Time-Shares And Free Gifts

Time-Shares And Free Gifts

by Craig Tucker

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A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit a time-share. It was some nice property around a very popular lake in Texas.

Time-shares are usually located in areas where most people like to go and vacation. The main premise behind them is to have a place to go year after year for an inexpensive family vacation.

A major vacation resort company built a couple of hundred condominiums and recreational facilities and they where inviting people to come out for the day to have a look. They had set up a system that worked like a clock to get prospects to their lake.

There is something in what they are doing that we can apply in out network marketing business?

The following is the basic dynamics of their system.

Time-shares buy or acquire a mailing list of qualified people. This list is usually based on earnings, homeownership, personal interest or some other parameter they think would qualify you.

They send every one on the list a postcard or letter. The one I received came on a post card with a catchy "lets do it now" headline that said something like this:

Spend the day sailing on Beautiful Lake "Bring Your Wallet", and pick up the $5000.00 you *won.

* = What they mean is, if your postcard has the right code. You also have to show up at the lake to know if you won or not.

The body of the selling content is a lesson in itself on mixing benefits and word pictures. They carefully craft their letter or postcards to make sure you think you won the $5000.00. As well as paint a picture of you and the family having fun, spending the day on the lake, the healthy environment, how rested and relaxed you will feel just being there.

(In other words Benefits, Benefits, Benefits.)

All you need to do is bring your winning card and pick up the money or FREE gift. In a very brief statement they let you know that there is a presentation of the property. But what's a little inconvenience when you have won $5000.00. You will sit through it, waiting in anticipation to get your hands on that free gift.

You will always see something like the following statement to dramatically increase the chances of getting you to show up.

"If you lose this letter or post card it can never be replaced. You must bring it with you failure to do so will void any current or future prizes, plus you stand a chance to be banned from any future promotions."

Somewhere on the correspondence they let you know what the other prizes are. The big prizes are always listed first, and by over valuating them by 300% they all sound really good, just in case you figure out that you're not going to get the money.

- $5000.00 in cash (value $5000.00 **1 out of a million),

- Mink Coat made from real combed polyester (value $2500.00 **3 out of a million)

- Travel Master TV available with real fake leather tote strap (value $500.00 **6 out of a million). - "Skippy The Do-little Dog" he actually glows in the dark when

someone comes near your door (value $150.00 **999,990 out of a million).

** = odds of winning

Basically you stand a pretty good chance of getting the "Skippy The Do-little Dog" At this point it doesn't matter that you have to drive 200 miles to get it. Greed kicked in a long time ago. And the presentation stuff has already faded away.

Here is how they get you there:

You call the phone number on the card or letter, which is answered by someone who has been taught to say one thing well.

"I don't know, I am only setting the appointments."

That way there is nothing they can tell you about the property, the company, the cost, or "Skippy The Do-little Dog." Ask them for directions, if you can bring your checkbook, or if it is really worth your time sitting through their presentation and you can't get them off the phone.

They ask you for a marketing code on the post card, that's so they know how many "Skippy The Do-little Dogs", to have on hand. To get you to make the final decision to come view the property, they tell you, that you only have the option of visiting the lake on one of the three following days. They give you a time slot to show up and then proceed to book 8 more people in it.

Here is how they can afford to make it work.

They sell the same condominium 26 times. You buy four rooms for $20,000.00 and you have it for 2 weeks out of the year. Their upfront cost (advertising, phone help, sales people gifts comes from the initial sale and down payment, made by sorting through the prospects they have filing through their system.)

Of course this is a large well thought out production. Look at the dynamics of their system, could you do the same thing except on a smaller scale. Who is your prospect and can he be bribed to hear your presentation?

Their system works because they figured out their cost per buyer. They mail out a certain number of postcards. Through trial and error (testing) they learned how many people they need to visit their property to sale of one of their condominiums.

Could you set up a system like this with a few of your leaders? Coop your money and skills and set up a method to get prospects filing by your opportunity.

Things to consider: Your cost per lead. The letter or postcard, the free gift, how to do the presentations, either a group at a time or individually. What type of package to put together that can be purchased.

There could be many different things you can do with this idea.

I welcome any feed back or ideas you might have on this article.

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