Leverage and Expand your eCommerce Business through Expert Consultants and Lesley Hensell

Riverbend Consulting and Lesley Hensell—The Backstory

Lesley Hensell has been a seller on Amazon since 2010. This is a long time on a platform such as Amazon. What is her secret?

 "A few years into being a seller, I began to use my business consulting background to help people solve problems they were experiencing on Amazon."

According to Hensell, it is well known that if problems are detected, Amazon is noted for suspending people or blocking people from selling. Lesley began helping people by writing their appeals to get back on the platform. She later joined forces with a seller she had helped. Joe Zalta had sales and marketing experience, while Hensell had the technical expertise—thus Riverbend Consulting was formed, and has been in operation for five years. 

This drove Hensell to help even more people. In the marketplace—"If your goal is helping people—you are going to be successful." Lesley Hensell can be reached through LinkedIn or her website.

What Every Company or Brand Needs to Know Before Trying to Sell on eCommerce Platforms?

• The relationship with a seller in traditional retail is completely different to the relationship a third-party seller has on Amazon or other platforms. 

"If you're an existing brand, and you are selling into retail stores, it is one big transaction. On an online platform, you are selling as a third party. The relationship with each individual customer is what matters."

• Amazon doesn't care about sellers—they care about their buyers. 

A seller will need to treat all of their customers the exact way Amazon would treat them or better. If you do not, then Amazon becomes the intermediary that can take you out of the game very quickly.

• Each platform has its own rules.

Amazon has the most complex and difficult set of rules compared to other platforms. They each have their own enforcement. "What is interesting is that teams of former Amazonians built their enforcement rules on their own platforms, which are similar to the rules on Amazon. If you learn Amazon, you can make it on other platforms."

Three Things Sellers Need to Do—

• You have to know your numbers all the time. 

"You need to track your numbers by brand and by ASIN. You could be losing all of your profitability because of one lousy ASIN. A seller needs to understand if they are making a profit. Sellers look at the top line revenue, but they're not looking at their expenses in real time," says Hensell.

• Sellers need to monitor their return reports carefully to see if there is a single product, especially if you are Amazon FBA, that's eating all the fees associated with your returns.

• Focus on what Amazon is doing to you especially in the area of reimbursements.

"If you don't have someone managing your inventory and making sure that Amazon is reimbursing you for lost or damaged inventory, you are taking a loss."

Three Things Sellers Need to Stop Doing—

"There is so much to choose from.  It depends on who you are and what you are doing," says Hensell.

• Stop being in only one marketplace.

"If you are only on Amazon, you need to be in other places. If you sell exclusively on Amazon, and you are only selling private labels or only selling wholesale you should think about expanding and diversifying. This will help you prevent losing business," says Hensell.

• Stop breaking the rules. 

"Examples are fake reviews. Amazon is getting good at detecting rule breaking," says Hensell.

• Stop outsourcing so much of your accounting that you don't know what's going on.

"You cannot be an absent owner. Amazon has become complex. You can outsource to agencies and VA's, but you have to know what they are doing in your account."

Guidance for Amazon Sellers Looking to Expand into Different Channels

Hensell is a big fan of Shopify. "You have some control over Shopify. There are promotional and advertising offerings, giveaways, and things that you can do on Shopify that will benefit your brand on Amazon. You are not breaking the rules by doing this and you are driving traffic to Amazon."

Hensell recommends finding a 3PL that can help you. "Amazon 3PL, multi-channel fulfilment services are too expensive. Find a 3PL that can be flexible. This can help you once your orders come through," recommends Hensell.

What Aspect of Selling Online is the Most Underestimated?

Tips for Brick and Mortar Stores That are Looking to Expand into Ecommerce?

Hensell agrees that success of brick and mortar stores expanding into an online platform depends on a variety of factors.

• Are you reselling stock?

"If you are reselling stock, the chances are that you have strong relationships with wholesalers and distributors which you have developed over the years. You can join forces with them and the brands that they are buying from to create 'Amazon Only' offers."

• Are you selling original products?

"If you have your own products to offer, it is beneficial because you are offering something unique," says Hensell.

Are There Opportunities for Sellers Who Sell Personalized Items, Print-to-Order and Highly Personalized Merchandise?

"Amazon has a sector for handmade products. They also have some products that allow personalization. I've had some clients who have done well with these types of merchandise," says Hensell.

Final Words of Wisdom from Lesley Henselll

Closing Statement

eSenshi is an accounting firm specializing in assisting eCommerce businesses. We provide a variety of services such as Virtual CFO services, Sales Tax Services to assist eCommerce businesses. Catch Salim Omar and Shawheen Amirkhizi with more special guests on their popular Podcast—eCommerce Money Map.