What the Timeshare Industry Can Learn From The Cruise Industry

Last month I attended “THETRADESHOW” here in Orlando, an annual event catering to the travel industry. Travel agents from around the world come to the show to see and hear all about the latest “hot” travel places and special deals.

Many agents choose to spend a good portion of the show attending educational and product seminars in an attempt to learn more, be a “better” travel agent, and be of better service to their clients.

I had the honor of attending the “Building Client Loyalty” session, taught by Bernie Bloomquist. The program was put on by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and I would guess that I was the only “non-cruise agent” in the room. What an eye-opener. And what a great example for the timeshare industry.

(All information that follows is used with permission of Mr. Bloomquist.)

The seminar started with the question: “Why Do People Go To A Travel Agency?” The answer was divided into Overt and Covert Reasons.

Overt Reasons
Buy travel
Save money
Save time
Be efficient
Get information/opinions
Buy a cruise

Covert Reasons
Be treated well
Find a friend
Be listened to
Get attention
Be liked/respected
Have their dreams fulfilled

Interesting, isn’t it? If you compare these lists to the reasons why people attend a timeshare presentation, I would say that all of the covert reasons are identical. But it’s when we look at the overt reasons that the differences come to the forefront.

The overt reason that people attend timeshare sales presentations is because they have to, or because they were bribed to. Obviously, this puts the salesperson at a distinct disadvantage and the client in a defensive position from the start. And this isn’t the first time it has been pointed out by either me or other forward thinkers in the timeshare industry.

Nevertheless, after 35 years, what has the industry done to give the client another, even better, overt reason for attending the sales presentation? The answer, of course, is nothing. And this is why resale companies have a real advantage over the traditional sales process given by developers’ representatives around the world. If you visit a timeshare resale company, whether in person or online, you are there for the overt reason of buying a timeshare and saving money.

The presenter also made a point that has been lost on most traditional timeshare salespeople: Cruise agents (and timeshare salespeople) are NOT in the travel business; they (we) are in the people business. Translation: it is not about the cruise (timeshare), it is about how you are treated by the agent and how you will feel after experiencing the cruise (timeshare).

In the interest of sharing some of the great knowledge that was shared during the session, here are The 10 Fundamentals of Loyalty. (Timeshare developers read carefully!)

1. Make a powerful first impression. Make people think “I made the right decision by coming here.”

2. Keep it positive. Watch your language; change “Don’t forget,” to “Please remember.”

3. Personalize the transaction. It’s about trust, focusing on the client, and taking notes. This is directed to the thousands of salespeople who have the client fill out the “survey” while they go and have a smoke.

4. Treat clients as family. Unless you call your family “ups,” don’t use that term for your clients.

5. Deliver the best service. Be accurate, resourceful, flexible. Deliver what is promised (don’t pitch heat) and care about the quality of the clients’ travel experiences.

6. Deliver the best product. This should be EASY. Timeshare is a great product!

7. Exceed expectations. Give the clients MORE than they expect at every step of the way.

8. Respond quickly. Don’t let clients sit in the lobby while you eat a bagel. Also, return calls from your clients.

9. Turn “oops” into opportunities. Fix the customer first, then the problem. (More on this at another time.)

10. Communicate regularly, at least 4 to 6 times a year. Utilize newsletters, blogs, surveys, thank-you cards, webinars (like the one I’ll be doing on November 6th with Holiday).

CLIA also had at least 30 training seminars and/or videos and DVDs available for the agents. While I applaud ARDA for making a variety of training classes available to its members, I’d venture to say that the vast majority of the timeshare industry’s front-line staff (i.e., the salespeople) either don’t know of these opportunities or don’t make use of them. There’s room for growth there.

The biggest takeaway I got at this seminar? We are not in the timeshare business; we are in the people business!

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