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A Taste Of Timeshare
-- by Lisa Ann Schreier
Last Wednesday, among the regular mail that I am used to receiving every day, I received
two very similar, yet very different pieces.
One of which was a congratulations that I had been "specially selected" to receive a 5-day 4-night vacation
here in Orlando and if I called within 48 hours of receipt (I wonder how they know the exact hour that I received
it… do they have spies in my mailbox?) a 3-day 2-night Bahamas cruise. Buried in tiny type was the hitch… I had
to attend "an informative presentation on the benefits of vacation ownership".
Now obviously, I did not call to claim my vacation… which is good news to the company that sent it to me and particularly
to the timeshare representative that would have had me as a tour!
The other piece of mail was from a company inviting me to become a "member" of their special club. Now,
I won't mention names here… suffice it to say that this piece of mail was also from a company that I had no use
for. Ok, you twisted my arm… all I'll say was that the company is run (I wish) by a four foot tall mouse who usually
wears a tuxedo. Oh yes, this mouse signs my paychecks every week.
The differences between the two pieces of mail were astonishing. Although I didn't need the offer from the second
company, I actually read the entire contents of the envelope. All of it.
What struck me the most was that this piece of mail had coupons, which could be redeemed as soon as my membership
was activated. The coupons were for products and services that anyone would be interested in using.
This got me thinking. Why don't timeshares use the same strategy in direct mail? Instead of the same boring "specially
selected vacation offer", why not tell the client what the offer is about… TIMESHARE. Then include coupons
for products and services that can be redeemed at the time of purchase. Simple, yes?
Devastatingly simple and yet, it's not used in our industry. There is no limit to the products and services that
could be included in a to-the-point direct mail piece for timeshares. To wit: Bonus Weeks, Getaway Weeks, RCI Plus
Memberships, ICE Gallery Memberships, One Free Guest Certificate, etc.
The point of all of this was that the first offer, the "specially selected vacation offer" was not believable
and more to the point hid the entire point of the direct mail piece, which is to attend a timeshare offer. The
second offer, "membership" was up front about what the offer was and gave really good incentives as well
as immediate, clearly understandable benefits of said membership.
The only down side to this story is that the second company didn't do a very good job of cross checking their mailing
list. I need membership to that company and their benefits about as much as taking a timeshare presentation.
If I were an Olympic judge, I'd disqualify the first company for boring presentation, hiding the facts and doing
a poor job of checking their mailing lists. The second company would be given a 6.0 for presentation and artistic
impression. I'd have to take points away for poor mailing lists, but they still win.
Give your clients a taste of what they can get through your product. If you are proud of your product and truly
believe in it, translate that to the client at every opportunity, starting with the direct mail piece.
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Lisa Ann Schreier is a dynamic, outspoken, devout believer
in the power of advertising done correctly. Lisa brings a wealth of advertising, marketing and promotional knowledge
to her many business interests. She is the director of her own marketing/advertising agency, a full-time timeshare
salesperson, a contributing writer and a part time Cast Member of the Walt Disney World Resort. After one too many
long cold winters in Chicago, she now happily lives in the Orlando area where she is known for her consumer insights
and "back to basics" style of business. Lisa writes a bi-weekly column on the basics of effective advertising.
She be reached at GRQ1@aol.com , or read
her ad here. |
