Millions of people attend a timeshare presentation every year. Millions more are invited but do not attend. You are probably one of those people, and if you're not, it is pretty easy to get yourself invited to one. I honestly love sales presentations, but that is because I know sales tactics which helps me see them for what they are and survive them. That being said, I find many of them to be informational and fun, and the fancy snacks and "free" gift offered are not shabby either.
Just what is a timeshare presentation?
Down to the nuts and bolts: It is nothing but a sales pitch by the timeshare companies to entice people into buying their timeshares. It begins with an invitation offering you an expensive free gift in return of attending the presentation. Now you go to the presentation thinking that there is no harm in attending and you get a free gift also in return, but you then realize that you may have made a huge mistake when you need to sit through an uncomfortable sales meeting.
For me personally I have been to around five or six presentations. We did end up purchasing on the fifth presentation we went to, a choice I still love to this day. I want to let you know this because I think it will help with the understanding of my tips which are the following.
1) Be rational and business like
Any kind of sales that depends on emotion has a high likelihood for buyer's remorse. If the sales plays on your emotion you may buy then and regret it later. Which of course means you will unfairly look down on timeshares when it was you that had given in in the first place. Know exactly what you are getting, know how much it costs, and then you can figure out if it is appropriate for you. Once you decide "no", be business-like about it. Many times they will ask "Well, how much can you afford?". You do not have to answer and simply say "Right now owning a timeshare is not in our plans. Maybe in the future, but not now so I would have to say we can't afford it at all." It may be easy to get emotional about it as they start to "waste your time". Just remember you agreed to a free gift and in return you owe them some time. Be polite and business like and grateful for the "free" gift.
2) Be confident in your decision
Expert salespeople are able to break resistance down. If you know your decision, remain absolute about it. Keep a polite and open mind, but also be confident in what you want and what you don't want. We had been invited to a presentation a few years back and were offered a $75 gift card for our time. We were interested in the gift card and knew that there was a slim to none chance we would want what they were offering. As they did make the offer, we accepted. We still kept an open mind but could tell early on we would not be interested. In the one-on-one, we were steadfast about our decision. The sales person tried quite a few times but as we remained absolute he could see that any more time on us would be wasted time when he could be selling to someone who would be more likely to buy.
3) Keep an open mind
An open mind will open opportunities to you. Realize that it is possible that what they are offering will be of interest to you. Going in with a closed mind will make you feel anxious when they start trying all their sales tactics. In the same way it will make a sales person anxious if all they wanted to do was present facts but you are being stubborn about it.
For the purchase we made in Hawaii, my wife and I had already discussed beforehand the merits of owning a timeshare. We realized we love Hawaii, we loved traveling, we could see ourselves going to Hawaii at least every other year, and with this in mind we just had to see if it made financial sense.
Even the presentation I mentioned before with the $75 gift card we entered with an open mind. We knew what our goals were and that a timeshare was not involved, but we still wanted to be fair and listened with an open mind. It was clear quickly that we would not be interested, but having an open mind was the fair thing to do and set a good habit because sometimes opportunities will come along that you will miss if you have a closed mind, such as a nice Hawaii timeshare which fit in perfectly with our life plans.
Keeping an open mind will help everyone be at ease, and help you make the decision rationally and logically. Don't worry, it's okay to be undecided with an open mind because eventually there will be a point in the sales presentation where you will have enough facts to make your decision of "Yes, it fits in with what we want", or "No, not at this time". Having this open minded logical decision will help you remain steadfast and confident particularly when the decision is "No" and more sales tactics are thrown at you.
In conclusion, think of buying an automobile. Some salespeople are intimidating and nasty, some salespeople are pleasant and courteous. Would you let a bad sales experience influence what you think of cars? Of course not! Cars are helpful for those who need them. Timeshares are the same: they can be a blessing for those that would benefit from owning one. So do your best to learn about timeshares prior to your meeting and how they could fit in your life. And to survive the timeshare presentation, just keep these tips in mind: be logical, be confident, and remain open minded. You will find the experience much more pleasant this way, and you may also find that owning a timeshare is for you.
