Professional Self Storage Management Company
• Improve your operations, full service property management
• 30+ years of self-storage management
experience
• Decrease vacancy loss, increase income
• Facility evaluations, Feasibility studies
How to Run Your Self Storage Facility More Efficiently
Building a Sales Team • Building Blocks for Success • Chamber of Commerce Mailer • Competitor Template • General Practices
Get the Rental • Get the Sale • Image & Impression • Marketing 101 • Marketing the Easy Way • Selling Ideas Version 1
How to Get the Rental - Self Storage Industry
We all realize that the storage industry has changed dramatically. Gone are the days when all you needed was a building and a Yellow Page ad to fill up your facility. With the increase in competition, the recession and the consumer shift in spending we need to make sure we capitalize on every sales opportunity we get. That is why it is so important to close the sale and get the rental.
The first step in closing the sale is to, “Envision the sale”. Meaning you need to believe in your product, your company and most importantly yourself to get the sale. If you don’t have a positive attitude, chances are you will convey that message to your potential customer and lose the deal.
When you are talking with a prospective customer we need to do as much listening as talking. You need to hear what that particular person’s “hot button” is and use all your product knowledge to match the features of your facility with the needs of the customer to ensure you create a perceived value for the customer. We need to use features and benefits to satisfy the “what’s in it for me” mentality of the consumers. Once you have created value in the product/service, that potential shopper will become a customer.
When a shopper enters your facility, we need to make sure they are given all the attention they deserve. Try to converse with them on the same side of the counter (don’t use the counter as a barrier to you and the shopper). Use your facility as a selling tool. Take the customer on a tour of the property and point out all your features—show and tell. Show them the gated access with key pads, point out security cameras, glitz boards, individual door alarms, wide drive aisles, large drive up units…. This will create value and allow you to build some report rapport with the customer, certainly a lot more relationship building than just quoting a rate over the counter.
Be prepared!! Know your competitors as well as you know your own facility so you can do two things. First, by knowing your competitors weaknesses, you can stress your strengths and better sell your product. Secondly, you can ensure that the shopper is comparing the facilities (apples to apples) with all the facts and again build value in your product by clearing up any incorrect assumptions.
After you have determined the size of unit and thoroughly explained all the value built into your facility, you need to bring the customer to the lease presentation area and start the closing process by making a closing statement such as “ Have a seat here and I will start your rental agreement’ or something like ‘ I just need a few more minutes of your time to complete the rental agreement for you”.
Last but not least, is the second sales effort (if necessary). Be prepared with rebuttals to any objections to the sale. Summarize to the customer his needs with our matching features and benefits to reinforce that customer’s needs have all been met. Ask them if there was something else they were not sure of, or if they needed clarification on any items. Don’t be afraid to ask them flat out why they would not want to rent with you today. You will be surprised how simple it is to overcome their objection. It could be as simple as wanting to talk to a spouse for approval or not being sure of what the payment methods we accept! Try not to let the customer leave without signing the lease. Explain to them that when they move in, it’ll be a busy enough day for them. You can save them time by completing the lease now and giving them a gate code so that they can move in anytime during our extended gate hours vs being limited to office hours.
Ask for the sale and the customer will “Show you the money”.