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Increase Your Sales Department... at NO Cost!
By Michael S. Finn, RRP
You have heard it preached and re-preached, that if it was not for sales no one in our industry
would have a job. This is absolutely correct, without timeshare sales we would be, well… a hotel. Now that we know
this, why not turn the equation upside down. If the prevailing sentiment is that sales are our reason for employment,
let's turn it around.
In other words, make every employee a salesperson from front desk people to maids to concierges to contract people
to, well you get the idea. The key to this is communication and a common message. I add the common message, because
communication is worthless unless it has a common message that is motivating, understandable and obtainable.
It all starts with what I feel is the best common message out there: "More sales at an efficient cost".
Some of you that may have read some of my previous articles know that I am a huge advocate of sales as they pertain
to an efficient percentage cost. In other words, sign me up for $100,000,000 in sales this year at a client cost
of 10%. I will find a way to get the $10,000,000 with that return. But if your costs are 25% or more as many resorts
do have, you hold it much closer to the vest. As usual I am on a tangent that should be another article; back to
the point.
Get the message to all associates and be open minded enough to listen to the feed back. My best marketing ideas
have been cultivated by floating an idea out there and waiting to see the feedback I get. I remember once throwing
out a referral mail-piece idea to our telemarketing department, with limited feedback. The next day I got a call
from one of my part-time telemarketers, who told me she was not impressed with my initial ideas (I fired her the
following day- just kidding). Actually she told me she felt our mail-piece had to be so enticing that people would
hang it up on the refrigerator. It clicked with me and we designed a piece with a refrigerator magnet, that had
our toll-free number on it. My guesstimate was that best case, the referral would use the magnet to hold our offer,
but if not they just kept the magnet and our message was delivered every day. Yes many of the best ideas are somewhat
larcenous. This woman was happy to see her idea implemented.
I was just telling some people in a meeting today about a telemarketer who wrote a note on a guests confirmation
letter that said "Congratulations on getting your MBA, I hope you are over your cold and enjoy your preview".
I happened to be helping at the front desk when these people checked-in, I knew right then it was a sale. And yes
it most certainly was.
From a sales point of view, I had recently heard of an office pool where everyone on property was given a split
of set percentage of sales. The associates may have received $80-100, but a bonus that size for a front-desk person
making $7 an hour that is heaven. There are many other ways to structure this type of bonus.
Even more effective than the money is back to the common message. If you have good managers who get this across
each and every day, it will work. Sometimes people get so hooked up with their slice of the pie they forget the
big picture.
Let's start with a front desk person, who can be a hero by allowing a check-in an hour early. Based on the room
being ready of course. This has a cursory effect also, there is one less person in that long line at 4PM. But the
best effect is a happy guest who may be more inclined to purchase more timeshares.
Now let's look at the housekeeper who takes the extra pains to make sure every crevice is clean. Or maybe they
offer the guest extra soap without a credit report. It could happen.
Many jobs in our business are thankless. Often, it works this way: If you do your job perfectly, you are doing
your job, nothing more nothing less. If you are not doing it perfect, well you know, all "h&!!" breaks
loose. That is a tough standard to live to, so why not bring them into the fold, make them designated sales people.
Why should we have all the fun?
Administrative people very often get lost in the shuffle. They are usually under-appreciated and know it. If your
administrative people are in the fold and understand the message, they will feel better about helping the sales
process along. Some may even lose the moniker of the "sales prevention team". (I have never said that,
I will have you know, just locker room talk.)
The point I hope I am making here is that every associate should be empowered to be a salesperson. It works for
all of us. I have never heard a failing timeshare company say well we had a great accounting team, but if the accounting
team is part of the sales team they are great in my eyes. Jump on board and sell, sell, sell. Watch your volume
per guest grow!
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Michael S. Finn, RRP,
writes an insightful bi-weekly column regarding issues of ethical and profitable sales & marketing. Read his bio here
Email: Michaelsfinn@aol.com Published
on Mondays.
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