10 Things NOT To Ask in an Amazon Facebook Group

So you’ve joined a course and now you’re eager to jump into their Amazon Facebook Group. But wait! There is an etiquette that you need to adhere to.

I’ve been apart of a few Facebook groups for Amazon sellers for several years now. There is a range of people that are in there, from all walks of life and in varying stages of the journey. But you need to be wise with your questions. Data in, data out.

Amazon Facebook Group etiquette

You’ll find a goldmine of information within certain groups. Especially those attached with high-level courses. But don’t rush in guns blazing, expecting everyone to bend over backwards when you’ve just joined.

Amazon Facebook Group
How us experienced Amazon sellers react when ‘Bob’ drops in another frustrating question.

You see, Facebook groups for beginner Amazon sellers aren’t a free-for-all. Many of them have guidelines that Bob (today’s character) can’t figure out.

So let’s look at 10 things that Bob should never ask in a Facebook group. And in case you’re wondering, I’ve seen all of these in my journey.

1. “Hey all – what are the best products to sell on Amazon to make quick profits?”

Yeah, no. Bob – you’ve missed the mark here mate. Jump into the course content, then jump into Amazon research. No one else is going to find the gold for you.

Stuck for product ideas? Go into shopping centers, into big box stores and gift shops. Look these up on Amazon and get yourself some real experience. This is how I still find products even today. It’s pretty straight-forward.

2. “How do I create an Amazon seller account? Is it easy to do?

This is too basic. Go to this magical whizbang tool called Google, and type in ‘Amazon Seller Central’ and set up an account. From there, choose the free plan. Both the course and Amazon has tutorials if you’re stuck. You don’t have to pay the professional plan unless you’re selling 40+ units per month.

Be resourceful young padawan. Joining an Amazon Facebook Group isn’t your spoon-feeding machine. You need to respect the members in there, some of which have years of experience.

3. “I’ve just joined the course yesterday and I’m looking for a Mastermind of experienced Amazon sellers to pick their brains.”

Woah! Hold on there Bob. You can’t go from 0 to 180km/h. I mean, you just joined the course yesterday. This is a fast way to lose respect in any community.

The best way to join a Mastermind is to create one yourself and lead it all the way. Best of all, with people who are right next to you on the journey. You’ll struggle to grasp concepts of experienced sellers like me anyway, at least until you’re live and selling.

4. “Is Amazon becoming too competitive? My brother in law reckons it is”

Yes, Bob, it’s too competitive on Amazon. Your question is providing lots of value here. Please get a refund on the course that you’ve just bought and continue on your merry way.

For the rest of you, there’s still plenty of opportunities here. Especially for those who are creative and can innovate. It’s easy to outwork the competition who are delivering average products to a hungry market. And the quitters. There are many quitters. 🙃

And if you think, like Bob’s brother in law, that it’s too competitive, then please sit on the sidelines and watch the game.

5. “I’m talking to a factory but they can’t speak clear English!! How do they expect to do business with us westerners.”

Bob, mate, they’ve been doing business with western countries for more than 40 years now. More than 70% of products found in 1st world countries comes from China. Back then the language limitations were significantly higher. How did they manage? Translators.

Today, Chinese > English translators are a becoming extinct. Many suppliers have a basic amount of conversational English. Keep it simple and they will most likely understand your questions and requests. I’ve found them very responsive via WeChat.

China is evolving rapidly, with English becoming more mainstream. Their lack of English is our advantage. At least, for now. Your complaints add no value to an Amazon Facebook Group anyway, Bob.

6. “My factory has made my product and it’s ready to ship, but I’m not sure about it? They sent a few photos and that’s all. What do I do?”

Did you not go through the entire course? You know – that module on suppliers and shipping. Yeah, that one. Where they discussed how to get your products audited by 3rd party inspectors. Best you go do that.

Secondly, why not just jump on a plane and see for yourself? From Australia at least, you can go return for less than $700. 2 nights in a hotel ($240) and some taxis ($50) means that, for less than $1,000, you’ll sleep better at night sending your 1st shipment to Amazon.

