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Hi, I am considering becoming a SU demo. How hard is it to meet the quarterly purchase requirements to stay active ($300) per quarter? I don't plan on being super active with it and I'm a little nervous about this. Are there any negatives to becoming a demo? What do you think? Thanks! Jodi
If you're already ordering close to $100 a month on your own, then it's not hard at all, and you're definitely making the right choice by wanting to sign up! ;) The base level for hostess bennies is $150, so if you do just one or two events each quarter you'll be all set.
The only thing I'd advise you to consider is how willing you are to let your stamps get stained or have the occasional marker or ink pad be ruined. Most of your customers will treat your supplies with care, but there are always a few who either don't care about that or think that SU! pays for everything so it doesn't matter whether they mess something up. Fortunately I have yet to encounter careless customers, knock on wood!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
There are a lot of threads on this issue. As a former demo, I am happy to provide you with some basic info and I'm sure others will chime in also.
The $300 a month can't be met unless you are prepared to spend it yourself or have customers (duh)!! Some areas are saturated with SU demos, some are not. Some folks are natural born salesman, others struggle. Only you can decide where you fit in that rubric. Do you like to solicit folks? Are you comfortable soliciting for charities or do you dread it like the plague? Like to speak in front of a group or get sick at the thought of it?
The pros: of course, you get a discount, one free catty, ability to order product before regular customers, attend convention (at your own cost) and other events. There are sometimes opportunities to earn free product in addition to your earnings off your customers' purchases. If you love stamping, love people and have the energy and time, you can make money doing something you love. That's pretty cool. The SCS demo forum is full of amazingly generous folks who will answer any question you have and share a lot of helpful hints.
Some demos are wildly successful, but the most successful demos appear to work very hard at it -- often with 3 - 4 workshops a week and to really make money you have to be able to recruit others to join under you.
SU demo support rocks. I felt very supported. Great monthly magazine with nice ideas and very easy to reach on the phone if there is a problem with your order. Very accommodating.
Finally, there is no problem if you don't meet the quota. Eventually (I think after a month) SU drops you. No hassle, no drama. So you get the advantages of being a demo even for a short time.
The cons: This is a business. Unless you are simply purchasing for yourself, you need to maintain records for tax purposes. If you start earning enough, you need to pay your own self employment taxes, etc. If you need to earn money, there are easier ways, and jobs with benefits. If this would be extra money, then there isn't as much pressure.
Selling isn't a question of just inputting the orders. Some demos maintain that the product sells itself. I disagree. I think you have to work it. Keep in contact with customers, provide good customer service, exchanges, maintain enthusiasm, and provide classes, etc.
The top demos (not all, but many) are earning upwards of 40% commission so they offer substantial discounts sometimes. The newer or smaller demo is competing against that. Also, there is the ebay issue -- there are folks selling current product on line and that will also cut into your sales.
Then there is the SCS enabler issue -- really. SCS will help you sell sets because of the awesome galleries, but there are so many other products we are all seeing here that those purchases can cut into SU's market share. (Think scallop punches, cuttlebug, etc.)
If you decide to do it, be very careful picking an upline. Find someone who meets your needs. Interview a few and take your time! Good luck.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Joan gave you awesome and very realistic advice!!!! :-)
If you're wanting to be a demo and are not 100% convinced it MUST be SU, you might want to look into The Angel Company. The minimum is only $100 retail every 4 months. We've been told there will be a new compensation plan, and even though we don't know yet what it will look like, we DO know that the minumum will *not* change. That could be a way to get product for yourself and sell a bit to others without the pressure to be really active.
Just a thought...
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
I was worried about the $300 per quarter when I first signed up too BUT I have found it pretty easy. I have just reached out to about 4-5 ladies and I am well over. I have been enjoying it.
Hi, I am considering becoming a SU demo. How hard is it to meet the quarterly purchase requirements to stay active ($300) per quarter? I don't plan on being super active with it and I'm a little nervous about this. Are there any negatives to becoming a demo? What do you think? Thanks! Jodi
I've been a demo for over 6 years and I've easily met my quotas since Month 1. It is a business, so I do go out and put myself out there. There are so many people out there that have never heard about stamping...even places with a lot of demos have people who have never heard of it. Sometimes it takes finding that untapped market.
Consider doing a mix of workshops (in-home demonstrations) and classes. If you hold one event per month you should end up easily making the quota by 2 or three times what you need. The average workshop is $300 (published figure by SU...also what I experience) so a minimum of one workshop per quarter should be enough. Aiming for one per month will take some pressure off how high the sales have to be if you only have one per quarter, plus it gets your name out there faster.
The Starter Kit is a great deal in and of itself. If you sign up in July, you won't have to have met that first quota until the end of December. That's 6 months. Of course there are incentives in place to reward you if you hit the ground running and get off to a great start. But if you can't get things going for a couple months, no biggie. If you don't sell a dime from Jul-Dec, you'll go into "pending" which means you'll have to do $400 worth in January (the $300 you missed plus $100 good-faith effort toward the next quarter) or you'll be dropped from the ranks. No returning the kit, no letter of reprimand...just a parting of the ways. The Starter Kit is a good enough deal that it alone makes 6 months of perks and the kit worth it if you never sell another dime. BUT, I think you'll find that there are customers to be had.
The product doesn't sell itself unless you show it. So that's the key. Good luck!
And I agree with Joan...make sure the upline you choose will provide you with what you need. I was a self-starter, so I didn't really need my upline's help to get going (although she was there if I needed it). But most people want that extra support. Does she hold monthly meetings (or if she doesn't have much of a downline, will she get together 1-on-1), does she send out regular e-mails, will she be available to answer your questions...what does she offer in support? As many demos will attest, you don't want an upline who is only concerned about you until the point you sign on the dotted line.
Good luck. And when you decide to sign up, make sure you sign up for access to the SCS Demo Forum! See you on the other side!
__________________ Sharon Rogers
My Blog: www.stampwithsharonrogers.com Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?
I signed up two years ago as more of a hobby demo. I have a small group of stamping friends and since I have signed up I have made several new ones. I have only done three workshops since I signed up, but love doing stamp camps. I am not a stand up and talk to people person, and stamp camps are more relaxed and I can give one on one help, which I love. I really enjoy being a demo and have had no trouble meeting the minimum.
I signed up as a hobby demo in January because for the last year I've spent well over the minimums on SU stuff each quarter. Since then I have dropped drastically in my spending, but I have two customers that are friends. Between our three orders I have no problem meeting minimums. I know most people don't like to give there discount. But since I'm only a hobby demo I give my two friends 15% of my discount so they'll order a little more and I don't have to worry about meeting minimums. I would do all 20%, but since I still have to pay tax I figure that extra 5% covers my tax at the end of the year.
?'s about becoming a SU demo
