In this episode, I talk about a Poshmark shipping wrinkle with USPS and common interactions Poshmark buyers will have with your listings and what they mean. More at www.bemovingforward.com.
Moving Forward is also available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Part 1: A Poshmark shipping wrinkle
Last week, I experienced a wrinkle with Poshmark shipping. As I covered in last week’s episode, items you sell on Poshmark can be sent using any USPS Priority Mail box. According to Poshmark’s 2017 blog post, this includes flat rate boxes. In past orders, we’ve sometimes used flat rate boxes with no issue. However, last Wednesday when I took an order to ship out that we had packed in a flat rate box, the postal employee told me that we couldn’t use flat rate boxes and gave me a non-flat rate box. I went back to my Dad’s shop where we repacked it and printed out a new label. I managed to get it to the Post office right before it closed. I contacted Poshmark support to get clarification and they responded that you can use any priority mail box including flat rate ones so long as they are not express. I emailed back, detailing my experience and they informed me, clearly and without hesitation, that flat rate boxes should be accepted. I tried Googling this and came up with inconsistent information, with some reporting that flat rate boxes are accepted with no problem and others detailing experiences similar to the one I had last week. I can only guess there’s a disconnect somewhere and unfortunately, using a flat rate box is risky, depending on who is accepting your package behind the counter. For now, we’re defaulting to non-flat boxes. Even if they are acceptable and should be, we don’t want to risk an issue with a delayed shipment. If you’re a Poshmark seller, I’d love to hear if you’ve run across this issue. If you’re starting out, you may want to check with your local post office or use non-flat rate boxes for safety. I should also point out, you can use ordinary non-USPS boxes too, including old Amazon boxes, etc. Just be sure to cover up old shipping labels and barcodes first.
Part 2: Common interactions with your Poshmark listings (and what they mean)
Let’s take a closer look at how customers on Poshmark interact with your listings. As you build up your store, buyers and sellers will start interacting with items you post for sale. Here are some common interactions:
Likes: Similar to a social media post, Poshmark members can “like” items by clicking the heart icon underneath. What does a like mean? It can mean anything from the person is interested in buying your item (or considering it) to someone who is simply window shopping. The power of likes is that you can make private sale offers to people who like your item. So for example, if you list your item for $150 and you want to run a one-day sale for $130, you can offer it exclusively to the item’s likers. We’ll cover this in greater detail in a future episode.
Bundle: Next to the like button, is a shopping bag icon. Clicking on this puts the item into a virtual shopping bag. This is a next level up from a like. Usually, a person who puts items into a bundle, does so because he or she is seriously considering buying it. You can extend private offers to individuals who bundle your items.
Best practice tip: Consider offering a bundle discount (eg 10% for two items). You can also set automatic discounts when someone puts two or more items from your store into a bundle. The advantage of bundling items is that it allows people to buy multiple items which can be sent in one package and one shipping rate.
Shares: Poshmark members will often share your items to their followers or at Poshmark parties. Think of this as their way of saying *hello, fellow Posher!* As covered in prior episodes, make sure you thank them by following and/or sharing their items. We’ll cover Poshmark parties in a future episode.
Comments: Buyers will often ask questions before making a purchase. The most common question to expect pertain to sizing and measurements. Be timely and specific in answering these, giving as much information as possible. Remember my best practice to use photos to answer questions, if applicable. You may also get questions about whether you take offers. Whether you consider offers is up to. Some Poshmark sellers will only accept buys and not discount any further. Let the buyer know if and whether you are open to offers.
Best practice tip: Sometimes, you may get a potential buyer asking whether you will accept $X for your item. It’s up to you how you want to respond but if you’re curious, the way we handle these inquiries is to guide the person to the offer button rather than discuss price offers in public posts. We’ll talk about pricing and negotiation in a future episode.
Reminder: Legit buyers will not post their email or phone numbers and ask you to transact outside of the Poshmark ecosystem. Use the 🚩to report the message. See episode 206 for more.
Purchase / offers: This is your ultimate goal. Someone on Poshmark purchases your item or makes an offer that’s close enough to your buy price (or is acceptable to you). We covered this last week so check out episode 207 if you want to learn more about this.
Homework: As you continue building up your store and offerings, engage with the Poshmark community. If you are using Posh to buy items or shop, start looking and liking. Share items when someone shares yours (or be proactive and share someone else’s listings if you want to show them a little love). Answer questions and establish policies and communication protocols for your store.
Download my 5-step checklist for getting started on Poshmark
The Poshmark Guide -and- The Poshmark Seller Journal
Part 3: What I’m reading / read
Martin Luther King, Jr.+ The Last Interview And Other Conversations by Martin Luther King, Jr. (****1/2). A fantastic collection of rare speech and interview transcripts, including King’s last speech shortly before his untimely death. This book should be required reading. From his own words, you experience first hand how thoughtful and present King is with each conversation. He never shies away from the really tough questions or criticisms of his philosophy and actions. Most of all, he doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. He freely admits that there are complex issues without clear or easy answers. My favorite section was a reprint of his advice column in Ebony magazine where King answered letters from all over the country, asking him a range of questions, from race relations and cultural identity to work-life balance, and even love and romance. A powerful collection that provides rare insights into a great man, prolific speaker, and civil rights leader. I was shy of a ***** rating only because I wanted more.
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