10 Reasons To Work With An Independent Timeshare Consultant

1. You've "Googled" timeshare and come up with 15 million entries. Need a little help editing those down?

2. Remember your last vacation when you ended up in a tiny hotel room overlooking the parking lot that was being resurfaced? Isn't a vacation supposed to give you something better?

3. How many timeshare sales pitches have you gone on? Do you know the "timeshare movie" by heart?

4. Hmmm, the salesperson started by saying that the price was $40,000...by the time the manager comes over the third time the price is down to $10,000. Do you find that confusing?

5. Did you really believe the last timeshare salesperson you dealt with...the 22-year old who said that he owned a 3-bedroom timeshare in Hawaii?

6. Why is it that the salesperson keeps saying that this resort is the #1 in demand resort, but it's just you and another couple in the huge sales rom at 8:00 in the morning?

7. What does "all red, all the time" mean anyway?

8. You get the price of just about everything else online, why won't the developer give you the price of the timeshare online?

9. You're confused with all the media coverage about timeshare being a lousy investment. Isn't spending money on renting hotels a lousy investment?

10. Why would you buy anything after listing to a biased salesperson for 2 hours? Do you buy anything else that way?

Live Chat Today at Noon Eastern Time

Join Lisa and other travel professionals in a live chat today at noon Eastern time. Here's the link:

http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=panelistinvite&invite_code=5e5db720dec4f86e568386af54fc7db3

If Timeshares "Have" To Gift...

Anyone who is familar with my writing (ravings?) knows that I am against timeshare resorts gifting a/k/a bribing clients to come in and sit through a 90 minute timeshare presentation. There's just too much wrong with that business model to go into here.

However, if gifting is too deeply engrained into the collective mentality, how about gifting something that would benefit eveyone involved?

For less than the cost of two attraction tickets, or $125 cash, why don't resorts start offering a membership into the National Timeshare Owners Association for all in-house tours?

Who will be the first smart resort to embrace this?

Really Good Post---Not Mine

I would have forwarded this to my readers even if I hadn't been included, but I am!

Very nice posting by Cindy and her "cast" of thousands. Enjoy!

http://blog.cindyyantis.com/2010/03/50-seriously-great-tips-to-elevate-your-personal-brand.html

Thanks

Just a quick "thank you" to the timeshare people who supported me then and now. And a great big "thank you" to the consumers who saw the need for my voice and services.

I'm grateful to you all.

More ARDA Thoughts On Marketing

Made some new friends/converts (I hope) this morning at ARDA's session on "Finding The Right Marketing Mix."

It seems that some forward thinkers in the industry now not only believe in what I have been preaching for years now, but are actually implemeting some of those ideas.

Actually found a room full of people who agreed with me that the "3/2 for $99 and two attraction tickets" might NOT be the best way to "advertise" your timeshare property with an average price of $20,000.

Things are looking up!

More ARDA Updates

I've sat through a ton of meetings today with new and existing companies all with supposedly "new and/or better ideas" related to trading, renting, bringing people together, etc.

The problem is, as it has been for awhile now is that everyone is running around doing "their thing" and the consumer is left with WAY too much information and not a centralized place to gather reliable, consistent and credible information.

Ideas anyone? How do you get timeshare information? Who do you listen to (besides me of course)? What don't you listen to? Why?

As always, we welcome your feedback.

Update From ARDA

Good Morning From Las Vegas!

I'm attending the annual ARDA convention here in Las Vegas. The overall atmosphere is upbeat, although attendence is reportedly down from last year's convention.

I spent about 30 minutes at the "New Marketing Fundamentals" session this morning and although there was nothing "new" about the methods that were discussed, at least to anyone with even a basic "non-timeshare marketing" background, I do see it as a positive that some people within the industry are starting to drop the "we're different/better than other industries" attitude. On the other hand, it took all of 3 minutes for the first speaker to use the word "tour"....more proof that people are still concentrating on old time marketing...touring? Really, how about sales?

There was again a mention of "no one wakes up in the morning and says I want to take a timeshare tour." Of course not...but then again, the industry has not made it fun to take a tour nor easy to buy a timeshare.

Still, this is early on in the convention and I am cautiously optimistic. Stay tuned for further updates.

New Partnership

For those of you unfamilar with Timeshare Insights, we do NOT have a financial or other stake in any other company. We do not steer consumers to one or more timeshare companies because we have anything to gain.

We do however, occassionally "partner" with reputable companies who, as we do, recognize the importance of an educated consumer. So, if a company approaches us for editorial content, we will work with that company once we are fully satisfied that they are ethical, have a good reputation and operate within the high standards we feel anyone in timeshare should.

Whew!

Having said that, we are pleased to announce that Timeshare Insights will have a regular presence with RedWeek.com...newsletter and website. Stay tuned.

First Week of Timeshare 101 Training

As I mentioned several weeks ago, I have been hired by an Orlando timeshare to teach their non-sales and marketing employees about timeshare. This is a four-week session. The first week is all about Timeshare 101 and covers timeshare basics, HOA, ARDA, RCI/II, other exchange companies and an overview of timeshare.

Here are some "action shots."