What is a Timeshare?
A timeshare is essentially a shared rental of a vacation property. You “buy” a share of room that you can visit a set number of days at set locations every year. Vacation clubs are not exactly the same but they may be similar. In these situations you get multiple location options based on their property locations at a “discount”. But there are membership fees associated with the properties. Needless to say there are people sitting through these presentations for an amazing deal but are worried about how to say no to timeshare presentation sales pitches.
Believe it or not, I know people that won’t book a resort through a timeshare site because they are afraid of the presentation. This fear keeps them from saving up to two-thirds the value of the trip, which can be used for a number of things such as ANOTHER trip! Lucky for you I am here to help. We have been on 3 trips through BookVIP who offer AMAZING deals on resort stays all over the world. For example, we got deals for $99 vacations in the US and all inclusive deals under $1000 for two in Mexico. The catch is that to get these deals you have to site through a 90-120 minute sales pitch. I will show you ways to survive the timeshare sales pitch and minimize your time in the presentation.
What is a Timeshare Presentation?
A timeshare presentation is a 90-120 minute sales pitch designed to sell timeshare property or vacation club memberships to vacationers. While the presentations call for 90-120 minutes, that is the minimum time commitment. They can go longer if you do not shut them down. However, if you are truly interested this might not be a problem.
On the other hand, the rest of us probably are sitting through them to take advantage of an impossible deal. That’s exactly how we were introduced to these promotions.
Don’t get me wrong, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on these trips. But our first one caused us some anxiety because we had no idea what to expect. I am going to explain it all so you can also enjoy these super cheap vacation deals and not stress out over the presentation.
What Happens During a Timeshare Presentation?
The first step is to know what is about to happen. Once you have that down and you see everything unfold, the rest is easy.
After you arrive at your resort you will be scheduled a morning presentation. The presentation usually happens within the first day or two of your arrival. I like it this way for a few reasons. First, with it being in the morning we can get the sales pitch over with and then we can enjoy the rest of our day. Second, getting it done early in your stay means by the time the end of your stay arrives the presentation is a distant memory.
The Breakfast Meeting
So now the presentation is booked and you show up. What happens now is you will be served breakfast and a representative will be assigned to you, if one wasn’t already. In our case we met our representative the day we arrived and they are the ones who gave us the basic rundown of the resort and was very welcoming.
This is by design! They want to establish a bit of trust the moment you arrive and there is nothing better than sending that helpful rep to meet you are breakfast the next day.
Anyway, during breakfast the rep will continue being sweet and establishing a bond. They may ask personal questions and also reveal personal information about themselves. This is not different than going to a Gentleman’s club or to Hooters and seeing the girls sitting with their customers. All they are really doing here is creating a connection of some sort while asking probing questions that may be used against you later.
I am not saying you should be rude. After all, these people are just doing their jobs. But do not be too free with your information if you want to make it easy t say no to the timeshare sales pitch later.
How to handle breakfast to make it easier to say NO to the timeshare presentation
First of all you should keep it in your head that this is al going to result in the sales pitch. It doesn’t matter how rude you are or how sweet you are, the result is the same. With that being the case undersell yourself. What I mean by that is even if you travel every month, do not tell them that.
They probably already know your income, so no sense in lying about that.
What they are trying to find out is how much you spend on travel, how often you travel and your upcoming travel plans. Give them nothing to work with.
If they ask me how often I travel I reply “Once a year if I am lucky.” This shows them you don’t travel that often. They may also ask how many travel days you typically use. Same idea, “sometimes 5 days a year sometimes 2. “
If they ask how much I spend on travel I reply “Not much, that is why I came here. Because it was so cheap.” They may get more specific and ask about your travel budget but you do not need to give them a solid figure. Something like “it varies by year”, should be fine.
When breakfast is over you will be given a tour.
The Tour
The same helpful person you met the day before and that sat with you at breakfast is likely your guide. That was our experience at one resort. At another, they actually took us to their sister resort right next door. In that case our breakfast and tour was under the supervision of a new person. Other than that, everything was the same.
The tour guide will take you to see some very nice parts of the property. They will also show you upgraded rooms available only to “members”, or so they say. They point out all the amenities and talk about how wonderful and luxurious everything is. To be honest, we did see some very nice rooms and of course, the property was well groomed and lush.
How to handle the tour to make it easier to say NO during timeshare presentation sales pitch
Your breakfast companion and tour guide is not going to be the closer. They are just warming you up for later. But make no mistake, they get a feel for the customer and you better believe they communicate with the sales staff.
This will include any Intel they gathered during breakfast, your general excitement, travel habits and future plans.
So, if you did a good job at breakfast it will make it easier for you to say no to the timeshare sales pitch.
The tour is where I not so subtlety start looking at my watch. Yes, that’s passive aggressive but I want them to know that I am tracking time. On the other hand, if you are more forward, set an alarm to go off at the appropriate time.
The Timeshare Presentation Sales Area: Part 1
Some timeshare properties have you sit down and watch a short video after the tour. Others take you directly to the closer. Either way, the closer is briefed about everything I mentioned already.
Part 1 just refers to the video presentation. It is very general and may show you other properties in the chain. You will see beautiful visuals, probably set to some island music or vacation stye tunes to get you worked up.
How to handle the video presentation to make it easier to say NO during timeshare presentation sales pitch
There is not much to do here besides keep your emotions in check. Don’t start getting curious now because any question later can lead to extra time during your sales pitch. Remember, 90 minutes is the minimum!
