Amazon FBA Seller Round Table - Selling On Amazon - Amazon Seller Podcast - Learn To Sell On Amazon - E-commerce Tips - Shopify & Woocommerce - Inventions And Start Ups - Marketing School For Amazon Sellers
SRT 90 - Ranking in 2021 on Amazon and in Life with Izabela Hamilton from Rankbell - Part 1
May 10, 2021
SRT 90 - Ranking in 2021 on Amazon and in Life with Izabela Hamilton from Rankbell - Part 1
Things we discussed in this session:
Part 1

https://youtu.be/quMIx1Q5380

Part 2

https://youtu.be/vvNiEEyKcwM

Things we mention in this session of Seller Round Table:

Join us every Tuesday at 1:00 PM PST for Live Q&A and Bonus Content at  https://sellerroundtable.com

Try the greatest Amazon seller tools on the planet free for 30 days at https://sellerseo.com/

Episode 90 Transcription:
[00:00:01] spk_2: Welcome to the seller roundtable e commerce coaching and business strategies with and er not and amy [00:00:07] spk_0: Wiis mm [00:00:12] spk_1: Hey everyone what's up? Welcome to another episode of the seller roundtable podcast with and er not an amy weeks and Andy cannot make it today. We're bummed, we miss him. Um this is episode 90 so we're only 500 [00:00:32] spk_0: lucky number. [00:00:33] spk_1: Yes, I'm here with my dear friend Isabella Hamilton of Wrinkle Welcome Isabella, [00:00:39] spk_0: thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I know we should have done this so much sooner, but you know, it's hard to get everybody in a room at the same time. Right? I [00:00:48] spk_1: know, I know, but it's so good. I know you've been you've been super busy with not only your business but also you have been also co hosting seller sessions podcast And so how has that been going for you? Have you been enjoying that? [00:01:07] spk_0: Yes, I love it. So for those who don't know who what that is, it's um it's a platform Danny Mcmillan created and he's had, I think um you know, hundreds of episodes, I think we passed 600 a while back and um you know, he asked me to co host on Mondays and of course I felt so honored to to be asked for something like this, I didn't think I was capable of taking on such, you know, such a big deal and you know, I'm glad I said yes, because I get to meet wonderful people and now it makes sense, like, you know why you do it and so many other amazing podcasters, like the connections you can create with these people and you get a little bit more personal and you can see what the other people are actually like, you can you get to know them through a simple thing as a podcast. So I really, really love the idea, and then he said, you know, you can do it for three months if you hate it, you don't have to do it if you love it will just continue. And um of course I accepted to continue. And I can also see how hard it is sometimes because you're all you always have to make sure that, you know, you book the right people and then those people actually show up and if they don't show up, you have to make sure that you have somebody else. So it's not as easy as it looks and actually being an interviewer. I never thought of it from this perspective until I became on it's not really, you know, I don't want to put anyone away from this, but it's not really that easy. It's like you have to make sure that you have the right questions and also that the conversation flows nicely because you know, people are different. Like for me, most people don't have an issue interviewing me because as you can see I just talk and talk and talk and talk but there are other people who have a hard time you know, talking this much. So you always have to make sure that you're prepared with a set of questions and um and then you also know you know how to propose these questions and how what to say and when to say at the right time. So um yeah, props to everyone who has a podcast now I can see um everything behind or so I'm very proud proud of all of you and especially you amy, I mean you literally do everything and they're just son and um I can't imagine how you do all that, but maybe one day you'll tell me, [00:03:21] spk_1: I don't know, it doesn't feel like that much. So yeah, so he [00:03:26] spk_0: doesn't, you need more stuff, okay, we'll talk about it after I'll send some things your way. [00:03:31] spk_1: Well 2020 was kind of, you know, for me it was the year of just really simplifying things for me, I got really overwhelmed when I first became an entrepreneur. There's so many doors that open for you when you go full time into entrepreneurship and everybody, you want to work with everybody and it's really exciting, but it does become, sometimes you say yes to too many things and you lose focus on those few things I know, and he was talking about how he was just reading the book. I think it's the one thing. Um, but a few people were talking about that, but The thing is, you know, for me, 2021 is all about focusing on kind of what I really needed in both of my both my private label business as well as amazing at home because it just got it got overwhelming for me and I wasn't doing anything well, so um you know, I really wanted to focus for me that was really important to um to my mission, to my purpose and kind of growing in life. [00:04:40] spk_0: Yes, and you know what actually, I'm glad you mentioned that because I'm doing the exact same thing, so um and you're right, you know when you are, especially in the public eye, let's put it this way, like you know, you have different deals being sent your way all the time and it's amazing you want to capture everything and I'm and I feel like all entrepreneurs have this is like that shiny objects, like I can do this and I can do this because I'm very good at this and I can definitely do this is this is this is this, and then because you are so