Do I have to set up multiple seller accounts if I want to sell more than one brand?

The first thing you need to do in order to sell products on Amazon is to create a seller account. Today a listener asks if he should set up multiple seller account if he is going to be selling products under multiple brand names. It's a great question and one that can have many answers depending on what your and goals are for your business. On this episode, Scott answers the question with a good deal of insight and foresight, so be sure you take the time to listen.

Is it a good idea to enter a market when there are 3 to 4 pages worth of sellers in the niche? What if I did a bundle?

A listener today has found a product possibility in a niche where there are many, many sellers of the product. But he's curious if it is a good opportunity anyway since there is only one seller who is providing the product in question in a different color, while all the rest offer the exact same product. He is curious if he could create a bundle that includes both colors, or even add additional colors to make a bundle that is more attractive. You can hear Scott's answer to this interesting question on this episode of The Amazing seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this “Ask Scott” episode of the podcast.
  • [2:30] Why you need to schedule and plan things if you’re going to be successful.
  • [6:03] QUESTION ONE: How long do you wait to start your Pay Per Click campaigns after getting reviews?
  • [10:15] QUESTION TWO: I’m trying to rank for a long tail keyword… If I rank for a long tail keyword will I also rank for the shorter words within the long tail keyword?
  • [15:50] QUESTION THREE: I’ve been told I can only create one store within Amazon. Is that true?
  • [20:43] QUESTION FOUR: The product I’m considering has 3 pages of sellers but only one is selling a different color and he’s doing well. Is this a good bundle opportunity?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS244.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

When you start anything new in your life you’re going to feel nervous or scared. That’s OK. Nerves and fear are natural in any new endeavor but they aren’t the thing that determines success. What determines your success is your own mindset. On this episode Scott chats with a successful Amazon seller, Bobby Jacques and the two of them agree that mindset is crucial. You can hear how both of these guys approach their business in light of mindset, on this episode.

Why you have to just do it and simply take action.

When people talk about mindset they’re addressing the issue of belief. If you are going to attempt a business on Amazon or any other platform you’ve got to first believe in your ability to learn, to grow, and to pivot through the disappointments and obstacles until you reach success. It’s a “never give up” attitude that you have to develop - and today’s episode is one that can help you do that. You’re going to hear from a very determined Amazon seller who made it his goal to replace his full time income in a very short period of time. He did it, and is a testimony to the fact that you can do it too, if you’re willing to work hard, learn, grow, and keep going.

The importance of mindset to believe that you can accomplish things.

When it comes to building an online business, whether through private label sales on Amazon or some other approach, you’ve got to believe that you can do it. The person who doesn’t believe in their ability is the one who will give up quickly after they hit the first obstacle. And you WILL hit obstacles if you take the entrepreneurial route. Bobby Jacques shares his story on this episode and tells how he went from nothing to $50K per month in sales on this episode.

Dialing in your pay per click (PPC) is important for product visibility and profits.

One of the tools that makes private label sales on Amazon such a successful thing is Amazon pay per click. PPC is one of the tools Amazon provides to help you get people's eyes on your products when they are searching for exactly what you have. Make awesome money and takes time to figure out, but one You can be the pot at the end of the rainbow. On this episode Scott's guest is going to tell us how he manages his pay per click campaigns and what you can do to organize your campaigns properly from the start.

If you’re going to start, you’ve got to determine that you will start and succeed.

Determination in any business is huge. You can't be the type who will give up at the first sign of trouble or difficulty. No difficulty can stop you if you are convinced that you can learn and grow for the sake of overcoming any obstacle. Your job as an entrepreneur is to make yourself successful so that you are able to bring great value to the world.  On this episode of the podcast you're going to here a great story of success from a guy who started with no money in the bank and is now bringing in $50,000 per month in sales revenue. Bobby Jacques is Scott’s guest on this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:30] Join the next live workshop.
  • [2:20] Shout out to an iTunes listener who left a review.
  • [4:04] Why Scott wanted to chat with Bobby for today’s show.
  • [6:45] How Bobby got into business after a long road of other stuff.
  • [12:50] The motivation of engagement to build toward a business.
  • [15:01] How Bobby decided to fund and start his online sales business.
  • [17:30] The timeline and goals Bobby set for himself.
  • [24:00] PPC strategies Bobby uses.
  • [32:29] Things Bobby wishes he’d done differently from the start.
  • [33:50] How Bobby manages his PPC campaigns and keeps them straight.
  • [35:42] Up to 50K in revenue every month.
  • [37:46] Liquidating products that aren’t doing so well.
  • [41:11] What people starting from scratch should do to start on the right foot.
  • [43:26] Is Amazon still a viable platform for new sellers?
  • [44:30] How to connect with Bobby.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS243.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

One of the things Scott and his friend Chris Schaeffer love to do to help private label sellers boost their sales is to do these “hot seat” episodes. It’s a real life Amazon product that is already selling that is submitted for review and suggestions to increase sales. Scott and Chris are looking at a product today that is in a tight niche and is very low priced - both of which are problems from the get go. But there are some things that can be done to improve the sales of this product regardless. You can hear Scott and Chris’ suggestions on this episode.

A bad thing will happen when you’re product price is low to begin with.

If you get into a market where the sales price for the product is $7 or so, you’re going to run into a problem. Even if your product only costs you $1, you’re going to pay a lot in Amazon fees and not have much product margin to play with. That’s why Scott recommends that you look for products that will sell for $15 or more most of the time. You can hear more insights into the way the product cost impacts your profits and success, on this episode

The first thing your potential customers see is the photo. Make sure it’s a good one.

When you’re putting together your Amazon listing one of the most important things that can’t be underestimated is the photo you use to highlight your product. Amazon requires that your product photo is the product alone on a white background - and Scott and Chris both feel that it’s vital that the photo be high quality and positioned in a way that shows it as large a possible. Today’s hot seat product needs a better photo and Scott and Chris will tell you exactly what they’d do to make the listing photo better.

Providing a bonus item for freer is a great idea - but this seller didn’t use it well.

The product that’s on the “hot seat” on this episode of The Amazing Seller also includes a free ebook to help the user learn how to use the product. It’s a great idea and is a powerful way to increase the perceived value of the product. However, this seller hasn’t taken advantage of the bonus. How did they miss the opportunity? The bonus item is not mentioned in the title of the product OR shown in the product image. Both of those are great opportunities to stand out from the competition. Find out how you can use this example to improve your product listing on this episode.

Bundling may be the key to increasing your private label product sales.

Often, once a private label product is introduced into the market others begin to jump on board and offer the same product. Before long that niche is flooded and the price begins to race to the bottom. It’s not a good situation for anyone but there are ways to become the dominant seller in the market, and the main way is by bundling your product with accessories or related products that purchasers might need in order to use your product. You can hear some great ideas for how you can think in terms of bundling for your product on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this hotseat episode with Chris Schaeffer!
  • [3:00] Introduction to this hotseat scenario.
  • [6:19] The market today’s product is in: good or bad?
  • [9:21] The market looks saturated and the price point is low.
  • [14:22] An interesting market that should allow for increased sales.
  • [15:55] Why the product photo is important: and this one needs to be improved.
  • [20:25] Looking at the listing for issues that could use improvement.
  • [29:02] Looking at related products to come up with bundle ideas.
  • [39:12] The more you look into the bundles, the more opportunities you see.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS242.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Here is the regular Friday version of The Amazing Seller Podcast - the “Ask Scott” session! This is where you’re able to ask your very own questions about Amazon Private Label sales, online sales in general, and how to do your pay per click, promotions, and more. If you’ve got your own questions about selling on Amazon you can ask Scott directly and possibly be featured on an episode just like this one. You can find out how to ask your question by listening to this episode!

I have an online following and want to promote a private label product through it. Is that a good idea?

One of the listeners to the Amazing Seller is a guy who does his own podcast and has his own online following established already. He wanted to know if there is a way that he could effectively begin selling physical products that he lists on Amazon through his other brand. Scott’s answer to his question was a big, fat, enthusiastic, “YES!” and you can hear why Scott’s so excited about this kind of opportunity by listening to his response.

Can I get a Chinese supplier to customize a product for me in unique ways?

Ordering products from China is one of the most affordable and easy ways to get a private label product brand started. But are you limited to the products the suppliers have on hand? Nope. You can take any product idea - even one you haven’t seen on their platforms - and send them sketches, schematics, etc. and ask if they can build it for you. You’ll go back and forth with the supplier for a while getting the details right, then you’ll have to front some cash to get a prototype made. You can find out what comes next by listening to Scott’s answer to this great question - on this episode.

Is it OK for me to copy the URL of my Amazon product and ask people to go there to buy?

It’s the most natural thing in the world to ask people to buy your product. It’s also natural to make it easy for them to purchase by sending them the direct link to your product on Amazon. But the way Amazon’s algorithm works that’s not always the best idea. Why? It’s because Amazon continually calculates how many purchases of your product happen based on the number of views it receives. So if you send someone directly to the product and they don’t purchase, you could be hurting your product rankings. Find out how it all works out on this episode.

Is it OK for me to try to sell a product where the competition has more than 100 reviews?

A listener has been doing his product research and wants to know if he would be safe to try to enter a product into a market where the competition has over 100 reviews. Scott says it’s OK but more important than the reviews the competition has is what he calls the “depth of market.” What is that and why does it matter? You can find out all the details by listening to this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:34] Scott’s recording on his birthday to spend time with his family later!
  • [5:09] A question to ask yourself right now.
  • [7:42] QUESTION ONE: I have an online presence and brand already. I want to combine that with private labeling. Will product suppliers customize products for me?
  • [16:05] QUESTION TWO: What links should I use to drive outside traffic to my listing?
  • [22:19] QUESTION THREE: I’m having trouble finding a product to start out with that has competition with lower numbers of reviews. Is that OK?
  • [27:20] An audio from a listener about the success she is experiencing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS241.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Today’s guest is Spencer Haws, he’s a long time web entrepreneur who has built his experience and knowledge creating niche based websites. You can see more of what he’s done in that realm at his site www.NichePursuits.com. But today Spencer is with us to help us understand how you can build your own website that sells your own products - independent of Amazon. Interested? Be sure you listen to this great episode.

Why you need to move your success to your own platform.

Spencer strongly believes that you need to take your success to a different platform once you’ve gotten your feet wet on Amazon. Why? Because you want to build something that you have entire control over, no matter what. On Amazon you have to follow the constantly changing rules and make sure you’re not making any mistakes. On your own site you are the king of the castle and you make up the rules. And maybe just as important, you’ll be cutting out the Amazon middleman that bites into your profit margin. Hear how Spencer and Scott suggest you take that step, on this episode.

When is the right time to build your own website store?

Let’s say you’ve had a private label product on Amazon for a while and you’re selling a decent amount of products every day. Should you take the step of creating your own website and trying to sell your products independent of Amazon? Spencer Haws says that once your products are selling well on Amazon you’ve got a great test case that shows that your products could sell independent of Amazon as well. Find out exactly how Spencer says you can know if you should take the step to build your own sales platform, on this episode.

Using long tail keywords you can get lots of traffic.

You may not even know what a long tail keyword is, but Spencer Haws believes that you’ve got to become skilled at identifying and using them if you’re going to have success building a sales site for your products that operates independently of Amazon. Spencer has proven on his own sites that going for the lesser known long tail keywords can be very successful in the long run. You can find out how Spencer does it, step by step, and the software tool he uses to do his research on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

How you can get specific training to build your own niche website.

If all of this website building talk sounds a bit scary to you, relax. Spencer Haws has created two ways you can learn everything you need to know to build a website the right way and start selling your products independent of Amazon. First is an internship where over the course of 4 weeks you’ll learn how to do everything you need to make your site stellar. Second, if you can do an internship there’s an 8 week course that covers the same content. Before you know it you’ll be rocking your own sales platform that cuts out the Amazon middleman!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode with Spencer Haws!
  • [1:51] Details about stuff you’ll want to know for this episode.
  • [3:49] Why Spencer believes you need to move your success onto your own platform.
  • [5:45] When is the right time to build your own website property?
  • [7:59] The main goal for building your own website.
  • [9:35] Why keyword research is important and how to go for long tail keywords effectively.
  • [16:20] What should you look for when it comes to long tail keywords.
  • [20:37] Using top list posts to get backlinks and build your network.
  • [23:11] How to use Google’s Keyword Planner to find keywords.
  • [24:55] How Spencer would use the data inside Amazon.
  • [29:00] What you can do if you’re not a good writer.
  • [30:34] How to format the content you produce.
  • [34:10] Getting your content published: posting and scheduling.
  • [35:40] How to build backlinks effectively.
  • [40:41] Spencer’s new internship program to train people to scale websites.
  • [44:56] Spencer’s course to teach you how to build out your own website.
  • [47:12] Do these strategies still work today?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS240.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

A big part of launching any business is the fear you have to conquer because of the risk that’s inherent in starting a business. While the fear may be an obstacle, it doesn’t have to be such a big one. You can reduce the chances of failure (what you’re really afraid of) by checking out what’s already working in your product niche and duplicating those things for your product. On this episode Scott goes way outside his normal topics to show you how he looks at products and marketing approaches so that you can learn how to use other people’s hard work to make your own business less risky and more profitable.

How to use Amazon and eBay as incredible marketing research tools.

Most of the time Scott is talking about Amazon as a sales platform - and that it is. But you may not have considered that Amazon’s setup is also designed in a way that you can use it to research product ideas and market trends. On this episode Scott talks about how you can use reviews, data, and the “also bought” section of Amazon, eBay, and other platforms to make smarter decisions about your products and business.

Pay attention to the customer experience you have relating to products you buy.

When you buy any product - from Amazon or even your local Walmart - you should pay attention to the way the company has positioned your buying and follow up experience. Is the packaging appealing and cool? Does the verbiage on the package give you clear instructions? Does it encourage you to submit contact information so you can receive more from them? Does it offer you other ways you can benefit from your product or receive more information? Scott has begun observing these kinds of things and it’s given him all kinds of ideas for his own business and products. What about you? Learn more on this episode.

Why you should intentionally buy your competition’s product.

One of the best things you can do for your business is to know your competition. Not just who they are or what they sell, but also HOW they sell it and WHAT they do to follow up with their customers. The best way to do that is to become a customer. When you purchase one of your competitor’s products you’ll get to see exactly what they do to connect with their customers, follow up with them, offer them related products, and more. Then you can reverse engineer it to include those things in your process OR you can improve on it and blow your competitors out of the water. Find out more about tweaking your competition on this episode.

Don’t forget about print magazines and TV. They are great at marketing.

While you may never consider advertising your Amazon private label products on TV or in a magazine you would do well to pay attention to what advertisers on TV and in magazines are doing to sell their products. Advertisers have been using print and video for years and they really know what works. You can borrow their ideas and apply them to your promotions and advertisements to up your game. Scott goes through a ton of ideas for promoting and presenting your products better, on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:07] This episode was sparked by questions from listeners.
  • [5:36] The importance of using Amazon.com and eBaby.com for data and insight.
  • [9:21] Using product reviews to refine products and build new ones.
  • [11:00] Buy a similar product and go through their customer experience.
  • [12:33] Search Google to find a product similar to yours and buy it through their website.
  • [15:32] Click a Facebook Ad for a similar product to yours and go through the process.
  • [24:16] Why you should pay attention to magazine advertisements.
  • [28:16] Opt in to somebody’s email list and observe their follow up process.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS239.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Amazon private label sales is one of the best ways to get started with online business. You don’t have to have any experience because there are many good hearted people like Scott Voelker who are eager to walk you through the ways you can get started with even a small amount of cash. This episode is one of Scott’s weekly “Ask Scott” episodes where anybody who has a question about sales on Amazon is able to ask their questions. This episode highlights listener questions about product categories, shipping costs VS storage fees, responding to bad product reviews, and using the keyword fields in the Amazon product backend wisely.

I’m not sure which categories I should choose for my private label product.

A listener asks a very good question today about product categories. It’s often the case that one product could legitimately belong in more than one category. When that’s the case, how do you go about choosing which category you should designate as your “primary” category. On this episode Scott answers the question and encourages the listener who ask it to focus on keywords and optimized listings more than the category - though he does give some tips on how to choose the most effective category as well.

Should I pay increased shipping or storage fees to house my products?

A TAS community member called in to ask Scott about his situation - he’s got a great product but in order to get his best price he’d have to order 2000 of them! He’d be saving enough money that it seems like a wise thing to do, but he doesn’t want to keep them at his home and doesn’t believe that Amazon would allow him to send in that many at once. He’s asking Scott’s advice on whether storing those products at some warehouse would make sense. Scott’s got his typical common sense answer to this one and you can hear it on this episode.

Can I leave comments or replies to negative reviews I get on my products?

A listener asks Scott if he is able to respond to the comments that are made to his products, and if so how? The tool you need to know about in order to do that is called Sales Backer (find it in this episode’s resource links) and it’s a great way to be active in the space surrounding your product and to do great customer service that can not only fix problems your customers are having but also get some of those negative reviews removed or changed. You can find out about Sales Backer and how you can use it on this episode.

I heard you talking about keyword duplication on product listings? Can you tell me about that?

There has been a lot of confusion about keywords and how they are used in the Amazon product listings, and for good reason. It appears from trials that various Amazon sellers have done that some of the conventional wisdom surrounding keywords may have been incorrect. On this episode you’ll hear Scott dig into the topic a bit in response to a listener’s question about how to use keywords. It’s a very helpful response so make sure you take the time to listen.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:29] Shout out to the TAS Facebook community.
  • [4:10] QUESTION ONE: I’m doing a new product launch and I’m not sure how to choose the right category in light of competition, etc.
  • [11:11] QUESTION TWO: I’m having trouble figuring out if I should pay high shipping or buy more products and store them economically in the U.S. with arrangements to ship to Amazon monthly?
  • [18:14] QUESTION THREE: How can I leave comments on reviews left on my products using Sales Backer?
  • [24:04] QUESTION FOUR: I’m curious about keyword duplication in the Amazon backend. You and Chris discussed using Keyword Inspector to weed out duplicates. Can you expound on that a bit?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS238.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

 

Part of the difficulty in launching a private label product on Amazon is always the task of getting interested eyes on your product. You’ve got to be able to find out how to get your product in front of the people who are most likely to buy it. This episode is a chat with a TAS community member who took it on himself to find his own ways of doing that and he had some pretty significant successes. So sit back and relax, grab a cup of coffee and a pen and paper because you’ll want to take some notes about what Kent did to get attention for his products which in turn ramped up his sales and built an interested email list of customers right from the start.

Are you selling a product or the story behind the product?

One of the things today’s guest did masterfully to build enthusiasm for his product was to create a story (a true story) around the product and even the process of how it came to be. He highlighted the story of his own family and the need they felt for a particular type of product that didn’t exist - and followed up with a description of how they decided to create the product themselves. It’s a beautiful demonstration of what’s being called “story selling” and you get to hear the inside scoop on how Kent pulled it off, on this episode of the podcast.

Using Facebook to enlist the help of friends, family, and associates.

When Kent finally got his products ordered he wanted to start a pre-promotion phase to encourage interest in the product before he actually launched. He coupled the story behind the product’s creation with requests to friends and family (and others) to help him get a good start with ratings and reviews. He invited those interested in helping to join the mailing list to learn more about the product and get a discount when the product launched. He was able to build a list of 130 subscribers before he even had product in stock at Amazon. You can hear his creative solutions to product promotion on this episode.

The up and down of a product launch’s initial stages.

As Kent finally got his products listed on Amazon and began his launch he had an initial spurt of good sales and 25 reviews within the first week. But his sales began to slump fairly quickly once the first week launch was over. He was discouraged for a bit and quickly realized that the momentum of the launch was not something he could count on long term. But the fact that he’d already built a list of interested customers - and that his product was one that needed to be replenished over time - enabled him to stay encouraged and keep moving forward. That’s when he got the idea to do a different form of promotion that worked big time. You can hear him tell his entire story on this episode.

Don’t forget to try promotions through traditional media outlets.

After Kent’s initial launch week was over he started thinking outside the box to find additional ways to promote his products. One approach he thought of was to offer a “feature” story to the local newspaper. He sent a very simple email that briefly outlined the story in an appealing way and got a great response from the paper. His product and family’s story was featured in the Saturday edition and Kent got over 150 sales the day of publication. He’s excited to see where his product will - and you can hear all the details of the journey so far on this episode!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [1:02] The power of building an email launch list.
  • [1:49] A shout out to a member of the TAS Facebook Community!
  • [5:50] How Scott noticed what Kent was doing.
  • [7:20] Kent’s story of going from retail arbitrage to private label.
  • [10:50] How Kent chose his first product for private label.
  • [12:43] Kent’s process for collecting email addresses.
  • [16:40] The 6 part email sequence Kent used.
  • [18:30] Getting purchases and reviews.
  • [21:10] Asking people to purchase in the smartest way.
  • [22:50] How Kent did this the smart way by building relationships.
  • [24:25] Using his personal Facebook profile to publicize the product.
  • [31:33] How things proceeded after the launch.
  • [32:45] Kent’s traditional media approach through local newspapers.
  • [35:21] How Kent’ pitched the article to the local newspaper.
  • [38:27] Scott’s takeaways from this episode and process.
  • [41:50] Kent’s advice to those getting started with private label sales.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS237.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Once you get started doing private label sales on Amazon and other platforms you need to understand the importance of how you present your products and brand to those who are considering a purchase from you. That means packaging is a big deal. On this episode Scott is taking a look at the packaging of a product he recently bought because he thought it was done very, very well. He wants you to learn from some of the smart things the company did to increase his perception of their company and the product he purchased. It’s all on this episode.

Perceived value is one of the most important reasons to create custom packaging.

Scott recently purchased a lens for his iPhone to make his photos and videos pop a bit more. When he received it he was blown away by the packaging and all the little “extras” the company included with his order. On this episode of the Amazing Seller you’re going to hear about Scott’s experience and get some great ideas for how you can increase the perception people have of the products you are selling with some simple little tricks and added value. It’s a great, thought provoking episode so don’t miss it.

Does your product need some kind of “Help” materials included?l

Depending on what type of private label product you are selling you may want to consider adding some helpful materials like a “Getting Started” guide or insert card that leads the purchaser to a page on your website that demonstrates the product in use. Why would you want to do that? Because you want your customers to have the impression that you are a real business (and you are, aren’t you?). You’re erasing any doubt or skepticism they may have had with every little value add you can provide. A help resource is a great way you can do that.

 

Grab that email address with custom packaging.

When you think about creating custom packaging for your private label products you may only be thinking of logos, colors, shape, etc. But did you ever consider that you can place some kind of call to action on the packaging that drives people to your website? That’s a great way to encourage opt-ins to your email list so you can communicate directly to your customers. You don’t want to draw them away from Amazon for the purchase of your product, but you can offer them something more such as product registration, help guides, etc. That enables you to get them on your site where they can be asked for an email address. You can hear Scott’s thoughts on this great idea on this episode.

 

Getting into the private label world? You need this free workshop.

If you are interested in selling products online it’s always better if you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Scott Voelker has put together a free private label workshop that he runs now and again and you are invited to register. You’ll not only hear the 5 phases of getting a product for sale on Amazon, you’ll also get to be part of the Q&A session at the end of the workshop. It’s all done live via video so you can attend no matter where you are in the world. On this episode you can get the details of how you can sign up to be a part of that event. And don’t forget, it’s free.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [3:30] Why you might hear some odd sounds in this episode.
  • [4:29] Why the packaging to Scott’s recent purchase mattered to him.
  • [6:32] Right out of the box, don’t worry about custom packaging.
  • [9:45] Did you consider you could print things on the packaging?
  • [11:50] Basic packaging options available.
  • [15:28] Examples from a product Scott purchased.
  • [24:13] The importance of a call to action on insert cards.
  • [30:42] How to determine what content to place on your cards.
  • [22:08] What’s the best source for your packaging?
  • [34:44] Why you have to order a larger quantity for custom packaging.
  • [36:15] The power of bundling things together and the extras received.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS236.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

When it comes to researching and launching a private label product on Amazon there are many hoops to jump through - and the Amazon terms of service change often. How do you know that what you’re doing is the right thing to do? One way is to find a trusted person who’s already been down the path - and that’s what these Ask Scott episodes are all about! You can ask your own questions of Scott Voelker, an experienced Amazon seller. He’s got 4 questions today about PPC, unloading failed products, the impact reviews have on sales or PPC, and whether or not you should try to sell your products on platforms other than Amazon. It’s all on this episode.

How to cut your losses to get out of a private label product you’ve tried.

A listener called in to ask Scott if he could walk through the various options when it comes to liquidating private label products that simply aren’t selling. Scott understands the question and the need behind it. There are many reasons you might need to get rid of products that you’ve been trying to sell and his answer to this question is one that will give you a head full of ideas to try out if you’re in the same situation. Be sure you listen to find out ways that you can sell products to recoup the money you’ve invested.

I have hundreds of products on Amazon already. How should I approach PPC?

On this episode a caller asks about using PPC when she’s already got an established and broad Amazon seller account. In her case, she’s already listed hundreds of products on Amazon. Choosing how to approach PPC seems like a daunting task. But Scott’s got some good suggestions for making her pay per click strategy effective and he shares them with her on this episode. Are you confused about PPC? As Scott answers this question you’ll probably find some help to the issues that are hanging you up, too.

What impact do reviews have on the success of my products and PPC campaigns?

A lot of people who place their private label products on the Amazon sales platform don’t understand how product reviews work in the Amazon ecosystem. It’s not that your reviews directly get you a higher ranking on Amazon search results OR give you an increase in your sales numbers. Reviews serve more of a complementary function. Imagine this: You’re searching for a product you’ve been meaning to buy and there are two options. One of them has 3 product reviews, the other has 300. Which are you more likely to trust? The one with the 300 reviews. Do you see that the number of reviews your product receives serve as social proof that your product is a good one? Find out how Scott advises this caller who only has a handful of reviews on what she can do to get more social proof for her product by listening to this episode.

Is your ecommerce business being held hostage by Amazon?

Selling private label products on Amazon is really an ecommerce business. Since it’s on Amazon you may not have thought of it that way, but it’s the truth. Ecommerce can be implemented on a wide variety of platforms - Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, and more. But you have to understand that whatever platform you’re selling on, you have to play by that platform’s rules. It’s understandable - and somewhat frustrating at times. Scott answers a listener’s question today with a question of his own… Is Amazon holding your ecommerce business hostage? You’ll want to hear this one.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:04] How you can submit your questions for these Q&A episodes.
  • [2:42] QUESTION ONE: How should I go about bailing out of a product that I want to stop selling?
  • [10:35] QUESTION TWO: How should I approach PPC when I already have hundreds of products on Amazon?
  • [16:30] QUESTION THREE: How do my sales and PPC campaigns relate to the number of reviews I have?
  • [25:30] QUESTION FOUR: My product was reviewed and has been unlisted. I have similar products so I’m a bit confused.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS235.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Every private label seller has dreams of their business going big. But very few think as big as what actually happened for Chad Rubin. Chad’s private label success forced him to create an amazing software solution for his biggest problems. You’re going to hear Chad’s story from the beginning until now - how he built an amazing private label business on Amazon, grew it to monstrous proportions, and then pivoted to create a software that is now leading the way in the ecommerce space.

Great ways to discover product ideas that actually sell.

One of the most difficult aspects of building an Amazon private label business is finding that perfect product that sells - and continues to sell. Chad Rubin says that those kinds of products require a lot of research into the market it will be serving. You’ve got to make sure that you’re actually meeting a real life need to ensure that there will always be a market for the product so you’re not left with a huge investment that never pans out. You can hear Chad’s advice for finding those kinds of products on this episode.

 

Come up with an idea that solves a specific problem.

You can’t expect to jump on Alibaba and choose the first product that looks like it might sell. You’ve got to find one that truly meets a need that consumers are willing to pay to have solved. Chad Rubin’s formula for private label success starts there. He suggests that you look at your own life - at the problems you face and the things you wish were different - and let those frustrations inspire you to create products that solve those problems. If you have the problem, you can bet thousands of others do too. Find out how Chad goes about his own product discovery on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Come up with an idea that has to do with something you love.

Many private label sellers fade away over time because they start selling a product they think will be successful, but it’s not something they personally have an interest in. Chad Rubin says that long term success requires that you’re working on something that you actually enjoy or have interest in. When you’re passionate about the products you sell you’re going to be much more motivated over the long haul and will be able to persevere to see your business thrive. If you want to be inspired by an incredible story you’ll want to hear this episode.

Choose a product that doesn’t get you stuck in one narrow niche.

Successful private label sales depends on building a brand, not just selling one popular or in-demand product. When you only have one product you get stuck in a one dimensional place where it’s hard to branch out and create secondary streams of income for your business. Chad Rubin suggests that you start out with an eye toward building a brand that can span many different niches of products. That way you’re able to pivot more easily, add complementary products to your product line in a natural way, and maximize your potential to cross sell to your existing customer base.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to this podcast episode.
  • [1:46] An iTunes review left recently (leave your review over there, too!).
  • [3:24] The upcoming workshop!
  • [4:24] Scott’s introduction to Chad Rubin and the beginnings of his story.
  • [6:42] How Chad recommends someone get started when looking for products.
  • [8:19] Why Chad focuses on products that bring innovation to the market.
  • [9:18] The way that Chad began selling his inventory on Amazon.
  • [10:55] How Chad pivoted his business to service existing brands.
  • [13:27] The places Chad gets his product ideas.
  • [15:26] Chad’s recipe for e-commerce success.
  • [17:30] The value of making sure your products are on more than one channel.
  • [18:58] The process to getting products listed on Wal-Mart.
  • [24:31] Choosing a brand that doesn’t get you stuck in one small niche.
  • [28:28] Is Alibaba the best place to find a good product?
  • [32:10] A big rookie mistake Chad made when he began.
  • [34:19] The way Chad fulfills his orders.
  • [36:19] How Chad created his own software to solve a business problem.
  • [38:30] Chad’s book: Why he wrote it and what it’s about.
  • [41:23] What Chad says to those just starting out.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS234.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Every Amazon private label seller is going to face this problem sooner or later: you’ll run out of stock so quickly that you won’t be able to get new products to Amazon in time. There are many ways you can deal with it, but what should you do to ensure that your sales resume at a good pace once you have products back in stock? On this episode Scott and his friend Chris - both experienced Amazon sellers - are looking at a real Amazon product that ran out of stock and is now having trouble resuming the good sales it had before. Both guys have great insights into the issues that are causing problems, on this episode.

Always check the trends surrounding a product’s sales before you launch.

You may not think of your particular product as a seasonal item. But you might be surprised. Scott and Chris always recommend that a key component of your product research phase is to use a tool like Google Trends to research the trends of how your product has sold in the past. On this episode Scott and Chris discover that a product that was selling like crazy and suddenly lost it’s momentum is actually seasonal in nature. It makes a huge difference in how you approach your product sales and sometimes impacts whether you choose to sell that product at all.

Are you making this mistake with your product title?

In an effort to build brand recognition many Amazon sellers place the name of their brand in the title of their product. Both Chris and Scott believe it’s a mistake to do that. Why? Because unless someone is specifically searching for your brand name you won’t get any search juice out of having your brand name in the title - and the title of your product is one of the most important spots you want to have keywords that people may be searching for. On this episode you can learn some additional hacks you can use to optimize your listing for better search accessibility and greater sales.

Do you have the right kind of pictures on your product listing?

Amazon’s terms of service make it clear what type of picture can be used for your primary product photo, but when it comes to your secondary photos there are many things you can do to make them stand out and attract attention. On this episode Scott and Chris analyze a real private label product that is having problems with sales and the images are one of the things they notice. Find out what remedies they recommend and get some ideas for how to improve your own product listing, on this episode.

Look at the product that is selling the most in your niche and imitate what they’re doing.

It only makes sense that if one product in your niche is dominating the sales, you should borrow from what they’re doing. Never use the exact photos they are, but if you can create a photo that is similar in approach or feel, do it. Never completely copy their title or description, but if they are expressing the usefulness of your product in different ways, try to learn from what they are doing. You’ll find some “best practices” from those who are doing it the best - so be sure you take the time to analyze your competition.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this “Hot Seat” episode of the podcast!
  • [1:26] How you can get into Scott’s free workshop.
  • [2:08] Get into the TAS Facebook group.
  • [4:28] The scenario the guys are looking over today.
  • [6:03] Initial thoughts about the out of stock problem and lagging sales.
  • [9:00] Why you want to look at the trends surrounding products before you launch.
  • [10:28] Using Jungle Scout Pro to look at the Amazon search results.
  • [13:50] Looking at average sales to assess true market depth.
  • [14:20] Keyword results: Something that seems to be missing.
  • [17:35] Pictures are a HUGE issue for product sales.
  • [21:20] Potential products to feed sales alongside this product.
  • [23:30] Build out content around the product.
  • [25:15] Great tricks learned from the highest seller in the niche.
  • [27:20] The importance of benefit driven copy and descriptions.
  • [32:40] Should you jack up your price when you’re about to run out of stock?
  • [39:25] Summarizing the assessment of this product.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

PREVIOUS HOTSEAT EPISODES

 

Direct download: TAS233.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

This episode of the Amazing Seller podcast is where Scott Voelker answers questions about Amazon private label sales and ecommerce. On this episode he’s addressing some pretty interesting questions. Should you try to compete directly with Amazon when it is the only seller of a particular product? How can you go about coming up with a brand name? When would it be better to merge two identical products that only have one small variation? Those are just some of the things you’ll hear on these Ask Scott episodes, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode.

Should you launch a product that is in direct competition with Amazon?

There are many products on Amazon that only Amazon sells - and it may be intimidating to think of going up against the mighty Amazon. But Scott thinks that if you approach it the right way and keep your head on straight. You can do it. On this episode Scott is asked about that issue and he gives a very clear answer to whether it’s a good idea to compete directly with Amazon, what questions you should be asking, and what you should look out for if you’re going to take it upon yourself to challenge Amazon’s sales.

My products are duplicates except for their color. Should I merge them?

