$ to be made selling timeshares

Not exact figures but if you're a good salesperson, I know some who do quite well.

I haven't been in the industry for a couple of years, but from '98 to '05 I did well. As a line salesperson, the average might be in the neighborhood of $50K/yr, with the upper end being near $100K and the lower being around $30K. As "In-House", I always made near $100K. Once you get into management you can expect a hundred to be the minimum.

Thank you so much Trade and MartySTT.

Another question, do folks who relocate to sell timeshares get housing through who they work for or are they on their own for that?

christie,
Always $$ to be made in sales. It all depends on how good you are. The main players on STT are the Marriott Vacation Club which has the new Frenchmans Cove property and the Ritz Carlton Club property on the east end.
Fairfield/Whyndam have several properties on STT and then there are some smaller TS properties at Magens Point resort and Sapphire Beach resort. On St. John you have Starwood at the Westin property and I have no idea what is on STX.
If you are good then send out your resume. I have known people on STT to make over $300k and others who lost their jobs within a few months because they could not sell it.

If you can prove your sales ability to the PD or Sales Manager, then usually 30 days of housing can be worked out. Very few positions with housing anymore. Ahh, I remember back in the day, though...free air tix, free housing, free drinks! Who wouldn't wanna sell timeshare?? Haha!

(Off Island - it's been my experience with the sales people here that when they have an exceptional month, and make $25K, then they claim they make $300/yr. When, in reality, the next month they usually have a crappy month cuz they are resting on the laurels from 'last month'...then they post a month that they only make $4K. Most PD's don't even make $300. PD's will range from around $150K-$250K. But $25K/month on a consistent basis for a salesperson?? They're exaggerating. Remember...these are SALESpeople! It's in our nature to make things sound better than they are!)

Marty, do people get burned out selling timeshares? I always wondered about that.

Thank you Off Island and Marty on STT . Very valuable information.

Marty,
Speaking of back in the day. Gone are the days of expense accounts, profit-sharing, retirements plans, and job security. Even health care is hit and miss. With 19 years of sales experience selling cosmetics, cell phones, radio, newspaper, and yellow pages; my best options as of late have been positions as an independent contractor. At least the tax benefits are there.

Marty,
I hear you and in ten years around the TS industry, I have seen plenty of flame throwers and no heat no eat kind of guys. They usually don't last. I will say I am not familiar with Fairfield/Whyndam and how they pay but I can tell you I am very familiar with how MVCI pays. In the 3+ years of sales on STT, there has been a sales executive who hit the $300k mark. This year had the top guy with over $300k and 3 others not too far behind him. Those sales people represent the best of the best and are few and far between.

I get asked questions like christies all the time and I never paint a rosy picture of it being an easy job. The industry is littered with people who did not make it, MVCI is no different. My training class back in 1998 had 13 people in it. Today there are two left and that is not far from the norm on most training classes. Your PD pay range might be the norm for Fairfield but is not the norm for MVCI. A entry level PD could expect to earn $175-$225 depending on the volume and expense budget results. Average PD in MVCI is probably closer to $250k-$350k range. On St. Thomas you throw in a housing allowance and cost of living adjustment which puts the PD above the avg pay.

Trade,
Yes a lot of TS salespeople get burned out every year. I have seen people enjoy massive success for 1 year or 10yrs and then they hit a wall. It is a tough, tough job. A good sales person has a 20% closing ratio a great sales person has a 30% closing ratio which means even the great person has 7 out of 10 tours turn them down and that is a lot of rejection. Some sales people can take that and some can't.

Christie,
I will say again that if you can sell, then by all means give it a shot. Fairfield/Whyndam is a good company and I have a number of friends that have worked for them over the years. MVCI is a good company and usually has 2-3 training classes per year on STT. Starwood is a good spot and a nice product. if you don't mind commuting over to St. John.
If you decide to give it a shot then I wish the best of luck and much success in your endeavor.

Off Island,
Once again, thank you, incredible information.

At this point, it seems like I would be best served to get some experience selling timeshares here while I am getting my ducks in a row.

Thanks, Off Island. I knew they could do well but had no idea they could do that well.

What is a "PD"?
Thanks
Lexi

PD = "Project Director"

Off - I am dialed in to the 'actual' statistics and 'posted' statistics of Marriott's Vacation Club International here on STT. The 'actuals' vary considerably from the 'posted'. It sounds like you have some experience in this (no heat, no eat), so I'm sure you realize that the posted figures are inflated by various means (adding an ex-salesperson's volume to the top guys, call-ins going to the top guys, walk-ins going to the top guys, training sales going to the top guys, etc., etc., etc.). I'm not saying that the top producers don't make good money, they do. But check their pay-stubs and you will see some discrepancy there. That's what I'm getting at. If someone says they are making $150K/year in TS sales, odds are, they are making closer to $100K. If they are claiming three hundred, when you see their end of year check-stub's "Paid to Date", it usually doesn't top $200K. I mean, sheeze, even MVCI inflates this stuff in their own newsletters to make it look better and to motivate others to work harder and to pat themselves on the back. It's like someone claiming that they are worth a million dollars. On paper, it might look that way, but if they were to liquidate all of their holdings, they then find that they can only produce half a mil. The difference from half a mil to a mil is significant...but it sure looks good on paper (or up at the podium when they are giving out Diamond stats), doesn't it?

Also, my PD pay scale is from when I was doing the job here on island. They may be making more than that now. (Damn! Has it been 3 years already???)

