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Sales Presentation and the Walk of Shame

frank808

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Does anyone have an idea at long the average timeshare salesperson remains in this line of work at places like MVC. I don't know how much their base salary is, and I don't know how much commission they make, but it would be disheartening and stressful if I were to try to do this job.
I have met and see just a couple that are still here at MKO. They have been here for over a decade. The sales manager at San Fran pulse have been with MVC for over 15 years. The senior sales guy and sales lady have been with MVC over 12 years. When we toured and bought in 2019 the sales gallery just opened. So it could have been stocked with senior people as they mentioned they came from other locations.

That is my personal experience which is not a lot truthfully.

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frank808

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We have been to many of these. We are apparently moochers for going to so many timeshare presentations (these are comments I actually receive on my YouTube channel). We actually had a pretty good experience at Crystal Shores last September. The timeshare salesman was friendly and professional. He hadn't herd of TUG and I thought him several things. The sales manager however was far different, short and perhaps rude. He didn't care about TUG like the salesman did. Basically once he knew that we knew what TUG was, his goal was to find out if we were going to buy and if not, get out. I guess that is the way to do it, but no need to treat your guests like that.

We kind of has a similar experience at Grande Vista. Salesman was friendly, he even worked at Wyndham previously, but sales manager was abrupt and not very friendly at all.

This is something you see in car sales. They get people who are friendly and outgoing who are able to relate to be on the front line and the sales manager is usually someone hold up in the back who the sales person runs back to for tips and strategy on what to take back and try to get the sale. The sales manager is often referred to as the puppet master in car sales. He pulls the strings and the salesperson is just the messenger. It seems to work, at least in car and timeshare sales, otherwise they wouldn't take this strategy.
I have thick skin and do not care what they think of me. If you have met me in person you will understand. I do not dress in expensive clothes. Actually most of what I wear is given to me yearly by my vendors to promote their brand. I wear flip flops all the time. I shave once the facial hair irritates me.

When they ask why I am there? I reply to learn something new if it was presented as an owners update. If it was not, I say for the gift, why else would I be here.

I am ok as long as manager let's me go early and I receive my bribe for attending.

Could be a reason why my wife doesn't like to attend. Probably because I embarrass her with my bluntness.

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gln60

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My take is…I have Never invited myself to a sales presentation…I have been invited…that being said…I make no promises…but the sales department that invited me does..DC Points,Bonvoy points..or a gift card..my choice...i purchased DC Points in 2013 and again in 2019…..so I accept their invitation..attend..and hopefully learn something…when the 90 minutes are up….I look at my watch and announce..it’s time to go.
 

Sicnarf

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So, I just did a presentation at Lakeshore Reserve a week ago and I was done in 10 minutes! I told the salesperson that I'm ready to buy if I can use my Vistana units to become Chairman level. She said she can't and let us go :cheer:
 

dioxide45

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@dioxide45
I want to let you know that I appreciate your timeshare videos on YouTube. We've seen several of your Florida videos and found them to be accurate and interesting.
Thanks for watching them. I sure get some interesting comments. I have one video where I talk about how to avoid timeshare exit companies and what you can do yourself for free to get out of a timeshare. I think some people working for those exit companies have found it, watched it and commented. They weren't pleasant.
 

SeaDoc

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3 StarElite Vistana: 2 Westin Lagunamar-PLAT
Hi doc, hope you are well! Curious if you have ever attended a presentation since you left and your impression if so. Or is that breaking some unwritten code?:ponder:

Damn right I have when it’s $300+!!! Only happened once in Tahoe. I knew them from shadow ridge! 45 minutes, and bye bye!


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davidvel

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Damn right I have when it’s $300+!!! Only happened once in Tahoe. I knew them from shadow ridge! 45 minutes, and bye bye!


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That's epic. The look on their faces when you walked in (he's back for a job, no wait...) priceless.
 

TUGBrian

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very frustrated to read something like this still goes on at Marriott of all places.
 

Luvtoride

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From my point of view, life is too short to spend any part of it dealing with what is likely to be an unpleasant experience in a sales presentation.

I agree. It’s my vacation and I can think of MANY other ways I would rather spend it than with a sales rep, especially during these times when I’m sure the entire organization is under tremendous pressure to make Sales!


