TAS 098 : International FBA Seller’s Success and Failures with Yinon Shiryan

Most people who listen to this show or try to get a business started through Amazon FBA live in the United States. But Scott wants to offer help to everyone, no matter where they live. That’s part of what motivated this episode of the Amazing Seller. Scott chats with an Amazon seller from Israel, Yinon Shiryan and discovered that while many of the tips and tricks are the same, there are some very unique things that International Sellers have to deal with that make it a more difficult journey. But Yinon’s story is very encouraging because he’s persevered and overcome all of those hurdles. Hear his story on this episode!

Why Yinon got started trying Amazon sales.

Like most people, Yinon was already working a job that paid his bills, but he found himself never having time to get to the projects and other things her really wanted to do. His mind was dead after a full day of work. He heard about Amazon sales from a friend and was very interested. After only a little bit of research he decided to take the plunge and get started. He found a very popular product from a local supplier and looked to see what it sold for on Amazon. The margins weren’t very big, but he decided to go for it anyway. After stumbling through the process he has made his way to a very successful business. Find out how he got from there to here, in this edition of The Amazing Seller.

The obstacles International Sellers face are huge!

There are shipping issues, account issues, and support issues from Amazon. One of the most surprising things Yinon discovered was that Amazon support would not return calls to numbers that were outside the U.S. So he had to get creative, using a combination of Google Hangouts and another app to connect with Amazon support and get the help he needed. Yinon’s story shows how a commitment to reach a goal combined with massive action can propel anyone into a successful Amazon Sales business. Hear the entire story on this episode.

Making sales, even with a terrible listing.

When Yinon first started his Amazon Sales business, he admits he didn’t know what he was doing. His first listings, in his words, were “horrible.” He didn’t understand English as well as he needed to, so he had a very hard time optimizing his listings for keywords. But within a few weeks he was making sales anyway. What he discovered was that his product quality was very high compared to others in his niche and even though he was asking a higher price than others, he was beginning to make sales. At one point he dropped his prices to see if it would generate more sales and his number of sales actually went down. It’s a testament to value perception and the importance of having a quality product. Get all the details on this episode.

Variations of products have enabled Yinon’s products to rise in the Amazon algorithm.

Multiple listings for the same type of product, but with variations, has enabled Yinon’s products to gain a broader reach than many products do. His sales rank has benefitted from this and he’s glad that he chose a product with so many varieties. Yinon and Scott both feel that when you set up your product, you should list it as having variations so that should the time come when you want to add variations, you’re already set up to do so. Find out more about Yinon’s story and how variations are helping his products rank, on this episode of The Amazing Seller.

OUTLINE OF THIS INTERVIEW EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

[0:05] Welcome and introduction - along with Scott’s thanks!

[0:42] The successes and failures of today’s guest - an International Amazon Seller.

[1:41] Scott’s thanks for your emails, comments, and iTunes reviews.

[2:03] Your invite to Scott’s free, live workshop - www.TheAmazingSeller.com/Workshops

[3:04] Yinon’s story as an International Seller (he’s from Israel) and the reason Scott’s having him on the show.

[4:22] How Yinon got started with Amazon sales.

[7:24] Why it was so hard for Yinon to get started with his Amazon Sales business.

[8:20] Yinon’s tip for International Sellers to get in touch with Amazon support.

[10:34] Getting started without even doing product research yet.

[12:05] Shipping problems made Yinon’s start very difficult.

[13:12] In order to make it worthwhile, Yinon had to choose premium products. Find out why?

[15:02] Yinon’s first products sent to Amazon (100 products).

[16:13] Why his first listings were horrible.

[18:22] What Yinon did to start sales of his products.

[19:15] The first sales for his product and how it impacted his motivation.

[20:00] Making the switch from a local supplier to a Chinese supplier.

[22:08] The importance of Yinon’s unique product.

[22:48] Joining a mastermind group and advancing his strategies.

[25:00] Tweaks that Yinon could do to optimize his PPC campaigns.

[26:23] Scott’s advice on PPC campaigns for Yinon’s exact situation.

[29:52] Yinon’s plans moving forward - more products? More listings?

[31:12] A strategy to use a new product for a promotion.

[32:58] Yinon’s launch sequence to start out a new product.

[34:37] Decreasing pricing causes sales to go DOWN! Why is that?

[36:05] How Yinon goes about getting reviews on his products.

[37:39] Giving up feedback for reviews.

[38:25] How Yinon’s reviews compare to those of his competitors.

[41:45] The power of having variations of products and setting up variations from the start.

[43:03] Scott’s encouragement to Yinon and summary of his experience. You can do this!

[43:52] Yinon’s advice: Don’t give up! Just get started to figure out the process.

[45:11] What Yinon is selling right now - $21K income per month.

[46:42] Don’t forget Scott’s live 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