7 Questions to Ask When Buying BDSM Gear

XR Brands XBIZ Column – July
7 Questions to Ask When Buying BDSM Gear
By Lynda Mort

It’s every manufacturer’s job to make, stock and sell the “best BDSM gear” or the “hottest new thing,” but when it comes to gear made for bondage, restraint and other kinky play, how do you make the right picks? It can be tough for buyers to navigate, especially if BDSM isn’t part of your life already, so we’ve put together a useful list of suggested questions to ask to help cut through the chatter and zero in on what your customers really want.

1. What is it made of?
When it comes to BDSM gear, we need to look a bit deeper than asking “is this body friendly?” Evaluating product materials also isn’t as simple as identifying which is the best. Users may prefer one material over another due to its shareability with multiple partners, their specific play technique, or individual health needs.

Leather, for example, is generally considered a premium material – for good reason, of course! – but it isn’t the No. 1 best choice for everyone. It can stretch over time, be harder to clean, is typically more expensive, and these drawbacks may prompt some to steer away from leather made gear altogether. Fortunately, there are several leather alternatives that are affordable, vegan (a bonus for animal lovers), easy to clean, and incredibly durable. Be sure your store stocks a variety of material options to keep shoppers coming back – because every material has pros and cons based on users’ unique needs!

2. What does that mean?
You may not know everything about BDSM and that’s perfectly OK. If a manufacturer or designer is describing a product for a specific use, let’s say urethral sounding, for instance, don’t be afraid to pause and ask “Hey, what’s that again?” Some of the most common questions we get at trade shows have to do with our Zeus Electrosex devices designed for electrostimulation, a stimulation method that’s been growing in popularity in and out of the BDSM world. Not every design is self-explanatory, so questions are essential, and we love discussing their features and benefits with customers, whether it’s on the phone, at a training, or on the trade show floor.

Asking manufacturers to explain techniques or fetishes can give you quite a bit of insight about their company, too. Those that are passionate and extensively knowledgeable about the BDSM lifestyle are most likely to create more relevant and useful products and will be more than happy to help you navigate their inventory so you can make an educated choice.

3. What’s your best-performing item?
If you’re unfamiliar with a particular manufacturer, the best way to get to know their core products is to find out what items has the highest sales volume, what items receive the most reorders, and why.

This is a great way to pick up tidbits about growing trends. Manufacturers of niche brands often produce products based on market demand, and if they are devoting significant resources to developing certain products, that’s usually an indicator of what you should consider adding to your inventory.

4. Do you have a social media presence?
Some brands don’t see the value in leveraging social media to their advantage because it doesn’t convert well to sales. And that’s understandable, since recent digital market research shows only 5.2% of online transactions came from Twitter, Instagram and YouTube during the first quarter of 2016.

But rather than driving sales, social media is essential for connecting with current, new, and potential consumers in a way traditional phone or email customer service can’t. Picking up a brand that’s supported online is smart business; you benefit from consumer brand recognition, plus it can open the door for potential marketing or promotion collaborations down the line.

5. Does it come packaged?
BDSM gear that falls outside of the beginner basics realm is often sold in bulk without packaging or display options. This is essential for stores that have less space to dedicate to hanging clamshells or stacked boxes, but BDSM products displayed behind glass, for instance, can deter impulse purchases and curious shoppers from asking store staff for help. Brands like XR Brands’ Master Series collection, for instance, make it easy for stores to offer a full range of BDSM gear and cater to needs that go beyond beginner- or entry-level. Master Series pieces are fully packaged and ready for slatwall display along with marketing tools, signage and sales support, which equips stores and staff with everything they need to secure and increase sales in this growing category.

6. What are the key features and benefits?
Once the products you purchase are in your warehouse ready to be sold, it’s essential that your sales team knows what to say when shoppers have questions.

Give your sales team bullet points. Focus on short, digestible bits of information that can easily be repeated and inserted into conversations in your retail space. The goal is to give your staff enough detail to have intelligent conversations with potential consumers without bogging them down with long-winded explanations.

Ask appropriate questions when meeting with suppliers and find out if they have printed training materials you can provide to your sales team. Manufacturers who truly understand how their products cater to the BDSM lifestyle not only will have support materials to provide, but they also should be able to schedule trainings on-site or remotely to get your sales team ready to roll.

7. Why should I stock your brand over the competition?
This might sound like an aggressive question but it’s the one you really need to ask. It gives the manufacturer a chance to candidly explain their brand and why they’re passionate about what they make. Not all BDSM or fetish manufacturers are created equal and you can tell pretty quick if someone feels genuine passion about the products they make or if they’re simply jumping on a bandwagon.

At XR Brands, we field frequent questions about how our company was founded and why we seem to know so much about the gear we make, and sharing our origin story has helped establish strong rapport with new and current customers. Our company was built by two founders whose personal passion for BDSM inspired them to create a company that catered to their and their community’s needs, which at the time remained underserved and underappreciated. And much of our staff enjoys and understands the BDSM lifestyle on a personal level, which simply positions XR Brands as a leading expert in the category. Customers know they can trust us and our products when they learn how rooted our company is in BDSM.