Christie - 1099 is a great way to go if you are responsible about it...the majority of 'time slime' aren't, which is why they are in trouble with the IRS/IRB. Be very careful as an Independent Contractor and bank at least a third of your check into a SEPARATE account that you don't touch. No matter the tempatation! Leave it until tax time!

Christie,

I hate to add this here, but I will.

Timeshare salesfolks do no have a stellar reputation among timeshare consumers. Marty hinted at this in his above post. If you were to go to any timeshare users bulletin board, such as www.tug2.net and do a search for something like "timeshare presentation" you would see that most regard their experience purchasing from a TS salesman as a terrible experience. Most timeshare owners buy their first from the developer/timeshare sales person, kick themselves in the butt, then go to the resale market for any additional purchases for a fraction of the cost.

It takes a certain type of personality to be able to be successful selling timeshare. The "no heat, no eat" philosophy prevails, and high pressure and misleading tactics are the rule. You would not believe what I was told when gullible me bought my first week. Still waiting for that champagne on arrival and free transportation from the airport. Generally the type of person who is a timeshare sales pro is not someone who I would like in my circle of friends.

Marty was an exception, of course. But, then, he never did sell one to me 🙂

Gerie

Marty and Gerie,
Thank you both.

Unfortunately, I already learned from my mistakes as an independent contractor and ended up on a payment plan with the IRS.

I know a timeshare salesperson who told quite a few people they would be feeding giraffes off their balconies at Disney.

Aww, thanks, Gerie!

And, oohhh the stories we could tell about heat! I've heard some whoppers, lemme tell ya!

Marty,
Is your email working??

Off - I am dialed in to the 'actual' statistics and 'posted' statistics of Marriott's Vacation Club International here on STT. The 'actuals' vary considerably from the 'posted'.

Marty, you will have to elaborate to me your definition of dialed in?? I guess you could tick off the sales volume YTD for the Cove, Closing percentage YTD, Volume Per Guest YTD, Expense cost YTD, Volume from Direct tours, In House, Package tours and Portfolio sales YTD. If you are "dialed in" I am locked in and have literally been married to these numbers for almost 4yrs and have never seen your name or email address on a distribution list.
If you have access to posted statistics and actual statistics, I would love to pop some popcorn, pull up a chair and read about them. In ten years I have never heard of posted statistics and actual statistics as a measuring stick. I know the auditors who look at the numbers on a regular basis have never heard of those two categories.

It sounds like you have some experience in this (no heat, no eat), so I'm sure you realize that the posted figures are inflated by various means (adding an ex-salesperson's volume to the top guys, call-ins going to the top guys, walk-ins going to the top guys, training sales going to the top guys, etc., etc., etc.).

Don't know the policies at the places you worked by none of the above ever happens and would result in somebody losing their job if it did. The line rotation is the line rotation and is posted and updated daily for all to see and if any of the above happened, everybody would know.

I'm not saying that the top producers don't make good money, they do. But check their pay-stubs and you will see some discrepancy there. That's what I'm getting at. If someone says they are making $150K/year in TS sales, odds are, they are making closer to $100K. If they are claiming three hundred, when you see their end of year check-stub's "Paid to Date", it usually doesn't top $200K. I mean, sheeze, even MVCI inflates this stuff in their own newsletters to make it look better and to motivate others to work harder and to pat themselves on the back.

I have seen the numbers and the YTD pay of everybody on the line and everything I have said in this thread is accurate. MVCI and every other publically traded company in the United States has to adhere to Sarbanes-Oaxley Act, so there is not a set of public numbers and a set of private numbers. There is only one set of numbers and upper management has to sign off on those numbers every period, every quarter and YTD. An independent auditor reviews those numbers as well and everybody in the chain of command is culpable for those numbers with penalty of fines and jail time. If you can produce a single MVCI newsletter with inflated sales numbers, I would love to see it.

Also, my PD pay scale is from when I was doing the job here on island. They may be making more than that now. (Damn! Has it been 3 years already???)

If you are using the PD pay scale at Leisure Path then that might account for the our numbers varying greatly.

Marty,
Not trying to get into a pissing match and the only thing I stated to Christie was I have known sales executives on STT to make over $300k and others to lose their jobs within months because they could not sell. All that is factually correct. That is my experience and you might have your own set of experiences in the industry. Not saying you are wrong, just saying your are not as well informed as you think when it comes to MVCI.

Yes, my e-mail works fine....feel free to e-mail me at marty_fredericks@yahoo.com (I had to edit this and add a different e-mail addy, as the one listed in VINow's records is out of date and I'm working on getting it updated.)

Off - Do you think you really have to actually work for MCVI to get the scoop?? Come on! Haha! And we can use all the legal mumbo-jumbo we want, but it still won't change the facts...check the tax records of the liners and you'll see what I mean. (hint, the IRB isn't quite as secure as one might think)

LeisurePath was only a product that one company here sold, they didn't pay me at all. I'm referencing the payscale for the PD from Bluebeard's Castle and Beach Resorts, Magen's Point Resort, Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, Chenay Bay Beach Resort, Divi Carina Bay, and Paradise Found vacation Club.

And you and I both know that whatever comes out of J.C.'s mouth is a lie, so ....

Anywhere from minimum wage to 2+million a year. Yup, no joke. The top several sales people in our company made 1-2Million this last year.

I can guarantee it wasn't in the VI in 2016 - 17.