💰The $50,000 Mistake…

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

• 💰 The $50,000 Mistake… [True Story]

• 🔍 How to Engage with Amazon Low Star Review Customers

• 🔥 Which AI Model Is Right For Me? [Pros and Cons]

• 🗞️ Generate an Avatar in Seconds

• 📈 The Top 5 Search Terms in 2024

🚨 Don’t miss the webinar that will change your Amazon PPC game forever!🚨

🔥 Secrets Amazon PPC Experts Don’t Want You to Know - (No replay)

This THURSDAY at 2pm EST from Kevin, me & the Wizard of Ads!

(Kevin and I got him out of hiding)

REGISTER HERE

 💰 The $50,000 Mistake… [True Story] 

I had a fairly successful promotions company in the 90s.

We had suppliers knocking down our doors to try to work with us because we did a lot of volume.

Back then, screen printing was very popular.

Sometimes we would have huge quantities, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 100,000….

We even had a case stuffer that went up to a quarter million t-shirts!

We would have a vendor fair where we would line up the vendors have them one, two, three, would come in here where they do their pitch, and then move on.

The promotion business has a million different types of screen printing and vendors that want it to get in the door.

This one time in particular, we were talking to this one screen printer for some time.

We ended up asking him to come on by.

He came in ready to give us his pitch.

When he sat down the first thing that I noticed is that he definitely didn't dress for success.

I honestly don't care how you dress but it is the first impression.

Secondly, there was about six of us in the room and he started talking about pricing.

He said “I'm not going to nickel and dime you like a Jew”.

That was his exact words.

I looked over at my jewish partner and I said, “What do you think of that?”

He said, “Do you think we should just kick him out the door right now?”

And we did.

He never got a piece of business from us.

Don't say dumb things. 

Shortly after, that company went under.

Probably because of the terrible representation they had from that sales rep.

Enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

— Norm

PS I discuss the pros and cons of the top AI language models below in the newsletter.

What are your thoughts👇

🗞️ AMAZON NEWS & UPDATES 🗞️

🔥 HOW TO ENGAGE WITH AMAZON LOW STAR REVIEW CUSTOMERS

Courtesy of Seller Candy / ZonSupport

Managing low-star reviews is a hot topic, and Amazon provides clear pathways for this.

However, sellers often overlook a hidden opportunity to engage directly with dissatisfied customers.

Here’s How

1. Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
This is essential for contacting customers who leave low-star reviews. Log into Seller Central, navigate to “Customer Reviews,” and view your reviews. You can sort them for easier management.

Scroll down to Customers/Customer Reviews.

You will then see all your reviews.

Note: You can sort them in various ways if you wish.

2. Use Amazon’s Generated Templates
Contact customers using Amazon’s templates. If unavailable due to customer preferences or the review being 4-5 stars, move to the next step. Use the “Customer Support” or “Courtesy Refund” templates as appropriate.

3. The Hidden Step
After sending the template, check your sent messages to view order details. Ask:

• Is this their first purchase?

• Have they already been refunded or sent a replacement by Amazon?

Using this info, follow up with a personalized message.

Examples:

• If no refund/replacement: “I’m sorry your [product] didn’t meet expectations. Can I send a replacement or issue a refund?”

• If already refunded: “I see your refund was processed. Could you share what went wrong? I’d love to help.”

Personal messages often elicit better responses than templates. Keep them polite, encouraging engagement without being defensive.

Not convinced? Here’s proof…

4. Report a Review
If you believe a review violates Amazon’s guidelines, report it via Seller Central. Familiarize yourself with the Community Guidelines to ensure your report is valid. Follow up in 5 business days to check if it’s removed.

5. Appeal a Low-Star Review
If the review persists, email [email protected] with precise details:

• Review date, reviewer name, and relevant links

• Specific guideline violations, with examples

Keep the email factual and concise to avoid delays.

6. Last Resort: Seller Performance
For cases involving black-hat activity or clear misconduct, email [email protected].

Use this sparingly, ensuring your appeal is well-founded.

Final Thoughts

Low-star reviews are often written in frustration. Following up with care and persistence can turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones—and even lead to updated reviews. Always prioritize engagement and politeness over defensiveness.

🚨 For a deeper dive, read the full article here.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARD GUY?

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

🚨 WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK!

Top Amazon Fixes for 2025 Success: Fix Suspensions & Errors Fast! | John Cavendish

Here’s 3 Takeaways From This Episode:

1. Proactively Monitor Amazon Account Health:

   • Regularly check your Amazon account health dashboard. Address even minor warnings promptly to avoid them escalating into larger issues that could lead to suspensions​.

