Sales Presentation

When it comes to timeshares, during the holidays you can always count on the “over the top” sales presentations to really kick in. If you are about to embark on a discounted vacation with the stipulation that you have to attend a 90 minute timeshare presentation, you really need to be prepared. I have written other articles on the topic of being prepared for a timeshare presentation, so I will not be covering that in this article. What I will be covering is the difference between the two.

Here is a list of the top 5 differences between the holiday season and the normal sales period.

1. The Atmosphere – Every holiday season, timeshare sales centers make the atmosphere very festive. You know, Christmas music in the background, a big beautiful Christmas tree with shiny ornaments, hot apple cider, and delicious Christmas cookies. Sounds great so far, doesn’t it? They more than likely have promised you some great free gifts and a great travel deal. This atmosphere is vital to set the psychological stage so the very cheery sales rep can do their job. The sales rep’s job is to get you, the tour, to lower your guard. What you need to remember is that the sales rep is more than likely behind in their sales numbers for the year due to the economy and they have had plenty of time to prepare for this very important part of the sales year. Here is a great statistic for you. More timeshares are sold during thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years than all of the year combined. You think the resort and that sales staff is counting on you? You bet!
2. the Staff – During this time of year, every sales rep, manager, and closing agent/notary is working overtime. they are more than likely not taking any days off and are prepared for the long haul. They get to take their vacations during January, February, and March. The slow period for timeshare sales. During the holiday period, you can count on every stop being pulled out and more than one sales rep and manager coming to your table to seal the deal. They will tell you whatever you want to hear and they expect that some of their sales will kick. The game here is to make as many sales as possible and win with pure volume. They will be dressed in their finest suits and designer shoes.
3. The Resort – Every resort will go above and beyond to ensure that they make you feel that the customer service that you will be encountering will be the norm for anytime you use the resort. The fact of the matter is every resort is fully staffed from maintenance and house keeping to their sales departments. This is not the norm during the rest of the year. One of the biggest complaints that we get is that the resort an owner buys at does not work like they were shown or told. Reservations are not as easy to get, exchanges do not work as explained, and all of the sudden their are fees that they were never told about.
4. The Sales Presentation – During the holidays, you can expect the ultimate dog and pony show. You will be met at the front desk cheerfully, and then your sales rep will come and greet you with a warm welcome asking you if you would like some refreshments. When it is time to make a decision to buy, you will be promised everything under the sun to get the deal done. The one part that you need to be prepared for is the quick close. If you purchase, be prepared for a long front end and a very quick back end. The back end is where you do the paperwork, and sign your documents. Please, read everything and ask every question you can think of. I will be writing an article of questions to ask very soon. The managers and the closing agent will try their hardest to get you out the door as quick as possible. They do not like questions and really get disturbed when you read every document. You are signing a deed, so you need to now what you are signing.
5. Exiting the Resort – After you have been hurried to sign all your documents, a good resort will make you feel like a celebrity by popping the cork on some champagne, and announcing to everyone that you are their newest owner. I remember when I purchased a Saturn many years ago, they did the same thing when we drove off with our new car. They all stood by cheering, taking pictures and patting us on the backs. Months later I found the lease option that I did was not exactly what I thought it was. One of the most important things to remember is to find out what your cancellation period is in the state that you are purchasing in. Ensure that you ask, and make them show you in writing on the cancellation procedure. This is VITAL! That way, if you want to cancel, you have the time and knowledge to do so and you will not need our services.

I hope that everyone reading this Has a wonderful Christmas season and remember not to take the Christ out of Christmas.

Post from: Timeshare Blog

Timeshares and the Holidays