Picture this... an old boy is looking to buy some wax for his classic car. The old brand has stopped selling. So, he's checking out three shops in town.
What he's come to realise is...
...he doesn't want a thick wax that has to go on a cleaned car, can't be used when the weather is too hot, has to dry before wiping off, leaves smears on the fiberglass, and bits of wax in hard-to-reach places. He wants to spend his time driving the car more than cleaning it.
He's heard of these sprays that will clean a car and simultaneously wax it. In his mind, he sees a Sunday morning clean and wax turn from three hours to less than an hour which means more time cruising with the roof down, and meeting the car club at the local pub.
So he goes to the first store...
Store One
He walks through the dark green entrance door with a picture of a tin of wax on it and an old MG Midget car in bright red, looking shiny. And he thinks to himself, this looks like the right kind of place.
But he's disappointed to find only one product in the shop; the tin of wax on the door. The salesman tells him it will protect his car for 12 months and leave a beautiful shine.
Does he buy it?
Does the feature of 12 months of protection provide the solution he seeks?
No.
Store Two
As he approaches the second store he sees a picture of a Ferrari on the window, and also a dog being washed. Okay. And as he enters the store, he sees some toasters and smoothie makers.
Right.
So, what's this store about? Is it selling car accessories, pet gifts, or food products?
The owner starts to sell him on the features of their car polish. It's quick to spray on. It will last for three washes, and wax protects the car for a week or two.
Sounds great, he says, but what's with the smoothie makers and pet products?
"I just like them. And you know, most customers have a car, they eat and drink, and they often have pets. So, it makes sense, right?"
Does he buy it?
It sounds like the type of thing he wants. If he believes what the owner says is true, then sure, it will clean fast and save him time. But, there's something about the fact that she's selling pet stuff and smoothies that makes him think she's only read the label and doesn't really know about the polish. So, what he's hearing is a marketing team's speech rather than experience.
Store Three
This looks more promising. The windows are full of car polish, bumper black, sponges, oils, and brake fluids.
He asks the assistant what car waxes they have.
The salesperson explains a range of products at different prices, and after listening to the old man, he narrows the choice down to two brands.
"This brand is a spray-on wax but can be used to clean the car too, but if you've got any dirt or dust on it, you should give it a light wash first so that you aren't going to scratch the bodywork with dust.
"But have you heard of nanotechnology? It's been out a few years and makes car cleaning much easier. It has a beading effect that not only shields the car from dirt, UV, and insects, it makes it easier to clean next time. And it feels so soft! Your ability to wash the car fast, and have it look showroom clean is a breeze. This pack also comes with two types of microcloth, one for putting on the polish and the other for smoothing it off. It should take 30 minutes to clean your car and look best-in-show."
The salesperson then describes other products like bumper black, upholstery waxes, engine bay cleaners, pressure washes, and some bundle packs. He hands him a leaflet on common car cleaning problems for classic motors.
Does he buy it?
Sure he does. The store is full of carcare products. It's got things he didn't even know about. The salesman seemed to understand his problem. He not only found him the product he was searching for but gave him extra information, and showed him other items to consider too. He's going to get that super showroom shine in under an hour.
The great thing about the store is its ability to upsell and cross-sell to each buyer.
So What About You?
It's difficult to find useful Amazon Store advice. Many stores I see on Amazon fit into the first two categories. Sellers have only one product and rely on that for success. Or they buy different products on a whim that are unrelated and may even have a different brand name. I've seen sellers have incredible single products but not support them and instead invest money in more difficult items they happen to prefer.
Okay, so preference is a key thing.
And it happens a lot. Brands aren't building around a central focus. They're appealing to completely different buyers, and reducing their ability to be experts in their field. And they are frequently struggling to maintain stock for items that are primary products because they spent money ordering inventory for things that are secondary to their brand.
And I also see brands resting on their laurels. Meaning, that they have a few products that are selling regularly and have stable results, but they let the competition in. They don't innovate, or grow their brand. They let it sit. They grow comfortable. They don't offer more items to the same buyer for the same keywords. They don't use their knowledge for competitive advantage.
And those hungry brands see a successful listing and copy it. They offer it at a lower price until the original is squeezed out of the market, then raise the price to make profit.
And the seller made the mistake of selling products and not their brand. Their brand doesn't stand for something. This is fine if your brand conveys that it sells many different products, and that's its thing.
And with around 3,000 new sellers listing items every day on Amazon, buyers hardly know one brand from another.
If your brand isn't quite there yet, you can make it appear well-established. You can convey the sense of being an expert in your field. You can carefully build a product range around the person you are selling to. You can advertise your own ASINs on your product page to keep the competitors out. You can create bundles. It's easier to think outside of the box when you truly know your buyers.
And one final thing?
What colour was the classic MG Midget on the door of the first store?
Red. Whether you remembered the car colour or not, you have been hypnotised. At a micro level. I controlled the direction of your thinking, and I placed images in your head in the form of a story. And how we use that in our brand and content is quite powerful. It works at a subconscious level faster than we can think. And then we don't realise how the thought got into our head.
It's powerful marketing so why not use it?
Need help finding real Amazon Store Advice?
If you are a bit lost with direction, unsure who your avatar is, or don't know if your branding is cutting it, I can help. Get in touch at heath AT amazonalchemist.com.
Or check out my branding page here: https://www.amazonalchemist.com/amazon-branding-advice
Tags - Amazon Store Optimisation - Amazon Branding - Knowing Your Avatar - How to Make a Brand Worth Knowing
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