🥃[SFTB] Networking After Dark: A $30 Drink in a Secret Bar at Amazon Accelerate

What’s Going On at…not the Beach?

My turn to share what’s going on! (Max here). Nice to meet all of our new subscribers this week. We promise this issue will be packed full of stuff you can use today to improve your business, your life, and yourself. 

Last month I was lucky enough to go to both Amazon Accelerate & Alibaba Co-Create (and on the flight home I caught COVID, but that’s another story). Both conferences were a blast and I met a lot of unique people. As usual, the speakers and talks had limited value compared to the networking. There’s just something deeper that happens between two humans when you meet face-to-face (is that weird to say?).

You just never know who you might meet or what their unique struggles might be (or if they can help you with yours). I met a ton of people who were great, but two that really stood out where Dan Wentworth who bought me a $30 Old Fashioned in a secret bar, and then introduced me to Evans Richards, a reseller with a 9 figure per year business — wild! Anyway, enough storytelling and on with the newsletter!

Retargeting your buyers with unique coupon codes is possible on Amazon. Common retargeting groups include: repeat buyers, prospective buyers, and high spend buyers.

True or False?

Thanks to B.K. for sharing that one…

OFX (formerly CanadianForex) helps people make fast and secure money transfers. I’ve used it personally for years to receive my Amazon payments and then distribute the money from there to myself (in CAD), suppliers, and other vendors.

We’ve been able to secure preferred rates for anyone that decides to sign up for OFXthis week. If you’re looking for a cross-border banking solution, we’ve had great success with OFX. Other companies in this space are Wise, Pingpong, Remitly, and Veem – they all do about the same thing as far as I can tell.

How OFX makes it’s money:

1) Same currency transfers – OFX charges a small % based fee. At the time of writing, I pay 0.12% per transfer. On a $100 transfer, I pay $0.12.

2) Foreign currency transfers – no % based fee. Instead, OFX gives you an exhange rate that is slightly higher then the actual exchange rate.

OFX is great at helping individuals and businesses securely send and receive money — like Amazon.com payments (without excessive or confusing fees).

1. Limit Order: Pick the exchange rate you want to trade your money at, and have them watch it for you. If the rate gets to where you set it, they’ll make the trade for you.

2. Forward Exchange Contracts: This is like setting up a “pay later” plan for exchanging money. If you think the exchange rate is going to drop in the future, and you know you need to make several payments in the next 6 months, this can help. For example, you can agree to a 6-month deal, lock in a set exchange rate for all the money, and only pay 5% of it upfront. Then, you can make your payments at that same rate over the 6 months, no matter if the exchange rate goes up or down. But remember, once you agree to this, you have to stick with it, even if the rate doesn’t move like you hoped. So, you might want to lock in the rate for some of your money, and leave some to exchange later, just in case.

You can find more documentation regarding the above here and here.

credit: midjourney / prompt: secluded beach on sunny day. Tropical scene with green blue gentle water

1) Log-in to Amazon and navigate to your advertising campaign manager.

2) On the top right, choose the question mark, and then select “support center.”

3) Select “Billing and Payments” and then scroll to the bottom and click “Contact us”

4) From the drop-down, choose: “Payments and Invoicing” and then “Payment frequency and credit ladder.”

5) Select live chat.

Write the below to the support agent:

Wait for them to either accept it or escalate. Done! Enjoy your longer terms.

If you’re anything like me, you wish you took more flights in business class! Unfortunately… money’s a little short 🤣. Here’s the next best thing. Seatguru. This site helps you choose the best seats on planes. Spoiler: they’re sometimes even better then the business class!

Bad: Limited legroom, limited reclining, missing or misaligned window, limited floor storage during takeoff, or proximity to the bathroom or galley.

Good: Lots of legroom, nobody in front of you to recline into your space, far away from the bathroom or galley.

1) Look up your flight on Seatguru’s search engine.

2) Find the flight that you’re taking (you will need to know the plane type)

3) Make sure you’re not in a “BAD” seat. If you are, try to change to a GOOD seat – or at least not a bad one.

4) Enjoy a more relaxing trip!

Rob here – We are lucky to have one of the best beaches in Costa Rica extremely close to where we live – only a five minute walk! Playa Conchal beach frequently appears on top beach lists around the world. Come visit us!

Besides the powdery white sand and crystal-clear waters, it has a unique feature towards the north end…  Closer to the town of Brasilito, the sand is composed of millions of crushed seashells. The shells create a unique and shimmering shoreline like I’d never seen before.

Walking along this seashell-strewn beach is like strolling on a natural mosaic, a sensory experience that sets Playa Conchal apart from other beaches.  There is no vehicle access to the beach but it is only a short walk from Brasilto or directly from Reserva Conchal.  If you are planning a trip and looking to check off great beaches, make sure this is on your list.

Now… doesn’t that sound awesome?

It’s pretty messed up that when Amazon damages or loses one of my items or shipments it’s usually on me to not only notice it, but request a reimbursement (in the way they want). 

Imagine if you gave me your expensive collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We worked out a consignment deal so that I would sell them for you. Wonderful!

Things were going fine until the first box arrived at my house damaged. And then a few weeks later I lost a couple – Probably because I was drunk again. I didn’t bother telling you. Or maybe I forgot. Who knows.

When you and I finally work it out, it’s been months of work on your end, but at least you have your money. Sort of. My assistant doesn’t always refund you the full amount. Sometimes he screws up with that, too. Or he short changes you.

…That’s what it’s like sometimes trying to get money back from Amazon for mistakes they made.

– Tony Robbins

Speak Up! Questions from the Community

No questions this issue. Want to have your question answered in the newsletter? Send us an email at info@sellingfrom.co

How was today’s newsletter? Love it? Hate it?

Do you just want to be on a beach with a cold drink?

Let us know.

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All the best,

Max & Rob