The Smartest Amazon Seller
Scott Needham is the Founder of SmartScout. An Amazon software developer for 10 years his company BuyBoxer has done over $300m in sales on Amazon. Scott has accumulated a deep knowledge about selling product online, and in the podcast he shares his knowledge with you to help you become a better Amazon seller.
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Episodes
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
Tuesday Jun 02, 2020
In today’s episode, we talk with Larry Lubarsky, AKA “Watch Me Amazon,” who has launched the influential Wholesale Academy program. We start by discussing how the coronavirus has affected Amazon sellers. We talk about best practices with pricing and how to work with account health reps to prevent suspension. We talk about best tactics with negotiating discounts with vendors. We then discuss the benefits and opportunities overseas with Amazon in Europe, as well as the best way to start selling in foreign marketplaces. We wrap up by talking about Wholesale Academy and why Larry considers it to be one of his proudest achievements. What A Time To Be A Seller! Effects of COVID-19 On Amazon 1:13Repricing; Negotiating Discounts With Vendors 6:30Success In The FBA Model Overseas; When To Hire a Pro 27:22About Wholesale Academy 43:59“Every time we set a maximum price on a skew, we actually go on the listing, we look at the Keepa chart, we look at the product’s history, and...we look back at the last year and set a maximum price that’s realistic for that particular product.” 8:35Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Today we talk with Bradley Sun From Helium 10, a software provider, about launching products on Amazon. We discuss how the Coronavirus has affected launching products, pointing out that to launch a product, you need to be looking at historical data of its past performance. We talk about Helium 10’s Project X on Youtube, as well as how Helium 10 is supporting categories whose sales are significantly down due to the effects of the pandemic. We talk about the unique tools of Helium 10 in helping you market on Amazon, such as keyword tracking and the reverse ASIN tool, among many others. We finish by discussing the Freedom Ticket program for new sellers and how Helium 10 covers the cost for that program as part of its package. We finish by offering the listeners of this podcast one of 2 coupon codes: Use BUYBOXER 50 for 50% of the first month, and BUYBOXER 10 for 10% off the first year subscription. How Has COVID-19 Affected Launching Products? 1:06Helium 10 Has The Tools To Help You Nail Your Marketing 10:58How Helium 10 Helps New Sellers Get Their Start 23:546Special Offer For Smartest Seller Listeners 26:33“If I’m going to put some capital and some risk into something, I’ve gotta look at its evergreen status. Was this a good product pre-coronavirus? Is this a good product throughout the year, or is it seasonal? And without that historical data, you will get stuck.” 3:11Reach Out To Bradley: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Helium10Users/Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Tuesday May 19, 2020
In today’s episode, we talk with Jeremy and Andy from Veriship, a UPS and FedEx audit company that bought Scott’s company, Valence. We discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has affected shipping. We explain what kinds of audits Veriship performs and why their services are of value for your Amazon business. We discuss the One Rate Program and Seller-Fulfilled Prime. We end with a discussion about how shipping is a major part of your company’s brand, and offer the listeners to this podcast a special rate with Veriship at this link: https://info.veriship.com/smartestsellerHow COVID 19 Has Affected Veriship and Shipping 2:20What Veriship Can Do For Your Business 5:53 Breaking Down Carrier Pricing Agreements; FedEx One Rate 11:26Shippers Represent Your Brand -- Hold Them Accountable 20:41“In the world that we live in nowadays -- even before the coronavirus pandemic started to break out -- controlling your cost is the number 1 key. The cost of shipping has the tendency to go up, year over year -- the carriers are raising their rates. And E-commerce shippers are popping up. It’s never been easier to start an online company than it is right now.” 9:35Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Today, we talk all things seller performance with Lesley Hensell, co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting (http://riverbendconsulting.com/). We discuss account suspensions and how to react if this happens to you. We give insights into some of Amazon’s procedures and processes with price gouging and suspensions. We talk about the many measures Riverbend takes to help sellers in a variety of situations. We discuss suspensions of single ASIN’s, and also give important advice for writing appeals. We invite you to learn more about Riverbend’s services. "Go here to contact Riverbend now"https://www.riverbendconsulting.com/what-we-do/amazon-account-suspension-bb-refer/How Amazon Works With Suspensions 1:52How Riverbend Helps You Deal With Account Suspensions 9:56ASIN Suspensions; Admit When You’re Wrong 20:29Learn More About RIverbend Consulting 30:04“We’ve talked to them about changing the way that they do their pricing structure, because some do everything based on a percentage above cost of goods sold, and that’s how they decide what their price point is.” 14:23Talk With A Consultant! 