
Wizards of Ecom
Welcome to the Wizards of Ecom podcast. The official podcast of the Wizards of Ecom and the Wizards of Amazon Meetup group. The goal of this podcast can be summed up simply: #SelllersHelpingSellers . While the slant is heavily towards Amazon FBA and Private Label, the podcast shares actionable tips and tactics for all areas of online selling.
Latest episodes

Jun 22, 2020 • 46min
#035 How to Profitably Navigate Walmart with Corey and Zach, Founders of DotCom Partners
For many eComm sellers, venturing into the Walmart Marketplace seems daunting. Zach and Corey, founders of DotCom Partners, have worked on the inside of the Walmart platform and are here to share their knowledge on how to start selling profitably with Walmart. The first thing you have to know is that Walmart is looking to fill assortment gaps. If you can show how your product performed and also filled one of their gaps, then you’re a shoe in for the best selling tier. Which brings me to the next piece which is that there are two ways to sell on Walmart Marketplace, either 1P or 3P. The benefits of 1P are definitely better than 3P but it takes a lot more to get into that side. Zach and Corey have built DotCom Partners to help sellers enter the Walmart Marketplace successfully. Which means they can go through your products and your brand and show you the best ways to position yourself to reach the 1P status faster. Additionally they have several brands slowly making their way to an in-store status. Listen in to learn all the ins and outs of Walmart Marketplace. Maybe this platform should be your next eComm storefront? In This Episode: [00:29] Welcome Corey and Zach co-founders of DotCom Partners. [01:48] Learn more about Corey’s background. [02:48] Zach shares his eComm background. [05:25] What are some of the biggest complaints store owners had with the Walmart platform? [08:15] Do names affect the algorithm on the Walmart platform? [10:33] Learn the best way to structure Walmart product listings. [11:34] What are your options for selling when starting on Walmart? [14:02] Hear about assortment gaps and why they’re important. [17:32] How the 3P selling process works. [19:27] It is a bit tricky to get in without prior selling history, but Corey and Zach know how to give you the best chance. [22:49] Learn how you can determine if you’re a good fit for Walmart 1P. [25:59] Corey and Zach help you find the assortment gaps. [28:28] What is the process for moving from 3P to 1P? [31:55] How big should your brand be before exploring Walmart? [35:15] You can make your brand more attractive. Learn how. [37:06] Why getting into stores is the hail mary play. [41:06] Learn more about the customer perspective. [43:05] Connect with Corey and Zach. [44:14] What are their favorite books and why? Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter team@dotcompartners.com DotCom Partners Inventing Joy by Joy Mangano Golf’s Sacred Journey by David Cook

Jun 15, 2020 • 32min
#034 Five White Hat Ways to Get Amazon Product Reviews with Colleen Quattlebaum of eComEngine
No matter how many Amazon reviews you have on a product, you always need more. Colleen Quattlebaum of eComEngine joined me to chat about the power of Amazon reviews and why you shouldn’t be complacent once you’ve reached a high number. Now Amazon reviews versus buyer feedback are two different things and affect your listings in different ways. Reviews help boost your visibility and inspire others to buy when they are recent, well written, and come from a trusted source. Reviews once given also can’t be erased or changed. Buyer feedback on the other hand affects your Amazon SEO and a negative feedback can be changed. It is still extremely important to have amazing feedback scores. Listen as Colleen shares how eComEngine approaches the review process and why you should be asking your customers to leave reviews. If this isn’t already an integral part of your process… then you have some work to do. Listen in to see how you can start implementing systems and processes around requesting reviews, today. In This Episode: [00:29] Welcome special guest and Amazon Sellers group sponsor Colleen Quattlebaum. [02:28] Hear a bit about Colleen’s background and her experience with EcomEngine. [04:10] How important is it to have reviews on amazon and why? [05:46] What are the top things that differentiate very similar products? [07:57] Are there best practices for getting reviews early on? [09:29] Do certain products fare better with the early reviewer program? [10:05] Aside from early reviewers, how else can a new seller get reviews? [12:54] What type of verbiage is appropriate for requesting reviews from purchasers? [15:15] Is the manual request a review button better for conversions than automated requests? [16:45] How EcomEngine automated the request a review button. [19:59] Can you keep the automated request a review action from sending out to someone who has already left a review? [21:47] What’s the best system for getting higher numbers of reviews? [22:27] Learn other ways to get reviews for your products. [23:26] What should sellers be aware of right now with Amazon and reviews versus feedback? [25:29] How does seller feedback impact your listings? [28:16] Any parting feedback and advice from Colleen? [30:01] What is Colleen’s favorite book and why? Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter eComEngine colleen@ecomengine.com Inbound Organization by Dan Tyre and Todd Hockenberry

