Amazon Network Effects

Richard Morgan
January 28, 2019

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Athena Saveri talks on network effects and the power of connections. How working on a budget can still get you connected through small groups, meetups and getting out and about. The power of networking is covered.

Get to know the person in front of you and be genuine
Connect on a level where you build trust

Networking on a Budget

On a budget, then go and find a Meetup
Danny can track back to a Meetup in 2015 that started his journey to Seller Sessions
Athena came from a #workparty coffee time with a bunch of Amazon Sellers
Then it was an invite to Athena’s Home or to a restaurant
THis led to a full cruise for 70 people to connect people

Meet your Suppliers

Go and meet your suppliers
eMail and WeChat with China suppliers is fine, but meeting up and visiting Suppliers can lead to better terms of business
Chinese culture is you are either family or you are not
Same in other cultures where you get to a trusted relationship
Suppliers are looking for a partner they can build a future with and a brand
Innovation and special terms can be agreed
Visiting, spending time and sharing a meal with will build a lot of relationship and trust
Manufacturer relationship goes from supplier to a partner deal on a different level

Power of Networking in China

Athena through a lady who had a jewelry factory
Athena asked her if she knew anyone in the Yoga accessories market
She put Athena in touch with a factory that changed Athena’s Amazon business
This lady then met someone in the China Government who has access to a network of factories that are not on Alibaba or anywhere
These are off the grid factories that are game changing
This connection would never have happened if Athena had not met this lady, the power of network effects

Master Mind Group

Danny runs a Master Mind group of 22 people that is a free group
Super technically advanced people under one roof with no charging
Rule is everyone is private about what they share in the group

Entrepreneur Journey

Being an entrepreneur is not ‘normal’
The term itself defines people that take great risk
Having ups and down is part of the journey
It’s good to have a like-minded group of people that can help
Creating a future together to play the game well and play the game right
A community of people that lift each other up
Mindset is crucial as an entrepreneur
Sometimes your family doesn’t understand you, or some people can bring negative thoughts
Having people in your group that can lift you up is so important

Paying it Forward

Not easy to explain this concept to many
If someone doesn’t understand the term it can be because they are closed
The closed mindset manifests in not wanting to share in case someone gets an advantage
Try and be open and help people
Because of the favours and help offered unconditionally, when you have a problem you can reach out to people and get willing help back
The returns on paying it forward are massive
The fake peddlers of paying it forward are very transparent
Athena for 2-3 years put on the events for free to help people
You can ‘feel’ it, and that’s why Seller Sessions attracts such incredible people
That’s why Athena does what she does to help people
Athena goes about life by trusting people until they give reason not to

Networking

Networking can have a stigma around it
Oh a load of people hanging out together, I’d rather be doing work
It’s good to build relationships with like-minded people
These people are not easy to find if you spend all your time in front of your computer and don’t get out
Even if you’re not very chatty or an extravert, going to these meetups is a great help
Danny started out with little WhatsApp groups
Seeing the notes from people was motivational
Hearing the results people were having each day helped a lot

Efficiency

SOmeone does research and spend time to get there and it didn’t work out
They can share with others what they did in those hours and save them the effort
LEarning from others can save you a lot of time
Force yourself to go and make real connections

Male Dominated?

A lot more males in the groups
Is it a struggle from Athena’s perspective?
Some women just wanted to be treated based on their brains not their sex
Athena was one of three women out of 60 on a trip recently
It’s possible to be a Wife, Mother, a Woman and a Bad-ass entrepreneur
Athena still gets asked how her husband lets her travel so much
Other-side is that Athena has to remind friends that she can be domestic nad cook in the kitchen
Athena would love to see more women, in the last China event there was 26 out of 50 that were women
People should be treated with Love and Respect whether man or woman whatever their background
Women want to travel, be safe and get value