When you list a product for sale on Amazon you have two options. You can set up every product you bring to the platform in its own listing, or if they are similar and only differ by variations such as color or size, you can place them under the same listing, but as variations of the same product. Which is better? It depends on a number of things that can sometimes be confusing. So on this episode Scott tackles the question and gives you his ideas on how to make the decision.

I really want to find the brand name for my products that is just right. Do you have any tips?

In many ways naming your brand is just like naming your first child - you really want to get it right. But Scott doesn’t think it’s all that important at first. Instead he recommends that you get a trial run of your product on the way and experiment with its sales first to ensure that all your energy to name it is well founded. But he doesn’t stop there - Scott does have some good ideas for how you can brainstorm brand name ideas, so be sure to listen to this episode.

If you are new to Amazon Private Label, here’s a free resource for you!

It can be very confusing trying to figure out all the rules and steps involved in listing a product for sale on Amazon. That’s why Scott Voelker has simplified things into 5 steps and put it into a free course. You can learn everything from researching product ideas, to choosing the product, to finding a supplier, to getting your first shipment and listing it on Amazon. You won’t find a better resource to teach you how to get started so make sure you listen to this episode of the podcast to see how you can get started with Amazon Private Label.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [3:57] QUESTION ONE: I’m curious if I should try to launch products that Amazon itself sells?
  • [13:08] QUESTION TWO: I’m trying to come up with a brand name. Any tips?
  • [19:29] QUESTION THREE: I have some products that are duplicate except for their colors. Should I merge their AISNs?
  • [25:35] How you can ask your own question for a future episode.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS232.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

 

Scott hears people complaining all the time that they can’t do sales on Amazon because they don’t have the cash to get started. Hey, we all know what it’s like to be tight on cash. But if you are honest with yourself you’ll be able to look at the opportunities you have to get the extra cash you need to get started. That’s what this episode of the podcast is all about. Scott’s talking with his friend Dom Sugar about the way he’s gotten started and the simple but significant things he has done to make cash when he didn’t realize he had the resources. Anyone can do what Dom suggests on this episode so be sure you take some time to listen.

From a retail store, to ebay, to retail arbitrage, to private label.

 

Dom Sugar grew up in an environment where business was a significant part of life. As he grew older he began looking for ways that he could “set up shop” for himself and one of the most significant in the early years was through eBay. He learned quickly that he could sell used and new items for a profit and began leveraging the opportunity to increase his own cash flow. As the online space grew and changed, so did he, and the success he’s experienced in his business overall is a testament to the power of diligence and patience. You can hear Dom’s story and get some ideas about how YOU can get started selling items online, on this episode.

There is no excuse for not getting started.

It seems that many of the people who say they want to get started selling products on Amazon just don’t want it badly enough. Dom Sugar is convinced that anyone can scrounge up the money to get started, whether it’s through a garage sale, through selling used or unused items on eBay, or beginning to step into the retail arbitrage area. On this episode he tells the story of how he got going with retail arbitrage, gives some great tips on how to go about it and the types of products to look for, and speaks to why he thinks RA is the first logical step into the Amazon waters. You can learn a lot from this conversation.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

One of Scott’s favorite sayings is, “Take action” because nobody ever did anything by waiting for it to happen. If you want to get started selling products on Amazon there is a way. The question is, “Do YOU have the will to see it happen?” On this episode Dom Sugar shares with Scott how he’s been able to make his business grow through consistent hard work and learning, and how he’s now sending truckloads of products to Amazon to prepare for Christmas and the 4th quarter. It’s a long way from where her started, but he’s convinced that you can do it too - and on this episode he tells you where he’d begin if he were starting all over.

When things change in the marketplace, you’ve got to learn how to pivot.

From a big box department store chain to a mom and pop store on the corner of your town, any successful business has to pivot as the market changes. That means the leaders of the business have to adapt, come up with new strategies, introduce new products, whatever it takes to ensure that the business can continue to make sales and expand profits. Dom Sugar has done that as his online business efforts have changed time and time again over the years and on this episode he shares some of his ideas about how you can not only get started building cash for a successful Amazon business, but also how you can strategize to stick with it long term.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [3:02] Dom’s background in business, retail arbitrage, and ecommerce.
  • [5:12] Why Dom got into the online space with his retail businesses.
  • [9:53] Why you can’t stick with only one sales platform.
  • [11:00] The difference Amazon FBA made to Dom’s business.
  • [15:20] The reason retail arbitrage is a good entry point.
  • [21:25] The first place to go if you need cash to get started on Amazon.
  • [27:13] Why there is no excuse for not starting.
  • [28:00] Moving onto the Amazon platform with Retail Arbitrage.
  • [36:26] The kind of things that are good products for Retail Arbitrage.
  • [41:49] Why you should get started sending in products for Christmas (4th Quarter).
  • [47:00] How getting a sale is great motivation to keep moving forward.
  • [50:45] The importance of knowing how to pivot when things change.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS231.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Since the beginning Scott’s blog, website, and podcast have been all about making money through Amazon Private Label sales. Scott will always be teaching people how to get started selling products on Amazon because it’s a great platform where buyers are already hanging out. You can test product ideas and start generating revenue right away. But if you put all your eggs in one basket - even the Amazon basket - you are at the mercy of the platform where you’ve put all those eggs. On this episode Scott begins talking about how you can begin to build your own platform, that you control, to sell your own products and have total control over the revenue you make.

The best way to build a sustainable business.

If you want to build a business that will benefit you financially over the long term you’re going to need to have entire control over the costs you have to pay to serve your customers - AND you’ll need to be able to interact with your customers freely. If you’ve been selling private label products on Amazon for any length of time you know that those are two things you DON’T have when using the Amazon platform. When you’ve got control over those things you’re able to make decisions and do promotions in a way that are able to move your business forward at a much more consistent and rapid pace. You can hear Scott’s outline of why this stuff matters, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Blogging to provide valuable content to your ideal customers is a great way to build a sales funnel.

There are many people who have built a significant business on the back of a blog. But if you want to go this route to build your own platform for product sales you need to know that it’s a very crowded space - which only means you’ll have to do an excellent job at it. As you blog, adding valuable content that helps your ideal audience or customer you’ll be building the trust your audience needs to feel comfortable purchasing your product. And in the meantime, you’re building systems into your blog that captures the email addresses of those who come to your blog. It’s an amazing thing that really works. You’ll want to hear Scott’s approach to this idea on this episode.

You can use a giveaway to build an email list and stimulate sales.

If you want to start building your own mailing list of people who are interested in your products you can do it right away by doing a giveaway. A previous guest on Scott’s show - Mike Jackness - did this with amazing results and got thousands of email subscribers. You can use those emails later to provide a discount to those who did not win the contest, provide them valuable content to help them with their particular area of interest relating to your products, and to promote future products in your market to increase future sales. Scott walks through the details of how to set up an effective giveaway on this episode.

If you want to start building a business, Amazon is a great place to do it.

If you’ve never sold a product or service online before, there’s no better and easier place to get your feet wet than by selling on Amazon. It sounds intimidating at first and there are lots of things to learn and tweak as you go along, but you can do it. Scott’s focus up to this point has been to help you build and maximize a sales channel on Amazon so that you can build the life and business that you truly want. If you’d like to get in on one of Scott’s live workshops that teaches you the 5 steps to building an Amazon sales machine, you can find out how to get in on the next workshop by listening to this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to thIs episode of the podcast!
  • [3:40] How you can get into a free workshop about Amazon sales!
  • [5:32] The best way to build a sustainable business (VistaPrint example).
  • [8:11] What if you could pay $1 and make $5?
  • [11:35] What if you could follow up with customers immediately and remarket to them?
  • [14:59] Why having a person’s email address is powerful, now and in the future.
  • [19:39] The first kind of sales funnel: Creating blog content.
  • [29:00] The second kind of sales funnel: Create a giveaway.
  • [34:50] The third kind of sales funnel: The sales plus shipping offer.
  • [42:42] How you can get into one of Scott’s free workshops.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS230.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

It’s time for you to get your Amazon private label questions answered from Scott Voelker, an experienced private label sales professional who is actively building his business both on and off Amazon every single day. You can submit your questions and hear others ask their real life PL questions and Scott will give his best suggestions, answers, and tips for how to resolve the problems that are presented. If you want to ask your own private label questions, listen to this episode to find out how you can!

Is it “legal” with Amazon to put my website URL on my product packaging?

One of the main ways you can build your Amazon private label business is to capture the email addresses of the people who purchase your products so that you can then remarket to them with discount offers, other product possibilities, and more. But how do you get the email addresses of your customers? One Amazon seller has the idea to put his website URL on his actual product packaging.But is that legal according to Amazon’s terms of service? On this episode Scott is going to answer the question from his own perspective. His take is interesting because the answer is not very clear in the Amazon terms of service.

I’ve ordered my first private label product but am starting to feel like the market is too crowded. Help!

If you’ve already got your products or they are on the way to you, that’s great. Way to take action! But sometimes you might start to second guess yourself while you’re waiting to receive your products. It’s not unusual for people in that situation to continue to check their niche and begin to feel that they chose the wrong product because the market is too crowded. If that’s you, what should you do? On this episode Scott fields that question and gives some hopeful answers to make the most of the products you already have. You won’t want to miss this one.

I’m considering the purchase of Jungle Scout Pro… can you help me understand the options?

Two of the best tools out there to help Amazon private label sellers make the most of their product research and listings is Jungle Scout - but it comes in two versions - the basic and PRO. What is the difference and how do they work together? Scott is personal friends with the creator of Jungle Scout and he has used both versions of the product. That means he’s got a very solid experience and opinion about the software and on this episode he shares the differences, similarities, and which you should get if you’re looking to get into Amazon sales.

Should I include multiple words in my search field to get exact match keywords set up?

There’s been mixed advice over the years about how to use the “search terms” field in the backend of your Amazon product listing. Some people have said that you should not repeat words in those fields while others say that it’s OK to repeat words to maximize the possibility of being found for long tail keywords. Which is right? On this episode Scott outlines what he’s heard on both sides of the argument and invites listeners to submit their split-test data regarding keywords so he can report on it to the rest of the TAS community. If you want to be part of this experiment, go to the contact page on the website and let Scott know!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:20] How you can ask your own questions.
  • [1:54] How to get into Scott’s free private label workshop.
  • [2:46] QUESTION ONE: Am I allowed to put my website URL on the product packaging? And can I put an opt-in on that website?
  • [9:42] QUESTION TWO: I’ve ordered 500 units of my product but I am beginning to think my market may be too crowded.
  • [15:07] QUESTION THREE: I have some questions about Jungle Scout Pro pricing. Can you help me?
  • [19:17] QUESTION FOUR: I’m a bit confused about the search term field in my Amazon backend. Should I repeat words to get exact phrase matching?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS229a.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Scott has long been a champion of working the Amazon sales engine to build your business - and he still is. On this episode he’s going to say that over and over. But he also wants to be known as an Amazon seller who will speak the truth about what’s really happening as Amazon gets more and more crowded and as Amazon adjusts its algorithms as a result. He’s not abandoning Amazon (no way!) but is beginning to notice why he’s got to think bigger, broader, and make things a little less dependent on Amazon alone. You’re going to hear his latest sales numbers and what he is planning to do to adjust his strategy, on this episode.

Why would Scott share his own sales and expense numbers?

On any of the Amazon sales communities you find on Facebook or other places online you often see screenshots of amazing sales numbers that sellers are getting from their private label products. Great! That’s what selling on Amazon is all about. But often those screenshots and brags don’t tell the whole story. The costs, fees, and other miscellaneous things that go into running a successful business have to be clear as well. So that you can see the real situation that exists for most Amazon sellers, Scott likes to share his own expense and profit numbers. He doesn’t do it to impress you but to impress upon you the realities of what it takes to sell on Amazon successfully. You’re going to get a great education on this episode.

Are you sick of the huge fees you’re paying to Amazon?

Next time you look over the reports Amazon provides about how your private label products are doing, take a look at the amount of fees Amazon is taking for every sale. Does that number make you sick? Recently Scott looked over his numbers and saw that almost 40% of his sales income was going to Amazon. That’s OK, Amazon deserves something for helping him sell his products so successfully. But what would it be like if even half of the products Scott was selling were able to be sold independent of Amazon? That’s a huge amount of profit back in his product. On this episode you’re going to hear what Scott’s going to be doing to break free of the Amazon fees, so be sure you take some time to listen.

Why content marketing is the best way to build a business long term.

Do you know the term “content marketing?” It’s one approach to getting people to look at the things you’re doing online. But it’s a long term game. It requires you to be producing quality information that educates people about the topics surrounding your product. It requires you to be working hard to produce lots of things that don’t actually sell your product, but build the level of trust that people have when they see what you have to say about your market area. Can you create content around your market that helps your customer? Scott thinks you probably can and that you should be to begin building a sales channel that is independent of Amazon so that you can make greater profits. Business is business and you need to adjust as you go to make your sales go as far as they can. Be sure to listen to this one.

Why you need to focus on a market and not just on a popular widget.

 

It’s great to get sales from selling lots and lots of popular products. Profit is profit. But if you’re making those sales for only a short time, that’s not a strategy that’s going to last you. That’s why you need to be focusing in on a market that will provide you with many product ideas that can create a sort of product line - not just one product that’s popular right now. On this episode of the podcast Scott unpacks what it means to build a product line within a market and why it’s so important so be sure you take the time to listen.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [1:10] Why Amazon is a lot like Google and what it means for our businesses.
  • [5:30] What Scott is saying to new people to Amazon.
  • [8:07] The importance of thinking long term when it comes to an overall strategy.
  • [11:10] Scott’s most recent sales numbers.
  • [15:00] Scott’s thoughts about the fees he pays to Amazon, and the shift he’s making.
  • [17:21] Why Scott would start an external channel sooner if he were to start over.
  • [19:05] Problems Scott has had on Amazon and what he’s doing about it.
  • [25:34] Why content marketing is the best way to build a long term business.
  • [32:08] Why business is a roller coaster that has no one-size-fits-all approach.
  • [40:13] How to get in on the next free workshop.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS228.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Scott just completed a physical move of over 800 miles. He’s in his new home office and doing his first recording of the podcast from there, on this episode. The planning, preparation, and pressure of the move got Scott thinking about the simple but important things he’s been able to do that enabled the move to go smoothly… and as usual, he’s got to share what he’s thinking with you. So today you’re going to hear Scott’s thoughts about work life balance and how to avoid the overwhelm that can easily happen in life, and especially if you’re trying to build a business while you enjoy your life. It’s a great episode you can learn a lot of practical things from, so be sure you take the time to listen.

Everybody who wants to accomplish specific things needs structure in their life.

And isn’t that everybody? All of us have dreams, but until those dreams have something behind them that pushes them forward, they remain dreams only. Scott’s a “take action” guy in case you haven’t noticed. His belief that action precedes success has proven to be true in his business over and over. On this episode he’s addressing the need for a balance between work and life, and like everything else in life he believes that if you’re going to accomplish it, you’ve got to structure things so that it comes about. Nothing happens by serendipity or chance, it happens because forces are at work that make it happen. You can be that force for your own life and business. You can be the one to impose a structure that leads your life and business in a direction you want. Find out more on this episode.

TIP #1: Create a list of your current tasks and obligations.

If you were to take the time to create a list of all the tasks and obligations you have to do in any given day - work, family, social, religious - how long would that list be? For some people it’s exhausting just to think about listing everything out, but there’s an actual freedom and lightening of the load that happens when you do. Getting things on paper makes them a bit more manageable, a bit more “real” in terms of seeing them for what they are. It will help you think through everything at one time and recognize the things that need to come first, what is next, etc. Scott’s 5 tips for achieving better life work balance are pretty simple, and if you apply them to your life and business you’ll see some amazing results. Be sure you get to hear all 5 by listening to this episode.

Deadlines don’t have to be stressors. They can be your best friends.

Do you remember your school days? You always had due dates for certain assignments, didn’t you? Why did your teachers make you complete papers or projects within a certain timeframe? It’s because they knew that non-time-based objectives are not really objectives at all. A task that has no time of completion attached to it floats around in your head and on the periphery of your personal radar and is easily bumped to a secondary place in your mind. You don’t pay as much attention to it and it tends not to get done. Tip #3 on Scott’s list of ways to find work life balance and avoid overwhelm is to set your own deadlines for the things you have to do. He’s got some great ways of thinking about that, on this episode.

Do you put your tasks into a daily schedule? You should if you want to get them done.

Think about it. The major things we want to accomplish are often too big for us to get done all at one shot. That means they have to be broken up into smaller, bite-sized tasks. Those are the things we have GOT to insert into a daily workflow, a daily schedule that enables us to take those individual bites that enable us to get the whole thing done over time. It’s a cooperation of time and task that chips away at a large thing until it is D-O-N-E - done. On this episode of the podcast Scott talks about how he does this to avoid the overwhelm that can come from trying to balance work and life - and how he did it successfully during a recent time of high stress in his own life.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:20] The reality of obstacles in life and business.
  • [6:00] The need for structure and guidelines for your life.
  • [9:20] How Scott’s move to South Carolina illustrates the need for work life balance.
  • [15:18] Launching products while on the move (literally).
  • [16:03] TIP #1: Create a list of all your current tasks and obligations.
  • [17:10] TIP #2: Prioritize that list.
  • [17:18] TIP #3: Set deadlines for the tasks you’ve organized.
  • [18:13] TIP #4: Plan for your tasks according to their needs.
  • [19:15] TIP #5: Set your daily schedule from the lists you’ve made.
  • [20:28] Why multitasking is the most terrible thing you could do.
  • [22:00] How your business funds your lifestyle ultimately.
  • [24:28] A homework assignment for you.
  • [29:17] Your invitation to leave a comment on this episode.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS22720.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

It’s time for Scott’s favorite part of the week, the episode where he gets to answer your Amazon private label questions on the show. Today’s episode is filled with questions from real Amazon sellers who are in the trenches, building their own business to benefit themselves, their family, and the world. Today Scott answers questions about choosing a second product, aiming at a particular market, shipping to Amazon USA when you live in a different country, maximizing your PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns, and how to use Camel Camel Camel. It’s all on this episode of the podcast.

I’ve heard people say that launching a second product is a good way to increase sales, is that always true?

The short answer is, “No.” A second product has to be researched effectively and tied into your current product line to make the most sense and give you the most return on your effort. You can’t expect to simply pick a product, set it up on Amazon, and see sales come in. It simply doesn’t work that way. It makes a lot more sense to research your market and to develop a uniquely branded product line within the market that feeds from one product to another within your brand. That way you can promote cross sales and related items to people who are already familiar and happy with your products and brand.

I don’t live in the U.S. How can I have my Chinese supplied products shipped straight to Amazon instead of to my home?

A caller has heard that it makes sense to have your products from China shipped to your home before you send them to Amazon so that you can inspect them and assure that the quality is as you wish. But what if you don’t live in the U.S. but are selling on the Amazon U.S. site? The answer is to find an inspection company that can go on site to your supplier and inspect your products to ensure their quality before they ship. It’s an added expense and an added step, but it is a great way to enable your supplier to ship directly to Amazon and ensure that the quality of your products is high as well.

My Pay Per Click (PPC) budget is used up in the first day. What am I doing wrong?

If you’re running a PPC campaign where the daily budget runs out quickly or almost immediately, you may have a very good problem. What’s happening is either one of two things: #1 - You’ve allotted a very small amount and it’s running through it quickly - in which case you’d need to increase your daily budget. OR #2 - There are many people searching for your target keywords and clicking on your ads as a result. How do you determine which it is and what can you do to take full advantage of it? You’ll find out on this episode of The Amazing Seller when Scott answers a listener question about PPC.

A great tool you can use to validate data about a new product idea.

When you’re considering a new product, it’s easy to be misled by the initial research. The numbers can look very good at first until you dig a bit deeper. You want to use tools like www.CamelCamelCamel.com to look into the sales history and other facts surrounding similar products before you take the plunge. You can learn a lot that could save you from making a mistake that could cost you thousands of dollars. You can hear Scott’s description of how to use it effectively on this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:33] Why it’s important to move past your fear.
  • [2:05] How you can get transcripts and show notes.
  • [2:36] QUESTION ONE: I’m a bit confused about the criteria for launching a second product.
  • [7:59] QUESTION TWO: I’m in Amsterdam. How can I get my products shipped to the U.S. in the most effective way?
  • [10:51] QUESTION THREE: I ran out of PPC budget within the first two days. What am I doing wrong?
  • [14:20] A BONUS TIP: The Google Chrome extension from Camel Camel Camel.
  • [15:38] What is Camel Camel Camel?
  • [16:30] Why you need to validate data around potential products.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS226.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

If you’re a fan of The Amazing Seller Podcast you’ll recognize right away that this is not your normal episode. Scott and his Dad, Papa V., were driving a moving truck to Scott’s new home and decided to use the time on the road to record an episode of the podcast. It’s a fun ramble around the topics of business building and pursuing a particular market niche for your business. You’ll hear Scott and Papa V. brainstorm product and content ideas live as they drive (hey, that rhymes), on this episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast.

Building a business long term is more than getting one product on Amazon.

It’s a great thing to get your private label product onto Amazon and get it selling. Good for you. That’s the way to take action. But just because you have one product that is selling doesn’t mean you have a long term, sustainable business yet. You’ve got to do some strategic thinking around that product to discover the vertical products or related products that you can offer to build an actual brand. When you’re able to do that, you have a long term business that can serve you and your customers over the long haul. This episode of the Amazing Seller features Scott’s ramble about how to get started moving toward a brand and building that long term business.

The best way to establish credibility and trust with your customers.

You remember the kid in elementary school who was always bragging about the things he could do or had done? Nobody really believed him, did they? That’s because it’s much more impacting to have others praise you. That “social proof” serves as credibility for you that doesn’t have to come from your own mouth. That’s the power of reviews and testimonials - and once you’re able to get them flowing, you want to keep them coming, because when potential customers see that other people have purchased and enjoyed your products, they are more prone to trust you too.

A solid website outside of Amazon is the next step to building your own brand.

Amazon is great. You’ll never hear Scott saying otherwise. But he has seen enough to know that having all your eggs in the Amazon basket is not a good long term strategy. You need to be able to sell your products on a platform that you control so that you can have greater margins and greater flexibility in how you interact with your customers and serve them with new products. The first step toward that is building your own website. When you do that and begin getting customers on to your sales list, your sales can increase exponentially every time you have a new product or an addition to your product line. Listen to how Scott recommends you go about setting up your website on this truck-cast episode.

How you can build an email list of customers who love your products.

When you are able to establish your own website that features your products, you’re ready to begin collecting email addresses from your customers. But Amazon doesn’t allow you to communicate directly with your customers - so how do you get their email addresses? One way to do it is through adding inserts to your products that ask your customers to register their product for future customer service benefits or information. That allows you to communicate directly with them without having to go through Amazon’s systems. Imagine what you could offer your customers if you could communicate directly. And you can do it if you take action on the things Scott has to share on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:34] Why Scott’s driving a moving truck for today’s episode.
  • [1:11] Today’s topic: How to start a business that lasts long term.
  • [2:21] The reason Papa V. was able to attract customers over other competitors.
  • [5:07] How social proof and testimonials drives credibility and trust.
  • [7:42] The importance of a solid website.
  • [12:05] How can you best serve the market you are aiming at?
  • [13:17] Opt-in content to build an email list.
  • [15:46] The first steps to take when creating good content for your market.
  • [25:00] Ways to find product and content ideas around a niche.
  • [31:10] Why going back to basics is a good thing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS225.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

The number of questions Scott gets week after week about whether or not a product idea is a good one are so numerous that it’s prompted him to record this episode. There are certain things that make for a great private label product opportunity and other things that make for a lot of trouble and very few sales. On this episode Scott highlights 3 of the main things you should look for that would serve as warning signs or red flags that the product you’re looking at is not a good idea to invest in. You can hear it all on this episode of the Amazing Seller Podcast.

Product Research Red Flag #1: Identical Products.

If you’re considering a particular product to sell on Amazon you’ve got to be aware of this one. It used to be an approach for sellers to simply grab the exact same product from a Chinese supplier that is already being sold on Amazon and put it up on Amazon. And believe it or not, they would get sales. But that approach doesn’t work anymore simply because it’s too easy for other sellers to sell the exact same thing and undercut you, steal your listing, and other problems. So if you look at a potential product on Amazon and see the identical product over and over and over, beware. Find more things to be careful of when choosing a private label product on this episode.

Product Research Red Flag #2: Pages and pages of the exact same product.

If you’ve got an idea for a private label product and find pages and pages of the exact same product on Amazon already, you should be very careful. It will be very difficult for you to get your product to make any headway on that product. Why? Because there are so many of the same thing. But there is still a possibility and it lies in whether or not you’ll be able to differentiate a product enough to make yours desireable in ways that the competition is not. You can hear Scott dive into the issue on this episode and ramp up your private label sales.

Product Research Red Flag #3: When you see the exact same product on the websites of suppliers.

The reason you don’t want to try to start selling a new private label product when the images and product description on the suppliers website is exactly what is already on Amazon is because that product is easily copied. Not only will you have tons of competition for sales on that product, you’ll also have a very high risk of your product listing being hijacked and you will lose control of the buy box and your overall ability to control your prospects for sales. You can find out exactly what all that means on this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast.

How can you sell a private label product successfully in a crowded market?

The answer is to make your product unique in some way that the buyers truly care about. How can you discover the ways you should differentiate your product? You’ve got to a little legwork by reading through the reviews about similar products that have been left on Amazon. You’ll discover things that actual buyers have complained about regarding the product which translates into improvements you can make to the product that will make yours more desireable. You can also look at related products that could be added to your product in a bundle so that your product is not only a greater value but also more unique. Scott has lots of ideas about this kind of thing and you can hear them on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the show.
  • [1:57] How you can get transcripts and show notes.
  • [2:16] Get in on the new Private Label Workshop.
  • [3:21] Get into the TAS Facebook group.
  • [4:17] Why Amazon is not too saturated for you to make it big.
  • [7:30] Some promising results Scott has had recently on a new product experiment.
  • [10:13] Red flag #1: Identical products.
  • [11:53] Red flag #2: Pages of the identical product.
  • [17:41] Red flag #3: The exact same product on supplier websites.
  • [19:20] Considerations you should make about these situations.
  • [31:35] Recap of these red flag issues.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS224.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

This is the Friday Ask Scott episode of The Amazing Seller podcast where you (and people like you) get to ask their particular questions about Amazon sales. On this episode Scott fields question about choosing a product when the market appears to be very crowded, how to differentiate products, and what to expect when having products shipped from China. You’ll get a great taste from the type of things Scott is able to answer and learn how you can submit your own questions regarding Amazon private label sales, on this episode.

I have found a product possibility that looks promising but the market is very crowded. What should I do?

One of the things that you need to research when it comes to finding a product that could be a good seller on Amazon is the market that product is within. You want a product that is already on Amazon and selling fairly well, but if the market is too crowded you’ll have a very hard time getting your product to become a contender in that niche. BUT - that’s not always the truth. If you find a crowded market but many of them are not optimized well or are not getting many sales, you might have a winner, especially if you can differentiate your product somehow. On this episode you’ll hear Scott go over a number of ways a product can be created that is unique and draws in buyers, so be sure to listen.

Creating a bundle may be your answer to entering a crowded market.

If you’ve found a potential product that has great sales numbers in the highest selling products but is in a very crowded market, you can break in by offering a product bundle that meets more specific needs of the market. How do you do that? On this episode Scott talks through many of the things you can do to find exactly how you can make your products unique, get them into the market in a powerful way, and begin taking some of that market by adding value that nobody else is adding. You’ll hear it all on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

I got a quote from my supplier for shipping of my products but now that my products are in production the shipping has doubled? Is that normal?

A listener called in to ask Scott about what’s normal or customary when it comes to working with overseas suppliers. She’s already found her product and negotiated a deal on cost and features and the products are being produced now. But just recently she received an email from her supplier saying that her shipping costs had more than doubled - from $1000 to over $2500! She wants to know if that’s normal or if she should be skeptical and ask more questions. In typical style Scott goes right to the heart of the issue and gives some clear and practical advice on what this listener can do to find out exactly what’s going on. You can hear it on this episode.

Do you have an issue with your private label product that you’d like answered?

There’s no reason you can’t ask and get an answer. The Ask Scott sessions of The Amazing Seller podcast publish every Friday and are a great way for you to submit specific questions about Amazon private label sales and get an answer from Scott Voelker, and experienced Amazon seller. He takes questions from the most fundamental to the most advanced so don’t be shy about asking. You can find out how to submit your question on this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to thIs Ask Scott episode!
  • [1:03] The issue of moving in Scott’s life, and how good is coming from it.
  • [3:15] iTunes reviews are coming in!
  • [4:56] QUESTION ONE: Can you clarify about how much competition is too much?
  • [13:30] QUESTION TWO: I’ve got a possible product with great signs that I can get into the market, but there are many people trying to sell the product. What should I do?
  • [23:20] QUESTION THREE: Do shipping costs change without warning or is my supplier trying to gouge me?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE:

Direct download: TAS223.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

If you’ve not experienced the frustration of a well selected private label product that simply won’t sell yet, you probably will in time. When a product won’t sell but it looks like the market is a pretty good niche to be in, there are usually some fundamental things wrong with the product listing itself. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott Voelker and his friend Chris Schaeffer look over a real life product listing of a product that’s having those exact problems and true to form, the listing itself is much of the problem. You can hear all the details on this episode of the podcast.

How beneficial would it be to have an experienced seller tweak your private label product listing on Amazon?

That’s exactly what you get from these Hot Seat sessions of the Amazing Seller podcast. Scott Voelker and Chris Schaeffer take their time walking through the fundamental and advanced steps to optimizing product listings of private label products that have been submitted for help. They normally find a little bit of both and help struggling Amazon sellers get over the hurdles so they can begin selling their products more consistently. There’s not a regular schedule to these hot seat sessions so you should subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss them, and hear how Scott and Chris advise today’s seller on this episode.

Is the market of your private label product a good market to be in?

How can you know if a potential private label product is one you should take a chance on or one you should leave alone? The best way is to research the broader market that product is in and the current sales of that particular product or things that are similar. By using some simple software tools (many of them free) you can discover exactly what the market for that product is like and whether there is enough room in it for your product to push in and grab some of the sales. Scott and Chris chat about the details of doing that and a whole lot more on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

Quality, clear product images are vital to a good product listing.

The product listing that Scott and Chris are looking at today has one major problem that both of them notice immediately; the images do not possess the quality and clarity of any of the other products in their niche. It’s the main reason Scott and Chris believe this product listing has only gotten one organic sale so far. You can hear what they recommend to upgrade the images and how they’ve seen an improvement of the images change the sales of a product dramatically, on this episode. But that’s not all. There are other suggestions for this seller that Scott and Chris make so be sure you take the time to listen. What they share could be the key to YOUR private label product getting even more sales.

Don’t start your exact match PPC campaigns too soon.

As Scott and Chris look over an actual private label listing on Amazon on today’s episode they notice that the seller is already running an exact match PPC campaign, and both of them feel that he’s probably wasting his money. Why? Because he’s not taken the time needed in order to truly understand what his exact match keywords should be. It takes weeks and sometimes months of broad match campaigns to receive enough data to show exactly what keywords are most used when finding your products, and then it takes some time to discover where the actual clicks and sales are coming from within those keywords. Only when those milestones have been crossed you might be ready for an exact match campaign. Find out more on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to this episode and his friend Chris Schaeffer.
  • [4:40] The scenario Scott and Chris are addressing today.
  • [5:17] The importance of the data in evaluating sales problems.
  • [6:30] A look at the stats on this product.
  • [8:35] Sorting by estimated sales to get a different view.
  • [12:19] Why the review counts don’t scare Scott or Chris.
  • [13:20] The concern of the niche being dominated by one brand.
  • [14:40] The importance of quality, clear images for clicks and product sales.
  • [22:12] Optimizing the title for better keywords and description.
  • [27:58] Optimizing the backend of the listing including keywords.
  • [31:13] Pay per click considerations for a poor selling product.
  • [40:37] Looking at the numbers of the competition for the sake of giveaway planning.
  • [44:09] Considerations for the future of this product to research more sales.
  • [46:12] A quick summary of what needs to be fixed on this episode.
  • [46:55] How to use the data from CamelCamelCamel to research competition and make sales projections..
  • [53:00] Bundle possibilities for this product listing.
  • [55:34] Why you need to model what’s working in your market.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS222.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

One of the most powerful things that any entrepreneur can do is to make sure they are around others who are of the same mindset that they are. The energy and motivation that surrounds getting together with those kinds of people increases your level of energy and motivation just from being around them. On this episode Scott reveals the top 5 takeaways he had from spending time with like-minded people at the recent Seller’s Summit. Be sure you listen to Scott’s takeaways and learn some tips about how you can move your private label business forward.

What could Pinterest do for your private label product sales?

One of the things that Scott was aware of but not well verse in before the Seller’s Summit conference is the power and effectiveness of Pinterest for driving interest and sales to a product. Being an image based platform, it’s a powerful way to make the appeal of your product instantly attractive to people who are most interested in it. You can hear Scott’s thoughts about Pinterest and how he’s going to be moving into PInterest marketing in the months ahead, on this episode of the Amazing Seller.

Are Facebook Ads relevant for private label sales?

Facebook Ads are one of the things out there that can be a bit intimidating at first. It requires money, it requires a bit of knowledge about how the platform works, and it takes time to learn. But it’s one of the most powerful ways to drive very targeted, specific traffic to your webpage or product sales page and in time, you’re going to have to get going on Facebook Ads. With FB Ads you can put our products directly in front of the very people who are most interested in your products. Hear what Scott’s thinking about Facebook Ads and how he’s going to be moving into them sooner rather than later.

eCommerce stores outside of Amazon are still making incredible sales.

One of the things Scott has been talking about a lot lately is the task each private label seller should be aiming toward of setting up their own sales channel outside of Amazon. For most of us that’s going to mean setting up your own eCommerce store on your own website. These stores are very effective and many, many people are making incredible money building their own store that sells products independently of Amazon. Not only do you get to keep a lot more money (Amazon doesn’t get any), you also get to interact directly with your customers - which is invaluable. Find out more about how eCommerce stores are rocking online sales on this episode.