Jun 8, 2020 • 35min
#033 Wizards of Amazon Meetup Group China Sourcing Trips and Growing the Tribe During Covid-19 with Guest Speaker Gabe Cossio
It only took 33 episodes, but I finally got one of the leaders of the Meetup group, Gabe Cossio, on the show to chat about the group and of course… selling on Amazon. We’ve been working to have Gabe come on since the beginning of the podcast and the stars finally aligned. Gabe has been an avid entrepreneur since he was a young child. He grew up in a household with a single mom who was also an entrepreneur and simply loved to work. That drive was passed to him and he started several of his own businesses before he ever left high school. Ecomm has his heart however and he loves chatting about it. We spend time discussing our China trip and why it has been so impactful in Gabe’s life and business. We step a little bit into Gabe’s thoughts on the future of ecommerce and why we should be prepared for additional global pandemics. This was such a fun conversation spanning several different areas of discussion. If you’ve been interested in joining the China trip or just learning more, this is the episode you’ll want to listen to. Gabe is actually the one who coordinates all of our international trips now! In This Episode: [00:39] Welcome Gabe Cossio to the show… finally. [01:45] How Gabe and Carlos met and the change it made in Gabe’s business. [05:41] Gabe just has a passion for helping people. [06:06] Listen as Gabe shares why he turned to ecomm. [09:25] How Gabe’s role in the Meetup group has changed and evolved. [13:29] Connect with Gabe to get the breakdown on the China trip and what your budget should look like. [14:51] Hear the details about the China trip. [16:39] What sort of budget should you consider for the China trip? [19:21] When do we plan on going to China again? [22:25] Why Covid has helped bring the Meetup groups together with so much more community. [25:00] Learn how you can access the group. [26:09] What are Amazon businesses getting wrong right now? [28:43] How is Gabe planning in his business to prepare for another pandemic? [30:37] Connect with Gabe. [31:14] Gabe’s favorite book and why. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Amazon Group ChatGabe on InstagramThe Art of War by Sun Tzu

Jun 1, 2020 • 25min
#032 How to Advertise Your Amazon Private Label Products on Hyper Interested Podcasts
Podcast advertising is becoming a widely used avenue for many businesses to increase their visibility and make more sales, but how does one get started? Stephen Pickens with AdvertiseCast joins me to share just how easy it is to launch a podcast advertising campaign. AdvertiseCast is a one-stop, premier podcast network for buying and selling podcast advertising. They have an entire suite of shows that they’ve vetted who have high listener counts and download rates. What does this mean for you? You have the peace of mind knowing that the money you put into an ad is going to actually be used to get you in front of your ideal audience. Now there are several companies who do the same thing, but with Stephen and AdvertiseCast, you know that the campaigns you’re creating will convert. They hold your hand every step of the way. That being said… Why should you consider advertising on podcasts? For Amazon sellers, it makes perfect sense to find a podcast with a high listener count and high download rates, which are niched. The beauty of podcasts is that they come with a built in following and most shows are dialed in to one specific topic or interest. If you’re selling wine accoutrements to moms, why wouldn’t you consider advertising on a show called Mommies with Wine? Listen in to learn all about this new advertising venue and how you can get started now. In This Episode: [00:29] Welcome Stephen Pickens to chat about advertising on podcasts. [01:48] Learn more about Stephen’s background and AdvertiseCast. [03:41] How AdvertiseCast helps podcasters put money in their pocket. [06:39] Stephen shares how you can advertise on targeted podcasts. [08:23] What are the requirements for being on the AdvertiseCast platform? [10:35] Hear the process for creating an ad and what goes into the show. [12:32] How much should someone look to invest in advertisement? [14:55] Can you expect results relatively quickly? [18:23] What is the benefit of working with AdvertiseCast versus doing it yourself? [22:15] Connect with Stephen. [23:03] What is Stephen’s favorite book and why? Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter AdvertiseCast stephen@advertisecast.com The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat

