TAS 080 : Behind The Scenes of Building an Amazon Business from Scratch - with Sean Coyne

A real life story of beginning an Amazon business

Today’s guest on the Amazing Seller podcast is Sean Coyne, an ultra-successful Amazon Private Label seller who has, with his partner, built a company from scratch by focusing on a private label product line. Scott asks Sean about how he and Ryan got their start, what their first product was and how it sold, and most importantly, the lessons they learned about how to source, purchase, ship, list, and sell private label products on Amazon. You won’t want to skip this episode, it’s full of insights for those who are brand new to Amazon sales as well as veterans. Sean’s story shows that you can do it!

Discovering the right product to private label is not a simple task

It takes lots of patience and research, and you have to curb your own enthusiasm so that the excitement of the hunt doesn’t push you to move ahead with a product that won’t actually sell successfully. In this episode Sean talks about his first retail arbitrage product and why it didn’t sell as well as he believed it would, and how he and his partner, Ryan, decided to move to a private label model. You’ll hear how they researched their first product, how they questioned the exact niche that would be likely to purchase it, and how they set up the manufacture, shipping, packaging, and delivery to Amazon. It’s a lesson in real life product sourcing, right here on today’s episode.

Sean’s steps for testing a niche product’s likelihood of selling well

When Sean Coyne and his partner Ryan found a product they thought might be a good seller (yoga mats), they reached out to the existing communities surrounding yoga to find out exactly what the best yoga mat possible might look like. They asked questions about what yoga practitioners preferred in a yoga mat, everything from size, to thickness, to color and location of a logo. The feedback they received was generally enthusiastic and honest - and it helped them design the exact product that people doing yoga would be most likely to buy. You can do the same thing as you research your products. Find out more about how to do that kind of niche research in this episode of The Amazing Seller.

Would you like to hear from an experienced Amazon seller regarding the use of Pay per Click (PPC) and other marketing possibilities?

That’s exactly what you’ll hear in this episode of The Amazing Seller podcast. Sean Coyne and his partner Ryan have developed a very effective system for driving traffic to their products through PPC and other means, and have many worthwhile strategies to recommend to Amazon sellers. On this episode of the podcast you’ll hear those recommendations and exactly how Sean and Ryan implemented them in their business, so make sure you check it out!

Selling private label products on Amazon is never free of mistakes, but if you can avoid the common ones, you should!

That’s why Scott asks Sean about the mistakes he’s made in getting his private label Amazon business going, and what he’s learned from those mistakes that has changed the way he does business now. Sean shares those mistakes today in a “don’t do this” format, warning you of the pitfalls so you can avoid them altogether. Don’t miss this episode of The Amazing Seller - it could save you lots of headaches down the road!

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE AMAZING SELLER

Welcome to this episode!

Introducing Sean Coyne, today’s guest who’s rocking it on Amazon!

A shout out to a TAS Facebook member - Chris Nowak!

Your invite to Scott’s free workshops.

How Sean decided to get started with an Amazon FBA business.

Sean’s first selling attempt - movie screens - and how it worked.

How Sean and his partner decided to go in on a private label product together.

The methods Sean used to determine if their first private label product was a good product to start with.

The first steps that went into setting up their first product and the importance of testing the product idea with the niche audience that would purchase it.

Sean’s first experiences with shipping his products from overseas.

The cost of the first product and how they determined that amount.

Timeline of the first products, from order, to shipping, to packaging, to Amazon.

First steps once the product was live on Amazon.

How Sean uses pay per click and other promotional options.

The automated follow-up sequence Sean follows with customers.

The point at which reviews matter and when they stop being such a big deal.

How Sean and his partner decided to sell their company.

Sean’s advice about mistakes to avoid when starting an Amazon business.

What Sean and his partner Ryan are doing now relating to Amazon.

Get your own Amazing Seller shirt! - all proceeds go to charity - http:www.TheAmazingSeller.com/shirt

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/FB

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

www.CoachingJungle.com - Sean’s library of Amazon-related help tutorials

Get your own Amazing Seller shirt - all proceeds go to charity - http://www.TheAmazingSeller.com/shirt