Do you have a sales funnel started? It could be one of your missing power tools.

If you don’t know what a sales funnel is, here’s the short answer: A sales funnel is a systematic, planned sequence that you take prospective customers through that narrows their focus from interest in what you have to say and sell, all the way to becoming a paying customer. You can learn how to build an effective sales funnel, and you should because it’s such a powerful way not only to get sales, but to get repeat sales from loyal customers. On this episode Scott gives his thoughts about sales funnels and tells some of what he’s doing to build out his funnels more, so be sure you listen.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:51] The biggest benefits of being at conferences, and the TAS online version.
  • [3:06] How you can get started with private label sales.
  • [4:10] Takeaway #1: The power of being around like-minded people is HUGE.
  • [8:30] Takeaway #2: Pinterest marketing could be a powerful next step.
  • [13:09] Takeaway #3: Facebook Ads is a viable way to increase product sales.
  • [19:44] Takeaway #4: eCommerce stores are still a powerful way to build a business.
  • [23:30] Takeaway #5: Building marketing funnels is a huge part of building a business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS218.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Today’s episode is a bit unusual for the Amazing Seller podcast because it’s a recording of a live event where Scott was asked to speak about using Amazon’s tools to launch and rank products. He spoke at the Seller’s Summit, an event put on by Steve Chou of www.MyWifeQuitHerJob.com and was a great opportunity for Scott to meet many people interested in making money online. His talk was very well received and serves as a great introduction to those who are unfamiliar or new to the Amazon platform. Be sure to pass this episode along to those you know who have been talking about selling products on Amazon. There are some great insights on this episode.

Scott’s journey to Amazon private label sales was not a straight line.

Scott had a significant business background when he first came upon the idea of selling products on Amazon. He had helped his father run a construction business, established and run his own photography business with his wife, and then moved into online sales. Private label sales made perfect sense to Scott because he saw it as a way to take advantage of Amazon’s built-in mechanism for getting and selling to customers. You can hear Scott’s journey and how he’s come up with a 5 step formula for finding and launching products on Amazon, on this episode.

Never forget that Amazon is a search engine for buyers.

Think about that for a minute. Anyone who’s doing a search on Amazon is doing so because they are considering the purchase of something. Millions of people have their credit cards on file with Amazon already so a purchase decision once they’ve found the item they’re searching for is that much easier. If there was a way that you could take advantage of that incredibly effective buying environment, wouldn’t you want to do that? That’s exactly what private label sales on Amazon allows you to do. Learn about the Amazon platform and how you can get your very own products for sale for searchers to find, on this episode.

There is only one thing that causes your products to rank higher in Amazon search.

What is that? Sales. As your product sells the Amazon search algorithm considers that it’s a product that people who are searching actually want to buy. Naturally, the more purchases of your product that happen, the more Amazon considers your product to be desirable by real people who are searching. With that in mind, it’s vitally important that you know how to optimize your listing for the things people searching for it will be looking for. That means you have to learn how to use keywords in your listing and in your Amazon dashboard to make it clear to the algorithm what your product is and how it relates to the searches people are making on Amazon. Listen to this episode to get more detail on how you can make your products stand out on the Amazon platform.

Where do promotions (Pay Per Click) come in

When you have your listing optimized for search you still may not get many sales simply because your product listing is not being found frequently in the flood of products that are on Amazon. You need to do something to boost your product to the top of the search results. That “something” is paying for your product to be promoted using Amazon pay per click. Amazon PPC enables you to choose the keywords you want to target and when people search for those keywords your product appears at or near the top of the listings. You can learn the entire simple approach Scott uses to set up his PPC campaigns for products, on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to this episode.
  • [1:47] Get in on the next LIVE event.
  • [3:17] Introduction to the topic.
  • [6:30] How Scott got into selling on Amazon and why it was appealing.
  • [10:26] The big thing you need to understand about Amazon sales.
  • [15:00] Product research is the key to being a success on Amazon.
  • [17:15] First you need to understand how the Amazon platform works.
  • [22:15] How to get your products to rank in Amazon’s search engine.
  • [27:15] Using Amazon’s product reviews to get intel on how to improve products and sales.
  • [29:03] Why you need to optimize your product listing and how you can do it.
  • [45:00] How to use Amazon PPC for your products.
  • [56:27]

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS221.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

There are so many things to learn when it comes to selling a private label product on Amazon. But you don’t have to learn it all from scratch, you’ve got a friend who’s been down the road a bit farther and is willing to help you get going and be a success. Scott Voelker publishes these Friday “Ask Scott” episodes to answer your Amazon private label sales questions. If you’d like to submit a question to Scott for one of these Friday Q&A episodes, you can find out how to do that on this episode.

PPC issues: Balancing inventory and income to get the right amount of sales.

A caller for this episode of the Ask Scott podcast episode, the seller had a great problem that he needed some advice about. He is selling his first product at a rate of 30 sales per day. That’s a wonderful start. He gets most of his sales through Amazon Pay Per Click and has established a daily budget to ensure that he doesn’t spend more than his budget allows. The problem is that he’s selling so much of his product that he runs out of budget by early afternoon each day. He’s afraid to increase his PPC budget because he might run out of product. What would Scott do? You’ll get to hear his answer on this episode.

Launching a product that is not on Amazon, but self-created.

A listener called in to ask Scott about his situation, and it is a very unique idea. He and his wife have created a product of their own and would be able to source their product components from Alibaba in China. He’s curious what they should do because there is nothing on Amazon that is even close to it but they believe that it would sell very well. He’s curious about whether he should try to sell the product on Amazon or not? What would Scott do? As always, you’ll hear Scott’s response on this episode of the Amazing Seller Podcast.

Pay Per Click headaches and figuring out the problems.

When you first begin running pay per click to promote your Amazon products you need to start with broad match categories using the keywords that you are hoping your product will rank highly for. You let that run for around 7 to 10 days to discover which of those keywords are actually converting into sales. Once that happens, you should take the keywords that have gotten sales and put them into their own broad match campaign to put your entire budget toward those keywords that work. Once you do that for another 7 to 10 days, you’ll need to take the winners from that campaign and put them into an exact match campaign to crank up your sales on your most profitable keywords. You can learn a lot from this episode as Scott answers a question about Amazon PPC.

Have you gotten your basic education by receiving Scott’s free private label course?

What are you waiting for? Scott has created a free 10 day course to help beginners to the Amazon private label community learn how he’s gone about researching, buying, packaging, promoting, and selling his own private label products on Amazon. It includes everything you need to know to get started. If you want to learn how to build your own business the private label way, you need this free course. Nothing is held back so be sure you listen to this episode of the podcast to find out how you can get into the 10 day course.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the episode!
  • [0:25] How to ask your question for Scott to answer.
  • [1:10] How to connect with the TAS Facebook community.
  • [3:16] How to get into Scott’s free private label course.
  • [4:23] QUESTION ONE: My PPC is running out of budget too early, what would you do given that I’m working with limited inventory?
  • [12:07] QUESTION TWO: My wife and I have invented a product and want to know if we should try to sell it on Amazon.
  • [22:25] QUESTION THREE: My PPC “phrase match” is causing my ACOS to go up too high. Can you give me some advice on what I’ve done wrong?

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS220.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

 

When Scott attended and spoke at the Seller’s Summit a few months ago he met Mike Jackness, an Amazon seller who makes over 7 figures from his private label products and the two of them hit it off right off. Mike got into private label sales when he purchased a website that was already selling its products on Amazon. Over time, he replaced all of those products with his own private label products and began working to drive traffic to his products outside of Amazon through Facebook Ads, contest, and much more. This episode is not for the newbie, it’s stuff that experienced sellers who are already having success can apply to increase their revenue over time.

What is a sales funnel?

The term Sales Funnel has to do with getting people who are interested in your products onto an email list and using a progressive series of emails to build a relationship with them with the end result of them becoming a customer, and hopefully, a repeat customer who tells others about your products. Mike Jackness tells the details of how his team set up their sales funnels, how they got their initial email subscribers, and how they used a variety of tactics to give them great content that was truly helpful and build the relationships that translate into trust and then sales. You can hear all of those details on this episode of the podcast.

Building an email address through contests.

Mike Jackness has used an online contest platform to drive two vital things: his number of email subscribers and the social sharing and social proof of his brand’s reliability. On this episode Mike shares the details of how he ran his contests, the timing of the rewards and winner announcements, and how they leveraged the social component to greatest advantage. This is some advanced, high level stuff that you’ll want to hear, especially if you’re already experiencing a good deal of success as a private label seller on Amazon.

How to build trust through your automated emails.

When you get someone to subscribe for your email list, the last thing you want to do is send them a series of emails that ask them to do things for you. Instead you want to provide them tons of value, tons of helpful things that make them wonder why you are being so generous. You want them to know that you care about them, that you want to give to them in a way that is related to your products or niche. Once you’ve established that trust, then you’re ready to ask them to do things for you - leaving reviews, buying more products, taking advantage of discount codes, and more. You can hear Mike Jackness describe how his company did that very effectively, on this episode.

Using an email list to create new product ideas.

Mike Jackness has been learning from his email list processes daily for some time. One of the things he discovered was that his mailing list was a great resource for helping him narrow down the ideas for new products, and it’s not only helped him produce items that are tailored to his audience but also to avoid mistakes that would have cost them thousands of dollars. It’s a great way to poll your users and customers to not only make smart business decisions but also to be of greater value to your audience or customer base. Mike’s insights are very helpful and you can hear much more than what has been described here on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the episode and his guest!
  • [2:30] Get into the free private label course.
  • [4:20] Why Scott wanted to have his guest on the show.
  • [5:51] The site purchased and how Mike’s gone about replacing its products with his own.
  • [7:45] Not wanting to be relying on one channel of revenue.
  • [9:42] Building a funnel to capture email addresses: at the right time.
  • [10:31] How Mike went about building his email list: the first steps.
  • [12:48] The task of building a contest to fill their email list (and get some orders).
  • [22:41] Different approaches to driving traffic without already having a huge following.
  • [28:24] Training an email list to open their emails.
  • [30:52] Facebook Ad fails and how they corrected their mistakes.
  • [37:38] Using the email list to get new product ideas.

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS219.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:30am EDT

Your opportunity to hear and ask your own questions from an experienced Amazon private label seller is here - it’s the Friday “Ask Scott” session. Today’s episode features a handful of questions about adding products to your private label lineup, how to utilize the analytics provided from your Amazon seller account, , and tons more insight surrounding those topics. If you are getting into sales on Amazon, don’t reinvent the wheel. Listen to these Ask Scott episodes to ensure that you aren’t making mistakes you don’t have to make as you build your business on Amazon.

Should I choose a second product related to my first one that is in a very competitive niche?

A caller on this episode is doing well with her first private label product and is ready to add a second product within the same market. But the product that makes the most sense to add to her lineup is going to be difficult to sell simply because the market is very crowded and competitive. What should she do? Is it smart to even make the effort or would she be better off choosing another item to sell? Scott’s got some ideas about what she should do including what he suggests new sellers do to avoid this kind of issue if possible. You’re going to get some gems from this one, so be sure to listen.

There are lots of reports inside the Amazon seller dashboard. Which should I be using?

There are many ways to learn from your current and past sales and make adjustments to increase your private label product sales even more. One of the best ways is to get the hard facts on how your products have been performing. You can do that through many of the reports that Amazon provides in your seller dashboard. But where should you start and which reports are the most helpful? On this episode Scott shares the reports that he uses, how he uses them, and the results he’s seen from doing so consistently. You won’t want to miss this one because it will give you some trustworthy tools you can use to increase the sales of your products.

What’s the best way to understand air freight from China?

A TAS listener called in to ask a question on this episode of the podcast regarding having his products sent via Air Freight from China. He’s not sure what to do to make sure that he’s not personally tied up in the process too much or to ensure that he avoids entanglements when it comes to customs. Scott answers his question directly with some simple advice that will give this Amazon seller a direct route to the answers he needs. You can hear Scott’s advice on this episode of the podcast.

Are you new to private label sales? Get up and running within the next 10 days.

One of the ways that Scott has created to help newbies understand private label sales and learn how to find and launch their own products successfully is his free 10 day course that walks through the 5 steps involved in selling on Amazon. He doesn’t hold anything back, telling you everything you need to know to choose a good product, test it to ensure that it’s a quality item, make your first order, list it on Amazon, and optimize your listing and start promotions to get your sales going. You won’t believe the value Scott provides in this course, and you can find out how to get it on this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of Ask Scott!
  • [4:35] QUESTION ONE: When choosing a second related product the numbers look incredibly competitive. Should I still go for it?
  • [12:58] QUESTION TWO: Can you comment on the analytics in Amazon that we can and should use?
  • [22:10] QUESTION THREE: I’m shipping air freight from China. What are the things I should look out for to make sure my items aren’t held up in customs?
  • [27:00] The value of understanding the reports and your sales numbers.
  • [27:50] How you can ask your own question.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS217.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Have you ever had a time where you saw your Amazon private label product sales drop for a day, or two, or more? What have you done to check on that once you notice it? If you’re not checking on it, you could be missing out on sales because your listing is suppressed by Amazon for not adhering to the terms of service. On this episode Scott shares his own story of how a new product he place onto Amazon was suppressed, why it was suppressed, what he did to fix the problem, and what he suggests you do on a regular basis to monitor your product listings and ensure that your products are always live and ready to get more sales.

How Scott discovered that his Amazon listing was suppressed.

A normal part of Scott’s day every morning is to log into his Amazon seller account to check the status of his sales, inventory, and products and to check whether any red flags or issues have come up - like returns, seller feedback he needs to respond to, etc. But while he was traveling he was unable to stick to that routine and while he was offline some strange things happened, resulting in one of his listings being suppressed. Essentially, his listing was offline, not allowing anyone to see his listing or purchase the product. How did Scott figure out that the listing was being suppressed by Amazon? Listen to this episode to get all the details.

What can you do to unsuppress a suppressed listing?

 

Once you discover that your private label product has been suppressed by Amazon (taken off line) what can you do? First you need to scan through your listing in an effort to identify the things that might be wrong with your listing that is causing the suppression. It’s not always an easy thing to do because Amazon may not always tell you the specifics. You may have to go tab by tab through the back end of your listing to find any warnings or highlighted areas. It’s a tedious process but eventually you’ll find the problem. Listen to this episode to hear how Scott corrected a problem on one of his own listings and what he suggests you do to avoid this problem on yours.

Tips on optimizing your private label listing.

Scott has talked about this issue quite a bit on previous episodes but since new people are coming into the Amazing Seller community every day, he feels it’s appropriate to repeat some of the most important things. One of those is how to optimize your listing, including your titles, proper keyword formatting and completion, bullet points, images, descriptions, and more. On this episode Scott walks through those basic things again to help you first identify the problems your listing may have and second, to help you correct those problems so you can get your listing running as smoothly as possible, which will result in more eyes on your product and more sales.

Adding your primary keywords in your title is a powerful tactic for listing optimization.

If you’re trying to optimize your listing you have to start with your title. The title is the main thing that is going to be searched by Amazon to make keyword matches with search queries, so it’s important that you craft a keyword rich but natural title for your product to make the most of the keywords that people are searching for. That’s how you’ll increase your chances of your product being seen by people who are searching for it or something similar. On this episode Scott gives you his best tips for optimizing your titles including the rationale behind them and how you can go about doing them on your listings.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:32] Get into the next upcoming workshop.
  • [2:52] How Scott discovered his listing was suppressed by Amazon.
  • [4:12] What could cause a listing to be suppressed? It depends…
  • [6:10] Why Scott’s title was causing issues with his listing.
  • [8:20] Steps Scott took to resolve the problem.
  • [9:50] Signs that your listing might be suppressed.
  • [12:46] Tips on optimizing your title with keywords.
  • [15:00] Updating keyword fields and bullet points and description.
  • [19:00] A dip in rankings when you change your title: be patient.
  • [20:37] The importance of finding relevant targeted keywords.
  • [23:00] Pay close attention to your listing after making tweaks.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

 

Direct download: TAS216.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It makes sense that when your Amazon business is up and running well, you may want to add a totally different brand or niche to your overall business strategy. There are so many opportunities that kind of approach can provide. When heading in that direction it might be tempting to open a second seller account with Amazon. Is it legal (with Amazon)? Should you do it? Scott’s got some very clear ideas about the subject and is eager to share them with you on this episode, so be sure you listen to get some perspective on whether or not it’s time for you to create a second seller account.

Why do you want to open a second Amazon seller account?

Many people who are successful at Amazon private label sales are entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs are known for having tons of ideas bouncing around in their heads. One of the struggles every entrepreneur faces is keeping their own ambition and eagerness in check so that they don’t get too strung out. It may seem like a great idea to build a new brand but most people take that on far too soon. On this episode you’re going to hear Scott’s thoughts about why you should reconsider that choice and what things you can do instead to maximize your profitability and business.

What are some of the hassles of opening a second Amazon seller account?

When you open a second Amazon seller account you’re not breaking any rules. Amazon will let you do it, but they will want to see certain things in place. For example, you’ll be required to have a different business entity for that account than the one you have on your first account. You’ll also be required to provide different banking information. These are just two things you’ll have to restructure in order to open a second account - and there’s even more besides these. Scott’s going to walk you through every one of the things he can think of that makes it difficult to manage and deal with two brands and two Amazon accounts. It’s all on this episode so make sure you take the time to listen.

Building out a product line instead of starting a brand new brand.

Instead of building a second brand, what would happen if you totally maximized every opportunity you have in your current private label market? In Scott’s experience, most people who are selling on Amazon have not done their due diligence to build out their product line and opportunities to the greatest effect. They’re missing things like sales funnels, email lists, external sales channels, social promotions, and more. Where are you in the stages of building out your current product line? On this episode Scott will show you the kinds of things you need to consider when thinking through whether you should open a new Amazon seller account or not.

Why an external sales channel is the next step for any Amazon business.

Scott strongly believes that every Amazon private label seller should work hard to establish a sales channel outside of Amazon after sales on Amazon have become consistently successful. He subscribes to the idea that you should never put all of your business eggs in one basket - and though Amazon is a very LARGE basket, it’s still only one sales channel. On this episode Scott walks through the main ways that you can build your own sales machine independent of Amazon and tells you why you should focus your efforts there instead of building a second brand on Amazon. It’s a great summary for you to consider, on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [4:03] Starting two differing brands - Is it time to take that leap?
  • [9:00] Considerations when growing/scaling a business - multiple accounts.
  • [14:32] 5 reasons to reconsider opening a second seller account.
  • [18:06] The complications that come from a second brand as opposed to a broader existing market.
  • [19:45] Why the next phase for any Amazon business is external sales channels.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS215.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:53pm EDT

Any little (or big) thing we can do to increase the likelihood of people who search for our products to actually click on our product is worth the time it takes to get it done. On this bonus episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast Scott is chatting with his friend Greg Mercer about the testing he’s been doing on his Amazon listings and the great increases in click-throughs and sales that have come as a result. You’re going to want to hear how these simple tweaks can increase your bottom line without costing you a dime.

A picture is worth a thousand words… or increased click-throughs and sales.

Scott is merciless at emphasizing that you keep everything you do on your private label listing completely above board. You want to follow Amazon’s terms of service and requirements to the “T.” BUT - many people don’t realize the areas of flexibility that exist within those guidelines, especially as it relates to images. On this episode Scott and his friend Greg Mercer chat about the small changes they’ve made to their images that have caused greater amounts of click-through and purchases in a very short time. You can do the exact same things on your product, so find out how on this episode.

25% off your first month of Splitly - Automated split testing software for Amazon private label listings.

 

Greg Mercer is already well known in the Amazon selling community as the creator behind Jungle Scout. But now he’s added a new product to his company that enables you to automatically and on an ongoing basis, split test your private label listings so that you can ensure they are optimized the very best for click throughs and sales.It’s called “Splitly” and as a TAS listener you can get 25% off your first month of Splitly service. Listen to this episode to hear all the things Splitly can do for you and how you can get your 25% off.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast episode!
  • [1:35] Upcoming workshop - get registered now.
  • [4:00] Split testing, conversions, optimizing your listings through tweaks.
  • [5:41] The basic tweaks Greg Mercer has done to increase conversions.
  • [7:44] Tips on good main images and tweaks you can make to it.
  • [14:54] How to do your testing in a way that gives accurate results.
  • [19:09] A case in point Scott learned from another seller: drawing the eye.
  • [21:34] Why you can’t think you know the answer: do the split test.
  • [22:07] How changing your price can make dramatic differences.
  • [26:00] Why it’s important to test over a longer period of time (a few weeks).
  • [29:52] Other minor items you can split test: bullets and description.
  • [32:25] Split testing your product title for product ranking.
  • [37:10] The software Greg has created - Splitly - specifically for Amazon.
  • [42:03] How you can get into the upcoming live workshop using Splitly.
  • [44:00] Greg’s last advice to people regarding split testing and optimizing listings.

RESOURCES MENTIONED


When you’re starting something new it’s great to be able to ask someone who has been down the path before you. That’s what these Friday “Ask Scott” sessions are for… an opportunity for you to ask Scott the pressing questions that are on your mind about private label selling and selling on the Amazon platform in particular. There are many things Scott has learned the hard way that you don’t have to learn that way. You can glean lots from what Scott has to share and he’s happy to do it. Be sure to submit your questions to Scott to keep these Friday episodes going!

What is needed to set up a seller account on Amazon?

A listener has been doing some initial product research and hasn’t set up his Amazon seller account yet. He’s curious what pieces of information he needs to have in hand before he tries to create an Amazon seller account. It’s a great question that Scott answers in depth on this episode. It starts with simply having a social security number and logging in, so depending on what products you’ll be selling and what your overall goals are you may want to have some other pieces in place. What are they? Scott’s going to cover all of it on this episode.

Things you need to know about getting product reviews through review groups.

A listener called in on this episode to ask Scott what she should do in her situation. She’s a professional reviewer, reviewing products in all kinds of niches in order to receive free products. She takes the job very seriously and gives quality, unbiased reviews. But recently her account has been banned from doing reviews. She wonders if it’s related to a review group she’s been a part of in the past. Scott’s got some very practical advice for the seller relating to review groups as well as some “heads up” info for Amazon sellers about what you should and should not expect about the results you get from review groups.

What should I do if my product is being purchased in lots and resold on Ebay?

A listener called in with an interesting situation that Scott was eager to tackle on this episode. His products have been selling well, even 4 or 5 at a time. He had a hunch that something odd might be going on so he checked up on it and found out that his products were actually being bought in lots of 5 or 6 at a time and resold on Ebay. He’s not sure what to think of it. Should he contact the purchaser and tell them that they are not allowed to resell his product or is it a great asset to have someone buying his product in bulk? What do you think? Scott’s got a very clear answer and he shares it with you on this episode.

When a potential product has great cost margins, should you sell it in bundles of two?

Another listener has been doing her product research and has found a product that she believes will be a winner. Part of the reason she likes the product so much is that the cost and profit margins are very large. That means she’ll be able to make a very good profit. She’s wondering if it would be worthwhile to offer the product in bundle packages to differentiate herself in the market and gain more sales. Scott’s advice is very helpful and gives a couple of options for this listener to consider, so be sure you listen to apply what he says to your situation.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:39] Scott’s introduction of Chris Nelson, a TAS listener at the event Scott attended.
  • [1:37] How you can leave a question for Scott and get into a live workshop.
  • [3:28] QUESTION ONE: What do I need to have set up in order to create a seller account - and what legal issues do I need to be aware of?
  • [8:55] QUESTION TWO: I’m a legitimate reviewer but have been banned by Amazon because I was part of a review club. What happened?
  • [16:17] QUESTION THREE: I notice that my product is being purchased in lots and resold on Ebay. What should I do?
  • [21:04] QUESTION FOUR: I found a product with great margins and wonder if I should sell them in bundles of two?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS214.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

You may have noticed lately that Amazon is advertising within your seller account for their non-U.S. sales platforms. They are trying really hard to get current sellers to expand into different marketplaces. For some time Scott has been giving that option some thought but when he received an email from today’s guest, Nick Kemp, he was even more interested. Nick has been selling on the Amazon Japan marketplace for some time and is experiencing a good deal of success. In this conversation Scott and Nick chat about how it’s working, how he got into the Japanese market, and his road to private label success.

What do you do when your private label item is infringing on another’s patent?

Today’s guest was beginning to sell a lot of his product and decided that it was time to get more listings on Amazon. He chose a related items that was very unique because of its design and sourced it from a China supply company. But he soon discovered that the supplier had signed an agreement that they would not sell the product in the U.S. but hadn’t told him. He discovered that sad fact by receiving a letter from the patent owner’s attorney telling him he had to stop selling the product immediately or he would be sued. It was a $10,000 loss for him and he’s still recovering. Listen in to this conversation to get some tips on how you can avoid that sort of thing with your private label products.

Making money in the Amazon Japan marketplace faster than the U.S.

Within a very short amount of time after launching his products on the Japanese marketplace, Nick Kemp began to see sales. In his experience one of the advantages to selling on the Japanese marketplace is that you typically don’t have to get near as many reviews to begin selling your products. A well optimized listing seemed to be all it took and Nick was selling a good number of items per day within no time. On this episode Nick tells you how he began selling on the Japan marketplace step by step, so be sure to listen.

Ranking on page 1 within hours on the Amazon Japan market.

When Nick finally jumped through all the hoops to get his products listed in the Amazon Japan marketplace he wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. It was literally only a few hours after listing his products that his item was showing on the first page of the search results for his product niche. He was amazed, as most of us would be, and felt the impact of that in his sales almost immediately. But there are plenty of difficulties to face as well. You can hear Nick’s story on this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast.

Why the difficulties of getting on the Amazon Japan market are worth it.

If you’ve already experienced a good deal of success selling on the U.S. or U.K. marketplace and want to expand your sales, the Japan marketplace may be the way to go. Nick Kemp says that you’ll have to jump through certain hoops to make sure you’re doing so legally and in a way that works with the Japanese culture. That includes language barriers and other things as well. But he’s convinced that it’s worth doing simply because the Japanese marketplace is virtually untouched in terms of volume and competition. If you’re at that point of expansion, listen to what Nick has to share so you can assess the situation for yourself.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast.
  • [3:45] Who is Nick Kemp and how did he get started selling in the Amazon Japan marketplace?
  • [8:00] A first product flops because of patent issues.
  • [13:30] Getting into the Japanese marketplace on Amazon.
  • [17:00] Particular things needed to sell in Japan.
  • [19:20] How Nick researches sales prospects in the Japanese marketplace.
  • [21:13] Dealing with language issues: listings, products, labels, etc.
  • [24:38] Jumping into a super competitive niche in Japan.
  • [29:50] First steps to getting your products on the Amazon Japan marketplace.
  • [33:00] Why the hurdles of selling on Amazon are worth the price.
  • [40:52] How funds transfers and income works on the Japan marketplace.
  • [43:15] Nick’s future plans for his business pursuits.
  • [50:30] Final advice for people new to the Amazon marketplace.
  • [53:30] Assessing the right time to move to international marketplaces.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS213.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

The Amazon sales platform is open to 3rd party sellers (like you) to sell products to people who are already shopping for things they want and need. That’s the amazing benefit it is to sell your products on Amazon. However, there are certain categories where not just anyone can sell products. Amazon’s reasons for doing this is mainly to protect the consumer by ensuring that the people selling products in those categories are legitimate sellers who are not selling items that will be harmful or fake. Chris Schaeffer is a pro in these things and he unloads how he goes about getting products ungated, on this episode.

The category that I want to sell product in is blocked to new sellers (gated). How can I get in?

It happens quite often. Someone does their diligence in product research and discovers that the end of that process that the category their product falls into is blocked to new sellers. How can you get past that? Is there any way? That is exactly what this episode of the podcast is all about. Scott and his friend Chris walk you through 5 Steps you need to take in order to get your private label products into a gated category on Amazon. Be encouraged, their experience shows that you can always get into the category, it just may take time and some hard work. Be sure you listen to find out how you can get your product into the categories they belong in.

How does the Amazon Brand Registry fit into the ungating process?

 

If you have not gone through the steps to register your products and brand in the Amazon brand registry, that is one of the first things you need to do if you want your product to be considered for categories that are currently gated. Amazon will not consider your product if you have not verified your product through brand registry. On this episode of the podcast, Chris and Scott are going to walk you through the steps involved in getting brand registered, and show you that it really isn't as hard as it might sound at first. If you need someone to hold your hand, this episode does exactly that.

Make it easy for Amazon to approve your “ungate” request.

Anyone selling products on Amazon is able to apply for their products to be considered for a blocked or gated category. Chris Shaffer advises that if you were going to do that, you make it easy for Amazon to say yes to you. How do you do that? By getting all of your documents and requested things in order before you apply to have your product considered. Amazon is very clear about what it takes to become eligible for selling in those categories, so you need to do your part to meet their requirements before you even apply. On this episode Chris walks through what those things are so that you will be able to gather your information and go in with your guns loaded.

Don’t let the gated categories on Amazon get you frustrated.

The process of getting your products into gated categories can be quite irritating and frustrating. Sometimes Amazon will reject your product request and not provide any reasons why they have rejected it. Other times, they will respond with very big reasons that don't make sense. It is important that you understand that those things are just part of how it is, and that you need to do everything on your end to make it easy for Amazon to approve your request. Keep going, walk through the things you have submitted very carefully to ensure that they meet Amazon's standards, and even follow the tips Chris lives in this episode to restart the process if need be. And his experience, every request can be approved if you approach it the right way.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:59] Why categories on Amazon are gated (to protect consumers).
  • [4:58] How gating impacts pay per click (PPC).
  • [5:40] Is it possible to place your product into a different category if you’re gated out of the one it belongs in?
  • [8:45] Select the category you want to be in.
  • [9:45] Why you need to switch to a pro monthly plan to get started ungating.
  • [11:30] Hitting the Amazon seller performance targets.
  • [12:50] How new products figure into the gated category issue.
  • [13:43] Working with your supplier to get verification regarding your products.
  • [14:40] Particulars you need to make sure are correct.
  • [16:40] The importance of having a website for the sake of Amazon brand registry.
  • [18:25] Making sure you have your documentation together (including 3 invoices).
  • [21:46] What to do if Amazon doesn’t give much reason for rejecting your request.
  • [24:00] Why you need to make it easy for Amazon to approve your request.
  • [26:43] Additional steps to take to get yourself approved.
  • [29:49] Why it took Scott and Chris 3 weeks to get ungated in one situation.
  • [32:12] Recap of the steps you need to take to get your product ungated.
  • [34:40] Why you should consider the possibility of gated categories during your product research phase.
  • [36:09] Chris’ final word: don’t let this frustrate you.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS212.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

If you’re an Amazon seller, either through Retail Arbitrage program or through private label products, you know how frustrating it can be when you hit a snag in your business and don’t feel that you have anywhere to turn. Wouldn’t it be great to have a “voice of experience” you could turn to who could guide you through the challenges? That’s EXACTLY what you get on these Friday episodes of the Amazing Seller. Scott Voelker does his “Ask Scott” session to field your questions about Amazon sales and the challenges of doing it right. If you want to submit your questions for Scott to answer on one of these Friday shows, you can find out how to do it on this episode.

How can I improve my pay per click (PPC) campaign so it doesn’t cost so much?

A listener to the Amazing Seller recently called in with a question about his pay per click campaigns. He’s at a point where 70% of his profits is being eaten up by the cost of paying for traffic through Amazon PPC. Something about it just doesn’t feel right and he wants to know what he’s doing wrong. On this episode Scott responds to his question with some insights about how you can modify your PPC campaigns over time to hone in on the exact keywords that are going to bring you the biggest bang for your buck. You can hear Scott’s response on this episode.

What warehouse should I send my products to as an international seller?

Anyone who sells private label products on Amazon Has the option of sending their products to various Amazon warehouses for the option of making sales in various countries. On this  episode of the podcast, an international seller calls with a question about where she should send her products to get the best sales. She's also concerned about the kinds of taxes she will have to pay if she is going to send her products to the United States. Make sure you tune in to listen to this episode where Scott replies to her question.

Should I go after a product with lower margins but higher volume?

Scott usually recommends that sellers look for products where they can make at least $10 of profit on each sale. But on this episode of the podcast listener calls in to ask whether it is worth it to sell products that only get $4 to $5 profit on each sale but has a very large volume of sales possible. You might think Scott would say to avoid that kind of product, but he actually says the exact opposite and gives you very clear reasons why he would go for it. You can hear his entire answer on this Ask Scott session of the podcast.

How long does it take for products to rank to page 1 after an initial surge of sales?

On today's episode of the podcast Scott reads A post from a member of his Facebook community, reporting how his product launch has gone. He had some great and initial sales and just looking forward to a very successful product line. But his product is still on page 8 of the Amazon search rankings. He is curious how long it takes for products to rank all the way to page one after an initial surge of sales like he is experienced. On this episode Scott gives some great insights about how products rank within the Amazon framework, and what you can do to boost your products toward the top. You won't want to miss this one.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:47] How you can get in on Scott’s next live event.
  • [3:29] QUESTION ONE: 70% of my revenue is going to PPC. What’s wrong with the way I’m doing it?
  • [10:36] QUESTION TWO: I’m an international seller and I want to send from China to an Amazon warehouse. How do I choose the right location?
  • [17:50] QUESTION THREE: Should I go after a product with lower margins but higher volume?
  • [22:43] QUESTION FOUR: How long does it take to rank for your product after a surge of sales?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS211.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Any change to your life and lifestyle will require you to make some sacrifices. Today’s guest is a tremendous example of a person who was willing to put in the kind of hard work required so that she could do what she wanted in her life - stay at home with her kids. Raquel’s story is one that we hear all the time, a parent who longs to have the time with her children and is willing to do anything to make that happen. You’re going to hear a tremendously inspirational story as Raquel tells how she went from selling on Ebay to Retail Arbitrage on Amazon and why she decided to move toward private labeling, the decision that has so far grossed over $73,000 in sales. Make sure you listen tot his one - it’s worth it.

