FITBRITLA’S 10 WAYS TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON POSHMARK

I have always had a love for re-selling and always wanted my own store so it should come as no surprise that when I discovered Poshmark back in 2014 I jumped on it! When Covid and the Quarantine hit hard I decided to make my side hustle my full time hustle until I got back working in the Entertainment Industry! I wanted to share with you some tips that have helped me earn over $2.5K in sales, make over 150 sales, get rid of the stuff I no longer want and use, and ultimately become a Poshmark Ambassador which comes with all sorts of perks and tools! Read on for my 10 WAYS TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON POSHMARK!

CREATE A POSHMARK CLOSET
In order to start becoming a successful Posher you must create your closet! To get started click HERE. (Highly recommend using the App on your phone!) With my code you will get $10 to spend in Poshmark. Be careful because it takes some hardcore self-control if you are trying to strictly be a seller because there is so much to shop for and purchase in other people’s closets! I am talking great deals and finds!

2. GET YOUR FREE SHIPPING SUPPLIES ASAP

Not many people know this BUT you can get most of your shipping supplies needed for Poshmark right from USPS and for FREE. You heard me right NO COST, FREE, GRATIS! Believe it or not you used to be able to get FREE TAPE off of there but those days are long gone. Create an account at USPS. Then follow the steps below:

Click Postal Store —> Click Shipping Supplies—> Toggle Priority Mail on the left hand side.

Be sure to only choose PRIORITY MAIL packaging. DO NOT choose Flat Rate Priority Boxes. Those are not the correct boxes for Poshmark Shipping. Also keep in mind that these boxes can take 2-3 weeks to arrive so order ahead! Personally I put in an order every two weeks to be safe. To make it even easier for you I am going to share links to the supplies I personally use below:

Priority Mail Box - 1095: This is my most used box for mailing out Posh Orders. I love this one because I only use tape to put my label on and then the flaps on the box include an adhesive tape strip already ready to go! Feel free to order a 10 pack or 25 pack. These also slide right under my living room couch which is great. These boxes are perfect for when someone purchases a bundle of items from you or just for single items sold!

Priority Mail Tyvek Envelope - EP14: This 10 pack of envelopes is perfect for sending out one item, something flat, or something just smaller in general. They are good to have. Also I have shipped items out in this padded flat rate envelope with no problem regardless of the Flat Rate Verbage on the envelope. I also like those better since they are padded. Both have an adhesive sticky closing flap.

Priority Mail Shoe Box - OSHOEBOX: These boxes are made for shoes but also can be used for clothing, etc.

Priority Mail Box - 7: These larger boxes I prefer to use for items like purses, jackets, and bigger items in general that you don’t want to smash or shove into a smaller box. The only annoying thing about this box is that there is not adhesive so you will find yourself using a good amount of tape to make sure everything is sealed.

Priority Mail Sticker - Label 107: These stickers are good to have because you can stick them to any box/packaging of your own to inform the postal service that your item is Priority Mail. These have been life savers for me when I run out of USPS boxes!

3. TAKE YOUR TIME WITH CLOSET PRESENTATION

I like to set certain days aside specifically for posting to my closet especially when I have new inventory that I have sourced/shopped for or after a big closet clean out. Take your time with these photos and make sure they look good and really represent the item you are selling. I like to also look for stock images for the particular item if I can find them and if they exist. My advice is to always include real photos of your item as well and not just the stock photo. Provide as many photos as you can. More is better! For an example of a full listing click here. PS I just ordered this mannequin to use for future presentation!

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4. WRITE DETAILED, HONEST PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

One of the #1 rules to success on Posh is to be honest! Don’t lie or cover up any flaws that your item may have. If there is a snag or small stain/missing button be sure to mention that in your listing’s description. Be honest if it was worn once, gently used, just like new, NWT (New with tags), NWOT (New Without Tags), or EUC (Excellent Used Condition). Look at that! Now you know some new Posh Lingo! You learn something new everyday. Also it’s worth mentioning that if you do not know the size of an item because the tag is missing do not guess. Simply put that in the description then my suggestion is to provide photos showing the measurements of your item using measuring tape. Some common measurements include pit to pit, the inseam, rise, and waist. Use your good friend Google to help guide you with measurements if needed!

