Song of My Heart Demonstrators

Hosting a My Digital Studio event, part two

Continuing our discussion about why, when, where, and how to host a My Digital Studio event for your customers, downlines, and demonstrator friends...see Part One for common demonstrator concerns and fears, helpful tips about what to focus on teaching, who to invite and what they should do in advance of the event.

I have held multiple styles of MDS events since the software was released. The first one was a large seminar-style event held at a local college. The classroom was ideal, the lighting and number of outlets was optimal, and the set up with the large projection screen could not have been better. There was even a wonderful buffet and salad bar at the college cafeteria, which I was able to include in the price. However, if such a space is not at your disposal or the rent is out of reach, rest assured that you can still hold a great event in the confines of  your home or even around a kitchen table. I have also held smaller "overview" or "survey" classes and MDS worknights and felt they were equally successful in comparison with the large events.

One very important aspect of an MDS event is having displays of printed projects. If your customers cannot see any finished items, it makes it hard to envision the things on the screen translating into useful objects in real life. Challenge yourself to have several different types of print products ordered in time for your event. I would suggest at least one photo album; a calendar of some kind; a 12x12 page in both the paper and cardstock options; and at least one card. The journals and the swatchbooks are also very compelling finished products and would be attractive to people on the fence about ordering through Stampin' Up as opposed to another outlet.

If you don't have very many finished projects you can show, you can possibly borrow from other demonstrators. I am also impressed with the pre-selected kit of finished MDS samples that you can currently purchase from the Supply List on a demonstrator order. But what you want to aim for is a big enough selection of samples to really give an overview of the program's potential.

The only other base-line requirements for an MDS event are tables, chairs, good lighting, and plenty of outlets. You may want to ask participants to bring extension cords. I would also suggest they bring a mouse along as it can get tedious to digi-scrap with only a little touch-pad on your laptop.

I divided the talking points and teaching concepts of MDS that I wanted to cover into three main categories: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. You will not be able to cover all three in a single event unless it is a day-long seminar. Even that gets tiring by the end of the day However, you can either hold a "beginner" and "advanced" class on successive weekends, or you can simply give a quick overview of beginner techniques in the class, and work with those who want more on an individual basis. There is only so much they will be able to take in during a single session.

A suggested schedule for a day long event is as follows:

• Coffee and displays open at 8:30 a.m. Request all laptops set up and plugged in, ready to go  by 9:00 sharp.
• Morning session from 9:00-11:00 Beginner level functions
• Break for lunch 11-12
• 12:00-12:30  create a hybrid project from previously printed pieces combined with traditional papercrafting (for instance, a card whose focal point was printed and then punched out)
• Afternoon session from 12:30-2:00 Intermediate level
• Q&A time from 2:00-2:30
• 2:30-3:00 Coffee/stretch/bathroom break, play a slideshow of an album or MDS movie. At this point people could leave as needed, or continue on to the next session.
• Afternoon session from 3:00-4:00 Advanced level functions

A suggested schedule for a single evening event:

• 6:00 p.m. displays and set up. Request everyone be plugged in and ready to go by 6:30.
• 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Beginner level functions
• 7:30-7:45 dessert/stretch/bathroom break
• 7:45 to 8:30 p.m. Intermediate level functions
• 8:30-9:00 p.m. Q&A time

Alternatively, you can do a free-style event once a month or quarter, which I call an MDS Worknight. This event is for anyone at any level, and is really casual. Those who are already into MDS can work on their own projects and I am right there to answer questions, give design advice, and teach them some more advanced tips. Sometimes they come with a list of things they were wondering about or wanted to learn how to do. For those who are totally new, I can start with a walkthrough of the various buttons and then let them loose to play and ask questions as they think of them. I offer these nights for free, and I think they are very reassuring to my MDS customers. They know I'm not just going to sell them something and then leave them to flounder.

Whatever style of event you choose to go for, set yours apart from the pack by making the invitations in My Digital Studio, so that from the get-go they are seeing the potential of the software. At the event itself, you could serve “computer nerd” food—twinkies, Mountain Dew, beef jerky, Red Bull, Cheetos. Or, a more classy twist might be to bring in a chair massage during the lunch hour or afternoon break of a day-long event (make sure you are charging enough to cover this). Encourage the participants to dress comfortably and come prepared to work.

Follow up the day's or evening's activities with an email thanking them for their participation and retierating where they can go with questions. Include a link to your online store so they will recall how to view and purchase downloads. You may even want to include an attendees-only discount for the full version of My Digital Studio, if you know all they have is the trial version. Encourage them to show you their finished products when they come back from the printer, and include a link to www.mydigitalstudio.net, where they can share their work in the gallery.

