Be Professional

Most of us are or were teachers and consider ourselves professionals. We want our customers to view us as professionals just like the big teacher resource companies. Here are a few things to consider to see if you are being professional as a TPT seller.

1) Products
*Are you just slapping something together as fast as you can to get it in your store? Quality over quantity is so important.
*Are you lining things up or centering items on the pages so your products look polished? Take the time to line text up or clip art up. Make sure your titles and frames are centered. You also don't want text overlapping onto frames or missing parts of borders because you put a white rectangle with text over it. Another thing to be mindful of is your clipart. Try to use clipart in png format so you don't have to worry about the big white box not blending in with your colored background. You are now a publisher, so you want things to look polished.
*Are you editing your products (or having someone else edit) for spelling or grammar errors or mistakes in your answer key? We are all human and sometimes errors do slip through even after editing, but do take the time to edit.
*Are you using appropriate fonts for titles, directions, student sheets? Many of us love our fonts, but we also need to use them carefully in our products. Think about your audience and age group.

2) Response to Feedback
We don't always get the best feedback. Not everyone is going to like your product. Some people will never give a 4.0 rating. Some buyers will only put a smiley face or "Thanks" for feedback. It's okay. Do you think everything sold on the internet has the highest possible rating? Has everything you've ever purchased been fabulous that you would give it the highest rating possible? It hasn't for me and that includes what I've purchased over the years on TPT. Please be realistic! Just because you love something doesn't mean everyone else is going to love it in the same way. Maybe they have purchased something that was a bit better than what they purchased from you.

Your professionalism will show in how you respond. Do you go on a rant about why they didn't give you 4 stars? Do you come off as abrasive demanding to know what is wrong with the product? Or do you thank them for their feedback and use it to take a closer look at your product and work? My mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything." This applies to your response to feedback. You don't have to respond at all. As a teacher, you would not go on a rant to a parent if they had something negative to say about you. I've been yelled at during IEP meetings for hours and had to act professionally. I couldn't just say what I wanted to say. Responding to feedback is the same thing! If you choose to respond to negative feedback (by the way, I don't consider a 3.0 - 3.9 poor feedback), make sure you do it in a kind and professional manner. You don't need to beg them to tell you how to fix your product. You need to step back from the feedback and at a more calm moment, review your product to see if there is anything you could change to make it better. Most likely the original buyer will not take notice of your response, but other potential buyers may read it. Do you want to do business with someone who rants and is abrasive? I don't.

3) Social Media
How do you use your social media accounts? Are you being professional with a bit of personal thrown in? Are you complaining about customers? Are you bragging about how much money you make on TPT and what you are buying with that money? Whether you are posting in a group or on your own pages, be aware of your audience. Remember that not all FB groups about TPT are just sellers.