The Smartest Amazon Seller – Details, episodes & analysis

Scott gets into the real-world financial decisions Amazon sellers face, especially when it comes to leveraging debt. He shares firsthand experience navigating inventory demands, Q4 cash crunches, and the lure of fast growth, while also examining the dangers of borrowing, from overvaluing inventory to the addictive cycle of continual loans.

Hear case studies, cautionary tales, and reflections on what separates sellers who survive from those who flame out. Whether you’re debating your first credit line or considering a private label acquisition, this episode offers grounded insight—and a compelling argument for building debt-free, sustainable Amazon businesses.

 

Episode Notes:

00:09 - Iconic Companies That Haven’t Taken Loans

01:12 - The Need for Cash in Amazon Selling

02:04  - Navigating Financial Leverage

02:26 - Types of Financial Leverage Used

06:32 - The Downside of Leverage

12:10 - A Case Study: Private Label Acquisition During Leverage

13:52 - Survival and Demise of Major Amazon Sellers

16:12 - The Case for Debt-Free Growth

18:21 - Amazon Accelerate

 

Related Post: Nike and Amazon's Renewed Partnership

 

Scott’s Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

X: @itsScottNeedham

Instagram: @smartestseller

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog

 

 

Scott returns from Prosper to share some personal updates and Amazon insights. Prime Day is expanding to four days this year — a move that makes sense as Amazon tries to give shoppers and sellers more time to take advantage of the buzz. Scott also talks about the return of Sellers United this October near New York City, a conference built for resellers of all sizes. Plus, he gives a casual rundown of what’s new at SmartScout. From tools that help track where your products get mentioned online to ways of better understanding pricing trends. It’s a laid-back, behind-the-scenes update with a bit of everything for Amazon sellers.

Episode Notes:

00:15 - New developments and Upcoming Announcements

01:14 - Amazon Prime Day – Strategy and Insights

02:30 - Sellers United Conference Announcement

05:57 - New Tools: Traffic Links

09:43 - Pricing Intelligence

14:40 - Content Marketing and Brand Awareness

Related Post: Who Competes with Circana? The Top Alternatives for Retail and CPG Data Intelligence

 

Scott’s Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

X: @itsScottNeedham

Instagram: @smartestseller

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog

Jon Derkits, a former Amazon marketplace leader and now independent brand owner, shares his expert insights for Amazon entrepreneurs.

He draws from his experience creating the "Best at Amazon" newsletter and his finance background to discuss Amazon Selling Strategies, Collaboration on Amazon, Impact of U.S.-China Tariffs, Essential Amazon Seller Tools, Balancing Content and Engagement, and Financial Acumen in E-commerce.

Ready to level up your Amazon game? Tune in and gain the insights you need to thrive in this competitive Amazon marketplace!

Episode Notes:

00:17 - Jon Derkits Introduction

02:06 - Jon Derkits Background

05:02 - Role of Finance in Amazon Business Strategy

06:14 - The Newsletter: Best at Amazon

11:27 - Navigating the Amazon News Cycle

13:05 - Tariffs and Their Impact on Amazon Sellers

17:33 - Anker Price Increase

19:46 - The Concept of One-Way Doors in Business Decisions

22:12 - Decision-making Frameworks

22:56 - Tech Stack and Tools for Amazon Sellers

25:05 - Combining SmartScout with Keepa

29:10 - The Simplicity and Power of SmartScout Data

32:38 - Jon Derkits’ Favorite SmartScout Features

39:35 - Two Best Tips From Jon

 

Related Posts: Why Amazon Vendors Feel Ignored and What They Can Do About It

 

How to Reach Jon:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jon-derkits

Websites: auxoecommerce.com | tidycal.com/jonderkits/quick-chat

BEST@AMAZON NEWSLETTER: https://bestatamazon.ck.page/

AMAZON COACHING & ADVISORY: https://tidycal.com/jonderkits/amazon-coaching-and-advisory

 

Scott’s Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-needham-a8b39813

X: @itsScottNeedham

Instagram: @smartestseller

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@smartestamazonseller2371

Newsletter: https://www.smartscout.com/newsletter-sign-up

Blog: https://www.smartscout.com/blog

As an Amazon seller, it’s always beneficial to continuously find ways to reach more audience and increase visibility or discoverability. You want all the competitive advantage of gaining insights to target the right buyers and drive sales. In this episode, Scott is joined by Vince (Sir TACoS) Montero, an Amazon Ads Strategist and PPC consultant. You don’t want to miss on their juicy insights about the latest ad campaign trends, where Amazon is dedicating its resources, and a lot more. Episode Notes: 00:15 - Vince Montero Introduction 01:05 - The Future of Amazon PPC 03:40 - Sponsored Brands Video vs Sponsored Display Video 05:55 - How to Take Advantage of the New Top Placement 07:00 - What Triggers a Video Rejection? 07:45 - Best Places to Put UGCs 08:50 - Why Is Amazon Leaning Into Branding Type Elements 11:30 - New Amazon Features and Innovation 12:30 - The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Amazon Sellers 19:05 - Learning From Mistakes 20:15 - Latest Trends on Video Creation with AI 22:30 - AMZ United 23:30 - Working with Mina Elias Website: triviumco.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vmontero | linkedin.com/company/trivium-group-llc/ Related Post: Top 20 Amazon PPC Advertising Software and Tools With Pricing

