An Influencer’s Advice for the Reverse Logistics Industry

Rob Cyr, otherwise known as ‘The Wholesale Guy’, has over 17 years of experience in the reverse logistics world. He’s authored the Liquidators Guide and started by blogging about his experiences within the liquidation industry since 2002. Over the years, Rob has grown into an industry expert, assisting thousands of people with the dream of owning their own profitable retail business on and off-line.

Social media is changing the way many industries strategize their online presence. Before, maintaining an arcuate website and updating a blog would suffice. However, as consumers shift and look more to social media, it has become vital for businesses to have a presence there as well. Rob explains, “We know social media is here to stay. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to leverage the platforms for our industry.”

For many consumers, there is a gap of understanding when it comes to the reverse logistics industry. Rob and his wife started back in 2002 purchasing truckloads of merchandise, getting their hands dirty until their business took off. He explains that he didn’t know anything about the industry and ended up making some really bad purchases. “I was now intrigued even more about this; if I could try to figure the industry out then I could transact ethically and build a wholesale business.”

Due to the lack of information for consumers about starting in this type of role online, people began to gravitate to Rob. “As I started to figure out the wholesaling world, people would come to me and ask advice on how to get started. So, I ended up blogging and trying to get all the information out there and the guidance to our customers. This turned out to be really enjoyable as I really liked working with people in the industry.” Now, Rob operates a Facebook group, ProductSourcing101, where 25,000 members have joined and everyone is there looking for inventory and information.

“This industry is fascinating. These YouTubers are excited and are exciting other people. This brings in a lot of sales. But there’s always something to learn. I’ve been doing this since 2002 and I still learn something new every day.” Companies embracing social media influencers have seen a spike in traffic to their website. As more people learn about the reverse logistics world, more people see it as an opportunity where they can create a source of income.

“Companies should be embracing social media.” Without a strong presence online, companies are missing out on what this can do for their business in terms of outreach and customer service; it’s time to take a look at it and get going. “I see it permeating all of our lives in every aspect. That sounds scary but social media is all around us, in our phones, to our watches, to our TVs, and more. So, my suggestion would be to take a long hard look at it and see how it can be beneficial to what we are doing here.”