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Shopify Plus MSM Spotlight: 5 Questions With Daniel Fadelle

How can you be successful using Shopify Plus and Rebuy together? We talk to Merchant Success Managers at Shopify to get the latest tips.


Shopify Plus powers ecommerce for over 10,000 online brands across 175 countries and 21 languages. Over 1,000 of those brands use Rebuy to personalize their online shopping experiences. While Shopify Plus customers enjoy a plethora of product updates every year, a big part of their success can be attributed to their Merchant Success Program.

In this post, we speak to Shopify Merchant Success Manager (and business owner), Daniel Fadelle. Daniel shares his advice on setting up your first Shopify Plus store, new ecommerce tools you should try, and much more! 

Rebuy: Okay, question #1. Outside of your role at Shopify, you’re a successful entrepreneur and music producer. What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

Daniel Fadelle: The best advice I think I’ve ever received was, “no business is better than bad business." When starting out you may be eager to take on a project because you think you need the work. But sometimes you’re just not the best fit for a client. So learn to pass on jobs that you believe will result in a poor experience for either you or the client. Taking them on often leads to resentment, bad reviews, or a hit to your reputation (or worse, all three). 

Once I see that I’m not able to meet a client’s needs in the way they require, I refer them to a peer or another business that might be a better fit for that particular client. That way I’m able to avoid putting my reputation at risk and also offer the very best solution to the client.

 

"Offering referrals to my competitors is a form of networking. It's not a zero-sum game."

 

The energy and resources you lose from taking on the wrong job isn't worth it. I’ve seen freelancers, entrepreneurs do this…it’s stressful. It’s like, there are challenges out there that you don’t necessarily have to take on, right? It’s a ‘pick your battles’ sort of a situation.

There’s a hidden benefit for business owners here, too. Offering referrals to my competitors is a form of networking. It’s not a zero sum game. By occasionally offering referrals to competitors, I’m inviting them to send me clients down the road for whom I may be a better fit. And so we become peers instead of adversaries.

2. What are the first 3 strategic things a new merchant should do after setting up a store on Shopify Plus?

First, new merchants should connect with the merchant success team shortly after setting up their store. Establish a good relationship with them early on because their main job is to help your store thrive.

For example, they can help you:

  • Conduct an audit of your store.
  • Follow best ecommerce practices and stay on top of industry trends.
  • Connect with Plus certified partners and agencies that fit your needs.
  • Uncover long-term solutions to your biggest roadblocks.

And way more!

Shopify Plus first steps

Next, check out some courses in the Shopify Plus Academy. The Shopify Plus Academy is designed exclusively for Plus merchants who want to expand their skillset and commerce knowledge. There are so many new features that are unlocked in Plus, and the courses provided here will be enough to get you and your staff ready to hit the ground running. If you've ever wanted training on the Shopify Plus platform, this is where you get it. It covers topics from operations, marketing, and business, all taught by industry experts. 

 

"I believe in Tik Tok. I met a merchant who scaled organically from $0 to six figures in one year, strictly on Tik Tok."

 

Finally, install Shopify Flow to set up automations wherever possible. Shopify Flow is a platform that allows merchants to automate workflows. With Flow you can automate things like hiding out of stock products and getting notifications for chargebacks. You can also capture low-risk orders automatically and flag high-risk orders for review. Using Flow to automate your common workflows will save you a ton of time.

3. What new Shopify initiative or product should Shopify Plus users know about, and why? 

Shopify Audiences! If you’re big on paid advertising, especially on Facebook, Shopify Audiences is an amazing new product helping merchants on Shopify Plus see a higher return on ad spend. With all the changes to data privacy, this is one of the best free tools a Plus Merchant can use. 

Brands are already seeing results. And once it's built into the Tik Tok ecosystem, I think there’s going to be significant returns.

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I believe in Tik Tok. I met a merchant who scaled organically from $0 to six figures in one year, strictly on Tik Tok. Lots of merchants are jumping on to that. Blend that with Shopify Audiences and it’s going to be unbeatable. All you have to do is execute. Then if you’re doing paid ads on Tik Tok…my prediction is: it’s going to go to the moon.

4. You’re a music producer. How has your production experience informed your business career?

Learning to develop music production workflows and processes has helped me to look at business as a set of workflows and processes. 

For example, to release a song, you have to go through many steps before the final product is ready. Finding the right people to work with. Doing quality checks on performance, mixing, and mastering. Getting feedback from focus groups. It’s a lot. Then once a project is done, it needs to be marketed and managed. Going to radio stations. Talking to DJs. Finding placements. Adding merch. Shows. Networking. 

 

"Consider what you’re going to do to retain all those new customers you acquire during the BFCM season."

 

In many cases, the event is the product. The drinks, the bar, the decoration. Then the follow up; are we going to release a video recap? 

The activities may be different, but I find the process and approach to producing music to be very similar to the processes used to produce positive business outcomes.

5. How should Shopify Plus merchants prepare their store for BFCM this year?

Two things come to mind. 

First, supply chain has been one of the most impacted areas for merchants. Check finances and try to purchase your BFCM inventory as soon as possible. If you have an open Shopify Capital offer, that could be the perfect opportunity to get everything ready in time for the holiday season. 

💡 Q: What is Shopify Capital? A: Shopify's business funding program designed to help Shopify merchants access funding with minimal paperwork and no personal credit checks

Then, beyond the standard code freeze you should implement for BFCM, it’s also smart to audit the customer experience. Is your site telling the right story? Are the most important things easy for your customer to find? What opportunities are there to increase AOV and LTV? Then, consider what you’re going to do to retain all those new customers you acquire during the BFCM season.

Bonus: What is your personal theme song?

Protoje - Who Knows featuring Chronixx

 


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