ESP Online Centerstage - Knowledgebase / ESP Online - ASI

ESP Online Centerstage

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To create a centerstage presentation, begin by doing a search.

Mark the item(s) and then click on the Client Projects button. Assign a client and a project, then click on OK. This will open the Client Projects.
Note: To include products from multiple searches into a single presentation, repeat steps 1-4 until you have all the products saved.

In Client Projects, mark all the products and click on the Centerstage button at the top. This will open the Centerstage Wizard.

Within the wizard, there are 8 tabs: Template, Theme, Price Calculator, Modify Data, Header/Footer, Cover Page, Preview, and Finish. The general functions of each are:

Choose Template

The Choose Template tab allows you to choose the template you would like to use for the presentation you are working on. Simply click on the name of the template you are interested in using to have a preview display on the right side of the screen. If you would like to use one specific template most of the time, you can designate a default template in Centerstage Preferences and never have to use this tab, unless you want to use another template for a specific presentation.
Note: If you choose a different template after modifying data, you will lose all data changes made, as the data fields will need to reset to accommodate the template that has been selected.

Clicking on Next at the bottom will take you to the Themes tab, or you can click on the tab at the top. You can navigate throughout the Centerstage wizard via the tabs at the top at any time.

Choose Theme

The Choose Theme tab allows you to assign a color scheme and layout to a presentation. On the left side of the screen is a selection list, and by clicking on the name of any of the themes, the preview will be updated to show the selected theme on the template that has been designated for the presentation.

Like the Templates tab, a custom and default theme can be designated in Centerstage Preferences. Once created, they will appear in the list on the left when you access the Centerstage wizard.

Price Calculator

The Price Calculator tab is where you can edit the pricing information for the products. Prices can be updated manually or by using a profit margin, fixed amount, or percentage.

To change the pricing by hand for an individual product, click on the Modify button, entering the pricing information in the appropriate boxes, and then click on Save.

To have the program calculate prices for you, use the selections at the bottom of the screen. To adjust the prices by a fixed amount or by a percentage, use the bottom portion of the Price Calculator page. First select the radio button, all or marked. If you choose Marked, you must have items in the top section checked. Then choose an adjustment method by either selecting adjust list prices based on a profit margin or you can add/subtract a fixed amount/percentage to/from the list price/net cost. Lastly, you can apply the change.

At any point you can also reset all prices back to current ESP pricing or Reset just he marked items to current ESP pricing.

Two quick tips for using the Price Calculator tab:

  1. When editing net cost, you are actually changing the list prices because you are working on your client presentation. If you add $1.00 to the net cost, your list price will increase by $1.00.
  2. If you have set up Preferred Pricing (EQP, NQP, Special Pricing) the cost data will appear in the Price Calculator screen but cannot be modified from that screen. It is only for viewing and comparison.

Modify Data

The Modify Data tab allows you to change the data for each product, substitute a Virtual Sample for the product image, change the order of products in the presentation, delete products from the presentation, and add products from the Client Projects folder from where the presentation is being saved.

The products that are in the presentation are shown on the left side of the screen. You can sort the products by clicking on the item and using the arrows at the bottom to move the product up or down one space at a time. You can delete the product from the presentation by clicking on the minus symbol.

To add a product to the presentation, click on the plus symbol. You will be able to add product which have been saved to the client project product folder.

Clicking on the Modify button at the bottom of the screen will open a window where the data can be modified for the product highlighted on the left side of the Modify Data tab.

Many things can be done in this modify data window:

  • Clicking on a data label, i.e. color, size, imprint size, will open a selection list where one data field can replace another. For example, depending on the template, you can click on the word Color and replace it with Material or Size. You can also hide fields, if you like. If there is no data label, double click on the data to see the field substitution list.
  • Clicking in the data field will open it up for modification. If there are 8 colors available for a product, you may want to remove the color(s) your customer would not be interested in. If you happen to modify data and want to bring back the original text, click on the data field (Color, for example), and then the "Restore Default" button, and all the information will return.
  • Clicking on the Product Image will bring up a dialogue box where you can replace the product image either with a Virtual Sample that has been created or with any image that is stored on your computer. If you have not created a Virtual Sample for the product you are working on, you can do so at this time. Click on the product image, and then click on the Virtual Sample folder option on the dialogue box. When the Virtual Sample folder opens, click on the "Create a New Virtual Sample" button.

Header/Footer

The Header and Footer tab is where you can modify your header and footer information for the presentation. Any modifications here will only affect the specific presentation that you are working on. If you want to capture the changes for future use, click on the "Save as my default preferences" button and your preferences will be updated.

It is important to note that the font size of the header and footer text is controlled by the theme you are using, so you may need to edit the information that is displayed. You may have up to six (6) lines of text for your header, and two (2) lines for your footer. When you upload an image for your logo, it must be either a .JPG or .BMP file.

Cover Page

The names of the cover pages explain what the layout of each cover page is. For example, the "Text Only" cover page only features text, which creates a business letter type cover page. The "Image & Text" cover page features a large image area and a small text area.

To add a cover page, click on the name of the cover page you would like to add, and then when the preview is refreshed, click on the Modify button at the bottom of the screen. This will open an editable text (and in the case of the "Image & Text" cover page, an editable text and image field), where text can be entered and manipulated using the controls in the screen. If you upload an image, it must be either a .JPG or .BMP file.

Preview

The Preview tab allows you to see an HTML rendering of your presentation before you complete it. You can also click the button at the top to preview as PDF. There is a navigation pane on the left side of the screen, and by clicking on any of the pages shown, you will be taken to the selected page. The preview pane can be closed and opened by clicking on the icon on the top left of the screen. The arrows can also be used to navigate between the pages. There is a percentage box as well that allows the pages to be zoomed in and out as desired. Zooming in or out on this page will not affect the display of the presentation to the end-user, who will receive the presentation at 100%.

Finish

The Finish tab is where you name your presentation and confirm how you would like to send it. Your preferred mode of sending and saving can be set up in Centerstage Preferences, so you only have to name your presentation in this screen, click Save, and the presentation is completed. The steps are numbered to help you finish the presentation.

  1. Name the Presentation
    Enter the name of the presentation in the available box.
  2. Save In Client Projects
    These boxes show the Client Project that was selected when the presentation was initiated. The presentation can be saved to a different Client Project folder as well.
  3. E-mail options
    There are 2 e-mail options for your presentation:
    • Send the presentation as a link: Sending as a link will allow the end-user to elect to see the presentation in HTML or as a PDF. If electing to send presentations as a link, you can set the link to expire in 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, or 90 days.
    • Send as an attachment: Sending as an attachment will provide the end-user with only the PDF version. If you use a web-based email program (such as Gmail or Yahoo) and are sending as a link, when the presentation is saved, ESP Online copies the link to the Windows clipboard. You can paste the presentation link anywhere you like, including your web-based e-mail.
  4. View / Print Options
    After completion, you can have the presentation open as a PDF or HTML file. If you are printing the presentation, select PDF and print from Adobe Reader or comparable PDF viewer. If you are sending the presentation as an email and viewing it at completion, the view window will open first, and when closed, your email program will then open. The "Enable End-buyers to view the CenterStage presentation in an Interactive (web) format" box will send a link to an ordering area.

Click Save at the bottom of the screen to Save your presentation to Client Projects.

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