The challenges with Ebay and Retail Arbitrage.

For a while Raquel was making a good amount of profit finding things to sell on Ebay. She had great margins and was able to find some things that were selling pretty well on a consistent basis. But the difficulty was that she had to take new pictures for every listing and had to do all the shipping herself. That led her to Retail Arbitrage on Amazon which was worlds better, but it still required the daily hustle out in stores and closeout sales that she was trying to get away from. That’s when she began learning about private label sales and connected with the TAS community. You’ll want to hear Raquel’s story to hear another path that has been followed and how she began with $100.

Multiple products within the same niche.

Raquel’s approach to finding products was to look through various resources to discover product ideas. One of those was a junk email that she received from a company that was unsolicited. That’s where she found a bundled set of products that she felt she could purchase, split apart, and remake into her own bundles. That enabled her to have multiple SKUs to sell within the same niche, which was a great way to diversify her approach to the market. That has enabled her to get cross sales and to begin customizing products to offer in addition to the things she’s already selling. Her first custom order from China is now underway. Be sure you listen to Raquel’s story - it’s full of insights into how things could work for you when you’re just starting out

How Raquel used reviews to determine what she could do to offer in-demand products.

As Raquel began offering her first products she spent time reading the reviews of her competitors. It was in those reviews that she discovered things that buyers of those products wished were different about the products they were already buying. That gave Raquel a lot of insight into modifications and unique tweaks she could make to her products to make them more desirable to buyers and thereby take over the sales of brands in her niche that are not providing those customized options. It’s a “gold” way to create true value for customers and carve out a niche for themselves that will be sustainable long term.

We want to build a business that enables us to give powerfully.

 

In this conversation Scott asked Raquel about her future plans for her private label sales business. She and her husband have given a lot of thought to what they want to do with the successes they are experiencing. Her husband truly enjoys his job so there are no plans for him to quit. But the two of them have come to a place that they hope to pay off their house within a short time and then be able to meet needs of people they come across. That’s a powerful “why” for anyone, being able to make the lives of actual people better.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast and Scott’s guest, Raquel.
  • [1:03] Why you don’t need to start private label sales with a ton of cash.
  • [2:47] Who is Raquel and why did she try her hand at Amazon sales?
  • [5:50] From Ebay to consignment, to retail arbitrage on Amazon.
  • [14:00] A junk email that offered some new possibilities for Raquel.
  • [23:10] The minimal things Raquel did to launch her first products.
  • [26:15] Getting her products brand registered.
  • [30:51] Raquel’s plans toward the future.
  • [34:40] How Raquel helped a friend get started selling books on Amazon and how she advises new people to get going.
  • [36:30] The goals Raquel has to build consistent sales throughout the year.
  • [37:27] How Scott sees Raquel’s story as an example for those who are making excuses.
  • [38:18] Raquel’s current thoughts about retail arbitrage.
  • [41:00] Why you need to just start - even if you’re starting with a small amount of money.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

Direct download: TAS210.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Every one of us has a legacy that has bred us, the things that have made us into the people that we are. Sometimes those are negative influences, sometimes they are not so good. On this episode of the show Scott shares a conversation with his Dad that he recorded recently to share some of the legacy of his own life. In Scott’s eyes his Dad is a great example of someone who was always willing to work hard and earn the money needed to care for his family and take care of his obligations. He’s also the one who taught Scott to hustle and figure out ways to build his own businesses. You’re going to enjoy the homespun wisdom and insights Papa V. has to share, on this episode.

From egg sales to a chicken farm to a draft notice.

Scott’s father was an entrepreneur from an early age simply because he had to be. He wanted extra money to buy his own lunch at school and his father didn’t have the money to give him. So his dad arranged for him to get some chickens and begin selling eggs. That business grew into a chicken farm and in time he was doing quite well. When he was 22 years old he was drafted, but signed up for the Navy instead. Even in the Navy his Dad found an entrepreneurial opportunity sewing patches on uniforms, stocking up on cigarettes and reselling them to fellow soldiers at a higher price, and even making loans at interest. You can hear this powerful example of old fashioned entrepreneurial hustle on this episode.

There’s always a way you can find to get the money you need.

On today’s episode of The Amazing Seller Scott shares a conversation with his Dad who was his example of hard work and determination. He showed by his actions that he could always figure out a way to make the income needed to meet his obligations and take care of his family. As you listen to this episode, keep in mind the obstacles you face and think about the opportunities you may have every day to increase your income and make a way to build your income. There is a way. Find it.

Partnership woes and things you should watch out for.

Neither Scott nor his Dad believe that partnerships are always terrible or to be avoided. But they both have seen the negative side of partnerships and have lots to say about the various cautions that you need to be aware of when considering a partnership. On this episode you’ll hear the story of their partnership woes and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. It’s a great story of persistence, learning from mistakes, and building a successful business on the coattails of a business mess.

Hard work and persistence will ALWAYS pay off for you, if you take action.

The main purpose of this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast is not to teach you tricks and strategies for doing private label sales better. It’s a deeper and more general lesson than that. This one brings you an old school example of how determination and drive to succeed will enable you to be successful in the end. Scott’s Dad (Papa V.) has lots of stories to share and a great deal of wisdom to impart so you’d be wise to listen and get some ideas about the kind of work and dedication it takes to build a business you can be proud of.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:02] Scott’s introduction to the podcast, and this conversation with his Dad (Papa V)!
  • [1:23] Scott’s introduction to his Dad.
  • [3:25] Where Papa V. grew up and what his family life was like.
  • [4:00] Why Papa V. wanted to earn money as a kid - he wanted to buy his own lunch.
  • [5:40] His first job: an egg route, learning sales, and starting his business.
  • [8:00] Scaling the egg business into a chicken farm.
  • [17:10] Beliefs about working for retirement or not.
  • [24:15] Landing a job and starting another business.
  • [31:00] Scott’s “why” to work alongside his Dad and build a company together.
  • [32:45] Thoughts and cautions about partnership opportunities.
  • [41:23] The only things Papa V. would change if he could go back.
  • [45:10] The lessons Scott learned from his Dad.
  • [53:33] A final story about the crazy experiences working as an entrepreneur.
Direct download: TAS209.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Whenever you’re starting something new it requires that you do a lot of learning at the front end. You should never just jump in and figure it out on your own because there are so many people who have traveled the path ahead of you that you can learn from. That’s why Scott does these Ask Scott episodes - to be that trusted and experienced resource to anyone who wants to get started with Amazon private label sales. You can ask your own questions and have them answered on the podcast, so be sure you listen to find out how to do that!

What’s the best way I can order from a foreign supplier and protect my financial investment?

There are many ways you could arrange to make payments to your suppliers. Paypal - Western Union - Credit Card - Escrow - which should you choose? On this episode a listener asks Scott what his options are now that he’s figured out the supplier he wants to work with and Scott has some great advice about the best and safest ways to exchange funds with suppliers from China and other places.

When I complete the product listing fields, which of those fields are not needed?

When you go into the backend of your Amazon product listing you’re going to be faced with many tabs, options, and fields that can be completed. It’s very confusing for a first time person. You may wonder, like the caller today, which of those fields really apply to your product and which of them don’t. Scott’s main advice on that issue is covered on this episode and it all comes down to doing this: Be sure to complete the search terms and keywords and fill out anything that honestly pertains to your product. Be sure you listen to get all the details.

What are the risks of dealing with a supplier without using Alibaba?

When you find a supplier from China that you believe is the one you want to use to source your product, there are many risks to you as the buyer. You want to make sure that your supplier is trustworthy and that you have a way to hold their feet to the fire in case there are issues with your product delivery or quality. In order to do that Scott recommends that you always stay within a sourcing website like Alibaba and that you ensure that the supplier works with you on an escrow basis. If all of that is confusing, be sure to listen to get clarity.

Is there a way to know the overall costs I’m going to need to pay before taking the plunge?

There are many ways to make mistakes as you get started selling private label products and most of them come from not understanding the fees and costs associated with selling your products on Amazon, including shipping, Amazon fees, customs costs, and more. On this episode Scott goes into the details of assessing costs before you purchase your first set of trial products and gives some recommendations about pricing and margins as well.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:52] QUESTION ONE: Is there a good way to cover myself with suppliers?
  • [10:50] QUESTION TWO: The listing fields are a bit confusing. Which fields do I need to complete and which are not helpful?
  • [17:20] QUESTION THREE: Do you always place orders through Alibaba or just the first one?
  • [23:26] QUESTION FOUR: Is there a way to calculate general expenses before getting started?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS208.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Every single one of us is on our own journey, but much of where we wind up depends on the choices we make. Scott recently had the opportunity to speak at the Rocky Mountain Resellers conference and was able to share his story and inspire many people to take action and move forward with their business ideas.This episode is the audio version of Scott’s keynote presentation from that event and you’re going to hear his story of moving into the Amazon sales platform and all the experiences that built his determination muscles to get there. You’ll find a lot of great information to help you get going (or keep going) on your journey, so be sure to listen.

Figure out your Why, What, and How.

There are three key components of any business success. Without these three you’re going to fail at some point along the line, so be sure you pay close attention to what Scott has to share here. The “why” has to do with the reasons behind building a business. If your “why” is not strong enough you’ll give up when things get tough. Your “what” is the clear end-goal you have in mind, the thing(s) you want to accomplish. The “how” is the plan you come up with to make the “what” happen. If you don’t get all three of these clear, you won’t make it in business.

Get your WHY clear and nothing will stop you.

Simon Senek is well known now for his insightful book, “Start With Why.” It enables leaders - and those building their own business - to understand the importance of the reasons their business/organization is in existence. Scott believes in the power of understanding your why to keep you moving in your business building journey. What is your reason for building a business? It’s about more than simply making money… that’s not specific enough. Figure out your “why” and you’ll figure out the thing that will keep you going when the difficulties come (and they WILL come).

After your WHY is in place, you can move on to the WHAT.

Getting clear on WHAT you are going to do enables you to remain focused. It’s your end goal, the thing you’re trying to accomplish overall so that your WHY becomes a reality. When you work on your WHAT you need to do your homework. There’s nothing about this part that comes easy, nothing about it that will magically happen. The information is out there, you simply have to go out and find it so you can make informed decisions and smart choices. Don’t go by hunches or feelings, research it and find the WHAT that will fit you and enable your WHY to come to pass.

Take action to make it a reality.

Once you get your WHY clear and your WHAT figured out, you’re going to have to do something with it. You’ve got to have a plan that you’re going to follow to make them happen. That’s where the HOW comes in. It’s about taking action, putting in the work that makes success happen. Nobody got to any pinnacle of success by accident. There’s lots of hard work in the back story and you are going to have to pay your own dues as well. Take action. It’s one of Scott’s main mantras that you hear over and over. And there’s a reason for that. It’s vitally important.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the episode!
  • [2:09] Scott’s story: no college education but lots of business experience.
  • [5:15] Scott’s experience selling door to door as a kid.
  • [6:23] The danger of inaction from overwhelm.
  • [9:35] It all starts with taking the first step into something different.
  • [11:00] The importance of “just in time learning” from Pat Flynn.
  • [12:35] When you choose one thing and focus, amazing things happen.
  • [14:09] The power of “WHY - WHAT - HOW?”
  • [15:00] WHY: Getting clear and specific brings focus.
  • [23:10] WHAT: You have to know where you’re going.
  • [25:10] HOW: Making a plan is essential.
  • [28:11] Case study: Bob - and how it can help you build your dreams.
  • [30:30] Scott’s 10-10-1 strategy as an example of simplifying the process.
  • [35:00] Put yourself on track with 90 day sprints.
  • [41:27] Get it done, then repeat it again and again.
  • [44:43] Why “little by little, little becomes a lot.”
  • [50:12] Taking action is the main consistent ingredient in any success.
  • [51:54] Q & A from the session.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS207.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Over the years Scott has gotten tons of great encouragement about the efforts he’s making to help others learn from his mistakes and the path he’s taken to build a successful private label sales business. He loves the positive feedback and would never stop doing what he does. But sometimes there are people who urge Scott to STOP giving away so much free information. They believe that he’s doing a disservice to those who are already selling on Amazon. Scott disagrees wholeheartedly and on this episode he tells you why.

Why Amazon is the best place you can validate and test product ideas.

If you think you have a great idea for a product, there’s no better way to test that product than to put it onto the Amazon sales platform. It doesn’t even need to be finished, tweaked exactly like you want it, or the final version… it just has to be some variety of what you have in mind. The reason Amazon is such a great place to do this is because you’re putting that product in front of people who are actual buyers - they are only ON Amazon to buy something or research a future purchase. On this episode Scott is going to tell you how you can use Amazon to validate your product idea and how you can move past Amazon when the time is right.

When people push back against generosity, it’s usually because they are scared.

Scott Voelker's been sharing his insights into the Amazon private label sales platform for many months now. He doesn't absolutely free and expecting nothing in return. Why does he do it? Because he believes he is supposed to help people get ahead in life. It's what he would want someone to do for him if he were in that place. But there are many people who don't agree with Scott's approach. They believe that his generosity is hurting everyone it was already successfully selling on Amazon. On this episode of the podcast you were going to hear why Scott doesn't agree with that and why he believes that those who are telling him to stop giving away so much free content are actually scared.

There is still PLENTY of opportunity to build a successful business on Amazon.

Scott hears it all the time: Amazon is getting too crowded, there isn't enough room left in the platform to be successful a private label sales. But Scott doesn't believe it. Yes, it is harder to be successful than it was at the beginning, but that's the way it is in every Market at every stage of its history. Those were going to be ultra successful are those who are willing to put in the hard work to figure out the best ways to be successful in that niche. Are you one of those? Or are you one of those lazy ones who won't put in the effort and will only complain that it's getting too crowded? On this episode you were going to get a great challenge from Scott about the work you're going to have to put in if you were going to be successful in private label sales.

You are the average of the 5 people you hang around with most.

If you pay attention to those who are complaining and hating on others who are doing great things, you will notice something. They typically hang out with other people who think small like they do. There's an old saying that you are the average of the 5 people you hang around with most. It is true almost every time. If you were going to be successful, you have got to put yourself around people who are successful. You've got to learn from them, you've got to grow from their interaction, you've got to ask their advice and put it into action. On this episode Scott is going to talk about what it takes to be successful in Amazon sales  and in life.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:25] Why there are always opportunities to build a business.
  • [4:15] Why Amazon is the best place to test and validate product ideas.
  • [6:49] The power of hanging out with people who bring you down (or lift you up).
  • [8:37] People are afraid of competition and how it creates “haters” out there.
  • [10:23] Why there is still a ton of opportunity to build an Amazon private label business.
  • [16:46] Why Amazon is better to get started than most places.
  • [17:22] Scott’s plans to move his business into other areas.
  • [23:00] Email list building game changers that Scott will be sharing soon.
  • [24:18] Why Scott is not sorry for sharing the content he does and how it will even make the haters better.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS206.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Many people ask why Scott’s invested so much time and energy into putting out this podcast and doing his free workshops. Is it to sell his course? No, it’s not. Scott recently ran into a woman who reminded him why he’s doing all the work he is for the TAS brand. Her husband had just quit his job because their private label business, built according to Scott’s instructions and tips, had finally made it possible for him to quit and work the FBA business full time. That’s what Scott is about - helping real people get some freedom and a sense of personal control over their destiny. You can find out how Scott could help you with that, on this episode.

Different product categories have different fee structures. What fees do I pay if my product is in two categories?

If you didn’t know, you need to know that Amazon has different fee structures for products in different categories. For example, products in home and garden may have one fee and products in kitchen may have different fees. If your product is in multiple categories it can get a bit confusing as to how Amazon is going to charge you. On this episode, Scott reveals how to go about determining the fees you will pay for products in multiple categories, so be sure you listen to get his answer.

I’ve researched my product and sent them into Amazon, but I’m not getting sales? What can I do?

A listener feels that he did a pretty good job of researching his product. He got samples, tried them out on  Amazon, and felt that he’s got a good product. But now that he’s shipped his products to Amazon, it’s been a few weeks and he’s not gotten one sale. Is his product simply a bust? Should he give up and move on to something else? What would you do? Scott’s got quite a few suggestions for this seller, including an explanation of how PPC works and why it’s important to use pay per click to begin generating sales. You can hear it all on this episode of the podcast.

My product is selling well but is on page 3. What can I do to move it up?

On this episode of the podcast a listener calls in to describe her dilemma. She’s got a product that’s been on Amazon for 3 weeks and it’s already selling 10 to 15 units a day. But she ranks on page 3 and would like to get to page 1. What’s wrong to cause such great sales but such a low search ranking? Scott doesn’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with her listing or product. In fact, he thinks she’s got some great things to celebrate and suggests a very few minor tweaks that could push her onto page 1. Do you want to hear his answer? You can, on this episode of the podcast.

Would you like to ask your private label questions?

If you are curious about private label sales on Amazon, or if you’re new to the Amazon sales platform and would like to know more about how it works, you can do that by listening to this “Ask Scott” session of the Amazing Seller Podcast. But even more, you can ask your own questions and have Scott Voelker answer them on the podcast. It’s a great opportunity for you to get your newbie questions answered by a pro and learn how to build a successful private label business at the same time. Be sure to listen to find out how you can submit your questions.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:20] How you can get your questions answered.
  • [1:33] A story from Scott’s experience at Rocky Mountain Resellers.
  • [4:04] Shout out to the TAS community on Facebook.
  • [5:14] QUESTION ONE: How does Amazon charge its fees when a product is in multiple categories?
  • [10:27] QUESTION TWO: My products have been sent into Amazon but I’ve not started PPC yet, and am seeing no sales. What’s up?
  • [17:00] QUESTION THREE: My products are selling well but my product is only on page 3. What can I do?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS205.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s always helpful to hear from someone who’s launched a private label product on Amazon from scratch - and has done so recently. Well, even though Scott Voelker has been doing private label sales on Amazon for some time, he’s still starting new products and ideas now and then to experiment and to expand his business model. On today’s episode Scott walks you through his latest product launch and hones in on the things he did differently this time. The results he’s gotten have been spectacular, including ranking his product on page 1 of Amazon’s search rankings in short order. You’ll want to be sure to listen to this one.

Why Scott aimed at a product with low reviews but good sales.

One of the ways that Scott searched for his latest private label product was to filter in Jungle Scout for products that were selling a decent amount, say 5 to 10 sales per day, but had low numbers of reviews. Why did he aim at products like that? The sales show that the product is in demand to a certain degree, but that the people selling the products are not spending a ton of time promoting their products. So Scott feels that if he’s able to sell the same product but add PPC promotions to his launch, he should be able to get higher in the rankings almost immediately - and his strategy worked. Find out exactly how Scott did it, on this episode.

A keyword optimization trick for the backend of your private label product listings.

A student in the private label workshop was having trouble getting her product to show as relevant for many keywords, even though she’d filled the keyword area of her listing with relevant keywords. Scott was curious why she wasn’t getting better results so he asked her to show him the way she’d input her keywords. She had placed a comma between every keyword and Scott suggested that she remove all the commas. Within an hour her product began ranking for those keywords and something important was discovered: commas are not only unnecessary in your keyword fields, they actually hurt your listing. Find out more tips like this on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Why Scott launched with only 25 product giveaways.

On this product launch Scott decided to try something a bit different than he’d done before. He determined that he’d only give away 25 products to launch and that he’d drip those out at the rate of 5 per day for the first 5 days. This enabled him to monitor his organic sales a bit more easily, determining how many of his sales were organic and therefore gauging better whether he actually needed to continue giveaways in order to get his product ranked as high as he wanted. The result this time was a good amount of organic sales apart from the PPC, which is very good news. You’ll find out more about how Scott did his launch on a new product on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

If you’re new to the private label sales world, you need Scott’s free workshop.

At least once per month Scott holds a free private label workshop for anyone who is interested in private label sales. It’s an opportunity for you to learn the 5 phases of a successful product launch and to ask questions from Scott and many other experienced Amazon sellers who are hanging out during the course. You can get your free spot in the next workshop by listening to the announcement at the end of this episode, so be sure you do!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:30] The way to approach rumors and concerns you hear about techniques on Amazon.
  • [4:17] 4 things that make this product launch successful.
  • [10:17] Scott’s step by step process for launching this product.
  • [11:10] The best way to optimize keywords on the backend of your listings.
  • [13:15] 25 units given away, 5 per day and PPC from day one.
  • [14:30] Options for setting up your pay per click campaigns.
  • [18:14] Creating a promo with no keywords.
  • [22:10] How to use variations of products to create your own brand once you’ve tried a product.
  • [24:48] Why Amazon is a great place to test and verify a product before investing a lot of cash.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

www.AliExpress.com - China sourcing in small quantities.

Direct download: TAS204.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

 

 

Part of the equation in business is that you’re going to hit roadblocks and frustrations. It’s simply going to happen. Today’s episode highlights a real Amazon seller’s disappointments with his product sales and Scott has a lot to say about it. There are more bright spots in this listener’s situation than he recognizes and some things he could still do to improve the listing itself and possibly drive sales higher. Listen in to Scott’s response to this frustrating story so you can hear ideas for optimizing your own listings and addressing your own frustrations.

Don’t move on until you do the most you can with what you’ve got!

Alex is an Amazon seller who is feeling a bit frustrated with his first Amazon product. It’s taking alot longer to increase in sales than he expected it would. He’s just about ready to find a second product and let this one languish, but Scott’s not so sure that’s the right thing to do. The situation doesn’t sound as hopeless as it seems. Listen in to hear what Scott thinks can be done in order to make this product rank higher and get more sales, on this episode.

The only thing you can do to rank for your main keywords.

The main thing you need to focus on in order to hit your main keywords, you’ve got to optimize your listing for that keyword and push sales toward that keyword using PPC. But your main keyword isn’t the only thing you should be trying to rank for. You need to be aiming at other long tail keywords, things people could be searching for related to your main keywords. The cool thing is that PPC is what enables you to know what those keywords are. You can find out the details of how to use pay per click to your advantage on this episode.

The duds may be your cash cows!

Alex feels that his product is a “dud” simply because it’s only selling at a rate of $1,000 per month. But the key to a prosperous Amazon private label business is not to find the “perfect product” that brings in millions every month. The key is to get a handful of moderately successful products that together build the income and success that you need. It’s an amazing thing to watch when the collective sales begin to creep up over time and each one is an integral part of the whole. Don’t be afraid of the duds, they may be the pieces to your overall success.

The power of being part of a great community of like minded people.

Today’s episode was spawned from a post and its responses within the TAS Facebook Community. It’s the place where many private label sellers get together regularly to share triumphs, struggles, obstacles, and to receive the help and encouragement they need to keep their business going strong. Be sure you get over the TAS community to get the support and camaraderie that you need.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:23] A Dud product that turned into a success - today’s topic!
  • [2:50] How you can get show notes and transcripts for any episode.
  • [3:57] How Alex described his product problems and frustrations.
  • [6:03] Why impatience can be the biggest problem.
  • [8:40] TAS community responses to the product problems.
  • [28:58] The lessons that can be learned from these “dud” products.
  • [30:40] How you can be part of Scott’s live workshop (it’s free).

RESOURCES ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS203.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

 

It’s time to crank up the volume and get your own personal coaching for your Amazon FBA private label business. You’re going to hear real life questions from real life private label sellers who have hit a roadblock in their business. Scott Voelker is going to answer those questions from his own experience and from the things he’s learned helping Amazon sellers get their problems addressed. If you want to ask your own question, you can do that just like the listeners on this episode by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - state your name, and ask your question!

Once I start ordering my products, how do I get my logo and branding on the packaging?

A listener today is about ready to order his first bulk shipment of products from a supplier. He’s curious how to go about putting branding of various kinds, UPC codes, and other identifying markings on his packaging. Does the supplier do that? Does he have to do it himself? On this episode Scott’s going to answer this question by walking through the variety of ways these issues can be addressed and the pros and cons to each one. Be sure you listen so you can know the options for packaging and branding on your products.

My product lends itself to variations and individual listings. How do I choose which to do?

There are many kinds of products that could possibly be listed as a “variation” of the original product. A great example is a garlic press that can come in different colors, or styles, or materials. They are all garlic presses, but have varying qualities that make them slightly different. When you have variations in a product you can list those variations on one product listing But even in that situation, it’s possible to list those products individually in their own listings. What are the benefits of each approach? Scott’s got the answer for you on this episode.

A listener has a few negative reviews about his products. What should he do?

No matter how good the quality of your products are, you’re eventually going to run into a situation where someone leaves a negative review. Maybe something broke during shipping, or there was a cosmetic issue with that individual product that was shipped to the customer. Is there a way that you can deal with negative reviews to mitigate their effect on your sales and brand? On this episode Scott fills you in on what he does when negative reviews come in and how he uses a software solution to make it happen. You can even get a discounted version of the software by using Scott’s affiliate link - available on this episode.

Free Private Label workshop! Do you want in?

If you’d like to know the 5 step process that Scott Voelker uses every time he introduces a new product to the Amazon marketplace, you’ll want to get in on his next free private label workshop. There’s nothing for sale, just a lot of great information to share to help you get your first private label product off the ground. Scott will walk you through those 5 steps and answer your questions live during the workshop, so head to the links on this show notes page and get yourself registered for the next private label workshop!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the episode!
  • [0:54] How you can submit one of your questions.
  • [3:36] QUESTION ONE: When I first start working with a sourcing company, what happens next? How do my UPC codes get on the packaging?
  • [10:21] QUESTION TWO: I’m trying to understand the pros and cons of using variations VS using individual listings for each.
  • [17:03] QUESTION THREE: How do you deal with negative product reviews?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS202.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

One of the most frustrating issues sellers run into on the Amazon platform is when they get some success under their belts with a great product and then wake up one morning to find that someone has hijacked the Amazon listing where they sold their product. It’s a black hat way that people without morals try to take over your listing with an inferior product while claiming that they are selling the identical product. It hurts your sales and could ruin your entire brand if you don’t safeguard your products. On this episode Jon Haver shares what’s happened to his listings and how he went about securing his products so that others cannot hijack a listing effectively.

It’s important to do what you can to avoid Amazon listing hijackers in the first place

There are steps you can take to remove a hijacker from your product listing on Amazon once they’ve begun tampering with your brand. But there are steps that can be taken to prevent it from happening in the first place. On this episode Jon Haver tells the story of how his products were hijacked and what he’s discovered about the things you can do to keep them from having a desire to target your product as a hijacking prospect. Be sure you listen to this episode where Scott asks Jon all the details.

The role Amazon’s Brand Registry plays in preventing product hijackers.

If you’ve not registered your private label products with Amazon’s Brand Registry you need to do it today. It’s one of the ways that Amazon has created for you to give yourself some security when it comes to the ownership of your brand. You do some specific things to prove to Amazon that your products are indeed your very own branded products and Amazon places you in its database as the “owner” of that product. This helps with the eventuality of hijackers trying to take over your episode so that you can maintain control of your brand, product, and sales. Discover the steps to protecting your listing with Brand Registry on this episode.

A security system for your Amazon product listings.

If you lived in a high crime area in your city you would likely have a home security system installed to monitor your home. A security system doesn’t keep criminals from breaking into your home, but it gives you a warning immediately when it happens and might even notify the police. Jon Haver has developed a “security system” of sorts for Amazon listings to give you notification when a potential hijacker has jumped on your product listing. This enables you to take immediate action to protect your listing and your product brand. Find out how you can use Jon’s service to protect your product listings.

Would you like a discount on your own “watch dog” for your private label listing?

One of the most important things you need to do when a hijacker begins tampering with your product listing is to take action immediately. But you can’t do that if you don’t know that a hijacker has begun making changes on your product listing. What can you do to find out sooner? You can get your very own watchdog that will “bark” to let you know that a potential hijacker is on your site. Jon Haver has created a great software solution to enable you to take immediate action when a hijacker shows up and he’s giving a special discount to everyone in the TAS community. Find out how to get your discount on his Listing Eagle service, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode about hijacking!
  • [3:52] The previous episode with Jon Haver and how he’s come to address hijackers.
  • [5:55] How Jon came to the point of selling his Amazon business.
  • [9:00] Scott’s experience with hijackers.
  • [9:31] How can you prevent hijackers in the first place.
  • [10:50] How Amazon’s Brand Registry helps prevent hijacking.
  • [12:55] What is needed on a website to help with the Brand Registry process.
  • [14:03] The first steps when your listing gets hijacked.
  • [20:25] Why you might want to lower your price to fight off a hijacker.
  • [23:04] Scott’s quick summary of how to attack hijackers quickly.
  • [25:25] How Jon has created a software solution to help with hijackings.
  • [30:39] A special offer for TAS listeners.
  • [35:13] Peace of mind for your brand and product listings.
  • [37:36] Is there still a great opportunity on Amazon? Jon’s take on the question.
  • [40:37] Scott’s summary of the issue.

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

www.ListingEagle.com/TAS - (affiliate link) get your discount on Jon’s notification service.

Direct download: TAS201.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

This episode of the podcast ispretty special because it’s only been a bit longer than a year thatScott has been publishing the show and he’s already reached 200episodes - and for this episode he wanted to do something special.That’s why he’s doing something a bit different - a solo show -that covers the information he spoke at the Rocky MountainResellers conference in Denver, Colorado at the end of April, 2016.It’s a motivational, inspirational, get started talk that will giveyou practical ways to get started making money online.

You’ve got to be clear on why you want to build abusiness.

Everybody has dreams of doingsomething of their own, making a product, running a shop of somekind, making a business work on their own. But very few of them whoget started actually keep going long term. Why is that? Becausethey don’t have a strong enough sense of WHY they are doing whatthey are doing. It has to be about more than the money, more thanthe success, more than the creative outlet it might be. You’ve gotto have a “why” that will motivate you to keep going when you hitobstacles and difficulties. On this episode Scott goes deep intothe issue of “why” and gives you practical ways to develop your own“why” that will fuel you long term.

A key element in your success is keeping short termgoals in mind.

When Scott was a young man heworked with his father in his construction business. He did well,worked hard, and loved the work, but he knew in a short amount oftime that he didn’t want to do that kind of work long term. That’swhen Scott and his wife started figuring out how much cash it wouldtake for him to step out of that role in his father’s company andwork full time in his own business. That’s an example of a shortterm goal that gives you something to aim at and move toward. Youneed to know where you’re going if you are going to getthere.

You don’t need to have everything figured out - justenough to get you started.

Many people never start abusiness because they think they have to have all the detailsfigured out before they can get started. The problem is that theynever will get everything figured out because life and businessdon’t work that way. On this episode of the podcast Scott is goingto walk you through how to figure out the basics of how to simplyget started and then pivot and make adjustments as you are going.It’s the best way to build a business because it takes advantage ofmomentum and enables you to learn in the crucible of actually doingit. You’re going to learn a lot from Scott’s experience andinsights on this episode, so be sure you listen.

There’s lots of power in focusing on the stage you’reat instead of moving ahead.

Nobody can deny that there arethousands of things to learn as you build a business of your own.It’s true. But you don’t have to learn all of them at once. That’sthe beauty of the things Scott has to share on this episode. Scotttalks about real life examples of how he’s learned only the thingshe’s needed for the project he’s working on at the time. Thatenables you to specialize in what’s most important at the momentand to make adjustments to your learning and processes as you go.You’re able to keep moving without getting sidetracked and make themost of the time you’re dedicating to the business. On this episodeScott shares his insights about how anyone can get started on theirown business dream.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZINGSELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to thepodcast!
  • [0:41] Scott’s ideas for episode 200 and how hegot to this episode.
  • [4:10] The presentation Scott gave for hisspeech at the Rocky Mountain Retailers conference.
  • [5:29] Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Everyonehas!
  • [6:15] How to simplify the process and takeaction.
  • [7:17] Why we get excited and then stop and howyou can be different.
  • [8:20] Pick a platform and start.
  • [9:32] Why do you want to start a business?Your “why” will keep you going.
  • [25:10] Figure out the exact a month of moneyyou need each month to go full time.
  • [28:39] Outline your perfect day(realistically).
  • [30:08] Create a plan and timeline to achieveyour goals.
  • [30:42] Get started and pivot as you hitobstacles.
  • [31:00] Surround yourself with likemindedpeople who can support you.
  • [33:20] Remove the excuses.
  • [36:00] Put your superpower to work foryou.
  • [37:40] An exercise of how this couldwork.
  • [43:00] Setting your commitment level andestablishing some tangible goals.
  • [47:20] The power of learning concepts as youneed them.
  • [52:10] Learn and grow every day (by consumingand by doing).
  • [53:13] Advice Scott has learned from people headmires.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS200.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

You’ve found the show notes pagefor this episode of “Ask Scott” - the place where you can ask your own real-life private label questions and receiveanswers. But there’s more benefit than just asking your questions -you get to hear the answers Scott Voelker gives to other people’squestions. It’s like learning from the problems and mistakes othersare making so that you don’t have to experience them yourself. Somake sure you take the time to listen to this episode to get aneducation from the experience of thousands of Amazon sellers, inone episode.

How can I add my product to different subcategoriesinside the Amazon interface.

When you set up your productlisting on Amazon you’ll be able to choose the individualcategories that you feel best represent the niche your product isin. However, you won’t always be able to select all of thesubcategories that you see when searching for items on Amazon.Where can you find those mysterious subcategories and how do youget your products listed there? On this episode of The AmazingSeller Scott is going to walk you through the steps he’s taken overthe years to get his products into subcategories, and so farthey’ve worked every time.

I’m getting overwhelmed by the Alibaba listings. Isthere a way to filter the results?

When you are doing productresearch for private label products to sell on Amazon there are alot of options. One of the common sources of good products isAlibaba. But when you search for something on Alibaba you’ll oftensee the same company multiple times in the listings. It’s enough tomake your head spin! How can you narrow the search results to get asimpler view of the product offerings that are available? On thisepisode Scott gives some tips about how to do product research inthe simplest ways so that you can avoid overwhelm.

I’ve never done Amazon FBA but want to get started. Atwhat point should I invest in software?

