SHARING VIEW |
Prospecting Potential Clients
By the Eitor -October 2005 |
In the last article we distinguished that Time-Share is a business that has arrived in order to stay and after reviewing in a basic way what it is, I told you that on this occasion our conversation would be about the prospecting phase which is used in order to identify and to qualify those potential customers that the developers are looking for in order to invite them to their presentations.
Of the six basic phases that conjugate the negotiation of a timeshare deal this is the one which has generated for several years more dissatisfaction amongst the visitors, some businesspeople and authorities, as well as amongst a considerable percentage of the tourist community. At present the level of competition for prospecting potential clients or "qualified couples" in order to give them a sales presentation is truly high and this is definitely reflected with a huge intensity on the streets and on the strategic points used by the promoters in order to carry out their work.
What is it that happens at the moment of prospecting that generates such dissatisfaction? .well, first of all it has to be observed that everything has its origin in the fact that nobody shows up at a timeshare development or club requesting with a true purchasing interest to be shown what is offered. Due to this simple reason the developers and their marketing team design and create incentives so that the potential clients accept to show up at the development and to listen "without any obligation to buy" to a sales presentation lasting an average of ninety minutes.
 The amazing thing is that the incentives become so attractive that in exchange for them the promoters (better known as OPC's) are requesting that the people who are interested in acquiring these incentives or gifts and taking advantage of them, have to "qualify" in order to be able to obtain them. And from that moment on a continuous give and take starts between the developer through his promoters and salesmen and the potential client who in all cases is the international or the national tourist.
Let's remember that timeshare offers amongst other benefits a vacation alternative for any family who vacations regularly and who does not want to continue spending a great part of their money on renting a hotel room. This benefit alone is an excellent reason to consider buying a timeshare, however it is not enough for someone to go with an open mind to listen to a presentation of ninety minutes. What motivates a traveler to invest ninety minutes of his time to listen to a sales presentation is mainly the fact that he may participate in an activity or enjoy an event or service at half price or for free.
 Just think about the following: You like to play golf, however you did not come prepared for that and it turns out that upon arrival you realize that the destination offers seven championship golf courses and all of them are spectacular. Thus the wish is born in you to look for the possibility to play even though it might be only once. During the day while walking through the town you meet someone who offers you the opportunity to play 18 holes on the same course where some of the world's best players competed for the World Cup. In addition it is proposed that you can play just for the cost of the cart (approximately USD $20.00) and that you will be given a first class equipment free of charge!....what would happen next? .well, if you were real passionate about golf, you would ask:.. "Would they rent me shoes?". To this the person who is suggesting you to play answers: "no problem, the only thing I need so that you may take advantage of this opportunity is for you to show me that you are of age, married, a resident of the United States of America or Canada, that you use international credit cards, that you are employed and/or a professional earning an average of at least sixty thousand dollars per year and that you accept an invitation for breakfast to get to know the newest and most spectacular development of the city, where we will invite you to stay on your next visit to Vallarta or so that you may recommend us to your family members and friends".
In the majority of cases this argument in the presence of a passionate golf player generates the suspicion that someone is trying to sell a time-share, nevertheless some think that .. "the offer is attractive enough not to let it go.who knows! maybe this is the only opportunity in my life to play a golf course in Vallarta!".....and this is almost always the precise moment when the player turns to his wife with half asleep teddy bear eyes asking for support without saying a word in order to obtain this fantastic gift. While this is happening the promoter, who is trained to observe with detail everything that happens, shows a map where he indicates the location of the development and mentions something like this: "Here is where the development is located at, we will pay for your one way transportation and if your wife would like it, we can include a courtesy pass with which you may visit our exclusive shopping area considered one of the most exclusive in Puerto Vallarta!" With this everything is covered!... the couple agrees on attending, shows that it qualifies and the promoter has succeeded in prospecting a couple for the developer.
Let's break down what it is that causes annoyance in such an activity:
- 1. Nowadays attempts are made to approach a foreign visitor in order to offer him a promotion like this or a similar one at least four times during his stay of a week in the destination.
- 2. The place where the visitor could be approached by a promoter is practically anywhere! As a matter of fact the airport is the first and the biggest receiver of couples for the time-share developments!
- 3. In the case described above, as in many real ones, the promoter never mentioned that he was inviting them for a presentation of a timeshare development. The majority assume that this is understood beforehand..besides in what place of the world is something given without asking for anything in exchange?
- 4. Prospecting takes place under established rules with the purpose to respect the enjoyment of the visitor, however the competition for prospecting is so high that some of the promoters are too insistent while others even go as far as offering money in exchange for attending their presentation.
- 5. With the purpose of attracting more tourists towards the promoters, the developments set up spaces or agencies where they promote the sale of tourist activities at a lesser cost.
It is very important to clarify that I am taking about the promoters and OPC's that are found prospecting in the downtown streets of Puerto Vallarta. There are other promoters prospecting in other places such as restaurants, theme boutiques and hotels, amongst others, as well as in the developments themselves, and even though the purpose and the incentives are the same, the rapprochement is less insistent due to the atmosphere existing in those places.
 It is very healthy to observe and to understand that this type of prospecting exists simply because it works! For the developer this type of marketing is the most expensive one, however up to now it continues to be if not the most than one of the most efficient ones. On the other hand, the most important labor in order to achieve a time-share sale is definitely prospecting and this work is carried out in trenches by people who independently from what you and I could think about them, are the first ones who are responsible for the fact that hundreds of thousands of family vacation today being owners of a time-share.
On the next occasion we will tackle something about what happens in the sales room of the time-share development. In the meantime please remember that if you are invited to participate in any activity for half price or for less than what it would cost to carry it out, in the end you are the only one who will decide if you accept it or not.
See you next time!
The Editor
E-mail: editor@pvmirror.com
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