877-289-1017 Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday May 05, 2020
Tuesday May 05, 2020
Today Scott talks about what he’s doing with his business to take advantage of and reduce the risk surrounding the changes that have taken place in Amazon due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about the categories that are doing well right now, such as crafts, puzzles, musical instruments, and home gym products. We also discuss how Amazon and BuyBoxer are adapting to the pandemic, and talk about small business loans such as the disaster grant and disaster relief loan, as well as the Payroll Protection Plan. We finish by discussing what you should be thinking about for the future as an Amazon seller, and wish you and your business the best. Price Gouging vs. Repricing 1:00 Transitioning Our Categories: What’s Stocking Out 4:26How Amazon and BuyBoxer Are Adjusting to Change 6:50Predictions and What You Should Be Thinking About 11:34“So I hope you are starting to strategize how you’re going to come out of it. Businesses are going to be hurt, and, I’d hate to point it out, there’s going to be opportunity. And I do think that some of the biggest opportunity is in E-commerce. And so, in 6 months it’s a better time to launch a product than last year -- I think there’s going to be a major shake-up.” 11:08Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Today we interview one of our most tenured employees at Buyboxer, Michelle Kartchner, Director of Client Services. She works with suppliers and distributors, and explains the ins and outs of that process. We discuss the importance of building trust with shipping companies on Amazon. We talk about what makes a brand successful on Amazon, including channel control, investing in advertising, and having winning skews. We emphasize the importance of getting first reviews right, careful pricing, and a thorough understanding of Amazon to ensure the success of brands. We also talk about how consistency is one of the most important keys to build trust with brands. We discuss other important services such as cleaning up product pages and advertising. We finish by inviting you to find out more about Buyboxer’s approach to Amazon Compliance at https://www.buyboxer.com/healthyaccount. Building Relationships of Trust In Amazon Shipment 1:03What Makes Brands Successful; What Makes Brands Fail 7:17The Importance of Consistency 15:00Cleaning Up Product Pages and Advertising Make You Valuable 20:39“We pride ourselves on being the Amazon experts. That’s why we get hired, and why brands bring us on to help them out. And when they don’t hand over that trust to us to actually do the work we were hired to do, it really inhibits what we can get done.” 14:41Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Today we interview Todd Snively and Chris Keef, two Amazon Wholesale professionals. We discuss how the current global pandemic has affected E-commerce on Amazon, and warn against trying to capitalize on products that are currently under the microscope. We share that FBM is now a wide-open opportunity, and advise that sellers look out for products that are further down on the bestseller rank but are rising in demand. We discuss how the wholesale model can involve much less risk than private label. We give advice for those who struggle with sourcing, and point out that data is the key to finding the most profitable products. We discuss how Amazon giving scrutiny is a good sign that they can adapt and implement policy quickly during uncertain times. We invite you to reach out to www.wholesaleproductmastery.com/info to see how they can help you. -Covid-19’s Impacts on E-commerce 1:15-How Amazon is Moving Forward; The “Unsexy” Approach; Reducing Risk 8:31-Advice For Those Struggling With Sourcing; Amazon’s Efforts to Build Trust 18:24-How wholesaleproductmastery.com Can Help You 30:05“The inventory turns that we can get at any given time with private label, it was 3, 4, maybe? We’re gonna take that investment and maybe get 3 to 4 times on it. In the wholesale model you should get 12, 14, 15? I mean, you can turn that same investment so many times because they are U.S. based suppliers. You’re only holding inventory on hand 2 and a half weeks, 3 weeks? You don’t have to float an entire container load’s worth of stuff for your inventory. So, I made that switch for those reasons among others, and it’s certainly paid off handsomely.” 