There are lots of software toolsout there to help with almost every aspect of running a privatelabel sales business on Amazon. For somebody starting out it couldseem like the costs of subscribing to all of the tools will mountup pretty quickly. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scottwalks a newbie through the steps he would personally take if hewere starting all over, and he includes his opinions about ahandful of software tools and tells when he’d look into purchasingthem for us in his business. If you’re new to the private labelgame you’ll get a lot out of this answer.

 

Amazon private label sales is not the only viableonline business.

 

As you listen to the AmazingSeller you naturally are going to get lots of tips and tricks forapproaching the private label sales world. But Scott takes a fewmoments near the end of this episode to point out that much of whathe talks about are simple business principles that apply across theboard in any online business enterprise. If you want to start yourown online business but don’t want to be limited to private labelsales on Amazon, you might want to hear what Scott’s got to sayabout how to transfer many of the concepts he teaches into yourother online businesses.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZINGSELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to thepodcast!
  • [0:45] How to get your questionsanswered.
  • [1:10] How to get Scott’s free private labelcourse.
  • [2:55] QUESTION ONE: How can I addsubcategories to my product listing?
  • [10:55] QUESTION TWO: Is there any way tofilter by company in Alibaba?
  • [15:28] QUESTION THREE: Should a person useAmisuite as a person who hasn’t begun?
  • [24:15] Using what you learn as an Amazonseller to build any kind of business online.

RESOURCES SHARED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS199.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

 

This one is no joke. Scott was able to get money from Amazon that was rightfully his, without selling a product. It has to do with product refunds and damaged products that Amazon has processed in the past, and he owes it all to Jacob, today’s guest. The cool thing about it is that today Jacob is going to give you the step by step process for getting the money that is due to your seller account and he’s going to show you how you can use his automated service to get those refunds credited to your account without you having to lift a finger. It sounds too good to be true but it’s not. You can find out the details on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Stumbling across a cash cow in his Amazon seller account.

Jacob sort of accidentally came across a situation in his refund reports that tipped him off to the fact that Amazon was holding some money that was due him in a suspension account. It was money that came as a result of customer refunds that were reconciled but Amazon had never given back to him. All it took was a simple inquiry to  Amazon’s seller support and Jacob was able to recover that money on the spot. The more he dug into his reports, the more money he discovered that Amazon had not credited to him properly. On this episode Jacob will show you how he discovered his “cash cow” and how you can use the same tactics to get money that is rightfully yours.

Have you checked out your Amazon Seller Refund Report?

Inside your seller account you can run all kinds of reports that show you the status of your sales, damaged products, refunds, and other variables that have to do with your products on Amazon. One of those is the “refund report.” It has to do with refunds that have been issued to your customers and the credits and debits to your account that correspond to those refunds. It may sound odd, but quite often you are credited money through the refund process and Amazon lists that money on your refund reports. By comparing that number with actual money you’ve been credited, you can find money that Amazon owes you but you’ve never received. Check out this episode to find out how you can get that money back immediately.

Inventory damage is another area where you might be owed some money by Amazon.

With any massive warehouse operation like Amazon you are going to eventually have some of your products damaged during handling. It’s part of how the business works. Amazon is usually very good about noting damage and giving you credit for it so that you don’t lose money because of their mistakes. But you don’t always actually receive that money, even though Amazon has noted the damage. On this episode Scott’s guest is going to show you how to investigate damaged products to discover if you’re owed money from Amazon. You’ll want to listen so you can get the cash you’re owed.

A software product that retrieves the cash from your Amazon Seller account automatically.

As Jacob’s Amazon business became larger and his sales grew, he was having more and more situations where his refunds from Amazon were not being processed in a way that credited his account. The time it was taking to stay on top of those important issues was mounting - so he decided to work out an automated system to search his refunds for him. Now he’s taken that system into a commercial software application that you can use to get back your own refunds from Amazon - and it will only cost you pennies on the dollar. Listen to Scott’s chat with Jacob today to find out how you can use this great software to get your cash from Amazon, and be sure to use the special TAS coupon code to get your discount.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this podcast episode!
  • [2:13] How Jacob and Scott got connected and what Jacob has discovered.
  • [3:20] How is it that Amazon keeps some of your money without you knowing it.
  • [4:34] The average scenario where Amazon may have some of your money.
  • [5:54] The first step to getting your money back - the refund report.
  • [7:53] How to find the reports you need in order to check for money due you.
  • [9:33] Issues regarding inventory damage.
  • [12:48] How Jacob came up with a software solution to researching these issues.
  • [15:31] The slow and steady process of recovering money you are due.
  • [17:32] Some of the features of the software that Scott appreciates.
  • [18:55] How Jacob’s tool literally costs you nothing.
  • [20:54] What is the feedback sentry and how does it work?
  • [23:29] How you can get Jacob’s software product.
  • [25:51] Scott’s summary of the episode and how it’s worked for him to date.

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/recover (affiliate link) - use code “TAS” for 10% off.

Direct download: TAS198.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Todays’ episode of The Amazing Seller is one of the “Hot Seat” editions where Scott joins forces with his friend Chris Schaeffer to analyze a product that has been submitted for appraisal in hopes that Scott and Chris can give some advice to increase sales and success. Today’s product is one that is in a very competitive space and the seller is curious if he’s reached his limit and should simply give up on the product and move on. Chris and Scott both say, “No way” and give plenty of tips as to how this seller can crank up his sales once again. You’ll learn tons from this episode so make sure you listen.

 

When you choose a private label product make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.

 

Lots of people see a niche of products that have tons of great sales numbers but don’t know how to analyze those numbers and products to make sure they are comparing the exact same type of product to what they have in mind, or that the great numbers they are seeing are “real” numbers. Making that mistake can make the road to sales success very difficult. On this episode Scott and Chris address how to go about the right kind of product research before you jump into a promising market. You won’t want to miss this one, especially if you’re going to be choosing a new product soon.

 

Get your product on page 1 using Pay Per Click.

 

If your product is languishing on a page way back in the search results there’s a lot you can do to get more exposure for your items so that people see them, buy them, and organically push your product higher in the rankings. The main way to do it is by using Amazon PPC to ensure that your product is being shown when your buyer’s keywords are being searched. On this episode Scott and Chris chat about how to use PPC to make that happen and how it can fuel a surge in  your product’s sales and popularity.

 

Are you doing good follow up with your prior customers?

 

It’s true that Amazon will not give you the contact information of people who purchase your private label products. But that doesn’t mean you can’t follow up with them. Amazon will allow you to contact them through the Amazon system to offer product support, ask for reviews, troubleshoot product issues, and much more. On this episode of The Amazing Seller Scott and Chris give some options about how to follow up effectively so that you can increase reviews, seller ratings, and increase repeat sales of your private label products and related products.

 

Did you get in on Scott and Chris’ live event?

 

There were only 30 spots for the live event in Denver on May 1st. Were you able to get involved? If not, don’t worry. Scott and Chris plan to do some more live events in different parts of the country in the future. If you want to have the opportunity to attend and take part in a live hot seat event, you can get your name on the notification list at www.TheAmazingSeller.com/live. Be sure you do, maybe you could even be one of the people who are on the hot seat and get some first hand advice on your product or brand!

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:14] Hot seat session begins right here!
  • [4:41] The numbers on the product Scott and Chris are examining.
  • [6:06] Comparing apples to apples when it comes to product comparisons.
  • [8:05] Considering promotions when comparing your possible product to existing products.
  • [11:09] The benefits of variation listings VS separate listings.
  • [13:05] The need for a possible relaunch for this product (or possibly yours).
  • [20:29] Using Pay per Click to get your product to page 1.
  • [22:09] How to take advantage of the expanded keywords section in Amazon’s backend.
  • [24:54] The strategy Chris is using to fill out his expanded keywords.
  • [28:30] Why Scott would not abandon this product.
  • [32:09] Using promos with bloggers in your niche to drive traffic and build a mailing list.
  • [34:49] Making the most of follow up on customers.
  • [35:10] The key to making it happen is often time.
  • [38:00] The upcoming live events - get on the notification list.

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 




Direct download: TAS197.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s time once again for the Friday edition of the Amazing Seller podcast. Why is that special? Because these Friday editions are the “Ask Scott” version of the show where Scott Voelker answers your questions questions from real life Amazon sellers who have run into a snag, hurdle, or issue of confusion in their Amazon Private Label business. Scott’s got over a year of experience doing his own private label business and has also had the opportunity to learn from numbers of experienced guests as he’s interviewed them on his podcast. You’ll find Scott’s answers revealing, helpful, and timely, so be sure you take the time to listen.

 

Is there a way to dominate ALL the PPC ad spots for a product?

 

A listener to the podcast wants to know if there is a way he can structure his PPC campaigns so that his ads show up in all of the ad boxes available for his product keywords. Why would he want to do that?  If he could do so, he would have his product shown on the page more than any other products. That translates into a higher percentage chance that he will get the purchase rather than some of his competition. Although Scott is not entirely sure if this can be done, he does give some good advice on how to go about trying on this episode of the podcast.

 

How should I go about determining the colors for my product?

 

When you sell a product that can come in a variety of colors, how should you go  about determining which colors are the best ones to offer? Today a listener asked that very question and Scott has some very practical advice on how to go about choosing the colors that you were going to sell. You shouldn't guess, and you shouldn't do what feels right to you. You should do what the facts tell you. On this episode Scott is going to tell you how to find out the facts and how to apply them to your own color choices when it comes to variations on your products.

 

I have closely related products. Should I create variations or individual listings for them?

 

It's a great idea to have products on the Amazon selling platform that are closely related to each other. This enables you to get cross sales from one product to another, which increases your profitability. But at some point you're going to need to decide if those products are so closely related that they are actually variations of each other, or if each one is unique enough that it deserves and should have its own listing. On this episode of the podcast Scott answers a question about that issue and gives some very practical advice.

 

You can get a free private label course in your inbox for the next 10 days.

 

If you are new to the world of private label sales on Amazon you can get a free 10-day course from Scott that walks you through all the steps you need to take to find your product, research whether it is worth investing in, get it established on the Amazon platform, start to drive sales through promotions, and follow up with your customers, as well as much, much more. You can get that free 10 day course about private label sales by listening to this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this Ask Scott episode of the podcast!
  • [0:55] How you can ask your own questions.
  • [1:15] Scott’s daughter is now engaged!
  • [3:40] 2 victories posted inside the TAS community on Facebook.
  • [5:30] QUESTION ONE: All of my products are closely related, how can I use PPC effectively to dominate ALL of the advertising squares available?
  • [14:10] QUESTION TWO: My product can be in a variety of colors… how should I go about deciding on what colors to offer?
  • [19:15] QUESTION THREE: Should I create listings as variations or as individual products?
  • [28:10] Want to get a free Private Label Course in your email for the next 10 days?

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

 

 

Direct download: TAS196.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Many people get hung up, never giving an online business or private label sales a go simply because they think they don’t have enough money. Today’s story should dispel all the myths floating around that say that you have to have a lot of cash to get started online. Ken is a regular guy who found a way to leverage $65 into $1,100 in profit in just 90 days and now has begun his own private label business that is doing very well. Even more incredible is a new service he’s begun to help Amazon sellers get their products handled for them. It’s an amazing story of ingenuity and drive that anyone can do, and you’re going to hear all the details on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Retail arbitrage as a foot in the door.

 

Ken is a normal guy just like many of the TAS listeners. He spent a good deal of time listening to podcasts (including this one), learning about online business opportunities, and deciding to start generating a little bit of income by selling books through retail arbitrage on Amazon. Those steps enabled him to get some cash coming in to begin looking toward his own private label products. What happened for Ken can happen for anyone who is willing to do the work to make it happen. It’s a great example of hard work and action taking, so be sure you listen to Ken’s exciting story.

 

He found an amazing opportunity on Craigslist.

 

Ken was scrolling through the online classified site Craigslist one day and found a lot of discontinued or closeout stickers that he thought sounded interesting. He took a chance and bought all 1000 sticker packets for $65. It was that $65 investment that he was able to sell on Amazon for a profit of $1,100. It’s an example of how there are opportunities everywhere, you just have to know how to look for them and take advantage of them. It happens by taking action. Ken tells his story and gives some excellent tips on this episode.

 

Have you heard of Ken’s new venture - www.MyFBAPartner.com ?

 

As Ken has built his Amazon private label business he’s seen requests for good shippers, agents, repackaging services, and much more repeatedly in the private label communities he frequents. And having never seen good answers to some of those questions he decided to create his own company to meet those needs. It’s a company that provides receipt and shipping inspection, inventory and measurements, quality inspection, FBA preparation, Vendor materials, repackaging and shipment services, and a whole lot more. Ken’s offering a special discount to TAS listeners so be sure you pay attention to the end of the show to hear how you can get some free services from his company.

 

Is all this exciting talk about Amazon private label sales got you eager to give it a try?

 

Scott’s got an amazing live workshop that he does where he walks you through the 5 main steps to getting your own business and product up and running so that you can start making sales on Amazon. It’s incredible and absolutely free to you. You can find out more about that free workshop by listening to this episode so be sure you take action today. Your future and your business can be a reality, but it takes more than dreaming, it takes getting started. You can do it, What are you waiting for?



OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [2:03] Your invitation to Scott’s free, live workshop.
  • [3:30] Who Ken is and how he got into selling on Amazon.
  • [11:07] How Ken went about verifying that books were good to sell on retail arbitrage.
  • [14:39] Stepping out of retail arbitrage and into private label sales on Amazon.
  • [20:17] How Ken started his Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns.
  • [22:16] Bundling costs and options and how his profits worked out.
  • [27:37] Choosing his first private label product: how he researched and differentiated.
  • [31:23] The transition from air shipping to sea shipping.
  • [32:56] Launching, numbers, price point, giveaways and first reviews.
  • [39:00] Suppliers, building relationships, multiple products, increasing pricing.
  • [44:20] What is www.MyFBAPartner.com ?
  • [53:40] Ken’s giveaway for the TAS community.
  • [57:38] Ken’s last piece of advice to FBA sellers.

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

 



Direct download: TAS195.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It is so easy to hear all the stories about business online and success that others are having and to think that the journey toward that success is easy. But that is the furthest thing from the truth. On this episode Scott he's going to give you an inside look into his income figures for the first quarter of 2016. He's doing this to show you that even those who seem to be successful have their down turns in both profit and success. He wants you to go into your private label business with your eyes wide open so that you can prepare yourself for the obstacles you will inevitably face. So grab a drink and sit back and listen to this great episode where Scott bares all.

Business profits on my private label business are down.

The personal revenue Scott is receiving from his private label sales are down from what he desires and expected. But it's not something he’s letting himself get down about. Instead, he’s taking it as an opportunity to up his game. What happened is pretty simple. When he started this podcast a little over a year ago he began to focus on many things besides his private label business. His time was divided and he began to coast when it came to paying attention to the business. This downturn is showing him that he needs to pay more attention and that he has to be more diligent. On this episode Scott is going to share his plans with you about how he is going to turn around his profit figures.

Differentiating your products is key.

When Scott first started selling as a private label seller on Amazon he chose a product and got it on to the Amazon platform quickly. As he went along he discovered that products are more successful when they are differentiated within the niche. His first product wasn't standing out enough and consequently his profit figures have begun to drop. On this episode you will hear the steps Scott is going to take to address that issue and make his product a one-of-a-kind item within his niche. It's a lesson all of us learn sooner or later and you can walk right along with Scott as he makes improvements.

Building a brand means more than one product.

In the big picture the health of the business is more important than the health of one particular product. That doesn't mean you want your product sales to get any of your individual items, but when one does dip it isn't the end of the world if you have other products to back it up and pick up the loss. On this episode Scott emphasizes the importance of building a brand that includes multiple SKUs within your product line. You're going to learn a great deal by listening to the hard lessons Scott has endured over the past quarter.

Pretend you’re in danger of going out of business every day.

One of the pieces of advice that Scott has received from Gary V. is to pretend that your business is in danger of going under every single day. That mindset will force you to up your game, increase your effort, and be smarter about the way you run your business overall. You can learn a lot from Scott's example and the illustrations he gives of how he is going to implement that advice if you listen to this episode. So take the time, set aside the time, make the time, and listen to this episode of the Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to this episode!
  • [0:30] How you can learn from today’s personal story from Scott.
  • [1:22] A shout out to Scott’s Periscope followers!
  • [2:32] You can get transcripts of every episode!
  • [3:07] Why Scott’s Amazon business has slipped a bit in the past year.
  • [7:52] Scott’s latest numbers - for the first part of 2016.
  • [11:40] Lessons learned and what Scott is going to do about his slipping numbers.
  • [12:01] The importance of differentiating a product line.
  • [13:07] Adding more SKUs can help to build your brand.
  • [16:31] Steps Scott is taking to build an outside sales funnel.
  • [18:46] Scott’s summary of the ups and downs of running a private label business.
  • [20:26] A tip from Gary V. - pretend you are going out of business every single day.
  • [24:55] How this downturn is forcing Scott to up his game.

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS194.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

You have just landed on another episode of The Amazing seller where Scott is answering your questions about private label sales on Amazon. You can get your questions asked and answered on this special Friday episodes. Today's episode features 3 questions, one about product quality issues, another about a first product that is barely breaking even, and the final question about keeping procedures for Amazon private label sales. There's a ton to learn and lots of fun ahead so be sure you listen to this episode.

My first product is not the greatest quality. What should I do to address that?

A listener to the podcast called in with a question about product quality. He is making about 20 sales a day, which is great, but is getting a decent amount of product returns due to a quality issue. He wants to know if he should abandon the product all together, make some modifications, or something else. Scott's main concerns center around the returns and his advice aims toward improving the product to get past the return issues. You can hear how Scott advises going about it on this episode.

What should you do when your private label product barely breaks even?

Many first time private label sellers don't calculate in the various costs associated with selling their product on Amazon. Today's episode features a question by a listener about a product they are currently selling on Amazon but it is barely breaking even. Their questions centers around what they can do to increase their profit margin and salvage this product since it is making around 10 sales per day. What would you do? On this episode you get to hear the various areas that Scott what address if this were his product, so be sure to listen.

Keeping good financial records is a must. How is the best way to do it?

One of the biggest headaches for most private label sellers is the issue of keeping accurate records. Finances are important, including taxes and various fees and costs associated with running a successful business. On this episode a listener ask Scott for his advice about the various software packages that are available to help private label sellers keep track of their financial obligations. Scott recommends one that he uses regularly and mentions many others that he has heard good reports about. You can get all the information on this episode.

Would you like to have your private label questions answered?

These Friday sessions where Scott answers the questions of real life Amazon sellers are some ofe his favorites. If you have a question or an obstacle in your private label business that you seem unable to get past, why not ask Scott to help you think through the issue? You can get your questions answered by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask and leaving a voicemail with your question. Be sure to include your name so Scott can recognize you on the show!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to this Ask Scott episode.
  • [1:05] How you can get in on some of Scott’s live events.
  • [2:40] How to ask your own questions.
  • [2:55] How to connect with Scott on Periscope.
  • [5:15] QUESTION ONE: How can I best address product quality problems?
  • [11:16] QUESTION TWO: Our first product is barely breaking even. How should we view that in terms of moving forward?
  • [22:39] QUESTION THREE: What bookkeeping apps are there that  integrate with Amazon?

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS193.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

If you have been on the internet for any length of time you already know that the social media room can be one of the most overwhelming but effective ways of getting your content and products out there for people to see. On this episode of the podcast Scott is talking with an expert at social media about how to use it effectively to increase traffic to your website and product listings. Laura Roeder joins us today to share about her experience with social media and to give some great tips on how to advance your business using her tool for social media management.

The importance of having content to share.

Many people try to use social media as a bullhorn to blast out promotions and offers about their products. Well that can work to a small degree it is not the way social media actually works when done right. Social media is meant to be social, that means people building relationships with people. In order to do that in a way that is adding value to those natural conversations you need to have content to share that is both promotional and helpful at the same time. On this episode Scott's guest shares some great tips about how to create that topic surrounding a product or niche that you want to promote.

How to promote physical products on social media.

Every Amazon Seller wants to get their product in front of people who love that type of product or niche. But doing so is the tricky part. You don't want to blast your product in front of people repeatedly, they will turn you off if you do. But you also don't want to be shy about telling people about your great product when the timing is right. That balance can be very difficult to attain.  Scott decided to go out and find a social media expert who could help clear the air on this important subject and help you develop a game plan to promote your product the right way on social media. That's what this episode of the show is all about.

Build relationships with thought leaders in your niche if you want to gain traction.

By taking the social aspect of social media seriously, you can do a lot to promote and build your brand over time. And notice, it does take time. That's because relationships that are valuable and trusted take time to build, you can't just share your product with an influencer in your niche and expect them to share it right away. There needs to be a relationship that is foundational to that conversation. On this episode of the podcast Laura Roeder shares her insights into building those kinds of relationships with key people in your product in it so that you can build your business on the backs of those important personalities, and do it the right way.

A warning to those new to the private label arena.

If you are just getting started with private label sales on Amazon Scott has a very wise caution for you. The contents of this episode are likely not something you need to focus on right now. Your first step is to get a product onto the Amazon platform and use the tools that Amazon provides to get your sales going. That is the best way to verify whether the product you're selling is a good choice, and to start your business rolling in the right direction. Once you've done all of that, the social media tips on this episode may be relevant to what you are doing. So don't get overwhelmed thinking that you need to do everything on this episode. At this point, it may not apply to you at all.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:50] Introduction of today’s topic and today’s guest: Laura Roeder.
  • [2:44] iTunes reviews and love to share. How you can leave your review.
  • [4:54] Laura’s background in social media and online business.
  • [8:19] Overcoming the challenges of connecting with Amazon customers via social media.
  • [10:34] How should a seller go about building content around their products/niche?
  • [13:18] Why Pinterest is a great channel to use for physical product promotion.
  • [14:04] Instagram use for promoting physical products.
  • [16:41] How images impact Facebook and Twitter.
  • [17:06] Facebook fan pages: are they a good idea?
  • [20:27] Facebook videos and live feeds… how to use them.
  • [22:43] What should a brand new ecommerce seller on Amazon do regarding social media?
  • [26:31] How to find thought leaders in your niche on Twitter?
  • [28:21] How to manage your content and Laura’s software platform: Edgar.
  • [31:25] How the categories in Edgar work.
  • [33:40] How often should people be posting on social media?
  • [36:10] Tips about using the various social media platforms.
  • [38:07] How social media can be used to build an email list.
  • [40:10] Laura’s advice about getting started: just dive in.
  • [41:10] How to connect with Laura.
  • [42:16] Scott’s summary of the conversation.
  • [42:55] Scott’s warning to those just starting out on Amazon.
  • [44:20] Choosing social platforms where your customers hang out.
  • [45:30] How to get your free 10 day private label course.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS192.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

If you’re entirely new to the idea of private label sales, this is the perfect episode for you to hear. Today’s guest is a regular guy from Australia who began his private label journey from square one. David had no prior business experience, no understanding of how private label sales on Amazon work, and very little in terms of resources. When he found this podcast he was turned on to the idea right away and began making plans. In this conversation you were going to hear that David took it from square one all the way to 6 figures per month in less than a year. It's a testimony of how doable this business model is and how realistically a person with zero experience can create a very good living for themselves.

Can you do private label sales if you have no online business experience?

This episode answers the question with a resounding, “YES!” David story is one inexperienced moving toward experience through the process of learning. David read and listen to everything he could about private label sales on Amazon and started taking action. It was those actions that brought clarity and understanding which is now translated into a very healthy monthly income. Take the time to listen to this episode, you will discover so many nuggets of gold for your private label business, whether you are a newbie or have been doing Amazon private label sales for a very long time.

Keyword research tips you may never have considered.

As today's guests began his own journey into Amazon private label sales he began to learn a lot on his own about keyword research. Yes, he had read and listen to many tutorials and instructionals on the subject but I learned a lot simply by doing. On this episode David shares some of the insights and tips he has learned about doing effective keyword research and not all of them are things you commonly here. You'll get a lot of value from this episode so be sure you take the time to listen.

Do you know the “cash in/ cash out” equation?

If you're considering private label sales on the Amazon platform you need to be aware of the many things that will bite into your profit margin over time. David learn the hard way that there is much more that comes out of the gross income figures than he expected. Now he operates according to what he calls the “cash in / cash out” equation. it is a simple way that he calculates the amount of profit he is going to receive from any potential product as he sells it on Amazon. Sticking to the results of the equation helps David to stay in a place of maximum profit while avoiding the pitfall of overestimating his success. If that sounds a bit confusing, it won't have to listen to this episode so be sure you take the time.

Everyone wants to take the easy road, but it seldom leads to success.

You don't have to spend much time online in the various business communities before you realize there are many, many people who are trying to take the easy way to significant income.  today's guest, David, has made the observation that the easy road may look best at first, but it seldom leads to genuine success. Hard work is involved, even in private label sales on Amazon. David's philosophy is that if you can be the expert, you should be. Yes, it takes a lot of time and hard work, but it is entirely worth it. Find out how David has a apply this attitude to his own private label business on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:02] Scott’s introduction to the episode!
  • [1:20] An email from a TAS listener - 0 to $100K in less than a year.
  • [2:21] Could you share the podcast with someone?
  • [4:27] The interview with David begins.
  • [6:08] David had ZERO business or ecommerce experience prior to FBA.
  • [7:10] Why David became interested in Amazon private label sales.
  • [11:44] David’s path to multiple products.
  • [12:20] The addicting nature of doing well on Amazon.
  • [13:30] How David did his product research (Jungle Scout).
  • [15:12] The changes David made to his product to differentiate.
  • [16:15] Using the reviews of his competition to create the idea product.
  • [17:10] David’s initial sales goals and how he surpassed them.
  • [20:51] How David sources his products on Alibaba.
  • [21:49] Did David’s second product help the sales of the first product?
  • [23:00] David’s launch process: pricing, reviews, keywords, etc.
  • [27:03] How many units David gave away initially.
  • [28:33] David’s process for using Keyword Inspector to choose keywords.
  • [33:48] The “cash in / cash out” equation: what kind of margin do you need?
  • [38:15] Exploring opportunities as they present themselves.
  • [38:39] David’s crazy income goal for the future.
  • [39:51] The one piece of advice David gives to new sellers.
  • [46:14] Scott’s summary of the conversation.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS191.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

What are your current struggles in building your Amazon private label business? Do you have the resources you need in order to deal with those hurdles effectively? If you don’t, this is the episode for you. This is a Friday edition of the Amazing Seller, which means that it’s an “Ask Scott” episode. These are episodes where Scott fields question from Amazon sellers about the confusion and issues they are dealing with in their own Amazon business. This is a ‘real life’ episode where you will receive clear, thoughtful, powerful answers to help you with your Amazon business.

Amazon allows me to create “money off” offers on my products. Can I mention those in my product listing?

The Amazon promotions platform allows you to create all kinds of promotional offers on your private label products to motivate and drive sales. A listener today asks if there are any rules in the Amazon terms of service that say you cannot mention or point to those discount offers in within your product listing itself. Scott’s as honest as he can be in response to this question and gives his own guidelines in light of the fact that Amazon’s TOS are not all that clear on this issue. You can hear the voice of experience about this important issue on this episode.

When should I form a LLC for my business?

Amazon sellers need to learn to think of their activity on Amazon AS a business, not a hobby. Part of that means organizing yourself as a business entity. A listener today asks Scott how he can know when he’s reached the point to organize his company as a LLC. Do you know when is the right time? Today Scott is going to answer the question with a lot of options and a ton of resources that can help you make the best decision for your situation. Hear it all on this episode.

When my competition is all sourcing from the same China supplier. Should I differentiate my product or just use the same one?

Almost anyone can determine a profitable niche for their first private label product and get the product from a China supplier. In fact, that’s how most sellers on Amazon get their start. But what should you consider if all of the competition in a niche you’re considering are all doing that and obviously have the very same product from the same Chinese supplier? Scott’s got concerns about jumping into the fray with little to differentiate your product from the competition and he shares those concerns on this episode. If you’re considering a new product launch on Amazon, this response could save you lots of headaches in the future.

Would you like your own, 10-day private label action course for free?

If you would like to learn how to find a profitable private label products, research it for sales potential, find  a supplier for it, get your first order made, and get those products onto the Amazon sales platform, you’re in the right place. Scott’s got a free private label course that you can walk through at your own pace. For 10 days he’ll send you an email, each one containing a different step in the private label track to success. Listen to this episode of the podcast to find out how you can get your own free private label course, sent directly to your inbox.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:00] How you can connect with Scott on Periscope and Snapchat
  • [2:20] QUESTION ONE: I just set a “money off” offer - how much can I promote that within my listing?
  • [10:57] QUESTION TWO: When should I think about forming an LLC?
  • [15:39] QUESTION THREE: Most of my competition gets the product from the same supplier on Alibaba. Should I differentiate?
  • [26:03] How you can get your own free private label course.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Direct download: TAS190.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

How helpful would it be to you if you were able to have a step-by-step instructional walkthrough of the best way to research and validate potential products for Amazon private label business? Would that be something you'll be able to use? In today's episode Scott is doing exactly that. He takes you through every tiny step he goes through to research a potential product and ensure that it is the best chance he has of launching a great, profitable product. There are no guarantees, but this is the best way Scott has found to make sure he's not stepping into a difficult niche or product align. Be sure to listen so you get all the details.

What if the initial numbers look good for a potential private label product?

Imagine that you have found a private label product that is potentially a good seller. It has low reviews and high sales numbers. Is that all that you need to look at? On this episode Scott will tell you why that approach can be deceptive if you don't go a little bit deeper into your product research. He's going to show you what you should do next to ensure that you were looking at numbers that realistically represent the actual sales of that product. That's a step you won't want to miss and one that can make the difference between a failing product and a very successful one.

The pricing history of a potential private label product is important for you to know.

As you investigate the possibility of adding a product to Amazon, you need to understand the pricing history of other products that are similar.  Has the pricing been fairly consistent? Has it increased? Has the price dropped from the time the product was initially introduced to the Amazon platform? All of these questions are ones that need to be answered before you take the leap into sourcing that product for yourself. On this episode Scott is going to explain to you why you need the answers to those questions and how you can get them.

How you can determine the sales trends a specific product has experienced.

Okay, say that you have found a great product, the reviews and sales seem to be legitimate, and you are getting excited about sourcing that product for yourself to get into an Amazon private label business. But there is one more thing you should consider. Have the sales trends of the product demonstrated that it is a niche that is actually growing? Or is it declining? If you don't know the answer to those questions you could be stepping into a market that is not going to be sustainable long-term. On this episode Scott will walk you through how you can discover if a product is one that you can count on looking into the future. That is something you really need to know.

Has your competition gotten organic sales or promotion based sales?

Why is it important for you to know if products that compete with your potential product have gotten their sales through organic search results or through promotions? It's because cells that have been supported solely by promotions are not the kind of sales you want to count on. That would mean that if you enter that niche you would be spending money on promotions consistently rather than building a product base from organic searches. Be sure that you take the time to listen to this episode, Scott is showing you exactly how to determine the reality of the sales you see for the products within the niche you're considering.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:33] How you can get a cheat sheet and see a video walk-through of this episode.
  • [1:44] How to connect with Scott and Snapchat.
  • [3:08] Why just looking at the numbers of low reviews and high sales is deceptive.
  • [6:20] Getting started with the evaluation of a potential product.
  • [10:42] How to verify that the numbers you’re seeing in Jungle Scout are true.
  • [14:00] How to verify a product’s pricing history.
  • [15:50] Using Google Trends to assess the product sales throughout the year.
  • [18:34] Checking out the reviews - are they from review groups?
  • [21:20] Summary and recap of the process.
  • [25:16] A special BONUS tip.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS189.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Being on the “Hot Seat” doesn’t necessarily sound like a pleasant thing. But in this case it could be a powerful helpful place to be. Today's episode of the podcast is a “hot seat” edition where Scott and his friend Chris look over an existing Amazon product listing to supply tweaks and suggestions on how to maximize sales. Today's hot seat participant has a product that has begun to sell much less than it once did and he's curious if he should even put in the effort to maximize its potential, or to just give up and choose different product. Many Amazon sellers ask that same question, so you can learn a lot from this episode.

What if I picked a trendy product?

We've all seen those trendy products that sell like hot cakes for a short time and then fall off the face of the Earth. Selfie sticks are one example that are mentioned in today's episode. What do you do if your product is one of those trendy items that may not be popular a year from now? Are there ways to leverage it differently so that you can continue to get sales? Are there ways to couple it with other things to create bundles? On this episode Scott and Chris are going to deal with those exact issues relating to the product on the hot seat today. Make sure you listen to get some tips about what you can do with your products, where they are trendy or not.

The main image of your product is critically important.

The product listing on today's hot seat edition of the podcast is a great example to teach you the importance of the primary image on your listing. This product is unique in some of its design characteristics, but the main image does not clearly show what it is. When Scott and Chris each went to the product listing page neither of them recognized the product for what it really is. They feel that switching the main image to one that is similar to those of the competitors would be a great step in increase in sales. It's a simple step that could make all the difference. Find out more of the tweaks Scott and Chris suggest on this episode.

Your product category matters - a lot.

When setting up your product listing on Amazon you need to be careful about the category you select for your product to be listed under. Today's hot see participant has chosen a category that is related to the product and both Scott and Chris can see why he chose that category, but most of his competition is in a different category that is more clearly related to the product. They feel that in order to be competitive he should be in the same category as his competition. On this episode will get to hear how they suggest he makes that transition and what effect they think it will have.

PPC is not always the answer.