Just what is a timeshare presentation?
Down to the nuts and bolts: It is nothing but a sales pitch by the timeshare companies to entice people into buying their timeshares. It begins with an invitation offering you an expensive free gift in return of attending the presentation. Now you go to the presentation thinking that there is no harm in attending and you get a free gift also in return, but you then realize that you may have made a huge mistake when you need to sit through an uncomfortable sales meeting.
For me personally I have been to around five or six presentations. We did end up purchasing on the fifth presentation we went to, a choice I still love to this day. I want to let you know this because I think it will help with the understanding of my tips which are the following.
1) Be rational and business like
Any kind of sales that depends on emotion has a high likelihood for buyer's remorse. If the sales plays on your emotion you may buy then and regret it later. Which of course means you will unfairly look down on timeshares when it was you that had given in in the first place. Know exactly what you are getting, know how much it costs, and then you can figure out if it is appropriate for you. Once you decide "no", be business-like about it. Many times they will ask "Well, how much can you afford?". You do not have to answer and simply say "Right now owning a timeshare is not in our plans. Maybe in the future, but not now so I would have to say we can't afford it at all." It may be easy to get emotional about it as they start to "waste your time". Just remember you agreed to a free gift and in return you owe them some time. Be polite and business like and grateful for the "free" gift.
2) Be confident in your decision
Expert salespeople are able to break resistance down. If you know your decision, remain absolute about it. Keep a polite and open mind, but also be confident in what you want and what you don't want. We had been invited to a presentation a few years back and were offered a $75 gift card for our time. We were interested in the gift card and knew that there was a slim to none chance we would want what they were offering. As they did make the offer, we accepted. We still kept an open mind but could tell early on we would not be interested. In the one-on-one, we were steadfast about our decision. The sales person tried quite a few times but as we remained absolute he could see that any more time on us would be wasted time when he could be selling to someone who would be more likely to buy.
3) Keep an open mind
An open mind will open opportunities to you. Realize that it is possible that what they are offering will be of interest to you. Going in with a closed mind will make you feel anxious when they start trying all their sales tactics. In the same way it will make a sales person anxious if all they wanted to do was present facts but you are being stubborn about it.
For the purchase we made in Hawaii, my wife and I had already discussed beforehand the merits of owning a timeshare. We realized we love Hawaii, we loved traveling, we could see ourselves going to Hawaii at least every other year, and with this in mind we just had to see if it made financial sense.
Even the presentation I mentioned before with the $75 gift card we entered with an open mind. We knew what our goals were and that a timeshare was not involved, but we still wanted to be fair and listened with an open mind. It was clear quickly that we would not be interested, but having an open mind was the fair thing to do and set a good habit because sometimes opportunities will come along that you will miss if you have a closed mind, such as a nice Hawaii timeshare which fit in perfectly with our life plans.
Keeping an open mind will help everyone be at ease, and help you make the decision rationally and logically. Don't worry, it's okay to be undecided with an open mind because eventually there will be a point in the sales presentation where you will have enough facts to make your decision of "Yes, it fits in with what we want", or "No, not at this time". Having this open minded logical decision will help you remain steadfast and confident particularly when the decision is "No" and more sales tactics are thrown at you.
In conclusion, think of buying an automobile. Some salespeople are intimidating and nasty, some salespeople are pleasant and courteous. Would you let a bad sales experience influence what you think of cars? Of course not! Cars are helpful for those who need them. Timeshares are the same: they can be a blessing for those that would benefit from owning one. So do your best to learn about timeshares prior to your meeting and how they could fit in your life. And to survive the timeshare presentation, just keep these tips in mind: be logical, be confident, and remain open minded. You will find the experience much more pleasant this way, and you may also find that owning a timeshare is for you.
About the Author:
Learn more about all things related to a timeshare: Stop by Emil Yau's site where you can find out all about selling a timeshare and other useful timeshare information
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