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Back To The Basics (Again)
-- by Lisa Ann Schreier
Advertise- verb transitive first appeared 15th century
- 1) to make publicly and generally known
2) to announce publicly esp. by a printed notice or a broadcast
3) to call public attention to esp./ by emphasizing desirable qualities so as to arouse a desire to buy or patronize
Thanks to the dictionary available on line through America OnLine. Now, back to business.
Excuse me, but did anyone see the word "guarantee" in any of those three definitions? If so, please go
back and re-read. Aha! The word "guarantee" does not appear in any of those definitions. So why do some
stubborn people think that if you advertise anything, timeshares specifically, that a sale is guaranteed?
I've been catching a lot of grief lately from people who vehemently disagree with my stance on advertising timeshares.
What is so surprising to me is that the vast majority of salespeople are among the ones disagreeing. Salespeople
who routinely deal with prospects who spend two hours plus of their time in order to get tickets, discount vacation
stays, etc. When I attempt to engage these salespeople in a lively conversation about the benefits of advertising
our product in a manner similar to any other consumer product, I am met with nasty stares, "you don't know
what you are talking about", and downright disagreement… with or without the benefit of a margarita or two.
Now, all of these salespeople will eventually tell me that they don't like to talk with prospects who are there
JUST for an incentive. This issue has been addressed extremely well by other contributing writers to The Timeshare
Beat. Having said that though, I am stunned to hear from these salespeople that they actually believe the nonsense
that their resort(s) have drilled into their heads. They actually believe that they can sell timeshare to great
numbers of people who are not interested in their product and/or in vacation. I don't think so.
When I (gently) point out to these salespeople that I would much rather have a prospect in front of me who is there
because of an advertisement that they saw (read, heard, etc.) that addressed their needs, the salespeople throw
up silly objections, just as my prospects frequently do.
"Well, what about people who have a negative concept of what timesharing is?" "I don't need to have
people in front of me who are interested in vacation." "It costs too much to advertise." I especially
love that one… it generally comes out of people's mouths who have NO idea of how much any advertising costs. And
furthermore, what do they think…that their prospects show up in front of them by magic? It's called marketing costs…do
they think that the OPC tour or the mini-vac tour costs the resort nothing?
What I think has happened is that the salespeople have now begun to buy the same old concepts that the resort and
the marketing company have been operating under. The sad part is that some salespeople truly believe that they
can sell people who have no interest in, desire for, or use for their product.
I realize that there is no such thing as always or never…in timeshare or any other situation. But, nevertheless
I am stunned to find out that salespeople have bought into the anti-advertising concept when they themselves are
consumers… consumers whom advertisers of all kinds are targeting day after day.
Right now, I feel that resorts are taking a shotgun approach instead of a rifle approach. Sorry for the gun analogy…
but I found it humorous to find out that it cost me more time and money to obtain my real estate license than it
would have to obtain a gun permit down here… but I digress. As I explained to a salesperson just last night… would
a stereo store go out to a parking lot at a hotel and leave a flyer on everyone's windshield advertising a sale
on stereo equipment? Not if the stereo store was smart. If they were smart, they would advertise to those people
who may already be in the market for stereo equipment…readers of stereo equipment magazines, etc.
And more importantly to the salespeople… would you like to work for the stereo store where you had a steady stream
of "prospects" coming in from the flyer on their windshield because they were promised a free gift of
some kind… knowing that's the ONLY reason the VAST majority of them were there to begin with? Or would you rather
work for the store that PERHAPS (and I only throw that out there to appease people…well written, well placed advertising
may very well attract MORE prospects) attracts a few less prospects, but the VAST majority of them were in front
of you because they wanted to be… because they had in interest in what you had to say and what you had to sell?
Advertising does not guarantee sales. Advertising can be expensive. Advertising must be handled by professionals
who understand the message, the visuals and the media. Advertising does not mean that salespeople are not needed.
Advertising should be targeted. But well-done, well-designed, well placed advertising works.
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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. When she is not working,
sharing insights with the best bartender on Disney property (you'll be famous soon!) or learning the hard way that
the sun really is much stronger in Orlando than it ever was up north, she occasionally runs back to Chicago to
catch up on the best radio station in the world and see some incredible concerts. Lisa can be reached at GRQ1@aol.com. Check out her business ad here. |