Timeshare Presentation Sales Area: Part 2
This is where you meet the closer. The guy trained to use all of the information you gave them or did not give them in order to get you interested. It is my experience that these people are assertive but I did not find them aggressive. The difference really boils down to how disciplined you are and how you accept pressure.
You already know that you have a minimum time there, may as well not fight it and just get through the spiel.
How to handle the Closer to make it easier to say NO during timeshare presentation sales pitch
Show NO interest at all. They will ask question, lots of them. The answers give them ammunition to use as a counter argument. It’s a lot like those courtroom TV dramas, the more information the person on the stand gave away, the more rope they gave to the prosecutor to use against them.
Do you like the property so far? What did you think of the membership rooms? How much do you spend when you travel? Does your family like to travel? And on, and on.
You will inevitably answer a few questions but if you keep the somewhat vague there is less ammo for them to use. There will be a time to be firm and decisive though, that comes when your minimum time limit has been reached.
Before that happens though, if the closer is making no progress he might pass you off to the “Manager”.
The Manager
If you are on social media at all you have probably heard of the term “Karen”. A Karen is a stereotype for a woman who always wants to talk to the manager. Karen’s do this for the most trivial reasons and even when they are in the wrong. Many times they do this simply to belittle the employee that served them in front of their coworkers and boss. “I’d like to speak to your manager” is Karen’s battle-cry.
Well, I have news for Karen. This is ONE manager she does not want to speak to. The manager is going to knock down pricing, he is going to offer different plans, he may offer perks. He will seemingly have an answer for every objection you have. So now what?
How to handle the manager to make it easier to say NO during timeshare presentation sales pitch
The answer is still no. I am not interested. They will want to know why or they may want to now how to sweeten the deal.
Anything you say should be firm and plausible and can end in with minimum resistance.
I will give you an example.
Me: “I have only been here a day (or two)”Them: “This special deal is only available now.”
Them: “This special deal is only available now.”
Me: “I have to pass.”
That is really my go to. Basically to sum it up is “I do not make decisions like this on the spot.” That is pretty much it, there are not too many comebacks from that. All they have left is to try to pressure you by cutting the cost or adding perks and convincing you the deal is only good on the spot.
Any wavering from that opens the door for more rebuttals.
Lets assume you had a drink or two at breakfast or you slipped up a bit during the other parts of the sales pitch. What now?
Other Ways to Say No to the Timeshare Presentation Sales Pitch
It all boils down to your mindset. Remember You just paid $700 and got 8 days for two in Cancun with all th3 food you can eat and all the booze you can drink. Just reflecting on that that will help. But I have more!
It’s a game
The timeshare presentation is just a game. The reps all are trained to gain confidence, overcome objection and sell product. They do it everyday. They here no everyday. The game is for them to get a sale or at least get you interested.
For you the game is to see how many times you can say no in 90-120 minutes and how little wiggle room you give the rep. You win if you say no to the timeshare presentation sales pitch and get out very close to the minimum time requirement. That mindset keeps it somewhat fun, especially if your partner is in on the fun.
Put them on the defensive
So, you had trouble saying no and you forgot to make it a game. What now? You can always put them on the defensive.
For example, all timeshares have maintenance fees for the property. Those fees are passed on to the members. The thing is the fees actually vary by year so they have no way to tell you what the fees are from one year to the next. And if they can’t give you an actual figure, how can they expect you to sign a contract?
Blame it on the plastic
So, in this scenario they are asking you for the sale and you forgot everything else. What do you do now?
Blame it on your credit card! Let them know that when you travel you only carry cards with low limits in case they get lost. They may offer financing but tell them no, you don’t want to pay those rates and you don’t want anything new on your credit.
It’s not you, it’s me
A very polite and effective counter to all of this is your travel habits. This is why I advised you to be careful during the early stages of the selling process.
Why would you invest in an International timeshare package when half of your vacations are in the USA? Or why would you invest in a domestic timeshare if half of your trips are to Mexico? See? Very hard for them to justify the expense if you would not use the service.
If it comes down to it, you can tell them you rarely can travel due to work schedule, kids, sick parents etc.. No sense in buying a timeshare if you only travel a week every two years.
Privacy Please
Another tip is to create a sense that you prefer to make these decisions in private. Yes, your partner will be there and yes they will use that against you, but be firm and let them know you do not discuss money issues in public.
You like to discuss these matter alone to come to a decision, no matter how much negotiating they try to do with the package.
Another excuse you can use is that you have to consult with your accountant or money manager. If all else fails, tell the you have to pray or meditate before making a decision. All of these require privacy and it gets you away from the situation.
How to Avoid the Timeshare Sales Pitch
Of course, there is an easier but more expensive way to end the presentation. Do not show up or cut it off before your minimum time requirement.
If you are feeling stressed you do not have to stay. By the same token, they don’t have to give you the vacation for next to nothing either. You are getting an all inclusive vacation for two for under $1,000 based on your honoring the presentation agreement.
However, that is all you agreed to. You are under no obligation to buy or to stay longer than their minimum required time.
Saying NO to Timeshare Presentation Bottom Line
A vacation should not be stressful or a hassle. It should be relaxing, pleasant and create lifelong memories. Sadly, most people do not get enough of them for various reasons.
One of the reasons boils down to money which can be solved by taking advantage of these tremendous deals. But if you are not prepared for the situation it can leave you anxious about what is to come.
Remember, these people are trained for this job and they are used to rejection. So be polite but remain disciplined and firm throughout the process.
Follow the tips in this article and you too can take advantage of these deals without the stress of worrying about saying no to the timeshare presentation!
