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[LWN] I Need Your Help... Did I Mess Up?

[LWN] I Need Your Help... Did I Mess Up?

Lunch With Norm's Weekly Newsletter - Prime Day Deal Submissions, Brand Referral Bonus, and the Canton Fair

April 01, 2024 • Estimated Read Time: 13 minutes

🔦 Midnight Madness

A trespasser breaks into my backyard ending in a muddy mess…

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

🔦 Midnight Madness [True Story]
📈 Quadrupling Sales with The Brand Referral Bonus [Case Study]
🎙️ What You Missed Last Week
🗞️ Amazon News & Updates
🙅‍♂️ 5 Mistakes to Avoid at the Canton Fair

Quick update: I saw this last week. Submit those Prime Day Deals By May 3!

🔦 Midnight Madness [True Story]

Back in my twenties, my wife and I purchased our first home.

We were just about to head to bed in our new place, when we noticed our St.Bernard dog was acting funny by the stairs.

I looked outside and saw somebody shining a flashlight through our door.

I crouched into the doorway, looked into our stone garden and saw a man in dark clothing creeping around.

I counted myself down “3, 2, 1… NOW!”

I burst through the door and tackled the person as hard as I could into the stone wall.

This was when I was in shape, like really in shape.

And this is what it felt like

I took his head, and planted it Into the mud.

All of a sudden, I hear this guy behind me yelling...“Police, police, police!”

The officer coming down the hill had a German Shepherd alongside him, luckily it didn’t attack.

He was yelling at me to let the trespasser up… AKA his cop partner 😬

After letting the man up, the duo explained they were on the trail of somebody they were searching for.

How was I suppose to know!

The cop with the dog apologized, and took off, while the cop with the face full of mud… well he was dazed.

He wiped his face and wobbled off.

The cop with the dog came back to finish our conversation and double check I was okay.

He said, the other guy was still pissed.

Anyway, it was a strange night.

Did I mess up?

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

What Would You Have Done?!

Comment what your think, after answering!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARDED GUY?

Can you find Norm in the picture below? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see the answer!

Quadrupling Sales with the Brand Referral Bonus

CASE STUDY: How Lumineux Found Success on Amazon

Justin Maddahi, initially ventured into Amazon's online sales platform in 2015 due to lack of alternatives.

The Issue: Their Facebook ad strategy, pivotal for customer acquisition, faltered with Apple's iOS 14 update, leaving them looking for a new channel.

Their Amazon Strategy: Justin navigated this setback by leveraging Amazon's Brand Referral Bonus and Attribution tools.

Enhanced Visibility and Sales: This approach not only enhanced visibility and organic ranking on Amazon but also doubled sales, with potential to quadruple.

Remarkable Milestones: Lumineux's Deal of the Day garnered $2.1 million in sales, predominantly through Amazon, with significant revenue and ranking achievements.

By leveraging Amazon's tools effectively, Lumineux managed to overcome challenges and achieve remarkable milestones, indicating a promising future ahead.

Read the full case study HERE

WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK

👇 Highlights from last week’s Lunch With Norm podcast episodes👇

Custom Creative to Get an ACoS Edge in PPC

Watch the full episode here

Main Takeaways:

Get The Competitive Advantage 📸 By focusing on engaging, visually compelling content, capture the attention of potential customers more effectively than through text alone
- For products where the physical use can be demonstrated, action videos are preferred. For others, such as consumables, testimonials can offer social proof and build trust
Enhance Engagement with Video 🎥 Video ads, including sponsor brand video ads, can significantly improve click-through and conversion rates. Prioritize video content, especially for products that can be demonstrated in action, as this type of creative content has shown to dramatically reduce ACOS and increase sales efficiency
Focus on the First 3 Seconds 🛠️ Conduct split testing especially focusing on the first three seconds of video ads. This approach helps identify which creative elements resonate most with the audience, ensuring that the content captures viewers' attention immediately and keeps them engaged

