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Timeshare sales psychological tricks [2008]

Medcinmn

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At the last one we went to (Orange Lake), we kept saying too expensive, too expensive, the salesman hit his forehead with his palm and said "why didn't I think of this earlier"? He went to the back room and came out with another person who said (in a quiet secretive voice) "we just got one foreclosure added to our inventory and I'll give you first shot at it". WOW! They somehow just found this out!

I'd been there for over an hour and this just popped into their head. Hmmmm. And to Alan's (Away We Go) last post-double hmmmm.
 
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Yes I think it is.

Ya think ?

So how about it, Mr. Booey? You've absorbed lots & lots of timeshare information in a short time, going from 0 to 60 in close to record time. Based on all you've learned, don't you think the Timeshare Biz is ripe for a new business model -- based on Wal*Mart for developer sales & CarMax for resales ?

 

laura1957

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How about Empathy: When they show you photos of their family.

That's a running joke for my husband and I . . . betting how long before the salesperson brings out their family photos.

When we toured a timeshare in Gatlinburg - Westgate?? - the salesman did just that. Whipped out his wallet, showed us pics of his 3 daughters, and said that is why HE owned 3 timeshares - so each one would have one.
This is of course while he was telling us that it would be deeded so we could leave it to our children, and what a nice thing that would be to do.
 

short

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Just back from or going on a grand tour.

Every Marriott tour I have been on the salesman was going on or getting back from a 2 week trip to Europe with wife on Marriott points from his timeshare. Always Business Class tickets. Paris or Italy.

HGVC tour lady was going on a two week trip to Paris for a week on Hilton points and one week in London at the Alan House on a timeshare exchange.

Short
 

Blondie

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So, Robert... any timeshare employers in your sales background?

You seem to be asking a lot of questions regarding people's motives- maybe we should be trying to figure out what yours are?? :doh: :confused: :shrug:
 
S

Steamboat Bill

So, Robert... any timeshare employers in your sales background?

You seem to be asking a lot of questions regarding people's motives- maybe we should be trying to figure out what yours are?? :doh: :confused: :shrug:

I agree that something smells fishy here :rolleyes:
 

mgeez

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So, Robert... any timeshare employers in your sales background?

You seem to be asking a lot of questions regarding people's motives- maybe we should be trying to figure out what yours are?? :doh: :confused: :shrug:

So what, If Robert was "In disguise"! What could he possibly gain by our responses? :shrug:
mgeez
 

Blondie

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So what, If Robert was "In disguise"! What could he possibly gain by our responses? :shrug:
mgeez

Not sure but I just prefer a more ethical approach. If he is doing research for himself or for a company it would be appropriate to say so. He has been ferreting out info in at least threads here on Tug. While it is obvious he is digging I think we deserve to know why. We on Tug are used to having our brains picked; this has a different feel to it. :annoyed:
 
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ace2000

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Maybe everyone is reading way too much into this... I think it's a humorous post, because it exposes the fact that there is a lot of thought put into this particular sales process (of timeshares). And it's based on time-proven sales techniques, that work!

The timeshare sales process is much more than just presenting the facts, for there is a lot of psychological manipulation that occurs. I feel that this thread exposes that. Why are timeshares/vacations basically the only item that sells this way? I believe it's because of people's emotions that are attached to vacations.

I think these things sell (by the developer) because of two reasons... the emotional impact of taking great vacations for a lifetime, and the fact that some people just cannot say NO!

If Robert was a sales rep, how would any of our comments help him in any way?

Come on, it's time to lighten up folks! This should be a fun topic... :)
 
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Some overactive imaginations are at work here. I'm not in sales today, my prior sales was in computer software, not really high pressure.

I'm interested in this for the reasons I stated earlier (helping the person I know who bought at full price understand what happened to him). I can expand on that. This industry has anomalies like people paying a 20x difference for basically the same thing. As others have pointed out, 'resale' is not the same as 'used' in this business. So why would someone pay 20x more than they could get it for on ebay? A combination of being poorly informed and being unsophisticated in dealing with high pressure sales techniques. This industry is the most extreme examples of the application of high pressure sales techniques that I'm aware of, so I readily admit I'm fascinated by it. If anyone else has a more extreme example, like one person paying $20k for a new car and another person paying $400k for the same car, I'd like to hear it.