5. PRICE YOUR ITEMS WITH OFFERS IN MIND

My advice is to price higher because Poshmark offers a tool where you can make offers to buyers and vice versa, buyers can make offers to you the seller. When you are pricing your items you should anticipate that someone will want to make an offer to you which will take away from your earnings/profit. Also keep in mind the 20% that Poshmark takes for allowing you to use their selling platform. If you want to earn around $40 for an item then consider pricing it at $60. If someone sends an offer for 20% off, so a $48 offer, then after Poshmark takes its 20% and you accept, you will earn $38.40. Be smart and watch out for lowball offers. Don’t feel obligated to accept lowball offers from people especially if you aren’t comfortable with the earnings you will be receiving. It is okay to say no and decline offers. Ultimately you are running a business here! Poshmark provides different tools such as being able to share all your listings into Poshmark Themed Parties and to your followers so don’t worry if you decline an offer, there are plenty more buyers in the sea, or should I say in your Posh Closet :)

6. KEEP YOUR INVENTORY ORGANIZED

Once you get a certain number of listings in your closet (for me as an Ambassador I am required 50 active listings at one time) it can get crazy when it comes time to ship an item, especially if you have no idea where that item is! I keep all my inventory labeled in bins in my closet so that it is a matter of a quick grab once an item sells. I know which bin each item is in. The larger bin I purchased from Target and believe it or not the smaller ones I found at the 99 cent store for $2.99 each. Find a system that works for you! I prefer to write all my items in a notebook and keep track of when the items sell and what I earn but maybe you don’t care to do that or maybe an excel doc is your preference. Keep track of inventory however you would like!

7. MAKE YOURSELF A SHIPPING STATION

Having an organized shipping station is just as important as having your inventory organized in my opinion. Items in my shipping station include: packaging tape, scissors, priority boxes, tissue paper (I like to use for higher end items like purses), bubble wrap (Anything breakable I wrap in bubble wrap), tape measure, pen, scale (for Ebay and Mercari selling), thank you notes, printer, portable steamer, sticky lint roller (to remove pet hair), and electronic lint remover (to remove small lint balls). These aren’t requirements and just because you don’t have these items doesn’t mean you won’t be successful, but I just wanted to provide you with what I have and use! I hope my links serve you well! Also be sure to check out your local dollar store or 99 cent store. Many items you may be able to find there such as tape, scissors, lint rollers, bubble wrap, pens, and tissue paper which will help you keep your cost down on any additional supplies!

8. MAKE A CONNECTION WITH YOUR BUYER

I like to add a personal touch to all my packages which is a hand written thank you note. Again, this is not a requirement, however, as a Poshmark Ambassador and as someone who has been treating this like a business, I find it necessary for my shop. I have found that it helps with ratings and with bringing buyers back to your closet for future purchases. It shows you put time and effort into your sale and packaging and that goes a long way! Here are the most recent thank you notes I purchased off Amazon!

9. ANSWER QUESTIONS

You will find very quickly that people shopping your closet are going to have questions. It is crucial that you provide them with the answers they are looking for if you have them otherwise you may lose a potential sale! Some common questions I have gotten include: Can you provide measurements? What material is this item? Can you put an item on hold for me? Be ready for questions like these because they are common. I always try to include as much information in my listings as possible but it takes a lot of time and sometimes you just don’t think of it all! Also BEWARE of scammers. Do not communicate with anyone off of Poshmark! For example, if they attempt to leave an email address or phone number for you to be in touch with them regarding more information or more photos of the item you are selling simply ignore and report to Poshmark. Once you leave the app Poshmark to communicate with a potential buyer then you are unfortunately no longer protected by Poshmark.

10. SHIP IN A TIMELY MANNER

This may not be the easiest task for people especially with the stay at home order and COVID but just do your best to get items shipped in a timely manner. Personally I ship the day of or within a day because I know if I was making a purchase I would want my item as soon as possible! You have to think we live in a world where we are accustomed to day of or 1-2 day Amazon Prime Shipping. People want their stuff! The nice thing about Poshmark is your package will be ready to go before you even arrive to the Post Office. Look around for a drop off station and simply drop your package off. The buyer pays a flat rate shipping fee on Posh and you are emailed the shipping label all ready to go! Just print it and tape it to your package and you are golden and ready to ship. One fun thing I started doing was glancing at the shipping label to see what state I am shipping to! My goal is to make a sale in all 50 states! 11 states left to go on my map!