We often highlight the seller tool for being able to show you sellers in your area, or showing agencies how to find new clients. There is, however, value for regular resellers, though it can take some practice to perfect; it’s a way to use your competitors for sourcing. Head to the blog, or read on!
Let’s be clear: sourcing takes work. Google can be surprisingly effective, but the best sourcers (sorcerers?) know there will be several steps before they’re on the phone with the right person. So this is not a magic bullet, but it’s definitely a good first step in your sourcing journey.
Start with products you’re already selling, go to the Amazon page, then see who else is selling it (this is easiest to do directly from your Seller Central account). Now look up those sellers in SmartScout’s seller search.
Here’s the key: you’ve both found the same product already, what’s stopping you from finding their other products? Part of this is mindset: if someone else can do it, I can do it, too. Since some suppliers only work with sellers of a certain level (time in business, sales in a year, etc), you can look at sellers with a similar number of reviews as you to approximate what’s available for someone of your status.
Sort a seller’s items by highest revenue, and start searching there. Google the product name with “manufacturer” or “distributor”. If you find a potential source, don’t be afraid to get on the phone. If they’re not the right person to talk to, who is? If they can’t sell you the product, ask if there’s someone else who can.
As we said, there is work, but having the first step taken care of saves some major headaches up front. So go pick out your similar competitors, find their best products, and see if you can snag some of their sales. Even if those exact products don’t work out for you, it can help you to find reliable suppliers who will work with you.
If you're in Chicago next week, come visit us for our next big event: Cruisin' the Channel! We'll be at RetailX for the full event, and want to provide another magical evening like we did with Casino in the Clouds. Apply for the event here!
Attendance at RetailX is not required to attend, so anyone in the Chicago area should feel free to apply.
Don't forget about the changes we've been making to the tool, either (in case you missed it last week):
Lots of exciting things happening, make sure to stay up-to-date and let us know if you have any questions!