The listener who is on today's hot seat edition has spent more and more money on pay per click and is seeing very little results. Scott and Chris both feel that part of the reason his pay per click campaigns are not being effective is because his listing is not fully optimized. On this episode Scott & Chris walkthrough the listing and give quite a few tweaks that can be done to maximize effectiveness of the natural key words and images in the listing to make the PPC campaigns as effective as they should be. If you struggled with spending too much on PPC you may find some answers to your problems on this episode.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:18] Who is Chris Schaeffer?
  • [2:50] How you can get involved in future live events.
  • [5:41] The scenario addressed today: Is my product still worth selling?
  • [9:50] Chris’ thoughts about the situation: It’s a trendy product… that’s a problem - AND the price point is very low.
  • [12:39] Scott’s thoughts: Is his niche the right one?
  • [14:13] A tweak to the main image that could make a big difference.
  • [18:00] Clarifying your target market and optimizing your listing and price point.
  • [20:18] Should the seller scrap this product or are there changes he can make?
  • [21:15] The importance of optimizing the listing before doing PPC campaigns.
  • [23:00] What can be done to improve the sales.
  • [23:34] Options for additional and related products.
  • [24:11] The first steps Chris would take to optimize this product.
  • [28:00] One other thing Scott would do - a reverse search on the top 3 competitors.
  • [29:20] The power of using these things as learning experiences.
  • [31:01] The importance of depth of market research and planning.


LINKS MENTIONED

 

Direct download: TAS188.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Wouldn’t it be great to have experienced advice every step of the way as you launch your business? What if that “mentor” was willing to answer your questions every single week to help you on your business journey? That’s exactly what every Friday’s episode of The Amazing Seller is - it’s Scott Voelker’s Q&A with listeners where you get to ask your questions about private label sales and Scott gives his answers.Today’s episode has great questions and Scott’s seasoned answers - and you’re sure to get lots of value from what you hear, so be sure to listen!

Is a $5 profit per unit worth pursuing?

A listener from Australia is just getting into the Amazon Private Label sales world and has been using Jungle Scout (affiliate) to research his first product. He’s found one that meets all of the criteria that Scott typically recommends but isn’t sure if the pricing is viable. Every seller at this point is only selling at $10 which would only allow him $5 profit per unit. He’s curious if that is enough profit and if Scott would take the leap. You might be surprised by Scott’s response on this one, so be sure you listen to get the insights he shares.

Which is more important - seller feedback or product feedback?

A listener asks whether or not he should be asking his customers to leave feedback on his seller account or to leave reviews on his actual products. It can be a confusing thing because you need both in order to convince the Amazon search algorithm that you are both a reputable seller who is selling valuable products. On this episode Scott’s going to answer the question by giving a few different approaches that he’s seen work to garner both seller feedback and product reviews. You’ll get lots of good ideas from Scott’s response to this great question.

I see two types of Pay per Click ads (at the top and at the side). Is there a way for me to choose which I want to use?

 

Amazon has created an ingenious service in their promotional to all. Using pay-per-click you can run ads for your product to place them with in plain sight of people searching for the keywords you were trying to rank for. For new sellers this is one of the best ways to begin getting sales, which in turn will help you rank organically for the keywords you are pursuing. On this episode Scott talks about the placement of those pay-per-click ads and gives you some strategies you can use to maximize the use of PPC. You'll want to hear his insights on this difficult part of the Amazon private label process.

The best way to rank for a specific keyword.

If you are not able to get your private label products to rank for your preferred keywords, you will not make any sales. But the best way to rank for your targeted keywords is by selling your products. How do you get out of that catch-22? You do it by promotions and giveaways that enable you to make sales in spite of the lack of organic ranking. That is the best way to start ranking for the keywords you're targeting. On this episode Scott is going to cover this issue in depth and give you some strategies to approach your promotions and giveaways successfully. You won't want to miss this one.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:14] How you can connect with Scott’s Periscope sessions
  • [2:15] Scott’s experience with SnapChat
  • [4:44] How you can get involved in the TAS Facebook group.
  • [7:02] QUESTION ONE: Is a $5 profit per unit worth pursuing?
  • [15:40] QUESTION TWO: Which should I ask for, seller feedback or product feedback?
  • [21:36] QUESTION THREE: I see two types of sponsored ads (top and side). Is there a way to choose which I want to pay for?
  • [31:27] Get your Free Private Label Course to learn how to find and launch a product over the next 10 days.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS187.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

There are many, many ways you can make mistakes when selling your private label products on the Amazon platform. One of those has to do with three legal areas: patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Today’s episode is not meant to scare you but to make you aware of the issues involved in those three areas and equip you to protect yourself and protect your own rights when it comes to the use of your product and brand names, images, and unique characteristics. You’ll want to listen carefully to this episode to learn what you need to know.

What’s the big deal with patents, copyrights, and trademarks?

The reason you need to be aware of these three important legal terms is because you have the possibility of either being in violation of another company’s trademark, patent, or copyright, or will be violated in regards to your own products or brand. If you’re not aware of the differences between these 3 things you could be in danger on either side of the issue. Today’s guest, Ted Luymes is an attorney who knows these issues backwards and forward and can help you understand the places you may be vulnerable. You’re going to learn a ton from this conversation.

How can you know if a product is patented?

Patents are difficult to research to ensure that the product you’re wanting to sell is not already patented by someone else. Today’s guest, Ted Luymes is an attorney who deals with these issues and says that even patent attorneys can have a hard time discovering whether a specific type of product is patented or not. You have to do your own research to make sure that your potential product is not shaped like other products and avoid any possible patent violations. You should also deal with your supplier about this issue to ensure that you’re aware of their experience and knowledge of patent issues relating to the product. You’ll learn a lot on this episode so be sure to listen.

What IS a product trademark and how is it used?

A trademark is something a company registers with the U.S. trademark office to affirm that their company and products are certified as belonging to them. It can include the name, logo, label design, and fonts used in those things. There is legal protection for you if you don’t have the official trademark registration but the registration enables you to establish your claim as of a particular date to ensure that your rights are not being violated. Today’s guest, Ted Luymes is going to walk us through the dos and don’ts of trademarks.

What IS a copyright?

A copyright is a legal title used to delineate ownership of a particular item or photo to an individual or company. Copyright is important for Amazon sellers in terms of photos. Ideally you should be taking your own photos or ensuring that the photographer who takes your photos knows that you want the rights to the photos. The © mark can be used liberally on your product listings and your photos to ensure that you are the owner of those images and items. You’ll learn some very helpful things from today’s guest, attorney Ted Luymes about trademarks, copyrights, and patents.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:44] Introduction of today’s guest Ted Luymes, attorney.
  • [3:38] What Ted has been up to since being on the last episode - #152.
  • [5:44] The current status with product hijacking issues & what Ted’s seeing lately.
  • [9:33] Ted’s understanding of patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
  • [17:32] Why research alone may not be enough.
  • [19:45] What is a trademark?
  • [23:00] The proper way to use a trademark on your packaging and products.
  • [24:40] Things to avoid that relate to trademark issues.
  • [27:37] Trademark issues relating to “cut and paste” sellers.
  • [31:00] Ways to enlist Amazon’s seller support to help with trademark violations.
  • [31:44] What is a copyright?
  • [37:45] Common sense things relating to these issues.
  • [40:20] What you need to do if someone violates your rights.
  • [41:15] What you should do if you are told that you are violating a copyright, trademark, or patent.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS186.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

 

For very long time Scott has recommended a specific approach to launching new products on the Amazon platform. But he's making some adjustments based on the feedback and input he's received from some of his friends who are selling products on Amazon as well. On this episode of the podcast Scott is outlining the specifics of these tweaks and telling you why they work as well as they do. On future product launches he's going to be trying the suggestions and will report back to you in the future about the success he's he's on his personal products.

 

Have you gone through Scott’s free 10 day course?

 

If you are brand new to the world of Amazon private label sales, you don't have to reinvent the wheel or start from square one. Scott has put together a tremendous resource for you to help you understand and apply the principles behind everything from finding a great private label products to getting it listed on Amazon and making sales. You can find out how to get Scott's free 10-day course by listen to this episode of the podcast. Be sure you do so that you don't have to learn all of the hard learned lessons the hard way.

 

An adjustment to using promotions to launch a product.

 

So far when Scott has launched a new private label product he has done a very large promotion at the beginning to get quite a few reviews on the product listing so that the social proof for the product will be higher and therefore spawn more sales. But he's taking a new approach now based on the feedback from some friends. He's going to be doing a smaller promotion at first to get the ball rolling and wait for a bit to see if it prompts organic sales. If it does he will wait before he does any further promotions if it doesn't then is when he will put together his larger promotional strategy. You can hear all the details of this new approach on this episode of the podcast.

 

Do you understand WHY product reviews are so important?

 

One of the key components to a good product launch strategy on Amazon is facilitating a way for your buyers to give you reviews on the product. Reviews are vitally important, not because they cause your products to rank higher in the Amazon search results, but because when people do search on Amazon and find your product there is more social proof behind your product that will prompt him to become a purchaser. It is those purchases that rank your product higher in organic search. On this episode of the podcast Scott walks you through the new approach he is taking to his product launch so that you can understand the benefits of the adjustments.

 

The Amazing Seller Facebook Community is ready to welcome you!

 

If you have not joined The Amazing Seller Facebook Community you are missing out. It is filled with Amazon private label sellers who are there to share their successes, failures, and encouragement for those who are just getting started. It's a great place to hang around like-minded people and get the boost you need to keep going in your private label sales business. You can find out how to become a part of that community, and it’s FREE, on this episode of the podcast.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:23] How you can get involved with Scott on Periscope.
  • [2:24] Scott’s 10 day free course.
  • [2:55] A shout out to Nathan, a TAS community member.
  • [5:00] What is a product launch?
  • [6:40] Why reviews are so important to a product launch.
  • [12:17] Rich Kimball’s “test” to see if he’s found a good product.
  • [13:00] Small product promos followed by larger promos.
  • [16:36] The role Pay Per Click (PPC) plays in this strategy.
  • [18:20] The use of a small but powerful email list.
  • [21:41] The results of these tweaks.



 

Direct download: TAS18520.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome to this episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast. You’ve landed on the Friday version which an “Ask Scott” episode. This is where Scott Voelker fields your questions relating to Amazon private label sales and answers them for you. On this episode Scott is addressing questions about keywords and product rankings (and gives tons of resources on that one), whether potentially great products should be pursued if the competition for sales is high, how to do market research effectively, and the best margins for an Amazon private label product.

 

Why you need to focus your efforts on a more specific niche of products.

 

You may find a product that looks like a great possibility for sales but the general category is filled with competition and lots of product reviews. But you’ll find that the competition will thin out when you’re able to provide a product within that area that is more specific and specialized. A differentiated product will always enable you to have a better opportunity for good sales on Amazon and will make it more difficult for others to copy the exact thing you are doing. Find out more on this episode.  

 

The best approach for choosing keywords to rank your private label products.

 

Keywords are one of the most important parts of private label sales on Amazon. If you don't choose the right keywords you will have a very hard time making sales. So how do you go about finding those keywords? Scott was asked that very question on this episode of the podcast and goes into great detail about the resources you can use and the websites that are available to help you discover the best keywords for your specific product. If you don't listen to any other part of this episode you will want to hear of this one. It is worth gold.

 

The best margins for private label sales.

 

When considering a product to sell on Amazon you want to make sure that you're going to have an adequate margin of profit to make the selection, purchase, shipping, and sales of the product actually worthwhile for you. Naturally, you want the margin to be as high as it can be, but what is an acceptable margin given all the fees and shipping costs that are involved in selling a private label product on Amazon? On this episode of a podcast Scott walks through his thoughts regarding the margins that are acceptable for him and what he shooting for with every product that he sells.

 

There are lots of different keyword fields in the Amazon backend. Which ones do I use?

 

When you begin to fill out all of the fields on the back end of a product listing in Amazon, you'll discover there are many of them that you may not understand or do not know what they are for. On this episode a listener ask Scott about the various keyword fields and how they should be completed. Scott gives a very good answer regarding the use of those fields and make some suggestions on how you can find keywords to place in them that will be effective for the search functions on Amazon. You won't want to miss this one.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:29] How to submit your questions!
  • [1:20] A shout out to one of the TAS members on Facebook
  • [4:50] QUESTION ONE: What is the best approach for choosing the best keywords for the back end of my products?
  • [15:34] QUESTION TWO: What if I find a great product with high demand, but the competition is very high?
  • [24:53] QUESTION THREE: What are ideal margins for a private label product?
  • [28:58] QUESTION FOUR: I’m a bit confused about the different keyword fields on my Amazon account. Can you help me?




 

Direct download: TAS184.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It wasn’t too long ago that Scott received a bad news email from Amazon. One of his products, a bundle of items, was suspended by Amazon and he was being required to rectify the situation that caused the product to be suspended. On this episode Scott is going to walk you through the exact steps he took to address the situation with Amazon and give you a ton of things to think about when it comes to dealing with Amazon directives like this. If you haven’t had this issue yet, you will, so be sure you listen to the episode so you can be ahead of the game!

 

The importance of some kind of product inspection.

 

When Scott received a notice from Amazon that one of his products had been suspended, it was because his return rate was at 13%. Why was it so high? Some of his products were missing pieces and the customers were returning them. Scott learned that his practice of having his items shipped directly from his supplier to Amazon was not working. He was going to have to figure out a way to ensure that every product was inspected before it was shipped. On this episode Scott’s going to tell you how he addressed the issue and give you some resources to check out to set up your own product inspections.

 

You need to set up variations on every product.

 

When Scott received a notice from Amazon that one of his products was suspended he had a few options he could pursue. One of those was to set up a variation of the same product and then ship in some products he had in hand to replace the ones that were being suspended. That would enable him to get a listing for that product back up in a rather quick fashion. Scott suggests that every time you set up a product listing on Amazon you create it with the option for variations, even if you don't think that product will ever have a variation. This enables you to address issues like he faced if it should come up.

 

The tax implications of products you can’t use.

 

One of the things Scott was concerned about when he got a notice from Amazon that a product was being returned by customers because it was missing parts, was the loss he would have to take on those products. It amounted to $7,000 worth of products and he didn't want to take a hit that large. He called his tax accountant and discovered that he would be able to write those off as a loss and benefit himself on his taxes to some degree. On this episode Scott covers what that sort of loss would look like and how you would go about it if it happens to you.

 

Why Scott changed his product to Merchant Fulfilled.

 

The first thing Scott did when he discovered that one of his products have been suspended by Amazon list to switch that product to a merchant fulfilled status. That enabled his product to remain live on the Amazon catalogue and potentially get some sales while he investigated the problems that had caused his products to be suspended in the first place. On this episode Scott is going to walk you through every step he took to get his product back on the Amazon catalog in record time and address the issues with his products that were causing the high return rate that got it suspended in the first place.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:31] The problem of putting all your eggs in one basket.
  • [2:01] How you can join Scott on Periscope.
  • [3:02] The one question that comes up over and over: What makes a good product?
  • [6:40] The initial message Scott received about a suspended product.
  • [8:11] The role a high number of refunds played on Amazon’s decision.
  • [11:10] Why it was good that Scott had variations of this product on Amazon.
  • [12:20] The decision to do merchant fulfilled instead of FBA on the problem product.
  • [15:54] Determining the problem: Was it with Amazon or with the supplier?
  • [18:22] The tax issues involved.
  • [20:48] Sending in new inventory to replace the problem products.
  • [21:34] The lesson Scott learned: go with a 3rd party inspection service.
  • [22:53] Another option Scott had and why he didn’t go that route.
  • [24:30] Why you need to create your product listing with variations, every time.
  • [26:30] The benefits of building an external channel for your products.

 

Direct download: TAS183.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

New product ideas can come from anywhere. Really, you might be surprised where you discover the next great thing. On this episode Scott’s going to share with you exactly how he discovered his latest product idea quite by accident and how it’s proving to be a pretty good product from the first go ‘round. Listening to this episode will inspire you to think a little more outside the box about your next product idea. So be sure to listen and start dreaming about your next product!

There are some things in life Scott said he would never do…

 

And He’s finally wising up and learning not to say those kinds of categorical things. Why? Because there are so many of those “nevers” that He’s wound up doing. That’s instrumental to this episode of the podcast because He’s entering into one of those areas with his newest product. It’s in the supplement niche, which he said he’d never do and he wants you to hear the story of why he’s going in that direction, how it came about, and how you can learn from his story to find your own new product ideas.

 

The journey you are on has opportunities at every turn.

 

You never know what a day may bring. You really don’t. There could be a huge challenge or a massive opportunity, and Scott’s learned that the opportunities will pass you by if you don’t have your eyes open and your brain engaged to see them when they show up. On this episode of The Amazing Seller Scott’s walking you through an example of that - how he came across some situations that have offered up his latest product - and how his situation is an illustration of what you can do to find some great product ideas as well.

 

The people you meet might be your next source of inspiration.

 

There are people you meet everyday who have areas of expertise and experience that you will never have. Those people may have something of tremendous value to add to the world but you’ll never know if you don’t get out there and meet them or talk to them. Scott has recently discovered the Dad of his daughter’s friend is a fount of knowledge about things Scott never knew he’d be interested in, and has a lot to offer by way of information and products. So Scott’s investigating the possibility of going in on a product line with him, in the supplement niche. Hear the entire story on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

8 things Scott has learned about tapping into a new market.

 

When you get a new product idea and it’s in a new market that you’ve never worked in, you need to get some specific things right at the beginning. Tacked on to the end of this episode of The Amazing Seller are Scott’s 8 tips for what you need to do when you’re setting up a product in a new niche. This section is so jam packed with information you will be glad you listened for that brief list alone. So be sure you tune in and grab these 8 great steps to getting set up in a new market.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast episode!
  • [0:37] How you can follow Scott on Periscope.
  • [1:00] The danger of saying “never.”
  • [5:30] How my personal experience led me to the supplement niche.
  • [7:08] A personal trainer I met and the possibilities that relationship has produced.
  • [10:28] How a variety of people have influenced my journey.
  • [22:51] I have no idea how this idea is going to work, but I’m excited.
  • [25:19] The journey you take is filled with opportunities you need to recognize.
  • [26:42] Pay attention to people and possible opportunities.
  • [26:53] Scott’s assignment for you.
  • [28:32] 8 things I’ve learned about tapping into a new market.
  • [33:20] Why I’m beginning to move away from speaking on Amazon only.
  • [34:00] How you can get my free 10 day course.



Direct download: TAS182.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

One of the scariest parts of building an Amazon private label business is the fact that at some point you have to send off a big chunk of money to a supplier you have never met, in a factory or warehouse that you cannot inspect in most cases, and trust that you are products are going to arrive at your location or the Amazon warehouse as promised and in good shape. Today's episode deals with that exact subject in the experiences of one Amazon Seller who had trouble getting his product payments refunded after he decided the products were not up to his quality standards. You are going to learn a lot of lessons from his hard learned experience.

 

How do you know the products your supplier gives you are the quality you want?

 

The first thing you should do when you find a product that might be a potentially good fit for your business to feature on Amazon is to have a sample sent to you. That's a very needed and necessary first step, but it may not be the total solution. The process of sending a sample can be manipulated by the supplier sending you the very best one that they have, giving you the impression that all of the products they produce are the same quality. Today's guest decided to have an inspection company check out his products prior to them being shipped from the supplier and that one step saved him a thousand headaches. You can hear his entire story on this episode.

 

What is Trade Assurance and why you should only use suppliers who are verified through it.

 

When you are seeking a supplier for the products you want to sell through Amazon private label you will come across many options on the Alibaba website. You need to make sure that you were only looking for products among sellers who are certified by Trade Assurance. Trade Assurance is Alibaba's way of verifying suppliers and is a way that you can have peace of mind that you're dealing with reputable companies. On this episode Scott's guest is going to share his experience with Trade Assurance and why it was an invaluable part of the process when seeking a refund from one of his suppliers.

 

If you have to ask for your deposit back, expect a long process.

 

It doesn't really matter how you pay the deposit for your first round of products, whether by wire transfer, escrow, or PayPal, if you need to request a refund you will have a long time to wait. Refunds come through a multi-stage the process of verification and investigation about what was actually done by the company and by you. It's very important that in that entire process you document every communication and every step along the way. Today's guest is going to share with you how he did that and the results that came of it.

 

How to effectively use an escrow account.

 

One of the tools you can use when paying a supplier from China through Alibaba is called an escrow account. Escrow accounts basically hold the funds that you have sent for your deposit until you indicate that you are satisfied with the product you have been supplied. It's a way to ensure that your money is going to be returned to you if the product you receive are not up to the quality standards that you were led to believe. On this episode Scott shares why he values the escrow functionality so much, and how you can be sure to use it in your interactions with suppliers.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:50] An introduction to the voicemail Blair sent to Scott.
  • [1:43] How you can get started with Amazon FBA and join the free live workshop.
  • [3:30] The voicemail itself.
  • [6:21] Blair’s conversation with Scott.
  • [7:59] How Blair began his Amazon private label business.
  • [9:53] Blair’s process for discovering his first products.
  • [12:20] The plan behind Blair’s variety of product offerings.
  • [13:59] The situations with suppliers.
  • [15:15] The situations Blair experienced that caused issues with his payments.
  • [17:10] The Trade Assurance dispute process.
  • [18:40] The difficulties of not being able to get a deposit returned.
  • [20:27] Blair’s process working from New Zealand.
  • [21:53] What it took for Blair to set up a U.S. bank account.
  • [23:35] The hassles experienced shipping by boat.
  • [24:26] Recommendations about payments, based on his experience.
  • [31:12] Why you have to go into FBA knowing there is risk involved.
  • [32:45] The power of using an escrow account through Alibaba.
  • [35:13] The refund process is multi-stepped, be prepared if you get into it.
  • [41:50] Scott’s summary of the conversation.
  • [42:50] Your invitation to the free, live workshop.



Direct download: TAS18020.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

This is one of the Ask Scott sessions where Scott Voelker answers your questions about Amazon private label sales. If you’d like to get your question answered on one of these podcast episodes, you can do it by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask. Scott would be happy to address your issues to the best of his ability so be sure to take advantage of this powerful resource.

 

Should international sellers try to start in their local Amazon market on or the U.S. market?

 

A listener of the show does not live in the United States and wants to get started with private label sales on Amazon. He’s not sure if he should start selling in his local Amazon market or try to get his products set up on the U.S. Amazon market. Scott’s answer is an “it depends” kind of answer but you’ll want to know what it is that it depends on. ;) There’s lots to consider in a situation like this so be sure you take the time to listen.

 

I have a customer who has contacted me through Amazon’s system and wants to buy large quantities of my product. How can I handle that?

 

It’s an amazing opportunity - or it appears to be. This listener and active Amazon private label seller has been contacted by one of his customers through the Amazon system. The customer claims to want to purchase large quantities of his products in bulk. The listener is not sure if there is a way he can connect with the seller legally within Amazon’s terms of service to work out that deal. Scott’s answer is very helpful and you’ll hear it on this episode.

 

I’m an international seller but I sell on the U.S. Market. How can I get my products shipped to the U.S.?

 

Scott has often recommended that international sellers get access to a U.S. based address to have their products sent to before sending to the Amazon warehouse so that products can be inspected before being stocked in the warehouse. It’s a great idea, but today’s listener doesn’t have access to a U.S based address and is curious if there are other options. There are indeed and today Scott is going to walk through them. It’s all on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

 

Would you like to get in on a free 10-day private label course?

 

One of the things Scott has done to create a helpful training resource for brand new Amazon private label sellers is to put together a 10 day course walking through every single step Scott has taken to get his private label products, get them onto  Amazon, and make sales with them. If you’d like to get that 10 day course sent to you via email, you can get it by going to www.FreePrivateLabelCourse.com - and Scott will send it right to you!

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:08] How you can get your questions answered on the show.
  • [2:05] A TAS member who’s taking action!
  • [5:31] Why the process is the best way to learn.
  • [6:28] QUESTION ONE: What is your take on international sellers getting started - should we start on the U.S. Amazon market?
  • [12:42] QUESTION TWO: How can I handle someone who wants to purchase my products on a large volume basis? Can it be done?
  • [20:21] QUESTION THREE: I want to follow your advice about getting a price of products being shipped to me via air, but I’m not located in the U.S. How can I do that?
  • [25:04] How you can get Scott’s free 10-day course.



www.FreePrivateLabelCourse.com - get the 10 day private label course.

Direct download: TAS181.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome back to the show notes page of The Amazing Seller Podcast. Scott Voelker is here to lead you in understanding and building an Amazon Private Label business that can build the life you want to live. On this episode Scott’s got a great list of 10 things learned in the first 3 months in the FBA world, and it was contributed by a listener to the podcast. You’ll get some great insights from this list, from a person who is fresh into the industry and knows the realities of starting from square one. Even if you’re experienced at private label sales, you’ll be encouraged by what this listener has to share.

Hard work cannot be replaced. There is no easy way forward.

If you want to build a business through Amazon Private Label sales you are going to have to do exactly that, build it. Building things takes a lot of hard work. It takes determination. It takes a commitment to seeing things through. One of the biggest lessons shared on this top 10 list is that hard work cannot be replaced. There Is no easy way forward if you want it business that will provide the lifestyle and the income that you are seeking. Listen to this episode of the podcast to be encouraged in ways that will enable you to stick with it when things get hard. Take action.

If you let yourself get overwhelmed, you’re going to give up.

When you first get started building a business on Amazon through private label sales, you will discover that there are so many variables and so many things to consider, it seems like you might never figure it out. You can easily get overwhelmed, but you have to fight the over whelmed by systematically doing one thing at a time that will take you a simple step forward. It's that kind of single-minded determination that will enable you to do what you want to do in building your business. Be sure to listen to this episode to hear more of Scott's tips about how to fight overwhelm.

Amazon private label is a long term endeavor.

The stories you hear about someone putting a private label product onto the Amazon platform and hitting $10,000 in sales during their first month are the exceptions not the rule. It's very common that sellers never hit $10,000 a month in sales. It's also common that those who do take a month and possibly even years to get there. You have to think of your Amazon business as a long-term Endeavor. It's going to take time, especially if he do it the right way. Make sure you listen to this episode to hear Scott's encouragement about what it takes to build your business with a long view.

Learn from others, but make up your own mind in the end.

When you're first starting out in your Amazon private label business it is vital that you learn all that you can. You want to listen to people who have gone down the path you are traveling ahead of you. But there comes a point where you have to make your own decisions, where the advice you receive is weighed against the circumstances that you are actually in. It's at that point you need to have the confidence to make up your own mind about the direction you were going to take. On this episode Scott gives some great advice about how to get to that place, and how to make the right decisions when you do.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:08] What this episode is about - an email from a listener.
  • [5:00] April’s email about her first year on Amazon private label.
  • [8:31] Why hard work is the first thing you need.
  • [9:20] Why you can’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed.
  • [10:50] The power of thinking long term.
  • [13:20] Community with great people is essential.
  • [15:36] A positive attitude is key!
  • [17:22] Daily action to move your company forward is powerful.
  • [20:38] Don’t rush important decisions (but don’t allow more time just for the sake of it).
  • [22:41] Listen to advice from others but make up your own mind based on your situation.
  • [24:50] Why it’s important to give back.
  • [28:32] Fear and doubt can paralyze you. You can’t let it.
  • [34:45] How to get in on the next live workshop.

 

Direct download: TAS179.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome to this question and answer episode of The Amazing Seller podcast. Scott Voelker  is here to answer your questions about Amazon private label sales, everything from researching and buying your first product to collecting your paycheck from Amazon. On this episode Scott gets some great questions about pay-per-click campaign, freight forwarders, maximizing sales even if it means you run out of stock, and others. If you are at all interested in getting involved with Amazon private label sales, you need to listen to these Q&A episodes of The Amazing Seller.

 

When I do multiple PPC campaigns, and I charged for clicks on a keyword that are in both campaigns?

 

Pay-per-click can be one of the most confusing parts of a successful Amazon private label business. There are so many variables it is hard to keep track of everything and know that you are actually spending your money wisely. On this episode a listener asks a question about using multiple campaigns and whether or not he is charged for using the same key word in different campaigns. Scott's answer is yes, but there's a lot more to it than that. Make sure that you listen to ensure that you are not spending any money on your pay-per-click campaigns.

What are the benefits and the difficulties of working with freight forwarders?

 

Getting your product shipped from China to the United States can be quite an ordeal. Sometimes it is beneficial to use a company called a freight forwarder. these are companies that receive your order from your China supplier, and forward it on to Amazon following various criteria that you have set up. On this episode a seller from outside the United States asks Scott a question about setting up a freight forwarding service. If this sounds like something you might need in the future, be sure to listen to Scott’s informative answer.

 

Do I want to maximize sales first even if it means I run out of stock?

 

On today's episode of the podcast a listener asks if it is wise to maximize his sales right off the bat with his newest product even if it means he will run out of stock quickly. There are different viewpoints on this type of question but Scott, as always, has his own opinion which makes a lot of sense. But he doesn't only share his opinion, he also tells some of the pros and cons of the other approaches. If you want a good comparison of the approaches to getting your product onto the first page of the search rankings, be sure to listen to this podcast episode.

Would you like to get in on Scott’s next free, live workshop?

 

One of the things Scott does to enable new Amazon sellers to get up to speed quickly is to put on his free private label workshops. If you have never been a part of one of these amazing webinars, you will be amazed at the value Scott puts out for free. He's going to walk you through his 5 step process for finding launching and selling products through Amazon private label sales, and will also do a live Q&A session at the end of the webinar. This is one of the best resources on the internet for learning how to sell your products on Amazon. Listen to this episode to find out how you can be a part of the next free live workshop

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:00] Why Scott loves creating the life that he wants.
  • [8:26] QUESTION ONE: If I use the keyword in two PPC campaigns, do I pay for clicks on that keyword on BOTH campaigns?
  • [14:27] QUESTION TWO: Can you talk to me about the benefits and difficulties of working with freight forwarders?
  • [19:30] QUESTION THREE: Improving products: should I keep it on the same listing? [24:00] QUESTION FOUR: Should I shoot for a higher bestseller rank right out of the gate even if it means I run out of products?
  • [30:20] How you can record your own question.
  • [30:59] How you can register for Scott’s next live workshop.



www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop - get into the next live workshop.

Direct download: TAS178.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

If you’ve not heard the name of Chris Ducker, you are going to be glad you have by the time this interview episode of The Amazing Seller podcast is over. Chris is an online business guy who’s made it big in many different areas, and on this episode he’s joining Scott to chat about how he would go about building a business independently of Amazon after successful sales on Amazon. Scott’s been interested in this possibility for a long time and Chris has the business experience to help him think through the issues involved.

 

Why Chris Ducker doesn’t like the Amazon platform for building your business.

 

Scott Voelker has long encouraged everyday people like you to build their own real business on the Amazon platform. It’s an unprecedented opportunity. But his guest today, Chris Ducker, doesn’t like the model for a very specific reason. It’s something you’ll hear from him over and over and it has to do with building on your own platform instead of a platform someone else owns. You can hear all the details of what Chris things, and why, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

The power of Customer Service for your Business.

 

One of the biggest mistakes that business owners (including Amazon sellers) make time and time again is to get a customer and then forget about them. But if you think it through, you’ll realize that it’s much easier to serve an existing customer well so that they become a repeat customer, than it is to get a new customer. On this episode Chris Ducker shares a couple of powerful stories about what customer service can do for your business, both in terms of customer retention and increased revenue.

 

When is it time for you to outsource some of your business workload?

 

Scott’s guest on this episode of the podcast is Chris Ducker, a pro at outsourcing And business building. Chris knows what it takes to get the Right outsourced team working on a business and you also know the great big mistakes that can be made. On this episode Scott asks Chris about his recommendations for figuring out the timing of adding a virtual team to your business. This section alone is worth you listening too, so make sure you set aside the time to do it.

 

The vital question for you to ask about hiring a virtual assistant or team member.

 

If you've been considering adding a virtual assistant do you business workflow, this episode is one you really need to listen to and take some notes on. Chris Ducker shares his insights about when it is time to add team members to your business and why you would want to do it. For him, it comes down to one final question that you need to ask yourself. It's a question that provides incredible amounts of clarity and direction for you and your business moving forward. Be sure you take the time to listen, it's a powerful lesson in outsourcing and hiring.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast with Chris Ducker!
  • [2:40] How the episode is going to flow (a backwards Hot Seat).
  • [3:25] What would Chris do to move a product from Amazon into an independent site.
  • [4:30] Why it’s a good thing to sell on Amazon, but what about it scares Chris.
  • [7:21] Scott’s perspective on that difficulty and what Chris would do to build his own brand outside of Amazon.
  • [11:45] What to do if you don’t want to be the “face” of the business.
  • [15:24] How Chris would advise a new person about determining a market to enter.
  • [22:30] What are the ways businesses need to improve in order to stand out?
  • [25:33] The power of customer service for building your existing business.
  • [33:52] How Chris has specialized in outsourcing and when you should consider adding help to your team.
  • [40:35] How Chris’ business - virtual staff finder - works.
  • [43:52] Chris’ last nugget of advice for business owners in 2016.

 

Chris’ website: www.ChrisDucker.com

Direct download: TAS176.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

There are so many people who are eager to get into Amazon Private Label sales, and they should because it’s a great platform to build a viable business that can support and even transform your lifestyle. But there are a handful of common mistakes that newbies to Amazon FBA make again and again. On this episode of the podcast Scott Voelker covers the top 5 rookie mistakes that trip up new sellers.

Product research can be frustrating, but don’t give up.

Perhaps the most difficult part of selling products on Amazon is finding the product in the first place. The product research phase is very difficult because there are so many variables and so many possibilities. What most rookies do when doing product research is work at it for a couple of days and then give up because it is so frustrating but that is the worst thing you could do. On this episode Scott’s going to teach you how to push through the product research base to make sure that you find that product that is going to set you up for Amazon selling success.

You can’t forget about the depth of your potential market.

It's great to find a product that seems like it's going to be a winner on Amazon FBA. But if you don't take into consideration the depth of the market you're trying to enter, you could be setting yourself up for a terrible loss. On this episode Scott once again covers the issue of depth of market, and give you some tips to help you understand what you need to look for, why you need to watch out for those things, and how to maximize your chances of setting up a product that will be successful.

If you misunderstand your profit margins on Amazon FBA, you’ll be sorry.