internally open to all these opportunities, even more come your way and I totally, I feel you and I understand because I got to the point where I felt overwhelmed too and I was like, okay, so I'm doing this and then I'm doing this and then this and this and this instead of focusing on what is working right now, which, which for me is obviously rang bells, like the bread and butter and um I went just like you said in, in this direction and this year I'm doubling down on wrangel, I'm um making, you know, the service even better and greater and um you know, possibly adding new services, you know, I always have like partnerships coming my way and I'm always hesitant about that just because you know, probably like limiting beliefs and whatever else I have in my head, but you know, I've always felt like I could do this on my own and um, I am open to considering different opportunities in the future, but right now I want to do what I know and I want to double down on this and I remember we, we had a conversation in the last year and you said last year, you are more like, um, correct me from wrong, You said, um, I want to walk through every door that opens to me and I thought that was beautiful and I felt like we were both doing that last year and it's, that's why you brought this up and I'm like, oh my God, it's so funny because we're always like, I feel like on the same um, idea because you're like, no, I want to just focus on this, and I'm like, me too, so I don't know if you remember that. Yeah, [00:06:28] spk_1: so I still live by that principle. I still I still walk boldly walk through every door that God has opened to me, I believe that deeply, and I still boldly walked through those doors now, whether I [00:06:45] spk_0: take [00:06:46] spk_1: what action I take when I walk through that door, I just I always look at opportunity as you know, you never know what you can learn from an opportunity, you never know what you can experience. So I do that, I boldly walk through a door of opportunity because you never know who you might meet or why they might be in your life. Everyone has something to offer you, whether negative or positive and what you do with that is up to you. Um but so I still do that, but I think that it's also important to not necessarily um take every opportunity, right? So you realize the opportunities and you don't judge them, you don't prejudge them, you know, and you realize those opportunities and you kind of feel them out and then then you decide kind of what what to do with them from their. So speaking of, you know, we're talking about all of this for those of you who don't, for people who don't know you Isabella tell everybody a little bit like your shortened introduction here. And then I would love to hear just how you got into the ranking business. [00:07:57] spk_0: Okay, so um, so my person Isabella, yeah, she's, she's a complicated character. But uh let's let's simplify it. So I was born in Romania, moved here, moved to you was uh it's been approximately 18 years. Um so I am definitely fully immersed into being an American and when I look back into my life, I'm from Romania. When I look back into that life, I'm like, was, was that this lifetime or it wasn't like some other life, it just feels so far away and uh you know, it was a beautiful time and I used to remember like, you know, I've always wanted to like have been born in America, like why was I not born with that opportunity? You know, like I really wanted to be here and to be with this culture and with those people and just everything seemed so possible. So um which created this like you know, really huge desire within myself and um really put that out there that I want one day to come to America. So of course that came true for me and um you know, I just got to do a string of jobs here in America that I actually loved, every single one of them and I think that's what makes me um you know very good at what I do because every single job that I put myself behind, I did the best I could, it's always been my mission that every single boss that I have, they will look at me and say, you know what, she's the best we've ever had. Like this was my goal, this was my mission and everything that I did was towards that. So you know where I was like, you know, other people would have been like, you know what, I'm not gonna do that nobody's going to notice. I was like no, I'm going to do that and more and they're going to notice and they're gonna love me. So you know, it all depends on, you know, your personality too. But you know, for me, I was just so excited to be in this country and with all this opportunities that I really wanted to make a mark, I wanted every single person that I talked to um to be like, oh my God, she's so great. Like I want to keep her. And uh which translated, you know when I created a rent bell, which what makes our company so so successful is really the same principle. Amy and it's a very simple principle, do the best. Even if nobody's watching when somebody comes to us, we give our full whatever we have. That's what we get. And that's why people keep coming back in our company. Um you know, was was created very simple and I'll tell you a little bit. Um but we never spent an add on advertising all the clients that we have have been referred to us from other clients. And I think that's such a blessing. I think that's such a beautiful thing. And again it just shows our work ethic, they know when they come to us even though our service is a little bit more expensive than what others found out there. We never lack clients, you know because you know, we set our prices for what we consider is true and right for us and then those who are meant to use their surface service, they will, you know, if I had cut