TAS 131 : How and WHEN to Use SEA Shipping for My Products (Step by Step Instructions)

This episode of The Amazing Seller Podcast is one that’s been asked about time and time again but Scott simply couldn’t speak to it because he’s not done it. The topic? Shipping your Amazon products by sea. But in typical fashion Scott didn’t let it rest there, he found someone to talk to who has not only done sea shipping, but continues to do it and has a refined system for how to do it successfully every single time. So fasten your seatbelt and get ready for this firehose session of The Amazing Seller as Scott quizzes his guest, Derrick Miller on the issue of sea shipping.

Your foreign supplier might suggest shipping by sea. What should you do?

When first time Amazon Sellers start interacting with suppliers from China they eventually come to the question of how they are going to get their products from China to the U.S. The supplier will often say that they ship by sea. But is that the best route for you? On this episode, Scott’s guest, Derrick Miller, says that for first time or new Amazon sellers you should always push to ship your products by air at first. The reason is simple: You have more control over the process at the outset and your products will get to you faster, so you can start making money and scaling your business. The time will come for sea shipping as your business continues to grow but at the beginning it’s not the best idea.

Lessons learned from a sea shipping disaster!

The first time the guest on today’s show shipped his products by sea, it was an example of “what can go wrong will go wrong.” But it was as learning experience that he’s maximized to his benefit. Now Derrick Miller has a process and system in place that takes into account every negative thing he experienced with his first sea shipping attempt to make sure that none of the problems that happened then, happen with future shipments. And he’s not through learning. If things he hasn’t experienced yet go wrong, he tweaks his system to ensure that it’s the last time that problem occurs. Derrick’s got tons of experience with this and can teach you a lot, so be sure you listen to this episode if you’re at all considering delivering your products by sea.

How expensive is it to ship by sea?

The main reason any Amazon Seller would want to ship by sea is for cost savings. But that cost savings comes at least partly because you’re getting many more product at once - buying in bulk. So if you’re not ready to buy thousands of products at one time, sea shipping is probably not the way you want to go. But if you are at that point you’ll save a good deal of money on the transportation side of your products even if you have to hire freight forwarders to handle the customs and shipping issues as your products are in route. There’s a lot to consider and understand when it comes to shipping by sea, and today’s guest knows it backwards and forwards, so make sure you listen so you can learn the pros and cons of sea shipping.

How to ship your Amazon Products by sea, step by step.

One of the defining characteristics of Scott and the TSA community is generosity. Everyone is eager to help each other create successful Amazon businesses. Today’s guest, Derrick Miller, is no exception. In this episode he shares his step by step process for shipping his products by sea. He covers lots of things you wouldn’t know about if you’ve never done sea shipping before so the value in what he’s giving us today is incredible. So before you order your products to come to you by sea, make sure you listen to Derrick’s explanation of his sea shipping process so you can avoid the mistakes he’s made and take advantage of his generosity and experience.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:05] Introduction of the topic of using sea shipping of your products. [0:49] Scott’s live workshops will go on “pause” for a bit, so get in while you can! [1:54] Scott’s introduction of Derrick Miller, his guest. [2:32] Derrick’s story of getting started with Amazon FBA. [4:16] How Derrick does his product research. [7:12] Derrick’s experience selling oversized items. [7:56] A sea shipping experience that was a disaster. [13:38] Lessons learned from his mistake. [21:10] The costs for all the people and moving parts in making sea shipping happen. [26:59] Why you have to get comfortable never seeing your products before they hit Amazon. [27:35] How to find a good freight forwarder. [28:57] Derrick’s step by step outline to set up sea shipping. [34:20] Can various products be included on the same shipment? [35:42] Test by using a less-than-container order. [38:55] Derrick’s business profits at this point. [39:30] Scott’s summary of the episode. [40:10] Get in on one of Scott’s upcoming workshops (they’re FREE).

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Scott’s free workshop - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/workshop

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB - the TAS Facebook Community

www.JungleScout.com

www.TheAmazingSeller.com/56 - episode with Greg Mercer, creator of Jungle Scout