May 25, 2020 • 43min
#031 How to Expand Your Amazon Sales on Rakuten with Alec Valencia
Have you been looking to branch out and sell somewhere other than Amazon? Alec Valencia of Rakuten is here to share more about this platform and how you can benefit from selling on it. Amazon is an amazing platform to sell on, but don’t discount other platforms designed for diverse markets. Rakuten was specifically designed to service the Japanese market but has branched out from there. The platform allows for a lot of a store customization and detailed product descriptions because these features are important for Japanese buyers and sellers. There are some challenges that one would face in using Rakuten to sell to an American market, but this does not mean you shouldn’t consider using this as an addition to your Amazon selling business. Listen in as Alec details Rakuten, how the platform differs from Amazon, how it is similar, and most importantly, how you get paid. There are so many amazing reasons to diversify your business. Perhaps Rakuten should be your next step. In This Episode: [00:38] Welcome Alec Valencia of Rakuten. [02:12] What does a Merchant Development Manager do and how long has Alec been with Rakuten? [06:26] Is Japan the strongest area for Rakuten’s presence? [07:50] How to get started selling on Rakuten. [11:02] Where do Rakuten referrals and communications come from? [12:33] What does it mean to be a small-time corporation on Rakuten? [16:40] Learn more about the challenges one would have in selling in the U.S. [18:57] What is the learning curve moving from Amazon to Rakuten? [22:15] Alec explains the Rakuten seller experience. [26:20] How Rakuten shops compare to Amazon storefronts. [31:45] What kind of rating system is there on Rakuten for sellers and products? [33:43] Can shoppers see where the online store is based? [36:35] Learn how you can get paid and what the banking situation looks like. [39:20] Connect with Alec. [40:35] Alec’s favorite book and why. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Seller Growth Summit Rakuten PingPong Email: alec.valencia@rakuten.com The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

May 18, 2020 • 22min
#030 How I Use Foursquare to get Amazon Product Reviews
Getting reviews for your products is essential for your sales success, but other than hitting up friends and family members to do your reviews, what other ways can you obtain them. There are actually several, but one of my favorites is using Foursquare. What is Foursquare? It’s essentially another form of Yelp! but better. With Foursquare you can search for reviews on certain products in any number of locations. You can then scope out the profile of the reviewer to see how many they’ve left on Foursquare and what their ranking is. You can also access that person’s social media profiles and see what types of products they like reviewing. The possibilities for finding fantastic reviewers are truly endless. Plus, these people are reviewing off of Amazon, so their Amazon reviewer ranking will be higher. There are some pitfalls that you need to avoid if you plan to use Foursquare in your long term business strategy. Listen in as I share the way I use Foursquare and what you should NOT do while using the platform. In This Episode: [00:27] Carlos is sharing his method of using Foursquare for Amazon reviews. [01:51] Why the quality of your reviews is more important than the quantity. [03:52] How to navigate Foursquare city guide. [06:14] Unlike Yelp! you can get additional information about the users on Foursquare. [08:11] Why Foursquare is different from Yelp! [09:53] Carlos shares how he uses this information in his business. [11:17] The mistakes you need to avoid when using this information. [14:26] Why you should be a reviewer. [15:45] How Carlos approaches people on Foursquare. [19:15] One last thought for using Foursquare. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Foursquare

