This post may seem controversial to some resellers out there, but my hope is that most of us are on the same page with this. There are MILLIONS of resellers in the world, especially clothing resellers (like myself). To be a little more precise, “a 2021 survey conducted among adults in the United States revealed that there were around 52.6 million total clothing resellers in 2020, who sell primarily online.” Now I really feel like a drop in a water bucket! There’s a lot of ways to lose credibility in your business as a reseller. Today, I want to talk about a few ways to keep you at the top of that list. Let’s go!

• Related: I’ve Officially Sold 5,000 Items on eBay. Here’s My Thoughts.

Focusing on Quality Over Everything

When you’re running any kind of business, quality should always be at the forefront of your mind. Quality can take many forms, but I’d like to talk to you about the instances that I use the most as a reseller.

Communication

The way you communicate with your buyers is of utmost importance (in my opinion). It can make or break the way someone feels about who they’re purchasing from, and can turn them off for good if they’re not treated the way they’d prefer. They can also spread the word, which is not going to be any good for you or your business.

Packaging

Once you sell an item, it’s very important to keep things tidy and neat. Of course, you can simply toss your sold item into a bag or box as is, but I highly recommend packaging your item nice and secure so that in the case of rain or hard handling by the postal service, your item gets to your buyer unscathed and looking awesome.

Consistency

I know you’re probably wondering how consistency can go with quality. But if you start slacking on the consistency of your packaging, or start letting up on the number of replies you’re sending, this can bring down your credibility as a reseller, since your buyers won’t see that you truly care about your business.

• Related: Do You Include a Special Something in Your Shipping?

Honesty is STILL the Best Policy

This comes into play in more than one situation. The saying may sound cliche, but it can never get old especially when it comes to running a business. If you have something sell that you notice a flaw on while packaging, reach out to your buyer to see if they’re still interested or if they’d even prefer some sort of a discount. This can oftentimes lead to more trust within your buyer-seller relationship, and instead of sending an unintentionally flawed item, they may even return to your store as a repeat buyer! I’ve actually had this happen a handful of times in my journey so far, and it’s been really helpful to build a better experience for both parties. Most of the time it’s less of a big deal if you’re upfront about these issues, so trust that you’ll be making the right decision!

• Related: Should Family Help With Your Reselling Business?

Stay True to Your People & Your Policies!

Credibility can be defined simply as: “the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real, or honest.” As long as you’re staying true to what your morals as a small (or large!) business owner are, you’ll be sure to continue successfully navigating the road to success. Stay honest and upfront with anything that arises during the buying/selling experience, and make sure you keep your customers aware of any business changes or things going on that may cause a delay in shipping, etc. Most people are understanding especially if you are small/family-owned. Support is strong in this community, so feel free to be true to the ones supporting you and stick to your policies! Credibility can be easily gained but also lost just as easily. Keep these things in mind moving forward and you’ll be sure to keep the ball rolling into greater things.

• Related: What’s Your Favorite Reselling Story?

Thank You! A giant thanks to everyone that has supported me this far into my journey! I greatly appreciate you returning to read my posts and hope that you will continue to drop by in the future. Please feel free to drop any comments below that you would like to add! I am always open to advice, suggestions, or even hearing related stories of your own!