my prices in two or three, I would have attracted that type of clientele if I'm ever to raise my prices when and I will um I will attract different clientele. So it's never a lack of people. I mean you know amazon business is just, it's so big and itself and um you know doesn't matter how many services out there, they're not enough, there are literally all of us, we can all get together and create 100 more and they would still not be enough to service all the amazon sellers out there. So my people [00:11:27] spk_1: do, how did you get, how did you discover, how did you get started in amazon, how did you discover this opportunity to create a ranking business? [00:11:40] spk_0: So you know what, I think um opportunities, we create ourselves, I think we, you know we set our goals, so for me I really wanted to own my own business and I didn't know what it was going to be, but because I set my intentions that way that I, you know I don't like to wake up at six in the morning, I just don't, or seven I really don't, it's just not my personality and you know waking up and going and be cold going to work freezing and like waiting for the time to and even though I was doing my best, I didn't like the fact that I'm selling my time, I never liked selling my time. Um So with that being said, you know I always had in the back of your, in my mind like you know what one day I will do this. So I would look at all these like and now I'm going back back but I would look at all these people like consultants online and I was like oh my God, like how cool would that be too like consult people online like where's the money coming from? It was always such a like a thing for me. So um you know go forward a few years. Um I had a friend in europe and he's like, well I know you're in America, I know you have access to business this and can you like search for me how to sell on amazon? I'm like so on amazon, like what do you mean amazon is selling on amazon? Like what, like what do you mean? Like what are you trying to like kick off Jeff basis or what? He's like, no, no, no, like you can actually sell on amazon. I'm like word really like, no, like I'm serious. I go back to like what is going on. I had no idea. So um you know, he's like no you can like there's such a thing as a third party sellers. So I was like learning all these things, I was like, oh my God, that's so cool, that's interesting. And so he's like, you know, I have these light bulbs my dad makes here in the factory, and we're doing pretty good here. But I kind of want to try like, can we test, like can you help us, Like, but the listing up and you know, get us some buyers. I was like, sure, I like a challenge. So you know, and this was um I think 67 years ago, so you know, going back to that, um I didn't know what I was doing, but it's almost like it was better than I didn't because I didn't feel like, oh my God, what am I doing? I'm so scared. So because I felt like that, I was like, okay, sure I'll do it. So I looked at other people's list things. Uh you know, that was selling light bulbs, I'm like, oh cool, let's do this. So I created my own, I never wrote copy in my life, so I was probably terrible, but it was just like all the other listings, and then he took some pictures, we put it up and um he's like, oh can you find me, some people that can buy the product? And they can tell me how it is, like is it you know, it's good enough for America, you know, just all these things, but like, very simple. I was like, of course, found him some people um and he's like, oh you know, I'm going to pay for their product, I was like, oh my God, that's so cool. So they buy it, they check it, they send pictures like this is what this is good, like, or you know, if you got them broken, he's like, okay, I'm gonna have to talk to the manufacturer, make sure the packaging is better. So we were doing like a little quality control without even seeing it, without even knowing what we were doing. It was just like, so let's do this as a thing, and then it just started taking off and then um you know, I didn't ask for money, I didn't know what I was doing. It was he was my friend, and he's like, oh, do you think you can help my friend? Like, he'll pay you? And I'm like, oh sure, and you know, we kept doing this, and then his friend referred me to another. And I remember like the first big day, it was like 600 bucks, right end up, I'm like, oh my God, I can get a pair of lubo 10, like, I'm going to get a pair of shoes, like, this is what I'm thinking, you know, I'm like, oh my god, like, you know, like, I can do this now because this is like I look at it as like free money online money, like where is this money coming from? You know? But [00:15:13] spk_1: you know the best businesses are started out of a necessity like that amazing at home started the same way like I started writing listings for people and then all of a sudden that turned into consulting and I was helping all these people and it felt great and it's like it was a really great thing. And now look at you know, look at how far we've come today. So it's I think that the best you can really monetize any passion [00:15:39] spk_0: as [00:15:39] spk_1: long as the customer focus, right? As long as you're meeting a need that is not being met, then you can really monetize any passion. I think that's what's so beautiful [00:15:52] spk_0: about you and I love that and that's what, you know, I, I tell people, especially when I have interviews, like I want them to to really get me like to get that I wasn't born with like a special skill. I didn't do anything like above, like I, you know, I didn't go to like some crazy college or I didn't, I didn't spend money into this, I just, I just did it and [00:16:14] spk_1: look at how