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vol_90

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I have thick skin and do not care what they think of me. If you have met me in person you will understand. I do not dress in expensive clothes. Actually most of what I wear is given to me yearly by my vendors to promote their brand. I wear flip flops all the time. I shave once the facial hair irritates me.

When they ask why I am there? I reply to learn something new if it was presented as an owners update. If it was not, I say for the gift, why else would I be here.

I am ok as long as manager let's me go early and I receive my bribe for attending.

Could be a reason why my wife doesn't like to attend. Probably because I embarrass her with my bluntness.

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Frank we are very similar. I don't care if they are nice or rude and have very thick skin always trying to be as polite and direct as possible. Also dress in bathing suit, shirt, baseball cap, crocs and normally unshaven and sun kissed. We are there for the Bonvoy points and strategically looking for ways to end it as quick as possible. I like seeing them review our portfolio and asking how they can get us to purchase more points and the answer is always you can't with most reps knowing that before we even show up. Recently (Ko Olina / Aruba 2020 & Las Vegas 2021) they have wanted to show a hybrid package and I explain in detail how I can pull together a hybrid package for much less than anything they are offering. We also have an unused Encore package for Phuket which eliminates the option to sell another.

Looking forward to the next sales presentation and Bonvoy Points:cool:
 
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gln60

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We will be doing a sales presentation at Oceana Palms in a week as part of Encore Package..we will be taking the 650 DC Points…it will cover the 2 additional nights we added to our vacation..:)
 

Old Hickory

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very frustrated to read something like this still goes on at Marriott of all places.

I think the OP's experience was fairly normal. They ask for 90 minutes and in return, they want to sell you something. We've only been to a few of these and each time we'll mention TUG and it's not long before we're ushered out of the room.
 

hulachic

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We only occasionally do the presentations now as I'm not always in the mood to waste 90 minutes of my vacation. The last one we did was in 2018 at our home resort (MOC) and only after much persuading when we said for the umteenth time we have no interest in the points program. Of course they insisted we could instead learn about all the new updates since our last presentation. Yeah, okay, sure. My husband is the nice quiet guy, I'm the opposite. When the guy doing the presentation showed up I literally told him we have no interest in the points program but I'm here to hear about all the new updates per the person who scheduled us. Of course he wanted to know why (we bought Maui to use it for Maui - period, we don't exchange it). We use II for getaways for our other vacations as they are cheap unlike Maui (as we live on the East Coast). I told him to save any speeches about having a hard time finding Marriott properties in the getaways section on II in the future because reps have tried selling that idea to us since the points program started and we haven't had a problem yet. Why should we spend a ton of money on something we don't need when what we do now works for us. I've literally schooled multiple reps on II getaways who have admitted they knew very little about them (I remember one rep in Phoenix asked what we paid for our getaway which was around $250, she said that's a pretty good deal per night - um, no, that's for the week, she knew at that point we wouldn't be buying an encore package either). The Maui guy was pretty cool and after me continuing to steer the conversation to updates about the property, getaways & anything not related to the points program eventually he said I take it an encore package isn't on the table either so I'll be back in a second. He came back & said after talking to his manager that they both knew their was no point in the manager talking to us so we were finished. I laugh because the reps always think they'll be directing the conversation mainly to my husband but little do they know I will be directing the conversation to anything/everything other than what they want to discuss. My husband just sits and smiles during the presentation amused. If they want me to torture their reps for 90 minutes and give me an incentive for it I'm good with it.
 

frank808

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Frank we are very similar. I don't care if they are nice or rude and have very thick skin always trying to be as polite and direct as possible. Also dress in bathing suit, shirt, baseball cap, crocs and normally unshaven and sun kissed. We are there for the Bonvoy points and strategically looking for ways to end it as quick as possible. I like seeing them review our portfolio and asking how they can get us to purchase more points and the answer is always you can't with most reps knowing that before we even show up. Recently (Ko Olina / Aruba 2020 & Las Vegas 2021) they have wanted to show a hybrid package and I explain in detail how I can pull together a hybrid package for much less than anything they are offering. We also have an unused Encore package for Phuket which eliminates the option to sell another.

Looking forward to the next sales presentation and Bonvoy Points:cool:
At Grand Vista this past Jan, sales wanted me to buy more.

I asked why as we have more than enough enrolled weeks that convert to points. Their reply was that you need more points to stay in the private homes. I had to smile inwardly as that was a pretty good spin. Replied that my family consists of 3 persons. And son goes off to college in 2 years so a 1br works great. Told me they have beautiful homes that would fit a nice family reunion. Told them, that happens once every 5 years so I am pretty sure I can bank and borrow to get enough.

