A Timeshare Presentation Survival Guide.
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.
I personally have been to probably five or six presentations. We did purchase one on the fifth, and I personally love our timeshare and am happy we purchased it. I want to say this because I think it will help with the context of my survival tips which are as follows.
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 yourself and 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) Be objective and have 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 Hawaii timeshare we purchased, we had already talked about it before the timeshare presentation. We both fulfilled the necessary requirements: like to travel, enjoy being in Hawaii, could see ourselves being here every year or every other year, so let’s see now if the finances work. Do this for every timeshare presentation you see.
In the presentation a few years ago that offered us the $75 gift card, even though we knew the likelihood of our purchase was slim to none, we still had an open mind to see what was offered. As expected, we were not interested. However, in this second case for the Hawaii timeshare, we kept an open mind and open conversation (even in front of the sales person) and realized that it did make sense for us so we purchased. And we are very happy still about this purchase, but had we gone in with a closed mind we would have missed out on something which has enriched our lives.
Keeping your mind open will help everyone be at ease. Don’t worry, because with an open and objective mind there will be a point in the presentation where you will realize that yes, it makes sense, or no, it does not make sense. Having this on your side will also help you remain confident and steadfast in your decision.
In conclusion, keep in mind that just like when you buy a car, some sales meetings are comfortable and can be quite fun while others are downright intimidating. Do not let a bad sales meeting influence your thought of what a timeshare is. Just because you have a bad sales experience with cars does not mean cars are bad. Cars are good for those who can use them. Timeshare ownership is the same. Just keep those three tips in mind: Be rational, be confident, and be open minded. You will find the timeshare presentation less daunting and you may even find that it benefits your life to buy a timeshare.
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