This morning, Stampin' Up announced they were going to begin offering online classes for sale. 

This initial announcement was lacking in specifics.  As a result, as you can see from this thread on the SIMB Facebook Page, the reaction is decidedly mixed.

They say 'the devil is in the details,' and that's certainly true here.

When those details are revealed, here are the three factors I believe will determine whether or not this new offering will help or harm business-building, profit-minded Demos:

1. Cost

As was pointed out at Leadership, many Demonstrators are already doing online classes.  Because of this, pricing has to be a serious consideration.  If priced incorrectly, the company can inadvertently hurt their most serious, business-building Demonstrators. 

Without knowing exactly how much information is covered in the online class SU is offering, the only point I can make about this issue is the class should be priced at no less than $24.99.  To charge less would undercut Demonstrators already offering both online and offline classes.  Setting the bar too low doesn't help anyone.

2. How It's Offered

The only way a product like this should be offered is through the Demonstrator.  If SU offers it directly to customers, it places them in direct competition with their Demonstrators. 

To deliver maximum benefit to the individual Demonstrator, these classes should either be made available exclusively through individual Demos' online ordering sites, or the transaction can only be completed after a valid Demo ID is entered on the order form.

3. Call To Action

If one of the purposes of this online class is to encourage customers to purchase catalog product, anyone watching the online class should only be encouraged to purchase that product through their Demonstrator. 

As such, any calls to action in the class videos or literature should not include generic, non-Demo specific links.  Instead, every call to action should prompt the customer to contact their individual Demonstrator to place their order.

More details are coming next week.  When we know more, just like I did with My Paper Pumpkin and the Hostess Code, I'll do a BSCG Members-Only webinar and share some strategies you can use to take full advantage of this latest addition.

Until then, take a wait and see attitude, and enjoy your weekend.