How to Give ChatGPT Access to Your Favorite Apps

Watch the full episode here

Creating Custom AI Assistants 🤖 Create Custom GPTs for specific tasks underlines the importance of personalized AI solutions.
- Tailor operational needs, such as inventory management, tracking customer behavior, or analyzing sales data
Integrating AI with Existing Software ✅ Bryan shared insights on how to give ChatGPT access to favorite apps through API connections, allowing for seamless integration with existing business software. Watch this episode to learn how!
You Do NOT Need to Be a Pro! 🙅‍♂️ Using AI does not need deep technical expertise. Bryan emphasized user-friendly tools and platforms that make it accessible for sellers to adopt AI solutions But it’s better to start now than wait!

Buy Back Your Time Through Smart Delegation

Watch the full episode here

Main Takeaways:

Value Your Time ⏰ What is your time worth? Calculate your target dollar per hour, and identify tasks below this value that can be offloaded to others
Establish Clear Boundaries and Communication Guidelines 💪 Define what tasks and activities are priorities and establish boundaries to protect your focus. Set explicit guidelines for how you want your team, clients, and prospects to interact with you
Implement Systems and Playbooks 📕 Develop systems consisting of processes, policies, and technologies that support the goals of your business. Back these systems with detailed playbooks (SOPs) that document how tasks should be executed

I recommend starting here with the Emyth ✅

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Farrar Team Meeting, 2024📍

A typical staff meeting with the Farrars…

THREE UPCOMING PODCASTS

You can watch all episodes on YouTube or on my Facebook page at 12 pm ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!

**Guests and topics are subject to change**

Monday - Behind the Beard… Norm’s Story

Special Guest… Who could it be?!
Tables are turning - Norm is in the hot seat for this episode!
Join us Monday to see who it is

Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here

AI Wednesday - My Favorite AI Apps

Norm Farrar - AKA The Beard Guy
Worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, and 20th Century Fox
Host of Lunch With Norm and Ecom Power

Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here

Friday - Supply Chain Diversification

Steven Blustein - Co-Founder of Gembah
An expert in product development and supply chain strategy
In 2016, Blustein was backed by two Sharks, Lori Grenier and Robert Herjavec, on ABC’s Shark Tank
Watch LIVE 👉 Sign up here

🗞️ AMAZON NEWS & UPDATES 🗞️

What’s happening in the world of Amazon today

5 MISTAKES TO AVOID AT THE CANTON FAIR

Courtesy of Steven Selikoff and the Product Development Academy

MISTAKE #1

Do not stay for too short a period of time.

It is hard to imagine how huge the complex is before you see it in person. Starting in 2023 a new complex was unveiled. Now, the fair is too large for anyone to visit every single booth. If you stay only a short period, you are denying yourself the ability to experience everything at the Canton Fair.

MISTAKE #2

Do not forget to check for scheduling changes.

There are so many products and exhibitors that the fair is broken into three phases. Each lasts five days and are dedicated to a specific list of product classifications. Always double check which phase the products you are looking for are being shown. Stay alert to changes to these phases. Don’t be the seller who misses seeing the only products they travelled across the world for.

MISTAKE #3

Do not focus only on big players. Explore the entire hall.

The big exhibitors will often have exciting, popular, and flashy products. But the smaller factories, with smaller booths towards the edges are often more innovative, and are very hungry to make deals.

MISTAKE #4

Do not neglect pre-fair preparation.

Be flexible and keep your eyes open for new exciting products you have not seen before. Arrive with a clear idea of what you goals are and either a PRD or Product Specs. At the very least know the type of product, the niche, and customer before you go. The more knowledge the better.

MISTAKE #5

Do not attend without business cards.

China is at the forefront of technology, yet still respects older business protocols. One of these is exchanging business cards (called name cards in China.) Keep them simple, and if you are concerned about getting spammed, use a ‘Canton Fair only’ email address.

Always accept their business card with two hands, and always present yours the same way.

PRO TIP: Sign up for WeChat. It is the most ubiquitous platform in China. Place the WeChat QR code on your business card and you’ll get an immediate and delighted reaction from suppliers.