How much is my time to share worth?
by Fred Roed on 14/11/05 at 12:07 pm
1 comment
So there I am, operating my business on a sticky summer’s day, when my phone rings. A guy on the other end says: ‘Mr Roed?’
My mind starts racing. Phone company? Revenue service? The stationery supply guys? ‘Um, yep…’ I say, plotting my exit already.
‘Mr Roed,’ the voice continues, ‘I am pleased to inform you that you have won a free weekend away at the xxxx Hotel at the Strand beachfront in Cape Town.’
Immediately, my blood starts boiling.
OK, let’s stop right there. Surely, this is where I should start jumping around and high-fiving those around me? I mean, a weekend away? Surely it’s something one saves up for and when it lands on one’s lap, for free no less, then one would get at least a little cheery… so why the instant rage?
And the thing is, I know you know why.
‘Ahem, Mr Roed,’ continues the guy on the phone, ‘when would you like to come in and collect your prize?’
‘Sorry, what’s your name?’ I counter, figuring here’s an opportunity to study this from a marketing point of view. There is a silence, then: ‘Er, my name is Freddy Gonzales’ (not his real name, but it would be pretty funny if it was).
‘So what do we have to do in exchange for this prize?’ I ask Freddy. Immediately, I hear rustling of papers in the background.
‘Mr Roed, all you have to do is collect your prize at our offices at the Waterfront. A consultant will meet you there and give you a 15 min presentation.’
‘Presentation on what?’ I ask.
‘Er…’ more rustling of papers, ‘xxxx Hotel Group have over 35 hotels in the country to choose from…’
‘So, will I be asked to commit to anything?’ I interrupt.
‘…and the Hotels are fully interchangeable with a whole host of other offerings and what’s more…’
I gently put the phone down, so as not to disturb him in his soliloquy. A few questions were raised in my head from this little interlude:
- Everyone knows the timeshare strategy, don’t they?
- How does Freddy Gonzales feel after the 50th person has put the phone down on him for the day?
- Does this stuff really work? So many people have told me timeshare ‘prize’ stories, but yet the calls still keep on coming? Is there something I don’t know?
- How come Freddy, and countless other sales people, don’t really care about what I say or do? They just start selling at me without knowing me or taking the time to know me? (A certain irony when considering Freddy wanted me to buy ’shared time’.)
So anyway, the thought for the day: Don’t sell at me Freddy Gonzales (and any other salespeople out there)! Start a conversation with me and then maybe, just maybe, I will buy into your product.
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. Fred is the CEO of web marketing company World Wide Creative and the co-founder of online learning portal Heavy Chef. Fred loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. Follow Fred on Twitter here. View more articles by Fred Roed.
Fred
Nov 14th, 2005
You are so right Fred.
And as a representative of the Timeshare Collective of South Africa (TIMCOLSA), I would like to formally apologise to you on behalf of everyone who has ever cold called anyone else in South Africa.
And what’s more, we would like to offer you a year’s free timeshare (in any one of our resorts in sunny Angola).
You can come and collect your prize at our offices at the Waterfront at 7pm on Wednesday night.
Best regards,
Freddy Gonzales