It's easy to hear all the success stories about Amazon FBA sales and think that you can do that too. And you can. The problem is that many people don't recognize that the figures they hear from success stories don't typically reveal the costs involved in the research, packaging, shipping, and fees related with feeling that product on Amazon. The end result is you may have an unrealistic idea of what the actual profit margins for a product are. On this episode of the podcast, Scott is going to point out some of the things you need to consider when calculating profit margins so that you can know and accurate estimate of what your profits will be.

Don’t be fooled by seasonal products.

You may find a product to sell on Amazon that appears to be a wonderful opportunity. But always take into consideration whether or not that product and its related products are seasonal in nature. Seasonal products are great for a very short time but throughout the year don't provide the consistent income that you really want to achieve an Amazon private label sales. On this episode Scott is going to give you some things to watch out for when considering the possibility of selling products that are seasonal in nature.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:34] A shout-out to a TAS community member.
  • [3:11] How you can get in on one of Scott’s live workshops.
  • [4:04] Why giving up during product research is a huge mistake.
  • [14:30] If you forget about the depth of your market, you’re going to blow it.
  • [18:30] The pain of misunderstanding profit margins.
  • [24:26] Be sure to pay attention to issue of seasonal gifts.
  • [29:17] There’s a strong tendency to overthink and over complicate.

 

 

Direct download: TAS177.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Isn’t it great when you’re able to ask an experienced person how to do what you need to do? You get all kinds of insights and tips that you wouldn’t even think about asking for. The Friday episode of The Amazing Seller (this one) is where Scott answers your questions about Amazon Private Label sales and shares them with the entire TAS community. You’re able to ask your own questions by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - as well as learn from the many other questions that are asked and answered on these Ask Scott episodes. Be sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any of his answers.

I need to makeover my listing page. How should I go about it?

 

As you get going with your Amazon Private Label sales, you’ll realize down the road that some of the steps you’ve already taken need to be refreshed or updated. A listener today says that he’s ready to go back and makeover his product listing page and asks Scott how he should go about doing that. Scott’s got some great insights on that issue as well as some past conversations with podcast guests to point you to. Do you need to update your product listings? You won’t want to miss this episode for all the tips and tricks you need to know.

 

I was wondering what I need to change if I’m selling a generically labeled product on Amazon?

 

Is it possible to take a product from Aliexpress or Alibaba that is already generically labeled, and sell it as your own? That’s a common situation you might run into as you’re getting trial products and trying out different possibilities and you need to know what’s ethically right and what’s even possible if you’re going to do it right. On this episode Scott’s going to walk you through that issue and tell you what he would do in those shoes. It’s a great, practical issue that you can learn from, on this episode.

 

I have a unique product that fits within a broader niche. How do I research whether it’s as good an opportunity as I think?

 

Today's episode of the podcast, one of our Friday editions were you can ask your own questions, a listener ask Scott about a specific variation of a broader product, and whether it is possible to find out the viability of the product selling well on Amazon. It's a very busy broad niche but the unique qualities of this particular product are what makes the listener believe it will really be a big seller. Scott's got some good insights on the issue, and you can hear the mall on this episode.

 

Have you attended one of Scott’s live workshops? They’re free!

 

One of the amazing things about what Scott does through The Amazing Seller podcast, is that every month  he provides and absolutely free workshop to walk new Amazon private label sellers through the 5 steps he takes to research purchase and launch a brand new product on Amazon. If you have never been a part of one of these workshops, you are missing out. The end with live question and answer sessions where you can get clarity on anything that you didn't quite catch the first time. Listen to this episode to find out how you can register to be a part of the next free workshop.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:30] How you can get your questions answered on these “Ask Scott” episodes.
  • [2:00] Dealing with disappointments in business and life.
  • [8:00] A TAS Facebook Community Member Scott wants to highlight.
  • [11:37] QUESTION ONE: Doing a makeover of my listing. How should I go about doing that?
  • [17:25] QUESTION TWO: What all needs to be included on customized product packaging when the item is already generically branded?
  • [22:35] QUESTION THREE: How should I think about a uniquely niched product opportunity that is in already crowded “general” market?

 

Direct download: TAS175.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

A few episodes back Scott invited his friend, Chris Schaeffer onto the podcast to do a “hot seat” evaluation of an Amazon business to give advice on tweaks, changes, and adjustments to the existing product listings to ramp up sales. You’ve got a great opportunity today to hear another of those Hot Seat sessions - this time relating to an existing retail business that is trying to get onto the Amazon platform. There are some tweaks and tips you may have never heard before taken from Scott and Chris’ experience so be sure you listen.

 

Would you like to be a part of a “Hot Seat” event coming to a town near you?

 

Scott and Chris are already doing a hot seat event in Denver Colorado in May of 2016. But that event is already booked solid. They plan to do future events in cities across the United States. If you would like to be a part of 1 of those events, you can get your name on the notification list so that you will be among the first to know where and when those events are going to happen. Listen to this episode to find out where you can go to put your name on that list and being part of an event just like the evaluation and suggestions you were going to here on this episode of the podcast.

 

Optimizing product listings is huge.

 

On this episode of the podcast, Scott and Chris are taking a look at some existing listings of a retail business that is moving its products on to the Amazon platform. One of the first things I notice is that the product listings are not optimized as well as they could be. There is only one picture, very little in the description, and they suspect that the back in the keywords are not optimized very well. Looking at the company website, they see a beautiful presentation of the products that are offered and suggest using some of the same principles from the website on the Amazon listing. You can hear the specifics of what they suggest on this episode of the podcast.

 

Images are powerful in presenting a profession product on Amazon.

 

And Scott and Chris evaluate a product listing on this episode of the podcast, but they notice that the seller is not making the best use of the images on their listing. Their website for the products display all kinds of beautiful images, but very few of those are included on the Amazon listing. As well, the website includes many testimonials and logos from industry platforms where the products have been featured, and Scott suggest the seller create images from those and include them on the Amazon listing as well. You can hear more great suggestions like this for how to optimize your Amazon listing, on this episode of the podcast.

 

How to figure out the keywords you should go after.

 

On this episode of the podcast, Christie has asked Scott and Chris to evaluate her product listings. One of the questions she asks has to do with how to determine which keywords she should be trying to rank for. Scott and Chris suggest some great tools for her to use, and also how to use her existing website for the products to find even more possible keywords. Chris also makes a good point about utilizing the many variations she has of her product to find even more relevant keywords. It's too complex to describe here, but if you listen to this episode you won't have any trouble figuring it out.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to another “Hot seat” session regarding a real Amazon business.
  • [1:30] The upcoming TAS Breakthrough Live event.
  • [2:15] How you can get transcripts or all the episodes.
  • [3:04] Introduction to the Hot Seat for today.
  • [4:10] A retail company that wants to get going on Amazon.
  • [11:30] Chris’ first thoughts about the situation.
  • [12:40] Why optimizing product listings is one of the most powerful things you can do.
  • [17:33] Scott’s suggestion about including testimonials and additional images in your description.
  • [24:10] How to figure out the keywords you should go after.
  • [27:00] How to approach PPC in a situation like this.
  • [31:40] Using perception of value to display your pricing.
  • [39:27] Optimizing the variations and keywords to match.
  • [40:48] A good amount of inventory to begin on Amazon with.
  • [42:48] Answers to questions about “sponsored ads.”

 

Direct download: TAS174.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

There are lots of people who hear of what’s going on with Amazon private label sales and think that they can’t get into it without a huge investment. But that’s not true, and this interview episode is proof. Today, Scott is chatting with Travis, a normal guy who calls himself an “average Joe.” Travis heard about private label sales on Amazon and decided he was going to make it work even though he didn’t have software to research his product ideas or a huge budget to do it. You’re going to be blown away by the success Travis has had simply by following some common sense steps.

Getting the product idea first.

Travis’ first private label product idea was a product that is a popular trend right now, so he wasn’t sure if he should go with it or not. But getting a good price on the product and the possibility of a good sized margin prompted him to take the leap. So with $1500 spent in products and fees Travis was able to get his first product onto Amazon. His story is an amazing one because his approach was truly a “bare bones” attempt and his hard work and risk taking has paid off. You can hear the exact steps Travis went through on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Playing with the price to get his product off the ground.

When Travis first got his bare bones product onto the Amazon selling platform, his competition was pricing their products are around $15 each. He decided to go below that at  $9.99 each. He wasn't sure what kind of effect that would have but went to sleep after posting his product consoling himself that he shouldn't expect much the first few days. He woke up to 5 sales of his product and he didn't even have any reviews on it yet. You can hear Travis’ amazing story as he shares it with Scott on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Pay per click right away and no reviews.

One of the things Scott recommends to new sellers is to get their product onto the Amazon platform and then do a couple of giveaways to prompt reviews for the product.  But Travis wanted to see what would happen if he didn't have any reviews but started with PPC right away. That's what he did, just using a broad search PPC campaign, and his sales began almost immediately. In his first month he sold over a thousand products and still has not secured any reviews for his product. He's hoping that organic reviews will happen soon, but  also knows that he eventually needs to get a giveaway going to get his review started. Travis's gutsy approach is one you'll enjoy hearing about it, on this episode.

Proof that private label sales can be done with a small budget and low amount of experience.

Today's guest has never done Amazon private label sales before. He did not have a large bank row and had absolutely no experience sourcing or selling products online. The only education he had was listening to the episodes of this podcast. the results he's gotten are amazing. Within his first month Travis has well over $1,000 worth of sales and is already ordering more products to replenish the ones that have been sold. He expects to expand this product into multiple products, possibly variations of the same product, and even adding accessories to his product line. It's proof that Amazon private label sales is the real deal and anyone can do it.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:52] Get in on Scott’s free live workshop.
  • [3:21] Travis’ background and how he got into Amazon private label sales.
  • [7:00] The small start Travis had getting into Amazon.
  • [8:21] How Travis got his product ideas.
  • [9:52] Finding the right manufacturer for his product.
  • [12:00] How Travis first developed his packaging ideas.
  • [14:00] Travis’ price point and why he priced his items lower than the rest of the market.
  • [16:14] Getting into the brand registry.
  • [18:34] Travis turned on PPC from day 1 and got some good results.
  • [22:00] 20 sales per day with no reviews to date.
  • [23:18] Price adjustments and what Travis plans to do next.
  • [27:15] Are variations possible for Travis’ product? Yep.
  • [28:30] Capitalizing on a trend and making a profit as a result.
  • [30:20] Just making it happen without as much training as normal.
  • [31:48] Reordering and getting his products replenished on Amazon.
  • [33:00] What Scott loves about Travis’ story the most.
  • [35:36] Ways to reduce costs are still ahead.
  • [37:46] Step by step from the ground floor and the incredible results.
  • [38:38] Travis’ advice: don’t get hung up on the product research phase.
  • [40:00] Scott’s summary and encouragement to you.

 

Direct download: TAS173.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s time for another episode of The Amazing Seller podcast and this session in particular is an “Ask Scott” episode where Scott Voelker answers your questions week after week. It’s an opportunity for you to get your specific problems addressed by a guy who’s been studying and doing Amazon private label sales for quite a while, now. If you want to have your question answered on one of these episodes, you need to listen so you can find out how to do it!

You’ve mentioned not trying to sell supplements as a first product. But I currently have a business selling supplements online and want to get onto Amazon. What should I do?

Scott has addressed the sale of vitamin or health supplements before and he’s never recommended that a person who’s never done private labeling start out with supplements. Why? Because it’s one of the most crowded markets on Amazon and will cost you tons of money to get yourself recognized and ranking for keywords. But this listener already has a supplement business, so Scott takes a bit of a different approach to that. Listen in to this episode to see how Scott would go about it.

What are the different “levels” or “types” of private labeling?

One of Scott’s listeners is curious how to think about private labeling in terms of the different “levels” of involvement that private label sellers may be involved at. There appears to be a “full blown” level that includes branding your own products, getting custom packaging, etc. but there’s also the level that buys products from a site like www.Aliexpress.com and resells them without doing any kind of branding at all. Scott gives a great overview of the different ways it’s possible to do a private label business, so be sure you listen.

Amazon support advised me to delete my listing. I’m a bit hesitant. What should I do?

A listener has his product listed on Amazon’s brand registry but due to a little bit of missing information he’s being advised by Amazon seller support that he should delete his listing, create another one for the same product, and include the missing information on that listing. He’s hesitant to delete a long-standing product listing and asks Scott’s advice. Scott has plenty to say about this one and is NOT sure the guy should do what he’s been told. Do you know why? You can hear Scott’s reasons on this episode.

I’m trying to dial-in my PPC campaigns and am not sure I’m doing it correctly. Can you help?

One of Scott’s listeners is doing a great job analyzing and optimizing her PPC campaigns week to week, but she doesn’t feel she’s getting everything out of it. In order to respond to this question, Scott asks his buddy Chris Schaeffer to come on the show to give his insight because Chris is an expert at PPC. He’s got a few incredibly insightful tips regarding how she should go about getting her PPC to work better, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:37] How you can ask your question for Scott to answer.
  • [1:16] An action-taker inside the TAS Facebook group!
  • [3:23] QUESTION 1: How can a person who’s already selling supplements online get onto Amazon since it’s so crowded.
  • [9:06] QUESTION 2: Can you address the “levels” of private labeling and how it might impact the end results?
  • [14:07] QUESTION 3: I have a question about protection from hijacking for my trademarked product.
  • [19:12] QUESTION 4: How can I do a better job of choosing PPC keywords?

 

 

Direct download: TAS172.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome back to this edition of The Amazing Seller, on this episode of the podcast Scott is going to cover the issue of product images. This episode has been a long time coming, especially since Scott is a photographer in his own his own portrait studio in the past. He's going to talk to you about all things having to do with your product images, how to make them the best they can be, how to optimize them to get better conversions on your product sales, and how to deal with things like lighting, white background, and all the other things that go into an Amazon legal product image.

What a good product image does on your Amazon listing.

Your private label products need the attention of those who are seeking to buy it. But how do you get that attention? Keywords get your products found, but your image is what gets it the attention it deserves. Think about what you do when you shop Amazon. You punch in your keywords and find the products you are interested in, then you scroll through the results looking at images, don't you? That's what everyone does and it’s what you need to keep in mind when you create your product images. They need to be stunning, eye-catching, they need to pop! On this episode Scott is going to tell you everything you need to know about optimizing your Amazon product images.

What impact does a great image have on your Amazon PPC?

If you're utilizing Amazon's pay-per-click platform to drive traffic to your products, you need to keep in mind that the primary Image you upload to your product page is the same image that PPC will display when your dad comes up on a search results page. That image needs to be the very best image you can make it. It needs to highlight your product’s strengths and features in a way that draws people to move from prospective buyer, to actual buyer. On this episode of the podcast you are going to learn 7 product Image tips that should bring you higher conversions.

When you’re taking pictures of your product, lighting is everything.

In years past Scott built up a six figure photography business in his local community, so he knows a thing or two about good photography. One of the key things you need to understand is that good photography requires good lighting. You can't expect to get good images if your environment is dim or without adequate lighting. On this episode Scott is going to tell you the very best things you can do to get great lighting for your product images, so that your photos will pop off the page and get the attention you want them to get.

Play by the rules when creating your product images.

There are many Amazon sellers who play fast and loose with the Amazon guidelines regarding images. You will see product images with text on them, without white backgrounds, and many other things. The plain and simple truth is that these things are illegal when it comes to Amazon Terms of Service. Scott recommends that you always stick with the guidelines because Amazon will find you out sooner or later in your listing will be shut down. On this episode Scott reviews the Amazon image guidelines and gives you tips to maximize your images within those guidelines to optimize your sales conversions.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:15] How you can get your free transcripts to these episodes.
  • [2:07] The importance of keywords and how they relate to images.
  • [3:31] What the image does on your listing.
  • [5:40] The impact of images on Amazon PPC.
  • [6:30] How you can tweak your images to track effectiveness over 7 to 10 days.
  • [8:04] Best practices for images and things you can and can’t include.
  • [9:15] Amazon’s guidelines.
  • [12:20] Main images are different than additional images.
  • [16:20] 7 tips for creating the best images.
  • [17:29] Lighting is everything.
  • [19:44] Use natural light (sunlight).
  • [20:58] You have to use a great camera.
  • [23:42] Pay attention to details (scratches, smudges, camera angles, etc.)
  • [26:03] Clean it up with editing software.
  • [28:42] Play by the rules, don’t try to cheat.
  • [30:41] Highlight the product’s strengths in the images.
  • [32:42] Things to consider for your “additional” images - use at least 8.
  • [33:27] How you can test images over the course of 7 to 10 days.
  • [36:30] Scott’s summary of these tips.
  • [36:40] Where you can find some great image sources.



Direct download: TAS171.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome back to The Amazing Seller Podcast and thanks for checking out the show notes page for this great episode about product sourcing. In this great conversation I’m talking with Peter Zapf, an employee of Global Sources, a company that works directly with Chinese and other Asian manufacturing companies to make their products available to retailers, ebayers, and Amazon sellers. We’re going to take a deep dive into the process that Global Sources has put in place to enable to you to skip the middle man (agents) and talk directly to the supplier of the products you want to sell.

 

How is Global Sources different than Alibaba?

 

Global Sources is a company that’s been around for many, many years and today’s guest, Peter Zapf has been working with the company for over 15 years. He tells us on this episode that the primary difference between Global Sources and other suppliers for the Asian manufacturing market is that GS works directly with the manufacturer - no agents involved at all. So if you were to search for a supplier for your product, you’d be dealing with the actual company that makes it. You can see how that could cut down on the possibility of confusion when ordering customized aspects of your products. Listen in to this episode to find out how Peter suggest you best utilize the platform.

 

How does Global Sources work with test orders?

 

Today's guest, Peter Zapf says that his company, Global Sources, is a great platform for working with manufacturers in Asia to find products that you can trust. Very much like Alibaba, Global Sources manufacturers enables you to order smaller quantities as a test order so that you can get to know the product quality and understand the process of each manufacturer that you contact. Peter suggests that you contact more than one manufacturer as you research your product ideas to make sure that you are getting the best deal and the best quality on the product. Hear about this new supplier that you may not of heard of before, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

What are the benefits of working directly with a product supplier?

 

Global Sources is a China based company that works directly with Asian manufacturers to provide products for retailers and independent sellers. Their connections are with the manufacturers, not independent agents or agencies. That means that when you work with a supplier through Global Sources, you are able to work directly with the people who are creating the product you want. That makes modifications and customization much easier, and the communication process more smooth. Find out more benefits of working with a company like Global Sources on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

Scams to watch out for when working with product suppliers.

 

For even experienced private label sellers, sending a large chunk of money to accompany across the ocean that you have never visited seems like a pretty sketchy deal. How can you be sure that you're not getting scammed? How can you be confident that you're going to receive the products that you are asking for? On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Peter Zapf, of Global Sources, tells some of the most common scams that he sees when it comes to ordering products from overseas vendors. You will be helped by the things he has to share, so be sure to listen.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [2:01] Who Peter is and how he got started with Global Suppliers.
  • [3:12] The history of Global Sources.
  • [3:25] The differences between Global Sources and Alibaba.
  • [4:57] The process you’d go through on Global Sources to find a supplier.
  • [6:05] How does the communication process work, and can test orders be done?
  • [7:58] Can products be customized via Global Sources?
  • [9:58] How do test orders typically work?
  • [11:40] Minimum orders from Global Sources - the typical scenario.
  • [12:16] Payment options with Global Sources manufacturers.
  • [14:04] Wire transfer payment tips.
  • [15:40] Future credit card options with Global Sources.
  • [16:32] Walking through the process on the Global Sources site.
  • [17:00] How to find the top suppliers who are most trustworthy.
  • [20:16] How shipping is typically handled with Global Sources suppliers.
  • [22:25] Manufacturing shows that Global Sources is part of and how it benefits buyers to attend a show.
  • [23:40] Mistakes commonly seen using the Global Sources site.
  • [26:59] How to make your process more rigorous as you scale up your orders.
  • [27:50] Why paying for 3rd party inspections is like insurance.
  • [31:41] How inspection companies charge.
  • [35:52] Scams that happen with supplier’s email addresses and financial risks.
  • [42:20] Why you want to move toward purchase orders as you scale larger.
  • [47:00] The power of good communication with Chinese suppliers.
  • [49:25] Scott’s summary of the episode.
Direct download: TAS170.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It may sound strange to you to hear that Scott likes to share his exact costs, profits, and other numbers with anyone who listens to this podcast. Isn’t that private information? It is, BUT - Scott’s more interested in helping you know the REALITY of what an Amazon private label business is like. You need to hear it all instead of just knowing the high sales numbers you might hear other places. Those can be misleading because they don’t include costs, fees, and other overhead that goes into being successful.

So today you’re going to hear Scott’s numbers for January 2016, costs, profits, losses, and new projects included. He’s also going to share the numbers for a new brand he’s been working on with a friend to show you what can happen with some brand new efforts on a very low priced product.

But more important than all of that, Scott’s going to walk you through the lessons he’s learned from the numbers and challenges he’s faced up to this point. This is a great thing for you to pay attention to because you’re able to see how an experienced private label seller thinks about the things he’s experiencing and the numbers that his business is producing.

So listen to this episode and get some seasoned insights into the private label business process.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:03] Introduction to this episode, so you know what to expect.
  • [0:47] January recap of Scott’s business and future plans.
  • [1:22] Update on Scott’s son’s basketball journey (for those who have been following).
  • [3:13] January numbers: Higher than December (that’s odd!).
  • [6:00] Scott’s current experiments with a new brand partnership (3 years old).
  • [11:00] Lesson learned: Understanding the market.
  • [11:45] Lesson learned: Low ticket items can still make money but are riskier.
  • [12:25] Lesson learned: Once you validate a market, it’s time to build a sales channel.
  • [13:52] Future plans: launching products to customers in his current markets and building an email list using Facebook ads.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode
www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop - sign up for one of Scott’s free workshops.

Direct download: TAS20BONUS20_20Update20January20Income202B20Lessons20Learned.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome to this episode of the Ask Scott version of the Amazing Seller Podcast. This is where you can get your Amazon private label questions answered by Scott Voelker, an experienced Amazon seller. He’s had all kinds of successes and failures from which he is able to draw answers to the questions that come his way each week. If you’d like to submit a question for Scott to answer about your private label efforts on Amazon, you can submit your question by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - and let Scott know what you’re having trouble with.

 

My manufacturer asked me a strange question about “shipping marks.”

 

A listener to the podcast was working with her supplier to get the products shipped and the supplier asked her what “shipping marks” she could supply for the packaging. She’s not sure what that really means so she turned to Scott to get his input. You’re going to be surprised at the simple advice Scott has for this listener and how easy it might be for her to get this issue resolved, so be sure you listen to this episode in case you ever run into this issue with your supplier.

 

Amazon assigns products their own barcode, so why do I need a UPC number for each product?

 

The issue of UPCs and Amazon assigned barcodes can be one of the most confusing things for new private label sellers. Why do you need a UPC if Amazon assigns its own? The simple answer is that Amazon requires you to have a unique UPC code for each of your products before you’re able to create a listing for the product on the Amazon platform. So you’ve got to do it. Period. Beyond that, Amazon does use its own barcode for internal and sales purposes. You can hear why this is the case and how it impacts your product selection and bundling of products on this episode.

 

I understand why it’s important for me to capture my customer’s emails, but I’m not sure how to do it.

 

Once you have people buying your products on Amazon you want to create a way to capture their email address. Why? So that you can market to them the next time you have a new or related product to sell. Those people who have already purchased from you are most likely to buy your new product. But how do you get those emails? What’s the best system to follow in order to make it easy, and to do it within Amazon’s terms of service? Scott’s got an in depth answer for you on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

I’m ready to decide on my first product. Should I select a product that has variations like size, color, or style?

 

There are so many options when it comes to selling products on Amazon through private label sales. How do you go about picking the right one with the right features. A listener to the podcast asks Scott if she should steer clear of products that have variations like size and color - and Scott recommends that she DOES steer clear of them for her first product. Do you know why he’d say that? You can find out on this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:03] Scott’s introduction to this episode of the podcast!
  • [0:20] How you can submit your own question for these Q&A episodes.
  • [1:15] A post from the TAS Facebook group that you can join!
  • [3:49] QUESTION ONE: My manufacturer has asked me for “shipping marks” - what is that?
  • [7:30] QUESTION TWO: Do I have to use my own UPC labels since Amazon has their own type that they use?
  • [11:50] QUESTION THREE: I’m a bit stuck when it comes to capturing emails from my customers. How can I do it?
  • [20:55] QUESTION FOUR: I’m setting up a new product and I’m curious if I should start with a product that has multiple sizes and/or colors? (variations)
Direct download: TAS169.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

This episode of The Amazing Seller has been brewing for some time. It’s a response to some of the most frequent myths Scott hears during the Q&A of his private label workshops (they’re free, by the way). Today Scott is not only going to tell you what these common myths are, but also WHY they are myths and what you can do to make sure that none of them happen to you. It’s a practical episode with lots of great resources you can use today to make your private label business more successful.

MYTH: Amazon is too saturated to get new products to take off.

It’s true that there are more products appearing on Amazon every single day. But it’s also true that more people are shopping on Amazon every day. The ratios of each are not the same by any stretch, but it’s clear that Amazon is still a vibrant place for businesses to be built and profit to be made. Scott’s got some very strong opinions on why people think Amazon is too saturated, and it has a lot to do with what they’re expecting as they begin to build their business. Hear the entire response to this myth, on this episode.

MYTH: It takes a lot of money to start an Amazon business?

If you had a lot of money to get started on an Amazon private label business, sure, you’d be in much better shape from the beginning. But that’s the case with any business venture. This myth is actually very foolish because it’s very easy to get started on Amazon with little to no money. In fact, Scott’s going to put you onto a case study that demonstrates that to be true. Be sure you listen to hear how Scott blows this myth right out of the water!

MYTH: The flop of a first product means Amazon private label doesn’t work.

Any product idea can flop the first time and there are a number of reasons for it. Sometimes the person didn’t follow the best practices for getting a product launched. In other words, they tried to shortcut the process. Other times the person didn’t research the depth of the market well enough to ensure that their attempts had a good chance of success. As a result, they moved into a market that was too crowded for them to get a foothold. And there are more reasons products flop on the first try, but none of that means that Amazon doesn’t work. Be sure to listen to Scott’s product launching advice so you don’t become one of the statistics.

MYTH: Amazon PPC (pay per click) is too complicated and ineffective.

It’s true that Amazon PPC is a bit complicated. But it’s not so terrible that you can’t learn it. It only takes time and experimentation to figure it out, and Scott’s confident that anyone can do it. Once you understand the system and are able to begin using it, you’ll find it to be extremely effective in helping you gain sales, which translate into a higher ranking for your product, and in turn, more organic sales coming to your listing. Find out how Scott destroys this myth, on this episode of the podcast.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to this podcast episode!
  • [0:50] How you can register for one of Scott’s free workshops to get a product up and running.
  • [1:50] Amazon is too saturated. When is it true and when is it not?
  • [6:27] It takes a lot of money to start an Amazon business. True or not?
  • [10:31] Are review groups against the Amazon terms of service?
  • [14:01] Does a first product launch flop mean that Amazon doesn’t work?
  • [17:01] Is Amazon Pay Per Click too complicated and not profitable.
  • [22:33] Summary of these myths.
  • [24:55] Some helpful reminders about going back to the basics.

 

Direct download: TAS168.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

On this episode of the Amazing Seller podcast you’re going to learn all about the power and importance of reviews on your Amazon products. Danny Brewer and Scott Voelker have a lot of experience soliciting and promoting reviews and both of them have tons to share about reviews and review groups and how they can help and hurt you when you’re trying to get your products out to the world.

 

What do reviews accomplish for your products?

 

Reviews are one of the most important parts of getting your product moved to the top of the page when someone searches for keywords related to your product. But there’s not a direct correlation. Reviews encourage potential customers to buy your product. Why? Because it appears to be more legitimate, more trustworthy. It’s THOSE sales that push your product higher in the organic search results. On this episode you’re going to hear two experienced Amazon sellers chat about the right and wrong ways to go about getting reviews for your Amazon products.

 

What’s the biggest reason reviews are deleted by the Amazon powers?

 

Amazon’s policies require reviews to be posted within certain guidelines. If your reviewers are not following those guidelines, the reviews they leave will eventually be deleted, which is of no benefit to you. The main reason for deletions is that people who receive a product for free (through one of your promotions) in exchange for a review do not say so in their review. Amazon requires that. On this episode you’re going to hear how you can encourage and even help you reviewers leave their response to your product without it being deleted.

 

Be careful of the trolls that lurk in public review groups.

 

When you post a free code for your product in an effort to promote it, you may get a great response. But consider what could happen (and often does). The people who see your free promo are not only potential customers, they could be potential competitors - and some of those competitors will do anything to hurt your sales, even buying your product using your promo, and leaving a bad review. It’s something that happens and that you should be very leary of. Today’s episode features some ideas you can put into place to make it where you don’t have to use public groups.

 

How can you find good, quality places to ask for good reviews?

 

Danny Brewer learned early on that promoting Amazon products with free or discounted coupons is problematic at best. Not only can trolls buy your product and give you bad reviews, people who are not serious about reviewing products can get in there, give you bad or lackluster reviews, and hurt your product in the end. Danny’s got a group that he’s been able to develop that is a powerful way to get quality reviews, and you can submit your products for consideration. The group doesn’t accept every product, so know that going in. Listen to this episode to get the details.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast and his guest, Danny Brewer.
  • [1:18] How you can get transcripts of the episodes.
  • [2:53] Danny’s introduction… and his expertise surrounding Amazon reviews.
  • [3:52] Why reviews are important for your products.
  • [5:58] What is an Amazon promotion and how do they work?
  • [6:31] One of the biggest reasons reviews are being deleted.
  • [10:00] Why organic sales are the biggest goal.
  • [11:41] How some review groups attract spies to your product.
  • [17:28] Why low quality, short reviews are not beneficial.
  • [23:38] The two types of promotions, including BSR boosts.
  • [26:39] How to determine the number of products to give away.
  • [31:20] What Danny does when he runs out of product: how to get his product back toward the top.
  • [37:45] How clicks on your promotions can be a bad thing.
  • [39:20] Don’t overdo the promotions.
  • [48:47] How Danny has created his own review groups to promote his product reviews… and how you can get your products considered by the group.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

 

Direct download: TAS167.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome back to the Ask Scott sessions of the Amazing Seller podcast. These Friday sessions are one of the funnest things Scott does every week - answering your questions from his own experience - about Amazon Private Label sales. This episode includes questions about handling returns through Amazon FBA, product categories as it relates to seller accounts, product selection tips, and customizable product offers. This episode is going to ramp up your ability to make your private label business rock!

 

What happens when a customer returns one of my products?

 

One of the aspects of Amazon private label sales that is seldom talked about in depth is the issue of product returns. It’s going to happen. You are going to have products returned either because they are broken in shipping or have some sort of flaw. What happens at Amazon when somebody returns one of your products and what can you do from there? Scott’s going to walk you through every step of the process so you know what to do, on this episode.

 

Should I keep all my products in the same categories?

 

A listener has noticed that some Amazon sellers have their products listed in a variety of categories. She’s wondering if there’s any advantage to this, or if it’s a waste of time. Scott’s got a definite opinion about this and it all centers around the use of keywords and how they impact what a searching customer is going to find when they are looking for a product. There is some powerful food for thought in Scott’s response to this question, so be sure you take some time to give it the thought it deserves.

 

Is there any way to make a customizable offer to an Amazon seller?

 

Wouldn’t it be great if you could offer your products in a customizable format of some kinds? A listener today asks if there is a way to make a custom offer to particular Amazon customers. While Scott’s not sure exactly what will come of it, he chats a bit about a new Amazon program that’s still in beta mode, called Amazon Custom. You can find a link to the program in the resources for this episode, and hear what Scott has to say about it by listening.

 

Have you attended the FREE Private Label  Workshop?

 

One of the things Scott does most months to help you understand, start, and ramp up your private label business is a free online workshop where he walks you through the 5 phases of getting your product live and selling on Amazon. Much of the TAS community attends these workshops again and again because there’s so much helpful content - AND there’s Q&A at the very end where you can ask your specific questions. If you’d like to get in on the next workshops, check out this episode to find out exactly how you can do it!




OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:37] How you can submit your question.
  • [1:50] How you can get a transcript of these episodes.
  • [2:27] QUESTION ONE: Can you walk through a product return process for me?
  • [11:12] Going over and above on customer service.
  • [12:20] Why you don’t want to follow the “one sale and done” philosophy.
  • [13:05] QUESTION TWO: A question about seller accounts and product categories.
  • [19:35] QUESTION THREE: I’m stuck on whether to pull the trigger on particular products… what’s the baseline criteria I should use to choose?
  • [25:11] QUESTION FOUR: Is there a way to make a customized offer to an Amazon buyer from an Amazon seller?
  • [29:58] Again, how to submit your question.
  • [30:24] Your invitation to  Scott’s FREE LIVE workshop.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS166.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Welcome back to this episode of The Amazing Seller, the very BEST place for you to learn how to sell products on Amazon. This episode is all about finding product ideas. That’s really the first and most important step to a successful private label selling business. You can’t even hope to make a living doing Amazon sales if you don’t have a product that people want to buy. So take this step seriously. Scott’s got some great tips for you about how to find product ideas that you KNOW will sell. Be sure to listen. This one’s full of great value.

 

First, think about serving a market.

 

You want more than one product that sells on Amazon. You want a brand, a business. If you’re going to build a line of products like every brand does, you need to think in terms of the overall market you’re going to serve. Are they hunters? Knitters? Chefs? Parents? Athletes? Drill down even further. Is there a subset group within that market? The more specific you can get the more clearly you’ll be able to discover specialty products that niche can use and will be willing to pay for. Think about the market and the wide variety of products they need and you’ll be on your way to finding a successful product you can private label on Amazon.

 

If you want to find great products to sell, start with a daily “touch list.”

 

You may have heard Scott talk about a “touch list” before, but it bears repeating because it’s so important. Everyday you touch thousands of things that you use to make your life work. Computers, clothes, toothbrushes, and more. Spend time over the next few days looking at everything you touch. Is there an item you use that’s kind of unique? Interesting? Popular? Is there a way you could come up with a product idea centered around a product like that? Take the time to make a touch list and you won’t be short of ideas for great products.

