Mannequins are often referred to as silent salespeople, but just how effective and effortlessly they can generate those sales depends on many factors.
At Mannequin Madness we serve a lot of first time mannequin buyers and the customers who get the most value out of their mannequins have thought about the following questions BEFORE making their purchase.
Here is a checklist to help you find the right mannequin for your needs:
1. What is the image of my store? (even online stores have an image)
2. Who is my customer and what does she/he look like? (if your clientele is teenagers for example you wouldn’t want missy looking mannequins)
3. Will I put shoes on the mannequin? (this will help you determine what type of mannequin stand to avoid)
4. What is the general price point of my merchandise? (the more expensive the clothing, the more expensive looking the mannequin needs to be)
5. What type of merchandise will the mannequins be wearing? (Lingerie, evening gowns? pants? athletic gear)
6 Do I want a mannequin or a dress form? (if you don’t know the difference see photos of them at www.MannequinMadness.com and a description in the mannequin dictionary on our blog)
7. Will I need to transport the mannequin to trade-shows or to photo-shoots or will it stay in one place? (if mobility is an issue you might want a dress form instead of a mannequin)
8. Where are the mannequins going to go and how many do I need? (a mannequin in your window might be different than one inside the store; is your store window tall and/or wide enough to accommodate the mannequins)
9 What type of mannequins are my competitors using? (is it important to mimic what everyone else is doing or do something different?)
10 What type of pose works best? (for example a relaxed pose for casual clothing, sexy pose for underwear. A wide leg pose would be great for displaying pants but not for a vintage pencil skirt. Also some poses – arms straight down – are much easier to dress than a mannequin with both hands on her hips )
