Episode # 140 – Ecommerce Success That Sticks – Dean van Zyl – Amazon Legends
08/30/22 Nick Uresin

Preparing to launch your brand on Amazon requires a lot of work, but today’s guest has gone through that process and is sharing how he did it. A proud visionary immigrant, start-up addict, and true entrepreneur, Dean van Zyl is the Founder of National Adhesive which operates multiple brands such as Great Stuff, GlueAngel, THICC, and EISH! Dean shares how to navigate the decision process about where to start with Amazon, what content you need to create great listings, and what to consider when choosing FBM or FBA.
Takeaways:
- Even if your product is available through wholesale retailers, you can reach a larger consumer base through also selling on Amazon.
- One of the main reasons to sell through Amazon instead of selling to Amazon as a vendor is that you maintain control of your prices. This is especially important if you are also selling through distributors who are worried about being undercut by Amazon.
- It’s crucial to build up your stock to a level that you’re comfortable with before launching your brand on Amazon.
- Before launching on Amazon, there’s a lot you need to do starting with building your team to handle the Amazon operations, researching how your competitors are doing on Amazon, creating content for your listings, and connecting all the software.
- The content that you need for a product listing extends far beyond one picture and a small description. You need to develop additional content such as how-to videos, infographics, and more.
- If you are selling through multiple e-commerce platforms and using a 3PL (3rd Party Logistics) for your fulfillment, it might be best to start with FBM. However, FBA removes many of the headaches associated with 3PLs and FBA also helps your conversion rate.
- Building out a strong ERP infrastructure is imperative when you are dealing with multiple e-commerce platforms to make sure you can monitor your operations for each platform.
Quote of the Show:
- “Sometimes it’s about making the wrong decision a few times before realizing I needed to make the right one earlier ” – Dean van Zyl
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanvanzyl-na/
- Company website: https://nationaladhesive.com/
- Great Stuff Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/940D29EC-271E-47C8-87CB-F37CAE044337/?_encoding=UTF8&store_ref=SB_A03053321U3HUITIUWLWD&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=d32bcacbb300b91a45ee080c5f0db580&hsa_cr_id=5531932170401&lp_asins=B07GLG7B3Z%2CB07JD35J14%2CB07GL6YR14&lp_query=great%20stuff%20caulk&lp_slot=auto-sparkle-hsa-tetris&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_logo&pd_rd_w=anZkK&content-id=amzn1.sym.53aae2ac-0129-49a5-9c09-6530a9e11786%3Aamzn1.sym.53aae2ac-0129-49a5-9c09-6530a9e11786&pf_rd_p=53aae2ac-0129-49a5-9c09-6530a9e11786&pf_rd_r=J5X0MYST523E4T6JD216&pd_rd_wg=MUebO&pd_rd_r=d85dde4c-790a-470e-9e0b-585fa369552a
Shout Outs:
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
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