you started with this friend, like you were open to an opportunity to help somebody without asking for anything in return. And you know, I think so many people miss out on opportunities or even learning about needs and opportunities because they skip out on those things are like, I don't have time, I'm busy with something else, right? And you had such a positive attitude and you talked about how early in your, you know when you came to America and you're working, you were always trying to be the best, always trying to please people and honestly trying to do the best the right thing when nobody's watching and do your best. And I think that that is what has really ultimately led to you discovering these opportunities and having success with them. I think it's just all about positive vibes, right? [00:17:05] spk_0: Oh, I'm all about that and it's you know, I go by what the data in my life, like I see every time I do something good, something amazing happens to me. So it's almost like, you know, I follow a tree, like the more I do, the more I get, the more I give, the more I get and it's like it's so easy because one when you give automatically you feel happy, like a total, it's automatically adrenaline, right? Like you, you, first of all, you do something good for yourself. You give when you give is like the best feeling in the world, like it's better than when you get and that that trickles into like something greater happening to you. Like I might do something a favor of somebody I even forgot about it next. You know they send me 10 clients and I wouldn't I wouldn't even know but it's like it's all connected and that's the beauty of working with people and you can tell I'm so passionate about people, I love people and um I think that's what makes me so good at what I do because literally you know, for this ranking service um I service sellers, I work with sellers but on the other hand I work with buyers and these buyers are the ones that you know are they need you know, hand holding a lot of the times and not everybody has the, the patients to do that, you know, especially when, And I'll give an example like when people get really big, like they start making a lot of money. They feel like it's not that important to, to hold that relationship. You know, they may think, oh, I'm too good for this right now. I don't have time. Like never, doesn't matter how big I got. I've always made time. I always had time. Like, you know, sometimes I get on call with cleanse and they're like, oh my God, like aren't you the owner not that it's a big deal. I'm just saying like, not like, yeah, they're like, oh my God, I can't believe like you took a call with me. Like I'm nobody like, oh my God, I see everyone. I'm like, dude, that's fine. Like here I am in my pajamas and like, I'm drinking tea and whatever. Like, I don't have my makeup on, but it's because it doesn't matter how big you get, it's long. Like all these people help aided me to get into where I am right now. Yes, [00:19:02] spk_1: exactly. That's exactly how I look at it. You know, when people say stuff like that to me, I'm like, um you're someone to, you are literally out here taking a risk starting your own business, building a brand. Like, I have so much to learn from you. Yes, I have a lot of experience and I can help you, but I have so much to learn from you were in this together. You know, it's so cool to see that there's so much that you can learn from each other and yeah, I agree. You've got to stay humble because you didn't get there [00:19:37] spk_0: anybody. We wouldn't be anybody without everyone. We wouldn't be, it's, you know, we take all this power and success from those who have helped build without them. We would be nothing. We would have never gone to this to this point. We even have a business. If I don't have clients, I'm not a business. If I don't have buyers, I'm not a business. [00:19:57] spk_1: Right? Exactly. So speaking of business, let's, I mean the ranking business, let's get to it a little bit. So I know so many things have changed. I mean it's been tough for the ranking business period, you know, and I wish he was here because he has so much more experience with raking services and I do, you know, he had AMC blitz back in the day and then he founded rebate chat and you know, now he's doing, he's growing that and um so it's really, it's really a hard business though because even my small involvement with ruby agent when he got started with that um it it was, it is difficult because you do have to navigate all of the rules, right? You don't want to, you are bending some of the rules right some of the time and you don't you don't want to communicate that the wrong way. So what would you say are some of the biggest challenges with running a business where you're helping people, [00:21:05] spk_0: would you say? [00:21:06] spk_1: And the rules a little bit, you know, but also play along with everyone [00:21:12] spk_0: else. So the way I see it, so for ranking, you know when it comes to amazon um the way I see it and it's probably my, my philosophy and my positivity, but we are actually helping amazon make money. So depending on how you look at it. So for me, if I have a brand new seller that's never sold on amazon and he comes up with a product that's cookie cutter, just like all the other ones in his niche. He's never going to make it. He is doomed from the beginning, There's no way. So for me helping him get some cells, yes, it's going to help him, but it helps amazon make more money. So amazon has never really frowned upon this kind of service. I think I think if you started like going into like asking for um fake reviews and things like this, then yes, definitely you're doing something that you shouldn't be doing and I don't