May 11, 2020 • 60min
#029 Automation in Your Amazon Business & Personal Life with Dillon Carter
Why should you consider automating more of your processes in life and business? Dillon Carter of Vendrive is here to share that answer with you. He is the king of automation and creating business efficiencies and he’s sharing his best tips on how to streamline your processes. First, why are you NOT using your keyboard shortcuts? There is no reason you should be populating your email address or the date or any of those other rote bits of information each time you send correspondence. You need Keyboard Maestro (Mac). With this one tool you can automate how you type, pulling up programs, talking to those programs, and managing your files. Want better, more efficient file management? Blend Keyboard Maestro with Hazel! Still not enough? Incorporate Zapier and automate program to program automations. Think of all the things that you do over and over in your business. Can those tasks be automated? More often than not the answer is yes! Rather than thinking that you need to bring on another body to handle the tasks that you just don’t have time for, instead think of how you can automate those tasks. If you can hold off on bringing in additional personnel until you’re at more than $500k per year, then you’ve got it made. Dillon is a wealth of knowledge on how you can better integrate work and life without letting either suffer or take over. You’ll definitely want to catch this episode if you’ve been looking for better ways to make your business more automated! In This Episode: [00:37] Welcome Dillon Carter to the show to chat about automation. [01:40] Dillon shares a bit about his show and his entrepreneurial endeavors. [03:54] Testing everything was the best way to get his feet wet. [07:23] How does Dillon make all of his ventures work? [09:47] Why automation is so important to exceptional results. [10:20] Dillon has given up the idea of work life balance and has incorporated work life integration. [13:41] What does Dillon’s tech stack look like and why? [16:22] Keyboard Maestro is an amazing way to automate keyboard shortcuts with program functions. [18:02] How did Dillon figure out how long small tasks were taking him to do over and over. [19:08] Dillon uses Hazel to create rules to rename files, send them to folders, and keep you organized. [20:31] Learn how Hazel figures out which files go where. [22:59] Hazel can even clean up your desktop dumps. Learn how! [24:40] What’s the cost for Hazel and the learning curve? [27:14] How does Zapier work with your Facebook group? [32:02] Has Siri gotten good enough to use in automation? [33:37] Is Siri shortcuts different from regular Siri? [37:11] Any other stand out tools? [39:33] How Dillon keeps track of his thoughts and ideas even when he’s not ready to act. [42:42] Airtable is for planning… Todoist is for day to day tasks… [47:13] … and everything else you can use to automate. [49:59] Where should someone start with getting automated? [52:22] What is the OAO framework? [54:22] Connect with Dillon and what’s his favorite book? Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Vendrive GoAuraWelcome to Growth Podcast Dillon’s Website Keyboard Maestro Hazel Zapier Group Funnels Siri ShortcutsTodoist Airtable Alfred Integromat DraftsCopyClip The Replaceable Founder Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

May 4, 2020 • 35min
#028 How to Grow a Profitable Online Community for Your Business Using Facebook Groups with Arne Giske
You’ve probably heard this “well-kept” marketing secret a bunch over the past year or so, but Facebook is pushing hard for more people to join and create groups. That’s where a lot of the algorithm is focusing the crawl. Arne Giske is here to share how he created an insanely profitable group and why you should do the same. Now Arne does not sell physical products. However the process he follows to grow his group and to increase his own notoriety works just as well for those in different spaces. The first step is truly understanding your product and who is using it. From there you want to look for groups that might be interested in using your product. For instance, if you’re selling shower curtains, look for people interested in redecorating or remodeling. If you’re selling pruning tools, try to find groups aimed at those interested in gardening. Once you’ve found several groups that align with what you sell, befriend the moderators and see if you can work out a sponsorship or an advertising agreement. This happens all the time and can lead people directly to your product. This is also completely organic. Listen in to hear ways that you can use paid traffic to increase your reach as well. Of course creating your own group and filling it with people interested in your brand or product is one of the best ways to find your true target market. Then you can use tools like Group Funnel to build your email list with those who have joined your group. Arne has so many great tips and tools to share with you on how using Facebook groups can greatly increase your reach. For so many the idea of creating a group is daunting because of how much time it takes, but by using Arne’s engagement strategy and Group Funnels, you’ll cut your group time in half while still building your list. Want to see Arne’s screen as he walks us through his processes? Check out the video here: In This Episode: [01:36] Arne is THE guy when it comes to building Facebook groups, learn more about him. [04:27] He doesn’t sell anything physical but has still made 7-figures through his group. [05:20] Learn more about the stats that surround groups. [07:17] What can you do to start building a community today? [09:20] How can you grow the community you have? [11:59] Is having a community super time consuming? [14:31] What is everyday content and how does it save you time? [16:16] Learn Arne’s strategies for not spending so much time online. [19:19] Is it possible to start or join communities that would help sell your physical products? [22:40] What’s your next step after finding groups that are related to your product? [24:43] Arne shares how you can use Group Funnels to build your email list. [27:01] Listen as he tells you how his software can help you save time. [29:49] Why asking the intro questions will increase your requests versus decreasing it. [31:39] What is Arne’s favorite book and why? [33:44] Connect with Arne. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Millennial Entrepreneur Community Coaches and Course Creators Tribe Building Marketing Secrets Group Funnels FB Groups for Business Influence by Robert Cialdini Do Story by Bobette Buster

