

The Smartest Amazon Seller
SmartScout
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 28, 2023 • 25min
Episode 233 - The New Seller Fulfilled Prime Is Back and Open for Business
Seller Fulfilled Prime is crucial for sellers looking to optimize their fulfillment operations, reduce costs, and enhance their competitiveness in the Amazon marketplace.
It provides a strategic alternative to FBA, offering greater control, flexibility, and the ability to meet the high expectations of Amazon Prime customers.
Whether you're a seasoned seller or just starting, this episode featuring Manish Chowdhary, Founder & CEO at Cahoot -the World's first P2P Fulfillment Network for Brands and retailers- provides actionable information to navigate the ever-evolving dynamics of e-commerce fulfillment.
Episode notes:
00:15 - Manish Chowdhary Introduction
00:40 - Amazon FBA Programs
01:45 - Seller Fulfilled Prime Program Requirements
05:10 - Delivery Speed Metric
08:15 - Who is Seller Fulfilled Prime Best For?
“It’s a myth that FBA is cheaper across the board.” -Manish
10:50 - Multi-Channel Fulfillment
11:55 - Lawsuits and Latest News About Amazon SFP
15:40 - Seller Fulfilled Prime For Specific Shipping Regions
19:10 - Adoption of Seller Fulfilled Prime
20:25 - Seller Fulfilled Prime Application
21:05 - Seller Fulfilled Prime Trial
23:35 - Amazon Fees
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manish-chowdhary
Website: Cahoot.ai
X: PulseCommerce
Related Post: FBA Doesn’t Always Beat FBM: When to Pick One for New Sellers

Nov 21, 2023 • 30min
Episode 232 - How To Build an Amazon Brand That Avoids the Chinese Sellers
Andy Isom, YouTuber, Podcaster, and Business Coach, discusses how to build an Amazon brand that stands apart from Chinese sellers. Topics include the growing presence of Chinese sellers, advantages of US-based sellers, using AI for product concepts, and the importance of building a brand community.

Nov 14, 2023 • 36min
Episode 231 - How a One-Man Machine Is the Best Growth Strategy for Amazon With Aaron Moore
Need a full-service, one-stop-shop for your Amazon business?
Store Creation, Inventory, Listing Optimization, CPC Advertising, and more, Aaron Moore, your remote director of Amazon, will deliver results.
Learn the advantages of choosing a solo-operated agency over larger teams, plus other strategies that will take your Amazon business to the next level.
Episode Notes:
00:30 - Aaron Moore Introduction
03:10 - Advantages of single operator agency
05:30 - Aaron’s Multiple Skillset Sources
“Get in there, get your hands dirty, and up. Do the work” -Aaron
09:30 - Finding Clients as a Single Operator Agency
11:25 - Going Up Against Other Agencies
13:30 - How Does Aaron Feel About Outsourcing Tasks?
15:00 - Biggest Sales Contributor
18:10 - Setting Up Financing
18:55 - Aaron’s Preferred Brands
20:50 - The Patent Wars
25:20 - Pulling Data From SmartScout
28:05 - SmartScout Subcategories
29:05 - Targeting Products
31:40 - Amazon in 5-10 Years
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/theamzaaron
Website: www.mooreamazon.com
Related Post: Amazon Growth Agency Becomes Adept With SmartScout

Nov 8, 2023 • 11min
Episode 230 - Aged Inventory Is Working Against Your Amazon Business
Aged inventory can be a silent, but substantial, hindrance to the growth and profitability of your Amazon business.
Non-moving products, especially in Q4, can lead to long-term storage fees.
In this short but information-packed episode, Scott reveals the challenges posed by aged inventory and offers effective strategies to address this issue and optimize your Amazon business.
Episode Notes:
00:15 - Amazon FBA Fees and Stale Inventory
02:10 - Monthly Storage Fee
02:45 - Long-term Storage Fee
03:45 - Removal Fees
05:15 - Storage Utilization Surcharge
05:45 - Capital and Opportunity Cost
06:00 - Cost-effective Ways to Sell Aging Inventory
06:35 - Proper Way of Discounting
08:10 - How to Sell When You Don’t Have Traffic
09:15 - Use Tools to Manage Inventory
Related Post: How To Sell Through Amazon Aged and Stale Inventory

