5 harsh lessons from 11,000 hours & $550m in Amazon sales

Welcome Back to the Emplicit Weekly Newsletter!

Every Saturday, we'll share an actionable Amazon growth guide with practical tactics and strategies to help you dominate your competition and scale your Amazon sales. This newsletter will remain free forever. We hope you enjoy!

At Emplicit, we've helped over 500+ eCommerce brands earn $550 million in sales through Amazon.

Want to boost your Amazon Sales? Click here to book a call & claim a Free audit of your store/brand.

This email offers an ultra-rare glimpse behind the curtain from an 8-figure Amazon seller…

I’ve been in this game for 15+ years…

And now — I'm finally ready to share some of the closely-guarded secrets that propelled my clients to the top 0.1% on Amazon.

Lessons that cost me 11,000 hours of brutal trial-and-error.

I've compiled 5 critical mistakes - along with the priceless wisdom correcting them - into this exclusive briefing.

Take notes.

Whether you're a seasoned seller or just getting started, applying these insights can rapidly accelerate your sales trajectory…

While avoiding same costly mistakes I made…

Let’s get into it:

Lesson #1: Brand Reputation Matters More Than Short-Term Profits

When I first started out, I was focused on driving sales and profits up quickly for my clients.

I didn't pay enough attention to things like:

• Monitoring and promptly responding to negative reviews

• The quality of the products

• Customer service

This resulted in dips in some brands' reputations that took a long time to recover from.

I realized that if you don't vigilantly guard your reputation, short-term gains can result in long-term pains.

Now I instill the importance of brand image in every aspect of operations.

Lesson #2: Master Amazon Advertising or Risk Falling Behind

Early on, I didn't prioritize learning Amazon Advertising.

I figured organic rankings were enough to drive sales.

But as competition grew fiercer, brands I managed started losing their hard-won positions.

It took me finally diving deep into understanding Amazon ads for me to realize:

• Advertising is essential for sales velocity and visibility

• There are always new optimizations to test and learn

• It must be a core competency, not an afterthought

Now, staying on top of the latest advertising best practices is a cornerstone of how I drive exponential growth.

Lesson #3: Mindset Drives Results More Than Tactics

Early on, I focused solely on strategizing the perfect step-by-step playbooks for brands to implement.

But over time, I noticed some brands with less polished processes still massively outperformed others.

What made the difference?

Their underlying mindset.

Specifically, brands that embodied urgencies like:

• Customer obsession

• Relentless improvement

• Bold innovation

...consistently achieved more than brands just checking boxes on process checklists.

I experienced firsthand how extraordinarily a focused, empowered mindset can elevate results.

Now, cultivating the right entrepreneurial mindset is the first step I take with any brand I advise.

Lesson #4: Amazon Changes Fast - Adapt Even Faster

Early on, I treated many Amazon best practices as set-it-and-forget-it.

I established systems and assumed they would keep working smoothly over time.

Unfortunately, I underestimated how rapidly things change on Amazon.

Some examples include:

• Sudden ranking factor shifts

• New advertising options

• Platform policy updates

Now, I operate every area of my business with the mindset that I'm managing a dynamic system.

I continually audit processes for opportunities to test and optimize, rather than assuming permanent efficiency.

Lesson #5: It Pays to Be Patient in Business

As a young, hungry entrepreneur I always felt pressed for time - so I focused solely on speed of execution.

But in my hurry to put strategies in place, I often pivoted too fast or gave up too soon when I hit obstacles.

Over thousands of hours though, I internalized an important mindset shift:

• True quality takes diligent craftsmanship

• Lasting success is built brick-by-brick

• There are no sustainable shortcuts

Now I always emphasize deliberate, strategic patience over rushed timelines.

Because reaching the top of Amazon is a marathon, not a sprint - so pacing is key.

FInal Thoughts

This isn't just another "how-to" guide.

It's the result of an 11,000-hour journey, full of big wins & painful lossses.

It's about the lessons I learned that transformed me into a successful Amazon seller.

Yes, it's about improving your sales, but more than that, it's about:

1. Changing your mindset

2. Understanding the importance of patience

3. Adapting swiftly to change.

This invaluable knowledge is now yours.

Use it wisely, grow your Amazon business, and remember - your journey to the top is a marathon, not a sprint.

Whenever you are ready, there are 2 ways we can help you:

1. Grow Your Brand on Amazon with 100% hands-off marketplace management
   
   We've helped over 500 clients earn more than $550 million on Amazon. If you need help making the most of the Amazon opportunity, Click here to book a call & claim a Free audit of your store/brand.
   

2. Optimize your Amazon store with ReviewPulse.AI
   
   Boost your Amazon sales by using AI to analyse 1,000’s of customers reviews and use that data to write high-converting product listings, feature bullets, title ideas with messaging that speaks to your customers' pain points. Click here to test it for free.