16:56Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Today’s episode is about a tool that can be a game changer for wholesalers and resellers. We interview Tom Myers from the Wholesale Inspector, an online tool which helps the seller find the best opportunities from among hundreds of UPC’s. We talk about the features and data points of wholesaleinspector.com and how they were developed, as well as new features that are about to debut. We also give pro tips on how to use Wholesale Inspector, including double checking the numbers of bundle packs. We invite the listener to get their FIRST MONTH FREE at Wholesale Inspector by following this link: http://wholesaleinspector.com?fp_ref=smartestseller-The Features of wholesaleinspector.com 4:14-First Announcement of Brand New Feature; Bundle Packs 10:12-Offer For Listeners of This Podcast; Benefits of W.I.’s Unmatched Speed 16:43“Say your supplier calls up 8 o’clock in the morning saying, ‘Hey, Scott, we’ve got this super good deal list going on right now! Limited stock, though, so first come, first serve.’ And you’re like, ‘Oh, great, I’m gonna go run this!’ And you go to your competitor’s tool and you upload it, and you wait 10 hours to get your results. By the time you put your PO. in, those things have sold out already. But with Wholesale Inspector where it’s nice and fast, you can run the list, get the results back in a couple minutes, and have your PO out within half an hour, and be the first to jump on some of those nice deals.” 17:40https://wholesaleinspector.com/Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Today we talk with Jed Rawson, a grocery expert on Amazon. We talk about the changes that have happened in Amazon since the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk about Amazon Lending withholding money, the spike in demand for food items, and repeat purchase rate and organic review rate as essential analysis numbers for grocery businesses on Amazon. We also talk about CPC in online grocery, and the important, trending terms in the marketplace such as keto and gluten-free. We talk about changes in CPC, data analysis, budgeting, and inventory due to the pandemic. We talk about the advantages of staying 100% on the white-hat side of Amazon selling, even during times like these. We discuss triage as an essential business tactic right now, and give our predictions about the course and potential aftermath of the pandemic. -Effect of Coronavirus on Amazon 1:39-Differences From Other Amazon Businesses 7:52-Unprecedented Changes in CPC, Budgets, Inventory; Price Gouging 14:37Keeping Up With Demand; Triage; What to Expect 24:43“Cost-per-clicks for some categories are crashing. And even if it’s a hard good -- like a pet bed -- crashing, and getting a lot cheaper. But the cost-per-click for hand sanitizer, for toilet paper, for like staple goods, is through the roof. And so we’ve had to change our approach and be careful targeting very common, very competitive terms.” 15:12https://www.rawamz.com/Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
In today’s episode, we interview Derek James, an 8 figure private label seller on Amazon and Amazon coach who has made $200 million with all new ASIN’s. We begin by discussing launch strategies for private label products and brand licensing, including the importance of budgeting and category research. We talk about getting returns on your investments both at Derek’s scale and smaller scales. We also talk strategy for lighting deals and other deals. We then talk about removing stress from managing an Amazon business using virtual assistants. We then segue the conversation into Derek’s program for training VA’s. We finish by discussing the importance of quality education from trusted sources to help build your business on Amazon. To get in touch with Derek or to learn more from him, go to https://derekjamessells.com/-Launch Strategy for New Products; Returns on Investment 2:45-Deal Strategies 14:52-Removing the Stress From Managing an Amazon Business: VA’s 24:16-Where to Go For Advice For Your Amazon Business 30:03“You have to be clear, in your vision, about what is it going to take, monetarily, to maybe enter this category. What’s my cost of goods? What’s my landing cost? Have I built an ad campaign cost? What’s my creative cost? Am I shooting video? Do I have my trademark already done so I can do enhanced brand content -- EBC, A+ content, all these things. Those are all things that in the beginning we would look at.” 4:19Socialhttps://www.instagram.com/smartestseller/https://www.buyboxer.com/https://www.instagram.com/derekdemeo/?hl=en