Understanding high pressure sales techniques will make someone a more informed consumer many areas, such as paint protection or gap coverage that they push when you buy a new car. I have also realized that the psychological tricks employed in high pressure sales are also used in other areas, like influencing people in work or personal situations.

I am reading the book "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini. It analyzes these principles and goes into more detail. I am not pushing this book, I am not the author and have no affiliation with him or the publisher.
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Where Is The Donald ?

It will take somebody with the prestige & financial reputation & name/face recognition of Donald Trump to succeed in launching an all-new timeshare biz model patterned after Wal*Mart (developer units) & CarMax (resales).

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virgnia, USA.​
 

applegirl

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Some overactive imaginations are at work here. I'm not in sales today, my prior sales was in computer software, not really high pressure.

I'm interested in this for the reasons I stated earlier (helping the person I know who bought at full price understand what happened to him). I can expand on that. This industry has anomalies like people paying a 20x difference for basically the same thing.

This industry is the most extreme examples of the application of high pressure sales techniques that I'm aware of, so I readily admit I'm fascinated by it. If anyone else has a more extreme example, like one person paying $20k for a new car and another person paying $400k for the same car, I'd like to hear it.


Okay, I can buy that. For whatever reasons you are here at TUG, this has been an interesting thread. And you are right. Timeshare sales are unlike any other industry in regards to the wildly different prices people can pay for the EXACT same thing.

Janna
 

Charlie D.

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Bob,

I still think you are trolling. I do congratulate you on your vocabulary. You used more five dollar words in your original post than I could use in a year. Maybe an ulterior motive may be to try to impress everyone with your intellect? I also congratulate you on pushing most TUGers’ button “resale vs. retail”. That ought to keep the responses flowing. The questions you have asked sound almost like an industry survey. Why do people fall for retail? Would a Wal Mart approach work? But they are stimulating questions and beat the heck out of some of the other threads I’ve read. I still don’t think there is a “friend”.

Charlie D.
 
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I see, since I'm not into timeshares personally, I'm kind of making a nuisance of myself here. I'll sign off and leave you folks to it rather than pestering you for information. My parting thought is that I'm fascinated with an industry that can convince people to prepay, on the spot, for a discretionary item for decades into the future.
 

caribbeansun

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Apparently you know too much, are far too literate and have legitimate questions of why people would purchase something that they can find an ample supply of "like items" elsewhere. :rolleyes:

I agree it's a truly fascinating thing - even more fascinating are the people that you can provide an eBay or Redweek listing for exactly what they are looking for but they still buy from the developer for a multiple of what they otherwise would have had to pay. I had that exact interaction less than a month ago and at some point you just say "whatever" because it's not worth worrying about any longer.
 

ace2000

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Robert,

I'll say it again, I enjoyed reading your post. For those questioning the motives here, please state what you're concerns are... in fact, it's kind of down-right cowardly not to. It appears that some just want to blindly throw accusations out there and see if they 'stick', and somehow feel better about themselves, while in the process tearing down others.
 

massvacationer

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Robert I like your threads as well.

My guess is that you are just a person who is fascinated by the timeshare sales process and are taking an academic approach at analyzing it. Nothing wrong with that. If you do have "other motives" it probably isn't hurting anyone or thing here anyway. It has created some enjoyable threads.
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Literate, Shmitterate.

Apparently you know too much, are far too literate and have legitimate questions of why people would purchase something that they can find an ample supply of "like items" elsewhere.
Shux, he learned it all right here on TUG-BBS.

He asked. We replied. Whose fault is it if he paid attention & learned a thing or 2 along the way ?

I didn't even notice any fancy vocabulary or $5 words. Maybe I wasn't paying attention.

Mr. Booey may well have some connection with the timeshare biz beyond knowing somebody who got arm-twisted & high-pressured -- twice -- into buying full freight timeshares for big bux. That doesn't mean he doesn't also know a guy who got hornswoggled 2 times.

