On Wednesday, April 13h, our Director of
Member Services Lisa Ann Schreier was invited to guest lecture at a timeshare
class at the University of Central Florida.
Lisa is the author of two consumer books and the co-author of the
college text “Timeshare Management-The Key Issues for Hospitality Managers”
which is schedule for a revision and 2nd edition later this year.
We asked Lisa to share some of her thoughts about the class,
the students’ view of timeshare and what the future may hold.
Q. I didn’t know that there even were college level classes
in timeshare. How interesting!
A. Yes I’ve been
working with professors at several universities ever since my first book came
out. Hospitality is a growing field and
timeshare classes give students access to a topic that they might not even be
aware of.
Q. Do the students you’ve spoken with have an understanding
of timeshare?
A. Yes, in so much
that they have a basic knowledge of the product either through work experience
or staying at a timeshare with their parents. The biggest misconception they have is that
the only jobs in timeshare are marketing and sales. I tell them that almost any job that a hotel
or resort has can be found at a timeshare.
Q. Would you say that they have generally positive
impressions of timeshare?
A. They, like most consumers, have generally positive
impressions of the timeshare resorts that they have seen and experienced. The negativity comes in when we discuss the
marketing and sales practices. They just do not comprehend why timeshare resorts
continue to “gift” prospective consumers and settle for a 15% or lower closing
ratio. They are continually amazed that
people would give up 2+ hours of their vacation time to listen to a sales pitch
and be forced to make a purchasing decision right then and there. It’s completely out of their frame of
reference.
Q. You’ve been doing this for several years as you’ve
mentioned; are there questions that come up time after time?
A. The most often asked questions have to do with how I got
into timeshare, how did I deal with consumers coming to the sales presentation
just for the gift while I was a salesperson and what changes would I make to
the industry. And oh yes, how much does
a salesperson make!
Q. All good questions!
So let me ask you; how did you deal with the fact that as a salesperson,
you have to deal with people showing up at the sales presentation just for the
gift?
A. You have to understand that from the get go and just go
out and do your job which is to show them what they could have instead of what
they do have when it comes to vacation accommodations. You can’t take it personally if they say “no”
and you have to believe in the product yourself. Consumers see through lies
rather quickly.
Q. Anything that surprises you in the classes?
A. I’m always amazed at the very apparent dichotomy in the
makeup. 80% of the students are very
engaged, eager to ask questions and stick around after class to ask more
questions. And then there’s the 20% of
them who are exactly the opposite. I’ve
had more than a few instances where I had to stop what I was doing to ask
students to leave because they were doing something that was obviously not
related to the class and one memorable incident where I had to wake a student
up from his nap. Luckily the professor
told me it had nothing to do with my presentation; the student did it all the
time.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about the revise of the college
text you’re working on?
A. Yes, I’m very excited about it. My co-authors are Dr, Tammie Kaufman and
Conrad Lashley. In addition to revising
the existing material to reflect the changes that have taken place in the
timeshare industry these past few years, we’re adding a few chapters. There’s going to be one new chapter devoted
to HOA issues and I’m writing a brand new chapter covering the rise of owner
advocacy issues and direct consumer involvement.
Q. Last question…you’re in a unique position having worked
directly in the industry and now as an author, blogger and Director of Member
Services at the NTOA…in speaking with the potential future customers of the
industry and future leaders of the industry what do you see in the future?
A. I’m quite positive about the industry. There are some bumps in the road and some
issues that need to be addressed, but with the younger generation who not only
understand where the industry has been, but with a well-rounded perspective on
hospitality, has both the desire and the tools to take it to places that us
veterans may not be able to even imagine!
At the end of the day, it’s vacation…who can’t be positive about that?
