Pep Talk -Ramblings of an Honest Man

In the modern world of marketing, change is a constant. As a kid growing up on a timeshare resort I saw my fair deal of change from the 70’s through the 90’s.
At first is started out with, “what the heck is this European stuff they call timeshare?” Then it moved on to, “Wait, you’re going to give me an inflatable boat if I come visit?” Somewhere between “while you are here let us give you a presentation” and “can we get another copy of the phone book”, reality began to set in. The “Do Not Call List” hit most of us like a ton of bricks.

Unrestricted telemarketing had always been the hammer in most timeshare resorts marketing tool bag. In many cases, the old tactics still exist as drop box programs open up new lists of prospects. Still, there is something about getting all too intimate with the good old yellow pages that I think many of us will always miss. In a numbers game it is always best to have the most tickets to scratch.

These days anybody can get on the internet and find the answers they are looking for. There is something to be said about an old fashioned argument where both sides have no proof and you still have a chance to convince your wife that motorcycles are plenty safe, but let’s leave that to another day. The point is the internet is an opportunity, not unlike the Wild West or the California gold rush. You can take your best shot and you might make it big, but you might end up on a bar stool with nothing but an empty glass and a bad case of scurvy.

As long as you make the right decisions you can choose your own destiny. The internet in the greatest marketing machine mankind has ever devised. Some of the largest sites like Google or Myspace were built on the backbone of tapping into consumers and getting inside their heads. The internet, my friends, is a gift to the timeshare industry. Most people might cringe at that thought with the complexities of online marketing and lead generation, but if you look at the industry leaders, the Marriotts and the Wyndhams of this world, you will see that I speak the truth.
With the industry consolidation at a rapid pace and the brain drain pulling some of the best talent into the leading companies, those of us at the independent resorts should not fear the web. The internet is a great equalizer. So whatever you do, don’t avoid the inevitable. Spread the good word about your organization through blogs, create online videos to get people excited, work on your site and fire up your google analytics to see how people are using it. Most of all, do not miss the opportunity to tap into the web and retake the ground you lost when Uncle Same cut your phone line. Generate tours, harvest leads, and target the sales prospects you know are out there. My best advice is keep kicking the horse until he goes somewhere exciting.
GoodLuck,

The Wizard