Keeping a Simple Sales Log

Ask most sellers what their best item was last month and they will give you a guess. A guess is fine for a week or two, but over a season it can steer you wrong. At KinkCoach we often suggest a habit that takes a minute a day: a simple sales log.

One line per sale

You do not need software or a spreadsheet full of formulas. A notebook or a plain document works. For each sale, write the date, the item, the price and where it sold. That is all. If a buyer asked for something extra, add a word or two about it.

Look back once a month

At the end of each month, read the log through. Patterns appear quickly. You may find one type of item sells far more than you thought, or that a site you rarely think about brings in steady orders.

Use it to plan, not to judge

A quiet month is not a failure. The log is there to help you decide what to list next, not to make you feel bad. If something has not sold in three months, consider changing the photos, the price or the description before you give up on it.

Note what you changed

When you try something new, such as a fresh set of photos or a lower price, write that down too. A month later you can see whether it made a difference.

Keep it private

Your log will hold buyer details now and then, so keep it somewhere only you can see, and remove anything you no longer need.