Your customers are going to LOVE My Digital Studio. And once you feel more comfortable with it yourself, you will love not only the functionality of the software, but the potential business applications as well. This product can revitalize your business, but it must be marketed, and once we've sold it, it must be supported with training. Go after this new market with confidence! And feel free to leave comments below about your own ideas for MDS marketing and events.

Dream BIG, friends!

Hosting a My Digital Studio event, part one

I've been meaning to write this much-requested "how-to" article on My Digital Studio events for a long time... I mean a REALLY long time! Thanks to those who have requested, politely reminded, and waited patiently.

Here's my advice. Just do it! Hosting a My Digital Studio event often feels overwhelming to demonstrators, but it’s not nearly as hard as you might think.

One common misconception demonstrators have is that they need to be an expert in MDS before they can begin to teach the program to others. I certainly wasn’t. I knew I had delved into the program more than most demonstrators (and therefore customers), and I felt like an MDS event was something I really needed to do. However, I got concerned the more I tried to "study up" for the event. The more I learned, the more questions it raised. I lost count of how many times I called tech support while I was getting ready for my first seminar.

But I DID know more than my customers, many of whom were approaching a program on their own for the first time in their lives. And I had plenty to share with demonstrators who had not even loaded the CD's onto their computers yet. So don't underestimate the power of what you have to give, even if it is just basic navigation and explaining some of the capabilities of the software.

One very helpful thing I did was print the entire MDS manual and put it in a binder (it's big; be prepared). I was surprised when I started going through it, page by page, how much I had already picked up. I highlighted things that were basics in one color, more advanced techniques in another color. I wrote my notes and little tips I’d learned in the margins.

The most common questions I get about MDS are how to purchase and install additional downloads, and what the printing options are in regards to process, price, and time frame. You can find answers to those at www.mydigitalstudio.net, but the best thing to do is purchase a download and a print product yourself a couple of times to familiarize yourself with the two processes. At my events, when we have internet access, I buy a download right in front of them, and upload a small project (due to time) for printing as well (you can actually print it later, or not at all).

Another common concern demonstrators raise is a fear that no one will come. Actually, you will probably be quite surprised at the interest. Not only customers who have bought MDS already, but potential buyers can also come. Open it up to area demos and their customers, and you will find yourself flooded with requests to join. Be sure to advertise it well, using all the avenues available to you.

The marvelous recent addition of the free MDS Express 30-Day trial means that everyone can fully participate in your event, even if they have not yet purchased My Digital Studio. Encourage them to sign up and download the trial before they come, and then if they haven't done it yet, you can help them "launch" the program (and thus begin the trial period) at your event. Be sure to encourage the standard MDS purchasers to load and run BOTH disks before they come, as well, or they will lag behind the group when you get going. 

The tech side of things often scares demonstrators. Again, you do not need to be a technical whiz in order to help people understand and use MDS sucessfully on their computers. Everyone should bring their own laptop, but for those that don't have one and for the ease of keeping the class all together, your laptop can be easily projected onto a large tv or screen with the addition of a simple, inexpensive cord. Ask your local computer nerd or Radio Shack to hook you up. Write down the instructions for how to do it, if there's any danger of you forgetting. Practice in advance so you can rest easy about the technical side of things, and put that computer-saavy spouse or kid or friend on speed dial--just in case!

Before they leave your event, everyone should know at least three things—the first and second being how to purchase and install downloads and how to upload to professionally print through Stampin’ Up. Why, you ask? From a demonstrators' standpoint, those are the two ways you make money off of MDS after the initial purchase. And from a customer's standpoint, those are the two main things about MDS that are somewhat difficult to figure out by yourself, in my opinion.

The third thing they must know before they leave is where to go for technical support. Stampin' Up recommends www.mydigitalstudio.net as a resource, and maintains a hotline at 1800-ISTAMP2. In fact, it's a good idea to mention the support structure and MDS updates and improvements now and again on your Facebook business page or your blog, just so that potential MDS purchasers know that they will not be out there on their own if they buy the software. Having regular updates is not an unusual event, by the way. Every software out there gets "patches" or updates. Each update fixes behind-the-scenes bugs and often adds increased functionality, so that's a good thing. I love that MDS will remind you every so often to check for updates--one less thing to remember to do.

Because this is getting rather long, I will talk about the logistics of a couple of different types of My Digital Studio events, and tips and tricks to make the event go more smoothly, in Part Two.