A Strategic Breakthrough

In the past week, I’ve contacted a few Amazon agencies to seek insights and possibly a collaboration. Getting outside perspective helped me a lot because I was stressed about unrealistic sales targets and I felt way out of depth. Talking to industry experts allowed me to gather my thoughts, take a step back and understand the situation better. And that’s when I had some clarity that lead to a strategic breakthrough.

Last night, one of the accounts I’m managing (selling Disney branded children’s furniture) offered me more responsibilities. If I accept, I will have more marketplace to manage, not just Amazon. I’m thrilled about this opportunity as I love tackling new challenges and expanding my skill set. Plus, gaining experience across additional marketplaces will strengthen my expertise and enhance my resume, positioning me as an industry specialist.

Anyway, before I accepted the offer, I presented a lot of data to manage expectations of both parties and to show the current situation of the business on Amazon. I had to explain thoroughly how Amazon works, the market trends, search volume history of different categories, etc. I worked on the document for hours to make sure that all the data I gathered and presented, with the help of Helium10 of course, can be easily understood.

What information did I include?

• search volume history of each subcategory – to show customer demand expectations during peak and low months. For instance, if demand for toddler beds is low in Q4, reaching high sales targets can become both challenging and costly. Low demand means fewer potential buyers, driving up customer acquisition costs and making it difficult to achieve sales goals without overspending on marketing.
• market pricing comparison — to show if pricing is competitive when compared to the top-selling products in the same subcategory
• current ratings and reviews — a low rating (below 4 stars) can deter potential buyers, leading to a noticeable drop in conversion rates. Ratings directly impact customer trust, and without strong reviews, it becomes much harder to convert product page views into sales.
• current challenges/roadblocks — Amazon issues like losing the buy box for a week, pending account verification, transitioning from Vendor to Seller and all the issues that come with it, etc.
• recommendations for growth opportunities
• exploring off-Amazon alternatives to tap into a new audience

The off-Amazon alternatives are what excite me the most. It’s uncharted territory for me but I’m comfortable being uncomfortable. If exploring these alternatives goes well, I can apply it to my own Amazon business. I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Got questions? Drop a comment or send me an email.