7. “Who has failed at Amazon? I think there are a lot more failures than success stories that these courses promote.”

Bob, there are very few, if any, failures. Because these students invested in a course, to massively reduce the likelihood of failure. Is this your excuse for not making progress? Your vendetta against course creators?

What I will tell you is, that there are lots of people who give up. Many just aren’t cut out for this. It’s a lonely journey but has some excellent rewards (not just financial) for those who play the long game and don’t give. Really – this sounds like another complaint from you, Bob. Did you get that refund yet?

8. “I’ve got $400 saved up to launch a product. How do you think I’ll go?”

You won’t go anywhere. Amazon businesses require capital, with $5,000 minimum. $10,000 is better. This isn’t a game for cheap people. Remember how I discussed about those who quit the Amazon journey?

You’ll need capital, Bob. If you don’t have it, find a way to save some (without borrowing) with a 2nd job or otherwise, so you can get started properly. Have you heard about those mega-successes? They started with a large amount of capital, not $5 in their back-pocket.

9. “I’m looking for phone mentoring to help me through the journey but I have no money to pay. Any suggestions?”

Ummm, delete your post? Since mentors and coaches don’t work for free. Real mentoring costs money. I would charge $95 USD per hour for phone support, but quite frankly, I don’t have enough time with the projects I have on. Most Amazon sellers who become coaches are north of $100 USD per hour.

At the same time, most people don’t need mentoring until they’ve finished a full course anyway, done some product research and ordered at least 1 sample. You’ll learn a shit-ton from that experience alone. Be resourceful with what you have.

10. “How quick do you think I can get to $100,000 per year? I really need to get out of my job now.”

How big is a piece of string? How much starting capital do you have, Bob? Sounds like you have very little. If that’s the case, Amazon isn’t right for you at this time.

I would always advocate that you focus on finding the right job first before starting this journey. Before quitting my job, I had a great job with 2 awesome bosses and we all respected each other. This made it significantly easier to build my Amazon business in the evenings and weekends. I actually miss my old job at times. I mean, really.

Amazon isn’t a get-rich-quick gig or a way to quit your job in 1 month, despite what anyone tells you. This takes work. Expect 2 to 3 years, but likely longer, before you can quit your job. Assuming, Bob, that you have some decent starting capital, which doesn’t sound like you have just yet.

Final thoughts on ‘Bob’

I’ve been tough on Bob. I don’t think he likes me anymore. See – this Amazon selling gig isn’t right for everyone. Some people come on board with misguided expectations. They believe that people will find a winning product for them or simply spoon-feed information that is found in Amazon courses.

Amazon groups have a search box. You’ll likely find that your question has been answered before, if you haven’t yet found it in the course.

Amazon Facebook Group
We know, Bob. You’re keen. Just pause and think before asking a question.

Amazon courses all have varying degrees of content, student support, success stories and updates. I’ve actualy provided my readers with a regularly updated list of Amazon courses that are ideal for beginners.

Yet, these are just tools. It’s the student, more than the teacher, that is going to drive this forward. Where does that start? Mindset. I’m fortunate that my personal development journey started almost 10 years ago. I used to be a bit like Bob. Today, we’re at opposite ends of the spectrum.

You might not be ready for Amazon yet. But if you are, don’t be like Bob. Respect the Amazon Facebook group that you find yourself in. For within it, you’ll be respected resourceful and find opportunities that others won’t.

More importantly, play the long game. I’ve been in one group for almost 4 years. Who has the most respect? The students who have been posting real value consistently from Day 1. And guess who’s first in line for joint-venture opportunities? You guessed it.

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3 thoughts on “10 Things NOT To Ask in an Amazon Facebook Group”

  1. Good morning Josh (at least morning for me !)
    I noted a typo: How quit do you think I can get to $100,000 per year? I think you meant quick and not quit. I’m very attentive even at 7am 😁. But I’m not native English so I might be wrong…

    Cheers
    Gilles

    Reply

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I'm Joshua from Australia. 🇦🇺

I've been blogging for 12+ years here and have built up numerous sources of online income.

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