In case you missed it, the panty selling world went bonkers last week.
What happened?
Well, an instagram “influencer” (I hate that w*a*n*k*y term but let’s call a spade a spade) with over 127K followers ran an insta story inviting people to share their dirty secrets.
One follower responded that her friend sells underwear and her boyfriend doesn’t know about it and then following that, a seller on censored proceeded to message the influencer saying she made £140 on her first day selling.
So of course, this influencer shares that message with her followers and then proceeds to take screen shots on the censored site and shares them on her stories. Mostly ripping the piss out of sellers and making it all absolutely hilarious and shocking for shits and giggles.
But then what happens?
Well, how about hundreds of women in their DROVES seeking to join censored as sellers.
This then prompts some sellers to leave or to flag with admin that they want their profile private due to privacy concerns.
The wall is flooded with new seller after new seller entirely uprooting the community.
So yeah, a bit MENTAL!
From my perspective, this was a really important lesson for sellers in a number of different ways.
First of all, you never know when something like this could happen and therefore you should be prepared.
There is nothing to stop anyone at any time going on to a site and screenshotting your profile. That includes your pictures, status updates, naughty chat. ANYTHING.
Up until this point you might have said well, if they see my stuff they’re on the site too and so they’d be as embarrassed as me. Well, this incident says otherwise.
Are you happy with what is available to the public?
Are you showing your face? How would you feel if that ‘got out’?
I’m not saying this to scare you, I’ve said myself that showing your face will likely 10x your sales, BUTTTTTT you must accept full responsibility if that then gets out somehow.
Accept that it’s a possibility and weigh up the risk for your own personal circumstances.
Next, how do you feel about hundreds or thousands of people mocking your industry and business? Have you got to grips with what you do and any shame you hold around it? (That’s why I created ‘Hot Shame‘ by the way. So that you can drop the bullshit you might be telling yourself about what you do to make money.)
I’ll be honest, I shat myself a bit and went in to change my face pic from my profile until I was certain the dust had blown over. And ATW were very good at promptly introducing privacy features to their website!!
Security breaches have happened before. Profiles were ripped off of the Pantydeal site and used on scamming sites so there is no 100% security anywhere!! That’s a risk you take.
What else can we learn from this debacle?
Well, panty selling is a popular choice for women hoping to make a quick buck. There’s no doubt in my mind only a fraction of those that signed up will be there in a couple of weeks but it’s a no-brainer for a lot of women who expect to make tonnes of cash in an easy way.
We know it’s not that simple.
My sellers group, Sellers Before Fellas has over 250 sellers in it now. Most of those aren’t selling anymore. The dropout rate is huge. It takes work. It’s no easy street!!
Sites are communities. They have ‘regulars’ and sellers who come and go. That’s ok. But a surge of 1000+ sellers in a matter of days won’t work. It’s a delicate ecosystem and there needs to be a balance of sellers and buyers. If there are too many sellers, the system will collapse and seek to balance itself out again.
Women who flood into the market are not as bothered about delivering excellent service as you are and so it may have a knock-on effect in turning buyers off who have negative experiences.
If you’re a new seller reading this, you can make a lot of money in this game – I made over $15,000 in my first year – BUT you must take it seriously and do a good job.
If you want to find out more about being a great seller, check out my Ultimate Guide.
Every single cloud has a silver lining. Yes, this episode was quite stressful for sellers who were worried about their privacy and their income but when things like this happen they can make you stronger and more resolute in your business.
You can ‘storm-proof’ your profile and make sure that no matter what happens, you feel more secure and comfortable with your offerings.
You can decide that none of this really matters or affects your ability to make good money and build a strong foundation of loyal, badass customers.
So take heart, you’re in a community of amazing sellers who have got your back. My group, sellers before fellas was a port in this storm and if you want to join, just get in touch through this site.
Dalma x