That was about it on the sell and they left us alone to look through the computer on villas. Came back 20-30 minutes later with manager and pretty much told me thanks for coming. It was pretty cordial compared to one at MKO. Also went to one at Westin Kaanapali in March and it was low key. Westin sales cannot see what you own in Marriott. I would think Marriott sales cannot see your Westin/Vistana ownerships. We were at Sheraton Villages week before and was told we did not qualify for a presentation because we traded in. I figure we would have been the perfect target.

Hope to see you and your wife here at MKO soon.

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frank808

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We will be doing a sales presentation at Oceana Palms in a week as part of Encore Package..we will be taking the 650 DC Points…it will cover the 2 additional nights we added to our vacation..:)
Woul also take the 650 DC points over the $200 gift card. Did they offer you the 650 DC points or you had to negotiate that.

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gln60

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Woul also take the 650 DC points over the $200 gift card. Did they offer you the 650 DC points or you had to negotiate that.

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nope…I have my choice..last presentation at Beach Place Towers in Fort Lauderdale I opted for 50,000 Bonvoy points..it all depends on my needs at the time..this time the offer was 650 DC Points...AMEX $300 gift card or 50,000 Bonvoy points..it was written into the Encore Agreement we purchased while vacationing at Newport Coast Villas in 2019.
 
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DanCali

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nope…I have my choice..last presentation at Beach Place Towers in Fort Lauderdale I opted for 50,000 Bonvoy points..it all depends on my needs at the time..this time the offer was 650 DC Points..$300 gift card or 40,000 Bonvoy points


They must have a profile on everyone and make different offers to different people. We get offered 20,000-25,000 Bonvoy points most times. I refuse to do it for that amount anymore and when I ask for 35,000 they usually tell me that all the resorts are now coordinated and offer no more than 25,000. On rare occasions they will give me the 35,000 but on our last visit at a certain resort (on the Vistana end of the business) the person at the concierge desk agreed to up the offer from 25,000 to 35,000 but then called us the evening before the presentation and said his boss didn't approve the 35,000 and asked if we wanted to do it for 25,000. We declined...

Given your experience I should up my ask to 40,000 at least :)

When we do go we always vow to leave on time but somehow often get sucked into spending 2+ hours there even though both us and the salesperson know from the first 5 minutes we won't buy anything. Between the time to get coffee, smalltalk and the salesperson coming in and out time somehow flies.
 

dioxide45

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They must have a profile on everyone and make different offers to different people. We get offered 20,000-25,000 Bonvoy points most times. I refuse to do it for that amount anymore and when I ask for 35,000 they usually tell me that all the resorts are now coordinated and offer no more than 25,000. On rare occasions they will give me the 35,000 but on our last visit at a certain resort (on the Vistana end of the business) the person at the concierge desk agreed to up the offer from 25,000 to 35,000 but then called us the evening before the presentation and said his boss didn't approve the 35,000 and asked if we wanted to do it for 25,000. We declined...

Given your experience I should up my ask to 40,000 at least :)

When we do go we always vow to leave on time but somehow often get sucked into spending 2+ hours there even though both us and the salesperson know from the first 5 minutes we won't buy anything. Between the time to get coffee, smalltalk and the salesperson coming in and out time somehow flies.
@gln60 is referring to an Encore Package you pay cash to buy. THe incentives provided are always higher than your run of the mill sales presentation.
 

DanCali

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@gln60 is referring to an Encore Package you pay cash to buy. THe incentives provided are always higher than your run of the mill sales presentation.

Got it... So 25,000 in indeed the norm these days for a regular presentation?
 

dioxide45

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Got it... So 25,000 in indeed the norm these days for a regular presentation?
Our last tour in Orlando was 40K, one before that was 30K, but those are outliers as most were 25K with one platry one being 15K. Being the moochers we are, we have done 9 presentations in the last year.
 

gln60

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Our last tour in Orlando was 40K, one before that was 30K, but those are outliers as most were 25K with one platry one being 15K. Being the moochers we are, we have done 9 presentations in the last year.
Hi Jeremy..we get “invited” almost every time we vacation at a MVC property..I have a feeling it’s because we have purchased(DC Points)before..in 2013 and then in 2019….most times I don’t mind attending because I,hopefully,may learn something new
 

gln60

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They must have a profile on everyone and make different offers to different people. We get offered 20,000-25,000 Bonvoy points most times. I refuse to do it for that amount anymore and when I ask for 35,000 they usually tell me that all the resorts are now coordinated and offer no more than 25,000. On rare occasions they will give me the 35,000 but on our last visit at a certain resort (on the Vistana end of the business) the person at the concierge desk agreed to up the offer from 25,000 to 35,000 but then called us the evening before the presentation and said his boss didn't approve the 35,000 and asked if we wanted to do it for 25,000. We declined...