Apr 27, 2020 • 41min
#027 Fake IP Claims & How to Defend Your IP on Amazon with Chris McCabe
Over the course of the last several years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of fake counterfeit claims. Joining me today is Chris McCabe to discuss how you can prepare for the inevitable time that this happens to you and what it looks like on Amazon’s side. The most important part of being prepared is making sure that you have all of your documentation in order and available when a claim is made. If you’re a wholesaler and a brand comes after you, make sure you keep your receipts and have them easily accessible. On the flip side, when you go to craft your appeal, you need to be sure it is individualized to the complaint made. I myself have fallen into the trap of submitting templatized appeals but Chris shares that this is one way to make the process take longer. The auditor looking at your appeal is looking hundreds of appeals each week. Every single appeal will start looking the same if they are all created off of a template. Be sure to respond to the specific complaint made and individualize each appeal. Chris is full of amazing information and even gives us a look at the perspective of the workers on Amazon’s side. Anything you can do to make their lives a little bit easier and make your appeal easier to read will help move the process faster for you. If you’ve ever had your account locked down or been knocked off one of your own listings, you won’t want to miss out on Chris’s advice and tips. In This Episode: [00:32] Welcome Chris McCabe to discuss Amazon Seller Performance and defending your IP. [03:02] Chris prefaces the conversation with advice on how to deal with performance inquiries. [05:21] Don’t think that simply resubmitting over and over will be effective. [08:04] How to approach fake counterfeit claims. [10:22] What are you being asked for if someone asks for an authenticity letter? [12:19] Where is this trend going? [14:30] Have private label sellers been seeing an increase in counterfeit claims? [17:16] What can you do preemptively to combat false counterfeit claims? [19:50] Learn the biggest mistakes that sellers make in the first hours of being removed from their own listings. [22:54] Chris shares what seller performance looks like from the other side. [24:38] How to think like an Amazonian. [26:34] Are there quotas that have to be hit each day? [29:04] There are several things that go into a successful POA. [33:49] How much does it cost to enlist the help of someone like Chris? [35:45] What are the criteria to be hired on the seller performance team at Amazon? [38:27] POAs are not one-size-fits-all. Keep that in mind. [40:04] Connect with Chris. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter ecommerceChris ecommerceChris on LinkedIn ecommerceChris on Facebook ecommerceChris on Twitter Chris McCabe on Facebook chris@ecommercechris.com

Apr 20, 2020 • 37min
#026 5 Ways Amazon May Act to Help Marketplace Sellers During the Coronavirus Pandemic with Rick Watson
At this point you’re probably tired of the word coronavirus, but what if there was a way to properly strategize so that you come out on top? Rick Watson is an ecommerce strategist and overall strategy genius. He shares his views on Amazon as a whole as well as why he wrote his recent article about Amazon and what the data reveals. This was a really fun conversation. Rick is full of personality as well as knowledge. Having been raised by entrepreneurs he has always had a different view of how businesses work and how successful businesses become successful. He credits this to his ability to find the best strategy for most ecommerce stores to sell their products and gain visibility. We dig deep into Amazon’s current policies and Rick’s predictions for what the future holds. He also shares why he thinks the government and Amazon teaming up could potentially be a good thing… or a very bad thing. Also learn what you can be doing now to prepare for when all of this is over. Amazon so far hasn’t been particularly helpful to sellers overall, but they are doing what they can to keep the platform successful. There are a bunch of different things that they could do to help sellers get back on their feet. Only time will tell how it all ends up. In This Episode: [00:37] Rick is in New York dealing with Corona. Learn more about his background. [01:53] He is not an Amazon seller but he does have an amazing background in ecommerce strategy. [02:28] Learn more about Rick’s background and his strategist brain. [05:59] How did his prior work experience help him build successful strategies? [09:14] Rick shares why he wrote his most recent article. [10:27] Why you have to have a war mindset on manufacturing. [13:35] Amazon needs to think like Elon Musk. [16:08] Should we still be focusing on non-essential items for FBA? [19:37] Will Amazon relax their standards on deliverability? [22:02] Listen and Rick unpacks Amazon forgiveness on fees. [24:31] Rick doesn’t see Amazon extending capital terms, but that may be in the future. [25:35] Why did Amazon pick the two weeks for non-essentials? [28:31] What kind of deal between the government and Amazon could take place? [33:13] How does Rick recommend you strategize this period to make it through? [35:36] Connect with Rick and pick up his favorite book. Links and Resources: Wizards of Amazon Wizards of Amazon Courses Wizards of Amazon Meetup Text “Amazon” to 69922 Wizards of Amazon on Facebook Wizards of Amazon on Instagram Wizards of Amazon on LinkedIn Wizards of Amazon on Twitter Rick’s WebsiteRick on LinkedIn rick@rickwatson.io Neuromancer by William Gibson