Gain valuable insights on the evolving Amazon landscape in 2023 and discover effective strategies to enhance your sales. In this episode, Scott provides an update on the changing dynamics, giving you options to maximize your business's growth and success. Learn the latest on brand acquisitions, editorials, what’s new with SmartScout, and the much-awaited, wholesale-focused Amazon Conference from AMZ United. 01:10 - Amazon aggregator SellerX acquired Elevate Brands 03:45 - Removal of On-Site Editorials 05:20 - Capture What’s Trending Fast with Popping Topics 07:10 - AMZ United Related Posts: Amazon FBA, Where Are We Headed in 2023? The Future Is Bright! Episode 82: Two heads are better than one. How I run BuyBoxer with a little Help

For Amazon businesses with complex software needs, there’s no one size fits all solution. Here’s where Custom Software Development comes in. Why do you need one? Should you turn to freelancers for building this custom software? Or pick an agency with a robust team that works with big Fortune 500 companies? Join Scott with his guest Jakob Wolitzki from Deltologic as they highlight the importance of hiring a professional team when building a custom dashboard for data visualization, monitoring, repricing, etc. Episode Notes: 00:15 - Jakob Wolitzki Introduction 02:00 - Insights from Sellers 04:10 - Common Issues for Developers 05:20 - What is API? 05:45 - Going All In With Custom Software 06:35 - Freelances vs Agencies for Custom Tools 08:00 - Deltologic Tools 10:30 - Why Existing Solutions Are Not For Everyone 13:50 - Deltologic Microservice 20:50 - API Changes Website: https://deltologic.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jakob-wolitzki Related Post: 18 Best Software Tools for Amazon Online Arbitrage Sellers

In today's rapidly evolving marketplace, your strategy as a seller must also keep up with the changes. Tune in for a fresh perspective as Alina Vlaic of AZ Rank unlocks the secrets behind her game-changing approach to market research and launch strategy. Learn the latest trends and techniques that reshape how products are researched and introduced. Allow your business to gain a competitive edge and reach its target audience more effectively. Episode Notes: 00:30 - Alina Vlaic Introduction 01:10 - Alina’s Amazon Magic Journey 04:55 - The Rebates Background 06:25 - “Scan, Test, Observe, and Report” is the new “Search Find Buy” “You cannot rely on just a single thing during launch…, you should do a little bit more.” The one’s that actually really succeeded, they had a really complex launch plan.” - Alina 12:25 - Leveraging Audience to Create User-Generated Content 18:20 - How to utilize AZ Rank’s Partner Publishers Email: alina@azrank.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alina-vlaic-8b77876a Website: azrank.com | pressx.live Related Post: The Complete Guide to Amazon UGC

If you’ve had success in the U.S. marketplace and are now aiming to go overseas, this episode is for you. Understand the Amazon Europe Ecosystem, the importance of buyer maturity, the challenges of the overseas marketplace, and how you can penetrate the European market fast with Scott and Stef van Boekel of Marketplace Distri. Episode Notes: 00:20 - Stef van Boekel Introduction 01:15 - What Is the Amazon Europe Ecosystem? 02:35 - Challenges of New Amazon Marketplaces 07:20 - Tackling Physical Presence 09:10 - Amazon Infrastructure as a Service 12:10 - Synchronizing Reviews Overseas 15:25 - The Maturity of the Marketplace 16:40 - Differences between the European and the U.S. Community LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stefvanboekel Website: marketplacedistri.com | eubusinessdevelopment.com Related Post: What is Amazon Multi-Country Inventory?

Talk about a win-win situation. Publishers that can directly connect with brands to get paid more, and brands that can get more eyes on their products and boost their profit. Everyone is happy. Learn how sellers and publishers can partner up using this latest platform. Co-Founded by David Katz, Archer Affiliates is the gold standard of Affiliate Marketing for Amazon Brands. 00:25 - David Katz Introduction 01:20 - Where Archer Affiliates Was Born 04:15 - TikTok vs Traditional Publishers 05:40 - Onsite Editorials 06:20 - What Does Archer Affiliates Offer? 07:05 - Amazon Onsite Program 09:35 - Why You Should Choose Archer Affiliates 11:40 - How To Increase Net Margin 12:20 - Having Years of Repurchases From Customers 13:30 - What Products Sell Better Than Others? 15:05 - Sending Product Samples 16:15 - High Consideration Products 17:50 - The Publishers 20:40 - The Problems With Influencers 21:50 - How SmartScout Solved Affiliate Tracking Issues 23:20 - Setting Up An Account With Archer Affiliates Website: https://archeraffiliates.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-katz-2641b8192 Email: dkatz@archeraffiliates.com Related Post: How can Amazon Sellers Benefit from Affiliate Marketing?

We talk about why AMZ United will be the Amazon conference that you do not want to miss. It is one of a kind. You don't want to miss the action that will be in NYC on August 31st. It's an exciting announcement. Thank you everyone for making it all possible!