Whose stamps I demonstrate
As a demonstrator, you get to spend a lot of time doing what you love the most - crafting & stamping! And you're earning money while you do it! You also get to meet lots of new people & make lasting friendships along the way. Sharing what you love with others makes you feel good! Plus you get to buy the products at a discounted price. Being a demonstrator is a lot of fun & very sociable - in fact, it's possibly the best job ever!! You usually get to plan your own hours so it's very easy to fit around your personal & family life.
About being a demonstrator
You have to be organised! Demonstrations, classes & home workshops only run smoothly if you've done all the hard work up front - you MUST be prepared. As the saying goes, "fail to prepare - prepare to fail" & it's very true. As a demonstrator, you need to practice your demos, make & takes, techniques, etc. You also need checklists for everything! It's very hard to demonstrate a brayering technique if you forget your brayer! Preparation can be time consuming, but it's worth the effort - if you know you're prepared & you have everything with you that you need, then you'll be more confident, which improves your professional image.
There are always new things to learn - new ideas, new products, new techniques & demonstrators need to keep as up-to-date with these as they can - which is a pretty tough job. As a demonstrator, people assume you know "everything" about crafting, which of course is pretty impossible! Again, you have to be confident in what you know & not be worried about admitting what you don't know. When asked a question I can't fullly answer, I make a note of it & learn about it for next time!
Speaking to complete strangers can be daunting, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. If I'm nervous or worried about an upcoming demonstration, I make sure I demo something I really enthuse about, as this makes talking about it much easier.
One challenge I have is limiting what I take with me to demonstrations - I'd love to take everything, but I'd need a couple of trucks! To overcome this, I always agree in advance with the hostess what we'll be covering - that could be a particular theme (masculine, seasonal, etc.), a particular technique, etc.. I can then plan what stamp sets, tools & other products suit the theme/technique & restrict my demo kit to these items. I don't like to overtake my hostess' home by arriving with lots of bags! One wheeled tote, one bag & my ink caddy is all I take & these hold all the business documents I need as well as my demo kit & hostess gifts.
Thinking of creative yet simple make & takes can be challenging but luckily there are lots of sources of inspiration - from craft magazines to the internet to everyday objects! You can join demo-only forums, where ideas can be exchanged & you can find projects that aren't available to the general public, meaning your demo attendees are unlikely to have seen it before.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you're well prepared
- Make sure you've got everything you need in your demo kit
- Practice!
- Keep up with new products, ideas & techniques
- Demonstrate products & techniques that you love - try to avoid the ones you don't like or use
- Let the attendees "play" with the goods - people love to try before they buy
- Be confident & professional
Blog, website, Facebook, PaperCraftPlanet... (optional)
I've been a crafter all my life - I used to make clothes for all my Barbie dolls & furniture for them out of boxes & cardboard! I became a "serious" crafter in 2003 when I discovered card making. I learned lots of techniques & rubber stamping became my favourite. Now I craft nearly every day!
http://www.rubberstampingworkshops.co.uk
Stampin' Up! & Crafters Companion
