Before You Order Inventory... Read This

Most Amazon sellers don’t lose money on bad ads.
They lose money on bad ideas.

That’s the real talk.

Inventory is where dreams go to die.
I’ve seen it. I’ve done it. I’ve paid storage fees on it 😅

So a few years back, before I wired a single dollar to a supplier, I tried something different.

I ran what I now call…

The Pinterest Test.

And it saved me from a $4,000 mistake.

Let me show you how.

The $4,000 Yoga Mat That Never Happened

I was helping a student who wanted to sell a premium cork yoga mat.

On paper, it looked great:

• Growing niche

• Mid-level competition

• Decent margins

• Passionate buyers

But here’s the problem…

So does everyone else’s product research tool.

Numbers can lie.
Emotion doesn’t.

So before we ordered 500 units, I said:

“Let’s see if people actually want this.”

Not search volume.

Not guesses.

Real humans.

Why Pinterest?

Because Pinterest is where people plan.

They plan:

• Home gyms

• Yoga rooms

• Fitness goals

• Vision boards

It’s not like scrolling TikTok.

It’s intent with mood boards.

And if your product idea fits into someone’s future life vision…

You’ll see it fast.

The 48-Hour Pinterest Test (Step-by-Step)

Here’s exactly what we did.

Step 1: Create a Simple Mockup

No inventory.

No samples.

We used Canva.

We made:

• A clean product image

• A lifestyle shot (woman doing yoga in a bright room)

• A few text overlays: “Eco-Friendly Cork Yoga Mat”

Took 2 hours max.

Step 2: Post 5–10 Pins

We created a fresh Pinterest account.

Then we posted:

• Different angles

• Different headlines

• Slightly different colors

• Different lifestyle vibes

We wrote keyword-friendly titles like:

• “Minimalist Home Yoga Setup”

• “Eco-Friendly Fitness Finds”

• “At-Home Yoga Room Ideas”

No hard selling.

Just inspiration.

Step 3: Run $50 in Pinterest Ads

Yup.

Fifty bucks.

That’s cheaper than one Alibaba sample order.

We ran traffic ads to a simple landing page.

No product in stock.

Just:

• Product mockup

• Short benefit list

• “Join the Waitlist” email opt-in

Step 4: Measure Signals (Not Sales)

Here’s what we tracked:

• Saves

• Click-through rate

• Email signups

• Comments

In 48 hours we got:

• 37 email signups

• 112 saves

• 4 comments asking, “When is this available?”

That’s heat 🔥

That’s market pull.

That’s not guessing.

That’s proof.

Why This Works (And Why Most Sellers Don’t Do It)

Most sellers do this:

1. Find product

2. Order product

3. Pray

Hope is not a strategy.

Your job isn’t to “hope it sells.”

Your job is to test demand before you marry the idea.

Pinterest works because:

• It’s visual (perfect for physical products)

• It reveals aspiration

• It’s cheap to test

• It shows emotional interest fast

And emotional interest is what drives Amazon sales later.

When the Test Fails (And That’s Good)

I’ve had products flop on Pinterest too.

Zero saves.

Zero clicks.

Crickets.

And you know what?

That’s a win.

Because I’d rather lose $50 than $5,000.

Remember who we’re talking about here.

Most Amazon sellers are:

• Working full-time jobs

• Building at night

• On tight budgets

• Scared to waste money

You don’t have room for expensive lessons.

You need cheap data.

Big Takeaway 🎯

Before you invest in inventory…

Test if people care.

Not if the tool says “high demand.”

Not if your cousin likes the idea.

Test real human reaction.

Because the market doesn’t lie.

It either leans in…

Or it scrolls past.

The Rule I Live By

Validate with pixels before you validate with pallets.

Let that sink in.

Pixels are cheap.

Pallets are not.

10 FAX (Frequently Asked Xs)

1. Does this work for all products?
Best for visual products like home, fitness, beauty, pets.

2. What if I don’t know Pinterest ads?
They’re simpler than Amazon ads. Start small.

3. What CTR is good?
Anything over 1% is solid for early testing.

4. How many signups prove demand?
Even 20–30 in 48 hours is strong for a new concept.

5. Can I do this without ads?
Yes, but ads speed up data.

6. Do I need a website?
Just a simple landing page. Nothing fancy.

7. What if someone steals my idea?
Execution beats ideas every time.

8. How much should I spend?
$50–$100 max for a first test.

9. Should I test multiple designs?
Yes. Variation reveals preference.

10. Can this replace product research tools?
No. It complements them.

Clear Lesson ✅

Don’t fall in love with your product idea.

Make the market fall in love first.

Because the sellers who win…

Test small.
Learn fast.
Scale smart.

💬 Repeat after me:
“Validate with pixels before pallets.”

Build smart.
Test fast.
Keep your cash.

Now do me a favor…

Forward this to a seller friend who needs to hear this 💌

Andy Splichal
Founder & Managing Partner of True Online Presence & Author of the Make Each Click Count Book Series

P.S. You’ve got products to sell and a business to scale. If PPC feels like a second job (or a black hole for your budget), let me handle it. I’ve scaled dozens of FBA brands profitably.
💬 Book a quick discovery call — I’ll show you what’s possible.

P.S. Want a fast way to increase your Amazon sales? Take a look at my new software, Persona Factor, that uses your product reviews to optimize your product titles and descriptions.

Start For Free Today.