Hard sell?

[colleen costello]

I just thought of a question for everyone. Were you a "hard sell" or an easy sell for your DVC salesperson?

I was thinking of last March and how when we bought DVC, my family was pretty much "Where do we sign?" We were clueless, and really got lucky. We were assigned a use-year that works great for us. I thought we got March because we BOUGHT in March; now I know it could have been different! We were also offered $5 off per point and we didn't have to "give back" a single point. Overall, we were so excited that they probably could have sold us the moon! So how about it, everyone? Did you make your guide work really hard for the sale? Did you walk right into the show expecting to buy or did you have to be cajoled?

Just curious!

 

[cgcw]

We walked in, knowing we were probably going to walk out as new owners. But...

we have a neighbor who bought in before us and he shared all of his information with us before we went down. I think this helped alot and just seeing the villas was a formality for us.

 

[anniet]

We walked in with a "Let's just take a look" attitude, after having taken a horrible tour with another timeshare that we said "Absolutely NOT" to.

At the time they were selling BCV, which wasn't really what we wanted and I think our guide sensed some hesitation on our part. We most likely would have purchased anyway, but DBF said once "It's too bad we didn't purchase when VWL was available". The guide got up right away without saying a word and came back about 20 minutes later stating that we could get 150 points at VWL if we wanted. At THAT point it was "Where do we sign?"

But I don't think guides will DO a "hard sell" I know my BIL took the tour before we did and he left without purchasing at all. I think if you're not interested in DVC they are not interested in "selling" you.

Also from a sales perspective, if someone "sells" you something you are happy with I think statistics show something like the average person will tell about 4 people. If they "sell" you something you are unhappy with I believe that number goes up to about 20. They probably know that and don't need to push people into buying something that practically needs no salesperson at all.

 

[alisbarc]

Bought in 1998 sight unseen. WE just had our 3rd kid (now have 4 - we're done). Read about DVC in a magazine that I found in the pouch on an ariline flight. When we got ready to go I called to check out how much for 2 rooms at Yacht Club for a week. Was going to be close to $3500. Did some quick math and figured we be going for the next 20 years so I asked to be connected to DVC. They sent out a video and some info. Called back the next week and bought. Never even met our sales person in person, but she was really nice on the phone. Paid $64 per point for BWV in 1998. Wish now I would've bought more points back then; added on twice since.

 

[buck4568]

After two trips to WDW with the 2nd trip having our 2yr old and 5yr old staying at Port Orleans in a hotel room, then touring BWV and seeing what we could be staying in. Then comparing the cost of the hotel visits and the number of times we would be returning to WDW, I counld not get my credit card out of my wallet fast enough!

We bought 200 pts. to start and now have 475!

 

[mbhoxsie]

My DW and I were hard sells...

A coworker of mine is a member, and had told me all about DVC... So when we went down to WDW for a wedding, I decided to set up an appointment and see what the fuss was about.. (Hurricane Erin was ravanging the east coast of Florida at the time; the weather was all rain, and so there wasn't really much else to do that day anyways..)

Our guide, Ricardo, was very patient with us... Worked with us for over an hour.. But after the presentation, we decided not to bite... We thanked him for his time and went on our way...

A week later, we got home and started mulling it over... Then talked ourselves into it.. So we called Ricardo back, and had him Fed-Ex the paper work to us...

 

[DeeP]

I have been both a hard sell and an easy sell.......
I had taken the tour, got the literature and video, etc twice when there was only OKW at WDW. I did not buy either time, so I guess I was a hard sell.
Then BWV opened and I fell in love. I bought over the phone so this time I was a very easy sell!

 

[Disney Doll]

We were a realtively easy sell I think because DH had done some research(he loves to research!!), and plus he is a realtor, so he understood a lot of the "lingo" etc.

They do not do a pushy sell at all...at least our guide Mark Webb didn't. At one point, we commented on how "unpushy" it was, and he said "Disney wants people to be happy. If this type of arrangement isn't going to make you happy, then we really don't want to force it on you."

We took all the info, went home, did some figuring in terms of what hotels would cost us for the next 40 years, and bought.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

Definitely easy sell here. Prior to going down, I had already calculated the maximum points we would purchase, years to pay it off, etc. I walked in with my spreadsheet and my guide asked me for a copy! DH just wished we had purchased earlier. Annmarie

 

[TCPluto]

Easy sell, but really, the program sold itself. Our salesman, Ricardo, went out of his way to show the pro's and con's.

We took a day off from the parks in Oct. 2000 and picked up material at a Downtown Disney kiosk. We had never even discussed the idea before signing up for the presentation. A few short hours later, we had bought in!

We bought 250 points at VB, but have yet to stay there.

Looking into adding on right now!

 

[pwoodham]

Some of each, I guess. We took the tour initially in 1997 without buying. After we got home, I did my own math, thought about the needs of our family, and decided my husband and I needed a visit to WDW on our own. At that time, they were offering free (or maybe low-cost, I don't remember) stays at the BWV if you were there to do the tour. We called them to set it up, and had, of course, already decided to buy.
Our second contract was no hard sell for our guide - we called him to buy BCV sight unseen over the phone.
This investment is, for me and my family, truly one of the best things we have ever done with our money. I feel that the memories we create with wonderful vacations are treasures, and all the discussion about value per point and other financial analyses are interesting but kind of irrelevant. I can't imagine ever regretting this "investment" in happy family times.
I think its the hallmark of a great product when people are more anxious to purchase AGAIN then they were when they purchased initially. I may have had to think about it the first time, but the second time was easy.

