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BRAIN FREEZE...
Can Scrapbookers Be Saved??
by Kathe Cunningham
Let’s face it . . . at one time or another, we have all faced the dreaded scrapbook ailment known as “Brain Freeze.” The photos sit in a box, product is piled on your workspace, and nothing seems to click. Your creativity has taken a vacation and you’re stuck in a rut. What’s a scrapbooker to do?
According to Jenna LaRose, creator of Brainiac Scrapbooking, the answer lies within your brain. As a scrapbooker, Jenna found herself frustrated when certain design styles she loved to look at seemed too unrealistic to create for herself. She also noticed that students in her scrapbook classroom were struggling, too. They were comparing themselves to other scrapbookers and coming up short in their own minds, or simply feeling like they weren’t creative enough. Jenna knew something had to be done to help cure the scrapbook industry of Brain Freeze!
In her novel approach, Jenna recommends diagnosing your brain type and applying the 10 Cures for Brain Freeze (available in the Brain Freeze Rescue Kit) to your projects. According to Jenna, each of us falls into one of three major brain “types:” left brain, right brain, or combo brain. Her new product, The Brain Freeze Rescue Kit, includes two diagnostic tests for properly identifying your brain type. With that information, scrapbookers are then able to utilize the 10 Cures in a way that is most appropriate for their creativity style.
Since I am the curious type, (and a current brain freeze sufferer), I decided to take Jenna’s test to diagnose my brain. I wanted to see how understanding my “brain-ness” would affect me as an instructor, a retail shopper, and a scrapbooker. There are actually two tests involved – one for diagnosing your scrapbooking brain and one for your every day brain. Jenna recommends that new scrapbookers rely on the every day test to get started.
Right brainers are the wildly creative types. They’re the most artistic in their scrapbooking and can see the design possibilities in just about anything. Right brainers love to spend hours creating something and rarely copy the work of others. Left brainers, on the other hand, prefer a linear look. They’ll copy other pages and use pre-made embellishments to make the most of their scrapbooking time and budget.
I fit into the third brain category – combo brainers. Scrapbookers like me tend to look at the work of others as a springboard for ideas, rather than copy them directly. We like linear pages with creative twists. We tend to mix chronological pages with theme pages and can have trouble choosing the “right” supplies for a project. “Indecisive” is our middle name.
This information was really interesting to me as a scrapbooker. Like many of you, I have definitely purchased my share of products that sit on the shelf, unused. I always wondered why I liked the idea of a product, but then couldn’t make its application work for me. Now I know – it’s just a brain thing! According to Jenna, this is not a supplies issue, but rather a problem with my thinking. I have been trying to create incredible new uses for products – something my brain does not do well – instead of taking inspiration from a right brainer who can come up with them in her sleep! I also know that some products are just going to make more sense to my combo brain than others. That helps me make more educated buying decisions. Ah . . . the freedom!!
All of this really started me thinking – since my brain diagnosis was such an eye-opener for me as a consumer, could it be useful as a teacher or store employee? Absolutely, yes! As an instructor, I am often approached for product suggestions or layout advice. Now I know that my typical response has been one that would only satisfy another combo brainer. I could be so much more helpful by asking a few questions first and offering alternatives that are best suited to the individual.
Perhaps this is true in your store as well. Of course, your employees want to be helpful. After all, sharing their passion for this craft is one of the big reasons they have chosen to work in a scrapbook store! Teach them to be Brainiac diagnosticians before immediately making recommendations. Your staff will then be able to offer items from your shelves that really suit the customer and are more likely to result in a sale. Jenna believes this knowledge will help lead your sales team away from the “let me know if you need anything” mentality into a proactive sales approach that will result in more satisfied customers and increased revenue.
Brainiac Scrapbooking is also important for your instructors. First, it will help them understand the differences in brain-ness. They’ll be able to apply the knowledge and allow scrapbookers who simply must “interpret” the page kit (right brainers), those who want to “assemble” their page and make it identical to the original sample (left brainers), and everyone in between (combo brainers) to have equally “successful” classes. Also, Brainiac Scrapbooking and the 10 Cures for Brain Freeze are ideal class material! Imagine the impact of having classes in your store that offer your customers educational benefits long past the classroom session. Add the Monthly Brainiac Workouts to the mix, and you’ll definitely have a winning program!
Diagnosing my brain style was really an eye-opening experience for me. I see the applications for me as an instructor, salesperson, consumer and scrapbooker. Take a look at how the Brainiac Scrapbooking program can help you raise the standard of customer service and education in your store. With Jenna’s program, you, too, will discover that can Brain Freeze doesn’t have to be a common ailment among your customers; Brainiac Scrapbooking to the rescue!
Contact Info: Torrie Nelson
Scrapbook Premier Trade Magazine
477 N. 5575 W.
Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 586-1449
Torrie@ScrapbookPremier.com
www.ScrapbookPremier.com
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