😱 The Game That Still Haunts Me…

What you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

• 😱 The Game That Still Haunts Me… [True Story]

• 📈 RUFUS Is Pulling Customer Feedback Into Responses!

• 🔍 Amazon Just Confirmed Our Suspicions…

• 🚀 7 Amazing Uses for HeyGen’s AI Avatars [AI Lesson]

• ✅ 3x Your Amazon Sales With These Listing Changes!

This week’s wheel 👇

Prize: An in-depth SEO site review audit with SEO expert Steve Wiideman, who’s worked with Skechers, Applebees, and Disney.

🚨 How to enter → HERE. (You’ll be asked for your email and name so we can contact you if you win.)

We spin the “Wheel of Kelsey” every Wednesday at 12 pm ET on my YT channel "Norman Farrar”.

🔍 THE GAME THAT STILL HAUNTS ME… [TRUE STORY] 

Back in 1975, when I was in grade school in Kitchener, I’d sometimes meet a couple of buddies at the community courts for a quick game of tennis.

One day, the school announced its first-ever tournament, and I signed up thinking I’d do pretty well.

In the first round, I faced a new kid from my class.

He was nice enough, but not someone I really knew well.

He was bigger and slower than most of us, and I figured it’d be an easy match.

I came out strong, winning back-to-back points without much effort.

But I started feeling guilty.

I thought, “He deserves a chance.”

So I let up a little.

I gave him a few serves.

What started as me trying to be nice turned into me second-guessing myself.

My serves lost their edge, I flubbed a couple returns, and just like that, the momentum shifted.

The kid who shouldn’t have had a chance ended up knocking me out in the first round!

I was devasted.

And it was all my fault.

Business Lesson:

Don’t coast on kindness.

In business, letting up when you’ve got the advantage can cost you.

Whether you’re leading a negotiation, scaling a campaign, or launching a new product, stay sharp all the way through.

Mercy’s a great quality, but it doesn’t belong in the middle of execution.

Finish strong, then shake hands.

— Norm

This week’s freebies from Daniela Bolzmann (Thanks Daniela! )👇

✅ Premium A+ Content 2 free tutorials 

✅ Best Performing Product Images Swipe File

And don’t forget to share this newsletter!

🔥 AMAZON’S RUFUS IS NO LONGER JUST ANSWERING QUESTIONS…

^{Credit to Ritu Java → Linkedin Post}

Amazon’s RUFUS is pulling in real-time feedback from “Customers Say” AI right into its responses.

That’s a big deal.

Now when a shopper asks, “What do people say about this product?” they don’t have to scroll through endless reviews.

For brands, that changes things.

If your value prop isn’t clear…
If your product has recurring complaints…
If your messaging doesn’t align with customer sentiment…

It’s going to surface earlier.

You need to see this as a chance to get ahead.

When Amazon shows the most relevant, trustworthy content:

• Shoppers feel confident

• Brands that deliver rise to the top

• And the platform earns more trust

Be clear. Be consistent.

This is the future of selling on Amazon.

🚨 Follow the discussion → Here

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BEARD GUY?

Can you find Norm in the picture below? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see the answer!

🔥 AMAZON JUST CONFIRMED SOMETHING MANY OF US SUSPECTED…

^{Credit to Vanessa Hung → Linkedin Post}

Most sellers still think compliance begins and ends with their Amazon listing, titles, bullets, A+ content.

But that’s not how Amazon’s playing the game anymore.

They’re pulling data from your entire brand footprint, including your DTC site.

A seller recently got a surprisingly candid message from Amazon support. It said:

Here’s what’s happening:

• Amazon’s AI is crawling your brand website

• It stores product claims, packaging info, and phrasing

• Then it uses that info to validate (or invalidate) what you post on Amazon

• If something doesn’t match—or worse, violates policy—it can get your listing pulled

This feature has been live for over a year but now sellers are seeing the consequences:

• A bold claim on your Shopify page? That can get your ASIN flagged

• Old packaging images on your website? Same deal

• Inconsistent info on other marketplaces? You’re at risk

Amazon is optimizing for platform trust.

So here’s the bottom line:

If your DTC site, listings, and marketing don’t all tell the same story, Amazon’s AI will pick the version it trusts.

Fix the gaps. Get consistent. Or risk takedowns without warning.

🚨 Read Vanessa’s full post→ Here

🔥 3X AMAZON SALES WITH THESE TECHNIQUES! [AMAZON OPTIMIZATION GUIDE 2025]

Here’s 10 Takeaways From This Episode:

1. Split Test Every Main Image Before You Go Live
   Never rely on opinions—use tools like PickFu or ProductPinion to test multiple main image variations with real shoppers.

2. Add Conversion-Boosting Text and Visual Aids to Images
   To aid buying decisions (especially on mobile), use badges (e.g., “30-pack,” “Variety”), ingredient callouts, award seals, and clear indicators like capsule vs. powder on your images.

3. Stop Designing in a Silo
   Test all creative before pushing live. Use customer video polls (e.g. via Product Pinion) to hear real people critique your listing.

4. Use Rufus and Audience Polling to Identify Top Questions
   Build a data-driven image stack by pulling customer questions from Rufus, competitor listings, and tools like PickkFu or Product Pinion. Focus your visuals around the top 5–10 key selling points that customers care about most.

5. Use Amazon’s Manage Your Experiments, but Don’t Wait for It
   Amazon's built-in split testing takes 2–12 weeks for results. Use 3rd-party tools for faster insights, then validate winners on Amazon to improve performance over time.

Find this episode of Lunch With Norm on YouTube and anywhere you listen to podcasts

🔥 THIS SECRET NEWSLETTER STRATEGY WILL BLOW UP YOUR BUSINESS!

Here are my favorite TIPS from this episode!

1. Focus on Click Rate, Not Just Open Rate
Due to Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, open rates are often inflated. Track click rates instead to measure real engagement. Tease content and give enough info to make readers curious.

2. Reward Referrals with Quick Wins, Not Company Swag
Most people won’t refer 5+ friends. Offer high-value, low-barrier rewards like prompt books, tip PDFs, or toolkits for just 1 referral to kickstart sharing. They must actually want your rewards!

3. Break Up the Layout for Skimmers
Use modular formatting: alternate colored headlines, boxes around sections, and visual cues like emojis or bolding to make it easier for readers to skim. Add top-of-newsletter trivia that’s answered at the bottom to keep people scrolling.

4. Monetize with Dedicated Emails (Not Just Banner Ads)
Kevin charges $4,000 per dedicated email, selling them as standalone promos to advertisers. Start building toward this by delivering consistent value and segmenting your list.

5. Use Deliverability Tools Before Sending
Run every newsletter through mail-tester.com or mailgenius.com to get a spam score. Fix flagged issues like broken links, spammy words (e.g., “free”), or missing DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

Find this episode of Marketing Misfits on YouTube and anywhere you listen to podcasts

🌎 MARK DOWN THESE EVENTS! 🌎

And that’s it, Beardos!

See you next Monday!

- Norm

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