- Conducted an intensive Internet Technologies course as “Web Design Engineer” at PrimeTech Institute, Toronto; Graduated January 2001.
- Course of “Business Administration/Marketing” with Athabasca University Alberta, Canada. .
- Courses and training as Professional Airplane Pilot, Instruments Flight and Multi-engines ratings-Airplane in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. .
- 02 years of intense course & training as Professional Pilot and Engineer Navigator of Civilian Aviation (I.N.A.C.) in France with IAAG-Groupe Air France.
- 02 years Aviation Military School in the Air Force, including training in French Air Base --sponsored by the government.
When I started selling Timeshare and Vacation Ownership, I noticed that Training Managers did their best to train liners or sales agents, but one thing was lacking… Sales Agents needed additional details on how to sell and a guide that they could refer too on a continuous basis. I S.O.L.D. course was created to enable Sales Professionals to discover, develop and improve their Sales abilities.
My sales experiences started while in high school in the number one touristic Mediterranean destination, to different tasks and functions as a Pilot, Management in the hospitality, Tour Operators, Sales, Consulting and the later years complete focus on Sales in the Timeshare, Vacation Ownership industry.
My best experiences are in the Sales Training field. On behalf of a company, I used to recruit about 100 people for a potential sales position to sell Vacation Memberships. The first day, was dedicated to the selection of potential sales people and will eventually go down form 100 people to 40-30 recruits. The second and third day, I was conducting timeshare training for 30-40 people who never experienced Timeshare sales or even heard about Timeshare. On the 4th day those same recruits are on the sales floor ready to sell Vacation Plans.
The results were amazing.
- During the second and third day of intensive timeshare training, I was able with consistency
to hold 100% of the new recruits not to quit.
- 85% of the new recruits were able to have a closing rate of 20 to 25% for
the first two weeks.
- My favorite results, that out of 30 to 40 new sales people, more than 90% will sell the first day.
It was a rewarding experience for me as a trainer and an unforgettable feeling of achievement for the new recruits.
I was also conducting intensive sales training for the existing Sales Staff
- The results: 80% will have a higher closing rate of 11% for the next consecutive five weeks.
After experiencing these facts, the idea of a training course was natural.
In addition, the I S.O.L.D. course will have an added value, which is the contribution
of other instructors and top producers in the timeshare sales. Presently, ATSPI
Instructor Committee is headed by Mr. Compton VanSluytman and consists of four of the same instructors that contributed
or are still contributing to the I S.O.L.D. course.
Below are some of my experiences:
- Founder and President of The Association of Timeshare Sales Professionals-International
[ATSPI], in cooperation with the late Mr. Steven Marks, Former President of
RCI-Canada. http://timeshare-sales-professionals.org
- Director of Sales & Marketing, offering an automated web based Timeshare presentation
exclusively Online, as opposed to attending a live presentation. It is the first and only company on the World Wide Web offering Online Timeshare Web Tours.
- Sales Manager, and respectively Director of Sales of a Resort in Canada: complete
training and resort conversion from Weeks to RCI Points system.
- Senior Sales Manager with a Wholesale Club. The Club is offering "LifeTime"
Membership Packages (vacation & more). Sales are based on the principle of Vacation
Ownership (Timeshare). Including in my duties: In charge of the recruiting and
the training of 30-40 sales agents .
- Sales and Aviation Consultant for a leading Timeshare Marketing company for
a Resort in Canada. Including in my consulting service, I did set up an Aerial
service to tour potential clients before attending a TimeShare presentation.
The airplane was used as a "Marketing Tool". My services involved a complete
process, from the selection of the aircraft to the start up of the air operation.
- Vacation Ownership / Timeshare Sales with "Fairfield Vacations" a Cendant
Product, --daily Sales presentation to sell Vacation Ownership/Timeshare packages
(off site office). I was one of the Top Sales person in our Toronto office in
Canada, a Trainer and acting as “Closer Manager”.
- Vacation Counselor/Sales with RCI (Resort Condominiums International, LLC)
A Cendant company - Among the "Top 3" sales personnel –of a team of 90 sales
counselors.
- Marketing & Development Director of an IATA Travel Agency (Montreal, Canada).
Including in my duties: On/Off line sales, marketing development of our ticketing
and custom travel/groups vacation departments.
- Consultant in tourism/travel and aviation related projects. Conducted a successful
project on behalf of a jet aircraft manufacturer (USA) with the Government of
Quebec, Canada.
- Web Development and marketing Consulting.
- Marketing and Development Director with a group of companies an I.A.T.A. Travel
Agency and a Tour Operator in Montreal, Quebec.
- Sales & Marketing Director of the tourism and ticketing department, the General
Manager of (I.A.T.A. / A.S.T.A.) a full service Travel Agency/Tours Operator
in the Mediterranean and France. The company operates its own fleet of buses
& 4x4 vehicles, plus 2 hotel-units, including a Timeshare resort as exclusive
properties –a Mediterranean destination
- Respectively; Sales/Marketing Manager and Chief Pilot of an air charter &
aerial advertising company in Canada
- Commercial Pilot within an air charter company in North America. Other work
experiences as Professional Pilot has been fulfilled.
- Seasonal work: During school years as ticketing Sales Agent within travel
agencies and other related job.
- Internet Technologies (I.T.): proficiency in HTML, JAVASCRIPT, FIREWORKS, CGI-Perl, Dreamweaver 4, Photoshop 6 and Flash 5
- Computers/Systems: Good Knowledge with WP5.1 & MS Office. Knowledge in Sabre reservation system.
- Languages: Former certified translator with the “Language Bank - Calgary Immigrant Society”.
- Former “Scout’s National champion” in Chess game.
- Hobby: Timesharing, Flying/Aviation, Internet and social contacts