 

Your hobbies or passions may be the very best place for you to find a product idea.

 

Think about that one for a minute. If you’re already passionate about something you’ll know it better than most people. Start digging into those hobbies that you love so much to consider what items or products other people who like it would buy. Is there any way a product could be modified or tweaked to serve the market better? Is there something everyone wants but nobody can find? Do you see how this works? The more questions you ask about your hobbies the more you’re going to be able to find product ideas that can really work. Listen to this episode to get more great ideas from Scott about how to make your hobbies and passions into a business.

 

What have you purchased in the last 7 days?

 

Asking yourself this one question - and making a list - is going to open your mind to the possibilities of things that people buy regularly, over and over, for the daily business of life. Those are the kinds of things that will help you get your mind going to find those products that can be consistent in their sales and demand. Don’t be lazy and just try to think about it, write it down. Then expand your question to the last 30 days. You’ll be amazed at all the ideas you come up with from this one simple exercise.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:39] How you can get transcripts of every episode and cheat sheets of certain episodes.
  • [1:54] The one year anniversary of TAS!
  • [3:59] An inspiration from the TAS Facebook group.
  • [6:12] When Scott first started Amazon private label sales, there were no tools.
  • [8:10] How to think about the market you’re going to be serving.
  • [9:15] Why service one particular market is vital.
  • [17:00] Do your own personal “touch list.”
  • [18:20] Consider passions or hobbies you have.
  • [21:24] Browse shopping sites and networks to get ideas.
  • [22:50] Walk through the big box stores to get ideas.
  • [24:50] Infomercials and TV shows.
  • [27:40] Listen to what people are talking about.
  • [29:27] Check out the magazine racks at the store.
  • [31:51] A Bonus question you should ask yourself.
  • [33:45] A Bonus tip using Google Keyword tool

 

 

Direct download: TAS165.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Pay Per Click on Amazon is one of the most difficult and time consuming things that run behind a successful Amazon sales business. And you can’t do without it, it’s what makes your private label products pop up on the first page of Amazon before you’re able to get there through pure organic sales and recommendations. But how can you learn it and invest the time you need to in order to make it work without breaking the bank. On this episode, Scott Voelker and his guest, Ty Rooney, are talking about ways to amp up PPC campaigns on Amazon.

 

Starting your Pay per click campaigns the smart way.

 

There’s no reason the average person can’t manage their own PPC campaigns wisely. But you’ve got to get started in a smart way if you’re going to receive the benefits your products need. How do you start smart? The first thing is to set up an “auto” campaign and a few manual campaigns, then let it run for a while. Most people start tweaking things too early, before they get enough data to make some wise decisions. So be sure you don’t jump into the changes too soon. Hear how Scott Voelker and Ty Rooney think about PPC and what’s working for them.

 

What are you looking for in your PPC data?

 

When you open the Amazon PPC dashboard after a week of letting it run on an auto campaign and a couple of manual campaigns, you’re going to see a lot of numbers there. How do you know what to look for, and how do you know what those numbers mean? First, you’re going to start at the top and look at every single keyword. Your goal is to find the keywords that are getting the actual traffic to your product. Those keywords (and possible variations of them) will be the ones you’ll want to focus on as you adjust things. It’s way too complicated to explain here, so make sure you listen!

 

The new “Bid Plus” feature in Amazon PPC is here!

 

It was only a few months ago that Amazon provided some new features to the PPC dashboard that have made it a much more usable and powerful tool to drive traffic to your products. But now they’ve added another feature, called “Bid Plus.” What is it? We’re not exactly clear on that yet, but the first looks into it are promising. You can hear what Scott Voelker and Ty Rooney think about the feature and the other adjustments that Amazon is making to their platform all the time, on this episode.







OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:12] How you can get the transcripts from every episode.
  • [2:11] How Ty Rooney got started selling items online and what his business does now.
  • [6:20] How this episode came about: the backstory.
  • [7:17] The service Ty and Scott came up with to help folks with PPC.
  • [11:50] Why one bad review can hurt you.
  • [15:39] The importance of keeping on top of your PPC campaigns.
  • [17:08] What you can do to handle your PPC campaigns better.
  • [18:50] Step one: Create an auto campaign & 2 to 3 manual campaigns.
  • [21:40] Step two: Set your goals.
  • [24:10] Step three: Wait a week before you touch anything.
  • [25:01] Step four: Look at your results to determine which keywords are working best.
  • [28:45] When is it time to pause a PPC campaign?
  • [30:00] How PPC gives you real data on your actual sales and how you can use it.
  • [33:10] Step five: Keep digging in to refine your campaigns.
  • [40:00] The new “Bid Plus” feature on Amazon PPC.
  • [42:00] What Ty has created as a “done for you” service to manage your PPC.

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/manage - get on Ty’s list to try out his beta package.

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/PPC

 

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/119


www.JungleFlippers.com - sell or buy an Amazon private label company

Direct download: TAS164.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

You’re back! Welcome! We’re so glad to have you here for another episode of The Amazing Seller podcast. This is a Friday episode - an “Ask Scott” episode that answers your Amazon sales questions each week. If you want to get your questions answered, you can submit them for consideration by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask - and your question will be in the cue. So sit back, grab your pen and paper, and make sure you take good notes because you want to be sure you’re able to take action on what you learn!

 

Should I start Amazon sales with clothing as my first product?

 

Everyone needs clothes. There’s no doubt about that. But does a large demand for a product make it a good fit for you? Not necessarily. Clothing, for example, is a VERY saturated market. There are so many companies offering similar products that putting out a new product yourself will be an uphill battle at best. Besides that, there’s the issue of variations and sizing. It’s likely that clothing will be returned far more often than other items. Listen to Scott’s thoughts about whether you should choose clothing for a product line, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

I want to offer a product that is very similar to a patented product. Should I move ahead?

 

Patents are something you don’t want to play around with. The legal trouble you could get into is more than you are prepared to face - trust us. But it is important to understand exactly what a patent is and what it means if a product is patented. A patent says that “something” about a product is unique and that company has the rights to use that “something,” but not necessarily the entire product. The patent might cover a particular style of grip, for example. So you could offer a similar product, just not one with the same grip. Scott’s got some great insights on this episode so make sure you take the time to  hear what he’s got to say on this one.

 

I just learned about the Chinese New Year break. Is this going to keep me from getting my product restocked?

 

You heard right. New Year celebrations in China are a huge deal, so huge in fact that the working force typically takes off work for 2 weeks or more to celebrate. What does that mean for your inventory and product ordering? It means you’ve got to think ahead. You’ve got to plan ahead. You can use previous sales to estimate how many products you’ll need to last you through a time like Chinese new year, and you should. Scott tells his experience and approach to these kinds of inventory issues on this episode, so be sure to listen.

 

All these numbers: Barcodes, UPC, AISN - what are they and when do I need them?

 

Yes, there are lots of little codes and acronyms that you’ll have to learn if you’re going to do private label sales on Amazon. But once you know what each of them is and when they are used, it’s really not that hard. On this episode a listener asks Scott to explain all the codes and acronyms and in characteristic style, Scott gives a very thorough and helpful answer. You can learn this “newbie” issue too by listening to this podcast episode.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:42] Why Scott got goosebumps from one of his listeners who submitted a question on today’s show.
  • [1:51] How you can get your transcripts of Scott’s episodes.
  • [2:40] Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
  • [4:10] QUESTION 1: A question about clothing as a product: dealing with varieties, returns, etc.
  • [11:41] QUESTION 2: A question about patents and the possibilities of violating patents.
  • [19:44] QUESTION 3: How does the Chinese New Year impact your inventory?
  • [26:48] QUESTION 4: What is the difference between a barcode, a FNSKU, and a ASIN?
Direct download: TAS163.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

 

Hey, hey! What’s up everybody! It’s wonderful to have you back on another episode of The Amazing Seller. On today’s show, Scott has invited his buddy, Chris Schaeffer to join him for a very special, first time experience. Scott and Chris are going to be doing what Scott’s come to refer to as a “hot seat.” They’re going to take a real product, sold by a real TAS community member, and are going to evaluate the strategies being used to sell the product. This is the same format Scott’s going to do at an upcoming live event in Denver, Colorado, so listen in to get a taste for how this event could benefit YOUR product sales.

 

The product is live, the listing is good, but it’s not selling very well.

 

Today’ Scott Voelker is doing a “hot seat” where he and Chris Schaeffer are evaluation a real  Amazon product to help increase sales. Ebony has submitted her product for evaluation because she’s got plenty of reviews, a good product listing, and can get to page 1 with PPC, but the minute she stops doing Pay Per Click campaigns, the product drops to page 3 or worse. What should she do? Scott and Chris have some very helpful insights for Ebony that are likely to help you do it right the first time, so be sure you take the time to listen.

 

Consider seasonal products a second time.

 

On this “hot seat” session of the Amazing Seller, Scott and his friend Chris Schaeffer are evaluating a product that isn’t selling very well in hopes that they can increase its ranking on Amazon and increase sales. As they look it over, it’s clear that this is a seasonal product, which is not entirely bad, but it’s also not a product you can expect to have consistent sales all year round, which would be very nice, wouldn’t you say? So when you’re thinking about selling a seasonal product, you might want to think again before you pull the trigger. Or, you may want to consider other products you could offer to fill in the gap during the down times.

 

Depth of market is the HUGE issue for most products that don’t sell as expected.

 

When Scott Voelker talks about product research, one of the terms you’ll hear him use over and over is “depth of market.” What does he mean? He’s talking about determining whether or not there is actually “room” in a particular product market for you to introduce another of the same type of thing and legitimately expect that you’ll be able to gain a significant foothold. If you don’t do your market research well and for a long enough period of time, you may be setting yourself up for frustration. On this episode Scott and his friend Chris Schaeffer give a good amount of time to the process of market research, so make sure you listen so you can understand how to do it the right way!

 

What kind of 2nd product should you offer?

 

Today’s “hot seat” participant has a product that isn’t selling as well as she’d hoped. One of the solutions to the issue may be to offer a second product to her offerings. That way she could either bundle it with her original product to offer a completely new product, or she could choose a product that offsets the down-time of her original product, which is seasonal. Scott’s got some good insights into how you should think about the process of choosing a second product, and he’s going to share it with you on this episode, so be sure to listen!

.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:20] Scott’s first “Hot Seat” session, featuring a real Amazon seller and his friend,. Chris Schaeffer.
  • [2:21] How you can get in on Scott’s FREE live workshop.
  • [2:55] Introduction of Chris and Ebony, today’s participants.
  • [7:08] Ebony’s situation and product story.
  • [8:43] Chris’ first thoughts about Ebony’s approach: two things.
  • [9:20] Depth of market could be a problem.
  • [9:45] Seasonality could be an issue as well.
  • [10:44] The importance of the key product research tasks.
  • [14:50] Scott’s suggestion about adjusting the approach.
  • [15:35] Another approach from Chris regarding tweaking the PPC campaign.
  • [20:20] Why Chris would not give up on this product.
  • [24:04] What is the strategy to try to get the product to page #1?
  • [28:01] A good product, a great listing, and how to get more exposure.
  • [28:40] Choosing other products for your ideal customer to buy.
  • [32:10] How these hot seat events will work in a live setting (coming up).
  • [35:20] A new resource for you on every episode of the podcast!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS162.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

One of the things that makes for a better business is learning from people who are down that business path ahead of you. Scott loves to hear from people who have been doing Amazon private label sales for some time and one of those people he’s chatted with before is Greg Mercer, creator of Jungle Scout and Amazon seller himself. This conversation is a bit of an update to a previous episode (Episode 56), where Greg and Scott share their current tips about choosing products, launching, and the lessons they’ve learned over the years.

 

Greg Mercer’s criteria for good products to sell on Amazon

 

There are some common sense things you should be aware of when choosing products to sell on Amazon. Many people don’t think of these but would be hugely benefitted if they did. Here they are: Smaller products that weigh less than a pound - this keeps your shipping costs and fees lower. Nothing that can be easily broken in shipping or by use (that means electronics among other things). There’s really many more than we can cover in a short paragraph so be sure you take the time to listen to this value packed episode.

 

You’ve got to know how to research the depth of product markets to sell successfully.

 

You hear Scott talk about this issue quite often. It’s the role that depth of market plays in discovering if you have indeed found a true opportunity in a particular market. On this episode of the Amazing Seller Scott and his guest, Greg Mercer, go into quite a bit of detail about how each of them does market research, why it’s important, and the pitfalls you can avoid if you do this step the right way. Get ready to take some notes because these guys unpack it all the way!

 

Once you start ranking on Amazon you’ve got to keep your products near the top.

 

It’s one thing to enter a new market with your brand new product. It’s an exciting thing when you start to see your product sell. It’s even more exciting when you find your sales pushing your product toward the top of the search rankings. But how can you keep it there? That’s one of the many things Scott Voelker and Greg Mercer talk about on this episode of the Amazing Seller. They’re going to cover reviews, PPC (pay per click), and product sales, in depth. You won’t want to miss this one.

 

Jungle Scout: One of the best Amazon Private Label research tools out there!

 

When Scott first started selling on Amazon there was no software available to help with product and market research. He literally created a spreadsheet and tracked things day after day after day to find out what he needed to know. Now there are amazing software solutions that make that same research happen in seconds rather than months, and one of those is Jungle Scout, created by Greg Mercer. On this episode Greg unpacks the details of what Jungle Scout can do and how it works to help you optimize your product selection process - and he gives a discount on the software that listeners to this episode can get. Be sure you listen to find out how you can get that price break!

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:40] An upcoming resource Scott is creating out of this episode and how you can get it!
  • [2:38] Scott’s introduction of Greg Mercer.
  • [3:57] The 10 X 10 X 1 approach - a review… and Greg’s criteria for good products.
  • [5:30] Greg’s newer approaches to product selection.
  • [8:00] How products and accessories can go together beautifully.
  • [9:32] What does it mean when you say, “Depth of Market?”
  • [12:10] Things to watch out for when doing market research.
  • [15:17] Greg’s process when looking at his results in Jungle Scout.
  • [19:21] Assessing what type of sellers you’d be competing against.
  • [22:33] Greg’s current launch strategy for new products: more aggressive.
  • [24:41] How both guys do Pay Per Click for new products.
  • [27:12] The power of the new options in the Amazon pay per click engine.
  • [31:41] Diversifying products: How it makes you different from the competition.
  • [33:53] The issues to be aware of with more expensive products.
  • [35:00] Information about Jungle Scout - Greg’s product.
  • [43:70] Drilling into competitive niches with Jungle Scout.
  • [44:30] New features coming to Jungle Scout soon.
  • [46:53] Why Amazon private label is still a very good opportunity.
  • [47:10] Why the product research phase is truly critical to your success.
  • [50:40] Greg and Scott will be appearing in Miami together at an event.

 

LINKS MENTIONED

Direct download: TAS161.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

This is the episode of the Amazing Seller podcast where you get to ask your own questions and Scott will respond! That’s what you’re going to hear on this episode… real Amazon sellers or potential private label sellers who are just like you, asking questions about the way forward into Amazon sales. Scott answers them honestly, from his experience and from what he’s learned relating to other successful Amazon sellers and running his own business. If you want to ask your own question, you can do that by going to www.TheAmazingSeller.com/ask

I’ve only got $1,000 to get started with. How would you stretch that money as far as possible if you were beginning again?

There are many ways you can get started with building your own business by selling on Amazon. Scott’s not so arrogant as to think that there’s only one answer to the question. But some of the things he recommends are these: retail arbitrage as a way in and a way to get started - and you can do it today! From there you could move toward finding lower priced products on Alibaba or Ali Express to head toward private label sales. In all of this there are a variety of things you can do to trim costs, so be sure you listen to this episode to get the full picture of what Scott advises.

My products are running out of stock. What should I do to address this?

It’s a great problem to have when your products are selling at such a rate that you’re running out of stock before you can get more products in from your supplier. What should you do? Well the first issue you need to look at is your price. Is it possible that your product is prices way too low for the market? In response to this question Scott’s not only going to share a smart way to start increasing your price to discover your ideal price point, he’s also going to give you some other strategies for managing your inventory and keeping products in stock at all times.

You used to use Feedback Genius but have switched to Salesbacker. Can you tell me why you switched and what the differences are?

This listener is correct. Scott used to use and promote Feedback Genius in the early days of his Amazon private label sales business, but he’s made the switch to a different piece of software, Salesbacker. On today’s episode a listener asks what the differences are between the two and why Scott made the switch. Scott’s answer has more detail than we can cover here (so you should listen to his response), but the main reason is that Salesbacker was created for specific use with Amazon private label sales. The features and functions are specifically designed to give sellers exactly what they need in a variety of ways. Check out Scott’s entire explanation on this episode. .

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast! [0:40] A voicemail Scott loves and wants to share to pump you up! [1:24] How you can submit your own questions [4:05] Proof that you can get started with a relatively low amount of cash. [5:43] QUESTION ONE: Is there any way to know the shipping costs ahead of time? I only have $1000 to play with, how can I stretch it as much as possible? [15:10] QUESTION TWO: How should I address the issue of running out of stock? [18:48] QUESTION THREE: Can you tell me the benefits between Feedback Genius and Salesbacker?

Direct download: TAS160.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Keywords are the tracks upon which your Amazon Sales engine runs. It’s how Amazon knows what you have to sell. It’s now customers find your products. It’s how you drive traffic through PPC and organic search. Knowing that, it should be clear how important keywords are to the product listings you place on the Amazon platform. On this episode of The Amazing Seller, Scott is going to share 7 tips to find and use the best keywords for your product, and he’s also going to share some bonus tips for you regarding exactly what you should do with those keywords once you find them.

 

How would YOU search for your product?

 

Too often Amazon sellers forget that the reason keywords are important is because it’s the main things searchers use to find the products they are looking for. That means that the best way to approach keyword research is to get inside the heads of your ideal customer. What would THEY be searching for if they were looking for your product? You can start answering that question by asking YOURSELF what you’d search for if you were trying to find it. Then expand your question to your spouse, your friends, your coworkers. There’s no better way to find relevant search terms and keywords than to ask real live people. Get more great tips like this, on this episode.

 

Did you know that Amazon will GIVE you the keywords you should pursue?

 

Most people don’t think of it in those terms, but really, Amazon will give you its most searched keywords. How? Begin typing your primary keywords into the Amazon search field as if you were a customer searching for that product. You’ll notice that once you complete the word and hit the spacebar (like you were going to add another word), a list of search terms will be suggested to you. THOSE are additional keyword ideas that Amazon is telling you are commonly searched for surrounding your primary keyword. You’d be foolish not to use those in your PPC and listing optimization. Scott’s got lots more tips like this to share, on this episode.

 

Google search is still a great place to get keyword ideas.

 

When you search for anything on Google, you’ll notice two things if you pay attention. #1 - Google fills in your search box with suggestions as you search. Those suggestions are searches that other people have made using the same words you’re using. Write those down. #2 - Once you enter your search terms and hit “return,” you’ll notice that there is a list of “related” searches at the bottom of the first page. You should write those down as well. All of the things listed there are actual searches that have been done for the keywords you’re targeting. Take a few minutes to listen to this episode and learn even more simple ways you can find the keywords you need to include in your Amazon product listings and PPC campaigns.

 

Do you know HOW you should use the keywords you discover?

 

It’s one thing to find a bunch of great and unique keywords for your product. But do you know what to do with them once you have them? It’s not as simple as cramming your product title and listing full of them. There are certain ways to use them, particular places to put them that bring you the most bang for your buck. That’s what you want to do rather than waste the space you have on your listing with unneeded keywords. On this episode, Scott walks through some “bonus” tips about using keywords in the right places and at the right frequency. That section alone is worth the time it takes you to listen to this episode.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [2:03] Shout out to the TAS Facebook community.
  • [3:50] How would you search for your product?
  • [6:17] Looking at your competitor’s listings to see what they are using for keywords?
  • [8:32] Use Amazon’s suggested keyword suggestions.
  • [11:00] How to use Google search and Google’s keyword planner.
  • [15:14] Use Merchant Words software.
  • [17:29] Using Google Trends.
  • [19:57] You should use Simple Keyword Inspector
  • [22:31] Summary of the 7 tips.
  • [26:24] A few bonus tips from Scott’s experience.
  • [27:50] Basic ranking tips for using keywords/search terms.
  • [30:16] The importance of a well optimized listing.

 

LINKS MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE

Direct download: TAS159.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Many new private label sellers feel overwhelmed right from the start. There truly IS a lot to learn and a lot to do in order to build an Amazon sales business that truly thrives. For that reason, Scott wants you to know that the topic for this episode is one you DON’T have to do right away. This is for down the line, when you’re products are already on Amazon, your brand is already solid, and your sales are going well. THEN, you may want to consider building an authority website for your brand. What IS an authority website? You’ll learn all the details in answer to that question on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:04] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [0:25] What IS an authority website and when should you consider building one?
  • [2:18] The TAS Breakthrough is SOLD OUT! Watch for future events!
  • [4:00] How Scott and Jon got connected with each other.
  • [5:08] Building a website for the sake of Amazon’s brand registry.
  • [6:16] What is Amazon’s brand registry?
  • [8:30] What it takes to build a website that’s professional enough for brand registry.
  • [11:52] The foundational strategy behind the website build.
  • [12:46] What is an authority website or blog and why do you want one?
  • [14:38] Transitioning a niche website into a channel for private label sales.
  • [18:21] The biggest downside to building an authority site first.
  • [18:53] Scott’s efforts to build an authority site around his private label products.
  • [19:54] The DIY approach to building an authority site - what’s needed?
  • [23:30] The benefits of an authority site in terms of email capture.
  • [24:13] Jon’s response from his own authority site’s email list.
  • [27:16] The importance of keyword research for your authority site.
  • [28:49] Best practices for writing blog articles.
  • [29:25] What are comparison keywords and how do they help?
  • [31:14] Promoting an authority site: What are the best ways to do it?
  • [33:27] Jon’s unique approach to creating a blog network.
  • [35:18] Reaching out to bloggers in your space.
  • [36:02] How Amazon products are listed in Google itself.
  • [37:00] Ensuring your keyword is in your Amazon product URL.
  • [40:45] The key to success is consistency and quality links.
  • [42:47] How Jon’s team works with Amazon sellers to create niche websites.
  • [44:20] The advantage an authority site brings to your desire to sell your Amazon business.
  • [46:29] How to connect with Jon’s business for help.
  • [48:00] When to begin aiming toward a website for your product.
  • [53:24] Scott’s summary of the episode.

 

 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS158.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

There’s nothing that compares to getting together with like minded people to synergize, brainstorm, and gain inspiration. Today’s bonus episode is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to that kind of thing, and Scott is very excited to let you know about some of the places he’s been booked to speak on Amazon private label sales this coming year.

 

Find out two conferences where Scott will be this year, both in the early Spring months, and how you can attend. He’s excited to meet more of the TAS community and is hopeful that many of you can get to these events to learn, grow, and find new ways to advance your Amazon business..

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Introduction of this special BONUS podcast.
  • [0:53] How Scott was able to secure some speaking dates.
  • [3:32] The “piggyback” idea to do his own event.
  • [4:55] The “Reseller Conference” - April 29 & 30, where Scott is speaking.
  • [8:20] The “Seller’s Summit” with Steve Chou - May 19-21st.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode

 

 

Direct download: BONUS_20Exciting20Dates.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s Friday again. Do you know what THAT means? It means that it’s time for Scott Voelker to field your Amazon private label questions again… and it’s one of the highlights of his whole week. If you’re a seasoned Vet at private label sales, or brand new, chances are that you’re going to hear a question on these Friday “Ask Scott” episodes that helps you move your Amazon business forward. And if you’d like to ask your own question, Scott’s going to tell you how you can do that on this episode, so be sure to listen.

 

Have you heard of Scott’s “999 Method” of tracking your competitor’s sales?

 

A listener wants to know if there is a way he can estimate how much of a product is being sold by one of his competitors. There are all kinds of reasons you might want to do that, and Scott walks through them briefly on this episode. But he also points out two ways you can do that very thing, one using software (Jungle Scout) and another that you can do on your own, over a period of just a few days, and it will cost you nothing. Scott calls it the “999 method” and you’ll find out how you can do it, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

 

I hear you talk about waiting for UPS to pick up some of your items. How do you get a UPS account and how much does it cost?

 

When the time comes to ship your products to Amazon’s warehouse, there are a couple of ways you can do it. First, you can load up the boxes in your car and drive them down to your nearest UPS store or packaging store and let them take it from there. Or, you can have UPS come to your house and pick up the products. If you’re only shipping one box, it may be a bit too costly to have them come to your house, but if you have multiple boxes, it may be the most cost effective. Hear Scott’s explanation of this simple task, on this episode.

 

I’m about to start using Amazon PPC. What kind of conversions am I looking for to know if I’ve got a good campaign going?

 

One of the most confusing parts of promoting your private label products on Amazon is learning how to build and manage effective pay per click campaigns. A listener who is just starting out on PPC asked what kind of conversion numbers she should be looking for from a campaign, and even though the variables are many, Scott’s got a general guideline that he suggests any Amazon seller should look for. He’s also going to explain what those numbers mean for you and your product sales.

 

Do you know how to dial in your Amazon PPC campaigns to be the most effective?

 

No matter how cool or beneficial your private label product is, you’ve got to get people to your product page before you’re going to make much profit selling it. That’s where Amazon PPC comes in (pay per click). It’s Amazon’s tool for placing advertising on a customer’s search results page that has to do with the items they are searching for… and it’s YOUR way to get your products seen by people who are looking for exactly what you’re selling. But PPC is not an easy thing to fine tune, and on this episode Scott walks you through the exact steps he uses when he’s setting up his own Amazon PPC campaigns.

.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s welcome to this Q&A Episode.
  • [0:37] The live event is SOLD OUT!
  • [1:52] Scott’s reasons for doing the podcast.
  • [2:50] How you can ask your question for these “Ask Scott” episodes.
  • [4:33] QUESTION ONE: Is there a way to track products competitors have in the Amazon warehouse?”
  • [11:29] QUESTION TWO: How do you ship your products to Amazon? Do you have a UPS account?
  • [15:55] QUESTION THREE: What conversions should you expect from using Amazon Pay Per Click?
  • [22:25] QUESTION FOUR: What criteria are you looking for in order to dial in your PPC campaigns?
  • [31:19] How you can ask your questions for an upcoming episode!
  • [31:35] Your invite to Scott’s free private label course and his live workshop.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 

Direct download: TAS157.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

It’s not uncommon for people who are thinking about starting an Amazon private label business to step into the ring expecting great things right away. It’s nice when that happens, but the truth is that it doesn’t happen very often. There’s lot of hard work required to get to the point that truly significant profit is coming in… that’s because most people don’t take into account the product costs, FBA fees, advertising costs, and other variables that bite into your profit margins. On this episode Scott reveals his December 2015 numbers, sales and costs, so you can get a realistic picture of what a successful Amazon business is really like.

 

The 4th quarter was not the outstanding success for Scott that some sellers experienced.

 

Most of the buzz in the Amazon sales community is that the 4th quarter is a time of incredible income and sales. The reason for the expectation is that Christmas (gift giving) is part of that time frame. While it is true that retail sales are generally much higher than normal, the 4th quarter is not that way for everyone. Scott’s one of those people. Why wasn’t it a big gain for him? The reason is very simple… and one Scott intended. What? Why would he intend to make less sales during the 4th quarter? Listen to this episode to find out his well reasoned purpose behind it.

 

One of the effects of competition in your niche.

 

When Scott first started his Amazon business in the fall of 2014, he got into a niche that didn’t have much competition. His products were seeing $10 to #12 margins regularly at that time. But as time has gone by more sellers have entered that niche area. As a result, the competition has become as much about pricing as anything else. What happens in that case? Everyone starts dropping their prices in an effort to get the lion’s share of the market, which isn’t really very good for anyone. Scott’s margins have dropped significantly since then. On this episode Scott talks for a good while about the dynamics of pricing wars and what you can do to protect yourself (and your private label products).

 

Why Scott believes it’s good to have a number of unique products for sale simultaneously.

 

It’s always better to NOT have all your eggs in one basket. Not only are you vulnerable to greater loss when your income is dependent on one product line, you’re also not enjoying the stability that can come from having multiple products. Why stability? Because the down trends in one niche will likely be offset by the “up” trends of products in another niche at any given time. That means your overall income is less of a roller coaster and more of a gentle incline. Scott’s got some intriguing thoughts on this subject and shares what he’s doing to expand his products on Amazon, so be sure you listen.

 

It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re selling private label on Amazon.

 

Almost every week in the TAS Facebook community somebody shares a screenshot of their product sales. It’s not uncommon to see $20K months, $30K months, and even more. It’s fine to have that as an ambition, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind so that you don’t become discouraged that your product sales are not at those levels. #1 - Those numbers don’t show all the fees and costs associated with making the sales. The actual profit is much less than those numbers. #2 - The people who are getting those kinds of sales have likely been working at it for a good deal of time. You can’t and shouldn’t expect your sales to match theirs right off the bat. And # 3 - well, you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear Scott’s other thoughts about this important issue.

.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

 

  • [0:25] Scott’s introduction to the podcast!
  • [1:41] Why Scott shares the ups AND the downs of his business.
  • [3:10] Scott’s December numbers and product sales.
  • [4:20] What’s happened to Scott’s sales because of competition and pricing wars.
  • [5:24] Figuring in product costs, Pay per click, FBA fees, and other things.
  • [8:22] How to think of the profit numbers Scott is reporting, and things to keep in mind.
  • [10:00] Considering the unique products and the span of sales across them.
  • [11:12] Bundles that Scott is selling.
  • [13:90] A new product partnership Scott’s been working on, and how it’s going.
  • [17:45] There’s a variety of ways you can enter the Amazon marketplace.
  • [19:44] The impact price has on your income.
  • [20:40] Why more SKUs means more consistent income.
  • [23:47] Why the 4th quarter is not always good for every seller.
  • [25:35] Scott’s plans going forward.
  • [28:30] Why you need to be careful about discouragement.

Links mentioned in this episode

Direct download: TAS156.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Every person who lists a private label product on Amazon is playing in Amazon’s playground. That means Amazon makes the rules, and man, do they set the rules! There are all kinds of guidelines and rules that govern how you list your products and a host of other things. You want to make sure you’re doing things right. Amazon is not shy about banning people from their sales platform for breaking the rules. Recently, some changes are happening within those rules, and they’re things you need to know about if you’re going to stay within the guidelines. Today’s episode features Karon Thackston, an Amazon listings copywriter whose business creates done-for-you Amazon listings for sellers. She’s got the low down on all the changes, so make sure you listen.

Rolling it out changes a little bit at a time.

Karon Thackston and her team deal with Amazon listings all day, every day. It’s their job to write incredible product descriptions and copy for Amazon sellers. As part of her role she interacts with seller support technicians often. Lately, she’s struck up a relationship with a support guy named Peter who’s been helping her address some of the inconsistencies within Amazon’s rules and system. Many of the changes we’re beginning to see are a result of these interactions. On this episode you’re going to hear how Amazon is rolling out small changes in certain product categories and how they might wind up being added to other categories as well.

Why do some product listings have images in their descriptions but I can’t put them in mine?

Listing your products on Amazon means that you have to play by Amazon’s rules. One of those rules has to do with the way product listings are formatted. Up until this point, basic Amazon sellers are not allowed to put images within their listings. But you still see images in some listings. That’s because Amazon extends special privileges to big name brands and what they call A+ sellers, as well as their own Amazon branded listings. It’s somewhat of an unfair advantage those companies have, but again, it’s Amazon’s rules that govern the listings.

Character restrictions for bullet points in your product listing have changed!

Previously, bullet points could only be so long, but Amazon has increased those (in certain categories) to 200 characters. Now your bullet points can be longer. But don’t get too excited. Today’s guest, Karon Thackston recommends that you not overstuff your bullet points with unneeded words and descriptions. She believes it will actually detract from your listing and cause shoppers to click away. Find out why she thinks so on this great interview episode of the Amazing Seller.

Entering your keywords on the Amazon backend is not as simple as it may look.

There can be lots of confusion about what format your keywords should be in when you enter them in your product description. Should they be comma separated? What about spacing? Should I include multi-word keywords? These and other issues are very important because the Amazon software handles each of them differently. Karon Thackston is on the show today to clearly define these keyword issues to help you get your products seen and purchased. You’ll want to hear this one, for sure.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

  • [0:05] Scott’s introduction of his guest, Karon Thackston.
  • [1:49] Overview of what we’ll be talking about today.
  • [2:00] Your invite to Scott’s live Q&A workshop online.
  • [3:55] The new changes to the Amazon listings guidelines.
  • [8:00] Changes to formatting that are likely to roll out across all categories.
  • [11:00] Why some listings have images in the product descriptions and why you SHOULDN’T do it.
  • [12:35] The top conversion tips for Amazon product listings.
  • [16:16] Character limit changes for titles and bullets (in some categories).
  • [18:55] Additional dos and don’ts for the title.
  • [23:21] What if your competitor is breaking rules? Should they be reported?
  • [25:51] Updated opportunities to mention compatibility issues.
  • [28:22] Taking care to use the sections for their intended purposes
  • [29:41] Rules regarding bullet formatting.
  • [32:41] Rules regarding descriptions.
  • [34:42] How to work around description formatting issues.
  • [36:57] Changes to search term field guidelines.
  • [40:00] Using PPC data to discover search terms.
  • [43:47] Are descriptions used for indexing in Amazon’s system?
  • [49:00] Unknown things about search terms you need to know.
  • [55:00] Karen’s done-for-you services for Amazon listings.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/86 - Karon’s first episode

Amazon Advantage: Product Listing Strategies – Karon’s book (Use the code “scott20” to get 20% off) – NOTE: this is case sensitive

www.MarketingWords.com – Karon’s company website focused on Amazon copywriting

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

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

Direct download: TAS155.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT