Your BFCM Pep Talk with a Side of Truth Bombs 💣

Hey ASOM Fam,

Buckle up because in this edition of ASOM Unfiltered we’re serving hot takes spicier than your grandma’s chili. We’ve got a fresh lineup of no-nonsense advice that’ll make you rethink your BFCM game plans, sales approach and partnerships (we’re looking at you SaaS):

• Jimmy’s here to tell you that your BFCM isn’t just about sending more emails—he’s got a story from his past as a merchant that proves risky moves pay off if you know how to play it right.

• John’s fed up with fake endorsements and wants transparency to be the real MVP. Stop the shady shilling, folks.

• Bryan’s got a poetic ode to the endless Black Friday TV deals (spoiler: we don’t need another 50-inch).

• And Amer? He’s dishing out partnership truths for SaaS companies who think agencies can be bought.

Now, let’s get into the goods!

4 Must-Have eCommerce Marketing Tactics - EP22

In this episode, we dive into bold marketing moves and tried-and-true tactics that drive serious results. From giveaways that spark engagement to turning customer service into pure profit, get ready for insights that’ll level up your marketing game. Turn up the volume and tune in!

Want to Win BFCM? Launch a New Product at Retail Pricing.

Something to think about next year for your BF/CM.. (no it's not send more email)....

Looking back, it was our biggest revenue AND profit drivers for the holidays...

Let me explain.

At my men’s clothing brand KNYEW, due to delayed shipments, we received our inventory late and were forced to do something extremely risky.

Because we knew we had to move the inventory (it was Winter apparel and it was already Nov)

We decided to prelaunch/tease and launch our new product line on Cyber Monday.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking - why would I do that?

• You will most likely have one of your highest website traffic days that day.

• People are in a buying mode/behavior.

• People are shopping for others, in this case, sell to your core audience.(so they can have something for themselves.)

• Selling at full retail helps you offset the losses that you’ll take with big discount/clearance items.

Result: Our new product line (about 5 SKU’s with 6 variants each) sold out every year in hours for Cyber Monday.

What was the strategy? Our playbook looked a little like this:

• Early in the week: We teased the sale + the new product release on CM.

• Wed: We warned people the sale was happening and we have limited inventory - highlighted the best sales.

• Friday: We let everyone know sale was happening.

• Saturday: We leaned on Small Biz Saturday.

• Sunday: We teased our new product and Cyber Monday sales. (which were different than our BF)

• Monday: We launched the sale.

• Tuesday: We did a final call/closed it.

• Thursday: We did an encore to the entire sale for 24 final hours.

And the outcome?

The first year, we were nervous going in and felt like heroes coming out. Proud of what we accomplished.

The following years, we doubled down and maximized our efforts.

BF/CM generated us almost 30% of our entire year revenue in just a few days.

And we didn’t even have a 2nd communication channel like SMS.

Capitalize on one of your highest traffic days by launching a brand new product!

TL;DR: Launch a new product at retail pricing. (no discounts)

BE F*CKING TRANSPARENT

I’m tired of the shilling.

A few days ago, in the Creator’s Combine slack group, someone dropped a screenshot of a LinkedIn post talking about a new sales channel that was working really well for this brand. This was the CEO of the brand.

They said they were having MAJOR results. They dropped ‘their rep’s email address’ and suggested asking for some free credit and start validating immediately.

I guess this did what it was supposed to do…

Get people chatting and looking into this app…

I quickly sent it to my team, sent it to my ad agency, and discussed it in the CC slack group.

After talking to multiple people, quickly figured out something that I had missed initially…

This was just a f*cking shill.

I am guessing there is a chance their rep is not even real and it’s just an email address to track the opportunities and sales generated.

BE F*CKING TRANSPARENT

If you are genuinely having success with some sort of new tech or sales channel, absolutely share it. TAG THEM. Get them some new sales, I don’t care if you are compensated for it or even have some advisory shares…

BUT BE F*CKING TRANSPARENT

Don’t mislead people that look to you for expert advice. That’s just f*cking wrong.

Ode to the Black Friday TV’s

Oh Black Friday, we see you again,
With your 50% off on a giant flat-screen trend.
But listen up, retailers, we’re calling you out,
We all have TVs, stop twisting that clout!

Do we really need another gadget to stream?
Or Cyber Monday deals that feel like a meme?
This year, let’s be bold, let’s take a new stance,
Ditch the tired discounts, give marketing a chance.

Unleash new products, full price, full flair,
Your fans will buy them, if they’re rare!
No need for markdowns that make margins weep,
Your brand can thrive without deals that’re cheap.

So, stop with the gimmicks, the same ol’ pitch,
Focus on value, make customers switch.
Because we don’t need more TVs, or AirPods that clone,
This Black Friday, let’s make marketing grow.

Sincerely,
The guy who looks like Ben Affleck, but better.

P.S. The moral of the story here is to stop discounting the same crap year after year. We all have TV’s. In fact, we all have too many TV’s. What are you going to do this BFCM season that is different from the past? How can you actually create buzz? How can you actually make profits? 

Anyways, that’s all I have for now, I gotta go.. 

Where am I going?

Stay tuned….

SaaS Partners Approach Partnership Intros The Wrong Way

Being a partnership lead for a SaaS company isn’t easy, especially if your focus is on agencies. And if you don’t understand how most agencies operate, that challenge doubles. So let’s go over some advice for anyone looking to pitch a solution or establish partnerships in this space.

Let’s start with the “don’ts.”

Don’t lead with revenue share. Agencies that truly value their clients aren’t swayed by revenue shares alone. Are they going to put their reputation on the line — risking trusted client relationships — for a referral fee of $50, $100, or $500 a month? The answer is no. That’s not what moves the needle for agencies grounded in long-term client success.

Don’t just ask for leads or introductions. That’s a short-term strategy, and it won’t get you very far. Agencies are busy. They’re focused on implementing reliable, proven strategies that drive results, not experimenting with every new solution that comes along. So, what should you do instead? I’ll get to that shortly.

Don’t expect agencies to “sell” your solution. Agencies may have a preferred tech stack or a broader range of tools, but they won’t know your product as well as you do. Equip them to introduce your solution effectively with a clear, memorable value proposition that excites brands, then take it from there.

Don’t waste time pitching your solution to agencies whose services don’t align with it. Take the time to understand the agency's core offerings. If they don’t work with paid media, for example, there’s little point in reaching out about a paid media tool. Your efforts will fall flat, and the agency’s time — along with your own — will be wasted.

Bonus tip: Don’t claim to be an AI company if you’re not. There’s a difference between being an AI company and an AI-empowered tool. True AI companies, like OpenAI or Meta, build proprietary models and then open them to developers and the public. AI-empowered tools use those models to enhance their own products. In today’s market, authenticity matters; be transparent about what you are.

Now, let’s talk about what to do — with an example. Recently, I had calls with Michael Rizzo from Narvar and Roddy Smith from Clearer.io. What struck me was that we don’t have close relationships with their companies, yet these interactions felt like catching up with old friends.

Both Michael and Roddy approach their work with genuine warmth and respect. Every time we connect, there’s no immediate ask for leads or introductions. Instead, their focus is on two things: How can they help me and the agency? How can they support our merchants? Their message is about lightening the load for our team and making life easier for us and our clients.

To be honest, nothing is fully solidified yet, but every week I find myself revisiting how Clearer.io and Narvar could be beneficial to specific merchants. I’m thinking not about how to fit them into our agency’s roadmap but how to serve our clients better.

The lesson? Look to help, not to sell. Building partnerships is about relationships, not transactions.

And that’s a wrap on this week’s unfiltered fire! If you’re hooked on our no-BS rants (or just love the chaos), be sure to hit that Subscribe button and let us keep your inbox spicy. 🌶️

And of course, don’t be selfish—share with your friends, coworkers, or anyone who needs a wake-up call from their boring newsletters.

Until next time, keep it hot, keep it unfiltered. ✌️