Oct 31, 2023 • 30min
Episode 229 - When Does Maximizing Amazon Profits Start To Hurt You With Jason Henan
When selling on Amazon, maximizing your profits is crucial for the success of your e-commerce business.
But what happens when it starts to backfire and hurt your bottom line?
We got Jason Hanan, co-founder of AZsellerkit, to give us the fine details of what could potentially destroy your whole Amazon listing and the steps to take to aggressively reverse the effects.
Episode Notes:
00:30 - Jason Hanan Introduction
04:25 - How to Optimize Variation Listing
07:40 - Pulling Out a Variation That Hurts Your Whole Listing
09:55 - The Power of Coupons
11:30 - Engagement from Price Variation
12:05 - SmartScout Rank Tracker
12:50 - Which Variants Are on Which Keywords
13:55 - The Influence of Amazon Pricing Structure
17:10 - Pricing Pain Points and Profit Maximization
19:30 - Raising Prices Without Hurting Velocity
24:15 - Test Pricing on Items
27:00 - Ad Spends and Returns
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-hanan-3a448013/
Website: AZsellerkit.com
Related Post: Amazon Variation Listing: An Ultimate Guide [2023]

Oct 24, 2023 • 17min
Episode 228 - Turn Amazon Seller Support From a Frustration to a Solved Problem With Seller Candy
While Amazon Seller Support plays a vital role in assisting sellers, some may find it annoying or frustrating due to various reasons.
When support is broken, It disrupts the user experience and also hurts the end consumers.
Learn the weirdest pain point of selling on Amazon and how Seller Candy solved the problem of Amazon Seller Support with the Seller Candy Founder Josh Cavendish and the Smartest Amazon Seller Scott Needham.
Episode Notes:
00:15 - John Cavendish Introduction
01:55 - Amazon Seller Support Going Downhill
02:45 - Biggest Problem on Seller Support
03:45 - Why is Amazon Seller Support Bad at Helping?
08:10 - Is Seller Candy’s Solution for All Types of Sellers?
10:35 - Seller Candy’s Service Model
12:00 - Will Amazon Ever Solve Seller Support Issues
12:30 - Weaponzing Seller Support
13:00 - Seller Candy’s Ask Portal
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejohncavendish
Website: sellercandy. com
Related Post: What To Do When Amazon Seller Support Does Not Answer Your Question?

Oct 17, 2023 • 28min
Episode 227 - Top Amazon Seller Pattern. Strength and Weakness Analysis With Jason Landro of Nectar
From Amazon selling to running a premier e-commerce services agency that helps brands grow on Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify, Nectar Co-founder Jason Landro sparked a controversial topic about Pattern, the largest reseller of products on Amazon.
In this episode, learn why Jason thinks pure wholesalers/resellers will go extinct as well as the strengths and weaknesses of Pattern’s business model.
Episode Notes:
00:15 - Jason Landro Introduction
01:00 - Jason’s Background
01:40 - Pattern’s Business Model
03:10 - Pattern’s Weaknesses
08:55 - Risk of Taking on Inventory
11:00 - Pattern’s Strengths
12:35 - Selling Direct
16:00 - 1p Dynamic Change
18:50 - What Adding Value Means
20:10 - Pattern’s Valuation
22:25 - Rising Fulfillment Costs
25:30 - Final Thoughts
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasonlandro Website: thinknectar.com
Related Post: When Our Amazon Sales Shrunk, Our Profits Grew $2M+