Maybe he's somebody who can get the ball rolling on a new timeshare biz plan -- Wal*Mart, CarMax, etc. -- along the lines I've been promoting lately. I see no need to shoo him away from TUG-BBS because we can't figure him out or have to whip out dictionaries to decode his BBS entries.

If he leaves, I'll miss him.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

rhonda

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I have researched the subject here and elsewhere and also psychological studies on the subject of influence.
<snip>
Sophistry: Smoke and mirrors and a lot of numbers get thrown around. How many people want to admit they are having trouble following along? "Maybe this isn't for you if you can't see the value here."
I've been handed this line a couple times even when I was following the numbers. The salesperson was correct: I hadn't seen the value.

I see accept the line as a gracious exit point. "Yep, I believe we agree. Not for me/us. Thank you for your time!" Easy breezy, no hurt feelings.
 

chapjim

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I think maybe Bobabooey is the friend that got snuckered into buying from the developer?

baba booey, like the guy on Howard Stern??
 

breezez

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Booed,

I liked your post, and I am sorry if some people read to much into your questions. It made me think back to my years as a Navy Recruiter. We went through a course in Pensacola, FL for 5 weeks on the science and arts of recruiting all designed around the physiological aspects of selling by digging into a persons "Want" finding what they "Need" to get to that "Want" and ultimately how it would make them feel "DBM" direct buying motive. Always sell to the DBM "Their Emotion" Since people are programmed to say "No" we spent lots of time learning how to objection handle by turning people's objections into questions they could answer that would give them their "Want"

I'm am a pretty introverted guy, but I learned so much during this training, that I spent my 3 years of my life as a recruiter in the top 10 of my district. I did not have to lie, or scam people to join, but you learn really quick how to paint a picture of desire that people have a hard time resisting and they do something i.e Join the Navy on a whim when they probably never even thought about it before I spoke with them. I could sell this well because I believed in the product I was selling.

I only bring this up because timeshares sales I see a lot of similarities, except while I am sure there are sales people that don't lie, My own experience in going to presentations or owner updates is these guys subscribe to what I saw in a YouTube video a couple of weeks ago of "Taft" Tell Them any F-Ing Thing" to get the sale. Part of this corruption comes from "The crazy commission these guys make" and pressures from the the developer to sell or go home. I read in several places the top producers make north of $250K a year. When people make that kind of money sell TS to people who probably can't afford them corruption is bound to be rampid.

The other problem is people lack of understanding of contract law called the 4 corners. Only what is in the 4 corners of the contract matters. All the other jibberish and stuff scribbled on paper or promises don't mean a thing. People are on vacation jacked up on "vacation crack" stupid enough to go to these presentations for gift cards, tickets or whatever, but get sucked in and never get up and leave when the required time has lapsed. Some get sucked in by the idea, and buy. Others, I am amazed just buy to get out of there. In all cases they are making huge purchase not think straight and with little or no research on what they are buying.

In Timesharing Today I read that 54% of timeshare sales last year were to existing owners... Now you know why the pressure to go to the update. "You are the best mark period." Don't buy the BS about something wrong with deed, contract, or your stuff will be worthless. These are all "Tell you any F-ing thing" to get you to buy more overpriced stuff.

I am not much for regulations, but I do think people have been victimized by so much rampid mis representation from this industry that there should be a lot more consumer protections in place even if it is to protect the consumer from themselves. I think at a minimum they should have to provide a truth in lending statement if being financed, a list of what benefits will be lost if sold to another party, A warning that a timeshare may be worth substantial less than what they are paying for it if they attempt to sell it in the future. Finally a statement that MF's will have to paid forever until you divest of your unit and will more than likely increase annually, and likely never decrease. "I am always amazed that people did not understand MF's when they purchase a timeshare or are devistated because it rises every year." @ 5% annual increase they will double almost every 14 years.

One last thing, but not as important they should have to list in plan English what it is you are actually buying, and what benefits you get currently, that could be modified or eliminated in the future. Too many people think all these perks are part of their contracts and end up pissed when something gets eroded. Just look at Wyndham and the recent change to credit pool and the VIP cancel/rebook feature basically being close to eliminated.
 
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