2. Prepare All Necessary Information Before Contacting Amazon:

   • When raising a case with Amazon, ensure you have all relevant documents and details ready.

     • This includes: 

       • Order IDs

       • Safety data sheets (if applicable),

       • Invoices

       • Screenshots of flagged issues.

3. Optimize Listing Updates Using Flat Files:

   • Use Amazon’s flat files or category listing reports to make bulk changes efficiently. This approach reduces errors and ensures your listings comply with Amazon's policies​.

🔥 Psst… We’ve got a brand new video editor!

🚨 Watch the full episode here

🚀 CATCH UP WITH THE MARKETING MISFITS!

Here are 5 TIPS from this episode!

1. Pay Affiliates Generously to Build Loyalty: Don’t offer the bare minimum (e.g., 10%)—instead, pay affiliates the same as or more than you’d pay for customer acquisition on paid channels. For instance, if Facebook ads cost you $50 per customer, offer affiliates the same or higher to incentivize performance.

2. Optimize Tracking and Creative Assets for Affiliates: Ensure your program supports affiliate-friendly features like discount codes and reliable tracking links. Provide affiliates with tested, high-converting creatives (ads, banners, emails) to make their promotions more effective.

3. Focus on a Few High-Performing Affiliates: Instead of trying to recruit hundreds of affiliates, prioritize 20–50 top performers who already know how to drive sales. This approach minimizes time spent on managing low-value partners and maximizes results.

4. Test Offers Internally Before Rolling Out to Affiliates: Don’t rely on affiliates to test unproven offers. Use paid ads or internal campaigns to validate conversion rates, optimize messaging, and build a compelling affiliate offer before launching to your network.

5. Diversify Affiliate Types for Stability: Avoid relying solely on one affiliate channel (e.g., SEO blogs or influencers). Instead, include cashback sites, coupon codes, newsletters, and TikTok creators in your program to mitigate risks from market changes or platform disruptions.

🚨 Watch the full episode here

🤷‍♂️ Which AI Is Right For Me? [Pros and Cons]

ChatGPT & OpenAI-o1: The Reliable All-Rounders
OpenAI’s latest models excel at logic-heavy tasks while retaining the creativity ChatGPT is known for.

• Strengths: Chain-of-thought reasoning for complex problems, and custom GPTs for tailored workflows.

• Weaknesses: Overkill for basic tasks; improvements are subtle for everyday use.

• Best For: Complex logic, coding, or detailed content editing.

Claude by Anthropic: The Summarizer & Storytelling Champ
Claude is ideal for summarizing lengthy documents and crafting compelling stories.

• Strengths: Exceptional document summarization and intuitive customization.

• Weaknesses: Limited file size for uploads.

• Best For: Simplifying dense information or creating engaging content.

Google Gemini: The King of Context (and Podcasting)
Gemini handles vast amounts of data with ease and offers unique tools like Notebook LM for audio summaries.

• Strengths: Processes massive documents and turns them into podcasts.

• Weaknesses: Limited customization compared to other models.

• Best For: Handling large data sets or creating audio summaries.

Llama by Meta: Privacy & Flexibility
Llama’s open-source nature makes it perfect for privacy-conscious users.

• Strengths: Runs offline for full data privacy; highly customizable.

• Weaknesses: Less powerful for high-quality content or problem-solving.

• Best For: Sensitive internal data or local, private solutions.

Grok by xAI: Twitter Data & Realistic Image Generation
Grok shines in social media analytics and creating realistic visuals.

• Strengths: Real-time Twitter insights and a strong image generator.

• Weaknesses: Niche use cases; not versatile for general tasks.

• Best For: Social media research and generating visuals for content.

Perplexity: A Researcher’s Best Friend
Not a traditional LLM, Perplexity is an AI-powered research tool.

• Strengths: Web search and summaries using models like GPT-4 or Claude.

• Weaknesses: Occasionally pulls outdated or inaccurate info.

• Best For: Quick, accurate research and up-to-date insights.

Final Thoughts

Matching the right LLM to your needs can simplify your workflow and boost productivity. Experiment with different tools, and don’t hesitate to combine them for the best results. For more details, read the full guide here.

🕒 GENERATE YOUR AVATAR IN SECONDS

Create a buyer persona template that emphasizes what makes your target market unique. Check out this quick and easy generator to create your very own avatar.

🚨 Create it here

🚀 TOP 5 SEARCH TERMS IN 2024!

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→ FULL CALENDAR ←

And that’s it, Beardos!

P.S. Make sure you don’t miss any updates by joining our community here.

See you next Monday!

- Norm

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