Oct 10, 2023 • 22min
Episode 226 - How To Succeed in Competitive Categories With Tim Angel
Here's another strong brand with exceptional execution that has achieved an impressive milestone.
ZUGU, the brainchild of CEO Tim Angel, has generated more than $1 million in monthly revenue.
Tim's journey with his company began in 2010 when he recognized the frustration of dealing with iPad cases that couldn't provide a stable and functional solution. At just 25 years old, he embarked on a mission to create the world's best and most innovative case, emphasizing the perfect balance between function and aesthetics.
Tim and Scott will walk you through the process of picking the right product, innovating it, gaining high review scores, and succeeding in competitive categories.
Episode Notes:
00:22 - Tim Angel Introduction
01:15 - Tim’s Journey
03:55 - Selling Direct vs Selling on Amazon
05:00 - The 5-Star Rating Secret
07:05 - Selling Momentum
08:30 - Being Different From Competition
10:45 - Is Design Patent Necessary?
11:50 - Product Innovation Process
14:55 - Tim’s Future Plans
15:55 - Getting Ahead of Competition
17:05 - Finding Opportunity and Creating Unique Products
19:35 - Importance of Having Drive and Passion
Don’t take no for an answer when you’re trying to build your company - Tim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zugucase/
Website: ZooGue.com
YouTube: youtube.com/user/ZooGueBROKEtoRICH
X: ZooGue | TheRealTimAngel
Related Post: When Our Amazon Sales Shrunk, Our Profits Grew $2M+

Oct 3, 2023 • 24min
Episode 225 - Cashflow Forecasting Is Key With Viably
Cash flow forecasting is a critical financial management tool that provides insights into the timing and amount of cash inflows and outflows. It aids in financial planning, risk management, and overall financial health, making it an indispensable practice for businesses.
Having access to capital and enough inventory is critical to keep your Amazon business growing. And with so much money coming in and out, Oz Merchant of Viably tells us all the reasons why cash flow is the lifeblood of the business.
Episode Notes:
01:00 - Oz Merchant Introduction
01:50 - Creation of Viably
04:00 - How To Use Cashflow in Your Business
06:05 - Cashflow Forecasting
09:55 - Focus on the ROI Instead of the Cost
11:00 - The Volume Advantage
14:00 - Utilizing Viably’s Working Capital
16:40 - Do You Always Need Capital?
20:00 - Using Viably’s Cashflow Tool
Website: https://www.runviably.com/about-us/ | wellistic.com
Blog: gomindhacking.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ozmerchant
Twitter: ozmerchant
Related Post: The Best Financing Loans for Amazon Sellers

Sep 26, 2023 • 29min
Episode 224 - How ChatGPT Can Help With Amazon PPC With Ritu Java
Content and Idea Generation, Programming Assistance, Legalities and Business, and even Entertainment, ChatGPT's versatility allows for numerous other applications limited only by imagination and creativity.
Amazon sellers can also utilize this powerful tool to assist with various aspects of Amazon Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising by providing information, tips, and guidance.
Rita Java from PPC Ninja takes AI utilization to the next level and discusses how her team successfully harnesses the AI tool's hidden capabilities, resulting in a monthly time savings of approximately 500 work hours.
Episode Notes:
00:25 - Ritu Java Introduction
03:05 - How Does Chat GPT Help in the PPC Game?
05:00 - Chat GPT on Steroids - Advanced Data Analysis
07:30 - Feeding Data to Chat GPT
10:00 - Apps Script x Chat GPT
12:00 - Asking Chat GPT to Generate Trends per SKU
13:50 - Optimizing Listings with ChatGPT
15:50 - SmartScout Brand Analysis
16:20 - Changing Bid Recommendations
17:05 - Going After Competitors with ChatGPT
19:15 - Using Broad Match Modifiers
21:50 - Generating Sponsored Brand Headline Ads
24:40 - Upper and Bottom of Funnel
Website: About Us | PPC Ninja
LinkedIn: Ritu Java | LinkedIn
Related Post: Pacvue vs. Perpetua - Which PPC Bid Management Tool is Best for You?