Given your experience I should up my ask to 40,000 at least :)

When we do go we always vow to leave on time but somehow often get sucked into spending 2+ hours there even though both us and the salesperson know from the first 5 minutes we won't buy anything. Between the time to get coffee, smalltalk and the salesperson coming in and out time somehow flies.
Absolutely true..when we walk through the doors..they know all about us..our MVC history..exchanges..points..where and when we purchased…I had a background in sales for over 30 years so I feel very comfortable asking lots of questions..listening..hopefully learning..we had one bad experience while in a sales presentation at Marriot Manor Club..our presentation began with a hotshot salesman telling he was “picked“especially for our presentation since we attended a bunch of sales presentations but didn’t buy…with his disrespectful condescending attitude he lasted about 10 minutes,before I told him to take a hike..he told us that we wouldn’t be entitled to the gift to which I replied..send in your sales manager…the sales manager came in and apologized profusely..and assured us that we would be receiving our gift..we chatted with him for about an hour..learned some things..since the hotshot would not give me his card..the manager did..as soon as I returned home I called Marriot Corporate and talked to the Vice President of Sales who assured me the hot shot salesman would be disciplined.
 

dioxide45

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Hi Jeremy..we get “invited” almost every time we vacation at a MVC property..I have a feeling it’s because we have purchased(DC Points)before..in 2013 and then in 2019….most times I don’t mind attending because I,hopefully,may learn something new
We also get invited. Though not every time now. On our stay last week at Harbour Lake, they didn't invite us. I think it is because we have been to a presentation fairly recently. Last year they weren't enforcing the limits on the number of months between tours. Sheraton Vistana Villages and Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando let you tour every month if you want, as long as it has been more than a month since the last tour.
 

Big Matt

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I went to one a few weeks ago, and it reminded me why its not worth the hassle. Here are some tidbits from a sales person who told me she'd been with Marriott for 17 years.

1) Marriott sales people are now watching our activity in II and are manipulating what is available for us. This only happened after the acquisition of II. When I asked her to show me my II trades, she said that they don't allow them to see that. Huh?
2) Don't ever use II or deposit anything into it. Marriott is taking out all of the good stuff. Where does it go?
3) Use your points to buy Bonvoy points. It's a much better use of points than depositing into II (She knew that I had 1.8 million Bonvoy points and still fed me this line).
4) Marriott isn't exercising First Right of Refusal on weeks any longer because they are worthless now and they don't want them.
5) Marriott can create as many points as they want because they are buying all of these new properties in the Sheraton and Hyatt acquisition.
6) You have to get to Chairman because as long as you are Chairman you are also Titanium elite, and you can't buy that. I told her that I am lifetime Titanium elite already. She said that it was true, but my wife isn't and she can't get it if I die, but she can if we're Chairman level.
7) The next woman shows up to tell us how great of a sales person the first one was. She told us that we should buy at least 3000 points because that was the best deal. We said no and she said that she had a secret deal that she shouldn't show us, but she would because she liked us. That was the bundle of some garbage week and a bunch of points. I had seen bundles before so I knew it was just a line.
8) The first woman came back to join the second and asked if we'd seen the second woman's diamond ring. She then said that the ring was a wedding ring and that she was going on her honeymoon to the Maldives for two weeks the next day, flying non-stop, first class, and staying at the St. Regis (category 8) all by trading her destination points to Bonvoy points.

I never laughed or said anything to disagree with either or them. The third woman tried to sell us an Encore package and when I asked if they could guaranty our return trip in terms of resort and time of year, she told us that we were very nice, thanked us and walked us out.

The first sales woman told us that the Hyatt and Sheraton/Westin resorts would be integrated in 18-24 months. That, I actually believe may be true.
 
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