don't promote that at all. But when it comes to ranking, you are helping a seller, you know, move up on the ladder and also amazon and I know this, this works and why I think it's still kind of accepted by amazon. Um it's you're doing these giveaway campaigns and then this product is slowly moving to the top, but guess why it's moving to the top because Amazon is helping you do this and I don't think there's one seller today that starts on amazon, that does not have some type of help whether it's ranking, whether it's BBC, whether it's both and you know when you even if you were to do a write in campaign with absolutely no PPC, you would still move in front. That means amazon is helping you move in front every time you do something, amazon helps you. If amazon saw every single time like okay sellers coming on and all of a sudden they have 10, 24 hours a day, they will literally ban every single person that does this which will ban everybody. So you know what I mean? Like even though I see what you're saying, like bending the rules, but also I would say Amazon is bending the rules just as much as I am because if this wasn't accepted, they will never allow that. They know if you land on page 35, there is no way, you know, all these people are going to your product, you know, by the time they have [00:23:19] spk_1: more problems because they're holding onto your inventory, they've got crowded warehouses, they need people to be selling things and they even encourage you, you know, when you are, when your product is not selling, you get the fun emails from amazon that say, hey, you might want to create a promotion campaign or something to get this. Are you removing there you [00:23:43] spk_0: go? And that's, that's what I'm saying. And um, again, you know, if you don't go into like, you know, fake reviews and all that, then you, this is a really good way to rank and um it's good you mentioned rebate because I know you guys have had a firsthand experience with this. So um you know when it comes to ranking business, um a lot of people are missing the personal touch, I would say and take it as you know, my rang bell secret is making sure that both parties are listened to and talked to on the day. So when you have a company like Reebok chat or re bakkie or all these big platforms, first of all, it's a software, um the Human Touch will be lost somewhere even if your many chatting with them all day, even if you, you know, because you get to such a big number that it would be impossible for you guys, even if you hired 100 people to talk to all of them directly, I know how it is. So the way we do it, even though our service is a little bit more expensive is because we have the manpower where you know, we make sure that every single person has talked to and I'm not talking about like a manage a sequence. This is like, hey jane, how is your day? How's your kid doing? Is he, is he better from his allergy? Like we know what every single person in our community is doing and dad takes a lot of work, a lot of patients, a lot of trust, a lot of relationship connection. [00:25:13] spk_1: It also provides a lot of value because you're able to kind of give more insight that, you know, and I'm not involved in rebates that anymore. As I mentioned, I'm 2021. I'm focused on, you know, an amazing at home and on my private labels. But, but I know and he's doing a lot of really great things. So you guys stay tuned on that, check it out because it's more than just a rebate platform. But um, but that being said, um, there is like, I actually prefer when I launch, I have a list of trusted reviewers that I reach out to and I say really it's about quality control. I want, not only do we all need those initial reviews to get us started, but also I want that customer to tell me, [00:26:04] spk_0: hey, how did the product [00:26:06] spk_1: arrive? Is it broken? Is it, is everything because you can have it inspected at your factory and it could be completely broken in a million pieces and you know, so, and I've seen it with so many clients that do the same thing, they, you know, someone they know is helping them with that quality control process and is buying that product and telling them whether that person leaves a review or not, right, who cares? The bottom line is who, what is going on with that product? And is there any reason that another customer would have a problem with that product when it arrives? That's what I want to know. Because I saw it at the factory, I know it was good. But now is there anything wrong with it when it's getting to these customers? Because we all know, we've all had those products where we got suddenly a one star review and our sales just tanked [00:27:00] spk_0: 100%. Yeah. So I think [00:27:03] spk_1: that besides reviewing, being able to have some of that personal touch where you can actually reach out to the person who bought it and who's reviewing that product and looking at it from a really in depth perspective and ask them for their honest feedback of hey, what's going on with this product? Are there any quality control concerns? Is there any reason why you are another customer wouldn't leave a five star review? Because that's what I think all of us should strive for, right, We should all strive for products that people are excited to leave five star reviews for [00:27:32] spk_2: Thanks for tuning in [00:27:33] spk_0: to part one of this [00:27:33] spk_2: episode, join us every Tuesday at one PM pacific standard time for live Q and A. And bonus content after [00:27:40] spk_0: the recording at cellar [00:27:41] spk_2: Roundtable dot com, sponsored by the ultimate software tool for amazon sales and [00:27:46] spk_0: growth seller S. [00:27:47] spk_2: C. O dot com and amazing at home dot com.