 

[SheriB]

No hard sell here, however, we did not buy when we toured in July last year. We went home and talked about it for about a month. I asked our guide to call us back in about a month, and by then we had made the decision to buy. I was lucky enough to find these boards after we came home, and they helped us tremendously in our decision. I don't there is such a thing as a hard sell, because the guides are so non-aggressive, it's not like they are twisting your arm or anything. It was probably the most pleasant sales pitch I have ever encountered for anything. And even if we decided not to buy, the information we gained was worth it. Our guide didn't seem disappointed that we didn't buy(maybe that's because we left there as a definite maybe). And a month later, we were a definite yes!

Sheri

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by pwoodham
I feel that the memories we create with wonderful vacations are treasures, and all the discussion about value per point and other financial analyses are interesting but kind of irrelevant.

I agree 100% with pwoodham post above. It was an easy sell for us because my sister bought in 1996(with passes) so we knew all about DVC.So after going down a couple times in a GV at OKW we picked up the phone and called the same guide our sister had and bought at OKW(300 pts) in 1999 at $65 pt. And last year picked up the phone and added on at VB at $62 pt. So now we have 500 pts between OKW and VB.And someday we may pick up the phone again and...........

 

[Regina]

We still laugh about this.

When we took the tour at Commodore House, the resort hadn't even opened yet. Afterwards we sat down with our guide and were eager to sign. Nope, they first sent in not one but two other DVC CM's who had to be assured that we absolutely, positively wanted to do this. It seemed as if they were trying to talk us out of it.

We went to contract on 12/1/91, and have never once regretted our decision.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I think we were a hard sell, because we had gone to OKW in1992 and done the tour, and I was not interested. There was no maid service! Then, in the next couple of years we went to several other timeshare presentations, including one where I had to call the police in order to get my kids from their "daycare" All the while DH kept mentioning about DVC, and how great it was in comparison to what we were seeing.

Then BWV opened, and I walked up to the DVC open house area, and told them I wanted to see the place. Even after the tour, I told my guide, Ron Brumbaugh, that I was going to leave and check out everything he told us, and he just told me Thanks for stopping. I really thought they were going to try to keep us, like all the other timeshares did. We went back the next day after checking everything Ron told us, and found that he had been truthful, so we told him to call us in a month . We bought 170 pts.

Since then we've bought 2 add-ons, and 2 contracts, and those times we were so easy it's embarrassing! Now my brother, daughter, and neice own too, so I guess it was worth it for DVC not to push us

 

[Verandah Man]

I have a co-worker of mine buy into VWL in November 2001. Upon her return back to work she told me that her and DH bought 150 pts in DVC. I told her we were interested, but really weren't sure if we could afford it, or if it was right for us. My co-worker asked if my DW and I would be interested in seeing her information package. She brought it to work the next day(Friday) and my DW and I looked it over cover to cover (several times) all weekend.

We already had a vacation planned for the All Star Sports during Easter week 2002.

On the drive down, my DW and DD, both came down sick with headcolds (the timing was perfect).

Since neither of them felt like going to any of the parks the first day at WDW, we scheduled a tour of the DVC. We knew going in, we were probably going to come out members, but our tour guide Glen Wilson, was so pleasant and helpful. He really took the time (about 2 hours) to explain everything to us, alot we already knew by going through my co-worker information. But still the tour was very nice. I fell in love with the VWL model, but we were told they were sold out (drats!!!). I love the Old Americana look and feel.

My DW had to leave her job in December of 2001 due to health reasons. We took the money she had stashed away in her savings at work, paid off our credit cards, and then bought 170 pts., to get us started. That was March 2002, in October 2002 we added on another 50 pts., now I'm trying to figure a way to get another 80 pts. added on.

At first I thought 170 pts. would be enough, then I thought surely 220 pts. would suffice, but alas, it is not to be. I've got to have more points!!! By the end of 2003, we hope to do a refi on our home, look out Glen, we'll be giving you another call, maybe this fall.

Yes, we were an easy sell, and proud of it!!!

 

[Pig Pen]

Geez, we practically dove over the desk and ripped the contract out of his hands to sign on the dotted line.

 

[kdonnel]

I was an easy sell. My wife was a hard sell. It took me almost 3 years to convince her it would be a good deal. Now she is almost as excited as I am.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

DH and I had received DVC info in the mail since we had booked a HH studio for cash in 2000. I just threw it away without looking at it - it WAS a timeshare sales pitch! Then we got to the resort, there was a message on the phone about calling to make an appointment. We figured what the hay since they were offering 2 free tickets for the dolphin cruise and we wanted to do that anyway. Well, we did sleep on it overnight, but we were sold after we saw the video and heard the sales presentation. It just made so much sense for us since we had decided we were going to start taking family vacations annually. Of course after we bought HH we decided that we "needed" to go to WDW every year as well, so we have OKW and BCV now too!

I guess you could say we were a soft sell - all 3 times!

 

[LUVDVC]

It was just oh, so easy. We were staying at the All Star Sports. My kids thought they were in heaven. I couldn't stand the close quarters, practically climbing over a bed and luggage to get to the bathroom. And the crowds for breakfast made me lose my appetite. So on our last day, I asked DH to drive around to other resorts so I could look around, get some prices, see some rooms. I wanted to know my options for the next trip. We stopped at lovely resorts.

Then I noticed the DVC kiosk in one of the lobbies. No one that I had approached for information had mentioned DVC. I asked what it was. I was interested. I asked to make an appointment. They really just left it up to me. It was a very soft sell on Disney's part.

By the time we toured the units at BWV, my DH and I were winking at each other behind our sales person (who was just terrific - Jim McCoy) and giving each other the thumbs up sign. After running the numbers and realizing I could have stayed at BWV in a studio for the same price as All Star Sports, there was no decision left to consider. We were buying. We almost missed our plane on the way home, but we had all our paper work tucked into our carry-ons.

We've added on twice and I am now an admitted Disney vacation addict.