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| Trade Secrets: Who Knows the Formula? I have to tell you, I have trouble with the notion that we have trade secrets in the timeshare industry. Now if we were discussing a secret fertilizer that would end world hunger and one company wanted to introduce it first, I see that. If we were discussing selling missile information to Saddam Hussein, I see that as a big secret. I would even go along with the formula for Classic Coca-Cola, not New Coke though. They should publish that formula in a song on Napster.com. My point is that I though I believe there are trade secrets, I have trouble finding them in the sales and marketing of timeshare. Please realize I am not a lawyer and this is only my opinion. I recently was asked to help find a couple of speakers for the ARDA conference. My first instinct was to simply call one of the larger timeshare companies and have them suggest an internal candidate. I was told in no uncertain terms that they would not participate, because it was their policy to not offer up trade secrets to industry peers. Again, I have trouble seeing these as secrets, but I guess that is the point. The bottom line is that I have been doing sales and marketing for fifteen years and I have met some brilliant people in our business. In this time and these meetings I have still not seen anything that I would classify as a secret. I have done a fair amount of research in other industries, also. In some of these industries I see things that could be construed as trade secrets. The secret I see as valid would be a client list, but some of those instances are not seen as secret or even proprietary. I just read that Drew Bledsoe, quarterback for the New England Patriots, has left Leigh Steinberg his long time agent to go with a disgruntled ex-partner. I do not see how this was possible. If someone was to leave a timeshare company and take a list of owners I see this as a trade secret that should not be shared. We all know it happens all the time, but it should not. I have been approached over the years as a marketer to buy an owner list from another resort. I would not buy it, nor should anyone else. I am not a Buddhist or Hindu, but I believe the idea of karma is a great way to approach these situations in life. What goes around comes around. If it sounds like I am reversing fields, I am not. Someone would have to prove to me unequivocally that timeshare trade secrets exist. Show me a marketing brief that proves that one resort has a totally original program that was not partially borrowed from another company. I have come up with some great marketing programs (and yes some real dogs), and my ideas have been a bit of this, a variation on that, etc. If it works I have shared it with friends because I want them to succeed. That is how our industry has grown. I guess it just blows my mind that we are guarding these "secrets" when we disclose them to a $7 an hour associate who may not make it through training. And we will not help fellow industry leaders with some insight. I have been asked to speak at conferences and write articles, and yes without pay. I am first of all flattered. Then I feel a sense of duty. For all the ups and downs I have had personally in our industry, it has been very good to me. If I can give something back and offer insights on my experiences I hope it will help someone. I just believe that if the industry thrives so will I. Even if there may be secrets, which I am not ready to concede, I do not see timeshare as a competitive market. I feel that there is enough of a universe out there and we can all play in this vast sandbox. You see, I see my competition as the client that walks out without purchasing a vacation plan. That is where my attentions lie. If you just play it by the numbers again, you will note that if your "competitors" are doing well, chances are so are you. When our industry flourishes, most all the players doing it right flourish, too. Another resort is not our competition, the customer that gets away is. |
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More Finn | Home Michael S. Finn, RRP,
writes an insightful bi-weekly column regarding issues of ethical and profitable sales & marketing. Read his bio here |
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