SELFSTORAGE101ONLINE.COM

All Gunked Up

All Gunked Up

My car goes into routine oil changes every 4,000 or so miles. Also, it goes into the shop for scheduled maintenance as suggested by the manufacturer...so far 15, 30 and 60 thousand. They change the oil check the brakes, change the necessary filters, etc. The filters on my home's air conditioner are checked and changed as well as the filter to my water system. Every 6 months I have my teeth checked and cleaned, and every 4 months I see a sports physiologist to help keep my body conditioned. All of this to ensure that my 'systems' are running effectively and efficiently. Many of you do the same.

How about your store? You're looking at revenue -- up/down; rentals up/down; delinquencies up/down. Want to condition your store, look for 'sludge' and the things which might gunk up the operation of your business? Why not look at those elements which directly impact effectiveness and efficiencies? Here's why...for so many they have been sold a bill of goods that stated 'just build it, put in a site management system with gates, key pad access and hire someone who's wants a job and you're good to go'.

You MUST think of your business as a set of moveable parts that can AND will begin to run inefficiently. What we've discovered is more people invest to ensure their fire extinguinshers are current but tenant rent-rates are not! More people will maintain their store windows but their complimentary units are not tracked. Too many believe tenants aren't paying because of the economy versus developing a true 'sales process to collections' payment system.

This JUST got called in...."Last week (Thursday, Feb. 4) while we were in Arizona, we found what I thought might have been some unusual transactions. I started asking the assistant manager about them and received a number of "I don't knows" and "Wait till the manager calls." From there, we asked for the stores 'yellow lock key' so that we could open up suspicious units. As it turns out, the manager had the key. This morning, (Monday, Feb. 8) I received a call and was told the manager came into the store this past weekend, left a resignation letter for the owner confessing the of the ill-advised transactions, and left a partial payment for what he believed he owed the owner."

Folks, approximately 20% of the time we are finding transactions where an employee within the business took it upon themselves to keep cash payments, late payments, delayed deposits, reversed transactions, gave out free units. We don't always find theft, nor is this a note about theft, what we're suggesting you have GOT to tune up your business! The image you see was a company unit with CRITICAL records and tenant transactions. Not theft, just inefficiences.

You cannot delay nor assume your store is running as it should. If it is, that's great. If your car is idling fine and your getting great gas mileage, great. If you have questions, do something because Leaders Take Action.

1. If you don't know the degree of effort to run your business, you probably want to consider conducting an objective audit.

2. If you want to know what your competitors are doing, conduct an objective competitive market study or what we call a 'desktop' study.

3. Train and retrain - You can optimize your employee's effort by giving them the necessary skill set (how to use the phone effectively, how to conduct face-to-face sales, how to collect on delinquent accounts, etc.) because the more efficient we are at an activity, the more time we have, the more time we have the few questions we have. Remember ....

Leaders Take Action

The Self Storage 101 partners now offer a comprehensive Leadership Development Program where monthly we will present approaches and concepts on how to lead groups to attain greater results for you! We have approaches to the very same questions your asking...

Why businesses don't meet budget
How to hire marathoners vs. sprinters
How to increase rentals without increasing marketing costs
Why excuses hamper growth and how to overcome

We'll work with new and existing DMs, RMs, heads of Operations and supervising managers thru a process that provides them the tools to lead, direct and provide a positive vision for your staff. Each month we will review and discuss not only approaches to leadership, but also:

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 2/12/2010 8:33 PM | Add Comment

Are You Ready?

Are You Ready?

Have you ever gone to a hotel and use the toiletries they leave for you to use? The bottles of shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash? Recently, one of the partners of Self Storage 101 while on the road woke early to prepare for his day (Bob) to begin his work (Bob) in conducting a market study. Instead of grabbing the shampoo, he (Bob) grabbed the mouthwash and began to wash his hair with mouthwash. He told us "Shampoo is green, too."

Is your business prepared the same way? Are you using the wrong formula to increase rentals which may not work in today's competitive environment? I mean liquid is liquid, it'll all work, right? How you answer the phone or greet someone at the door or don't greet them at the door is all the same, right?

With all due respect...WRONG! You need to do things differently to get new results this year. Don't use mouthwash instead of shampoo. Use the best formula to increase rentals, drive down delinquencies and improve revenue.

Here are some practical steps to prepare for the upcoming lease up season:

1. Conduct an objective audit - you need a baseline and understanding of what's going on inside your business! Don't assume anything.

2. Conduct an objective competitive market study - know your competition, not only their rates and amenities, but the location of their store compared to yours and their manager's effectiveness on the phone. Know WHY someone rented from your competitor and not you (read below).

3. Train and retrain - we are still amazed at the number of people who answer the phone who don't answer it professionally, never ask for our name or number and just blurt out prices. If a multi-million dollar baseball player goes to spring training, we need to also.

For those of you who are new to this newsletter or who want a refresher, below are some tips on how to make a great first impression on the phone.

When someone calls...

Establish control of the call right from the beginning; use your name and the name of the store.
Be enthusiastic and professional
Keep control of the call by not allowing dead air and by asking probing questions
Always give your store's features and follow each feature with the benefit by saying "SO THAT"
Refer to units as "your unit."
Say, "Thank You", "Please" and use the customer's name at least twice
Listen intently to the customer by not multi-tasking
Create a sense of urgency "Hmmm, I can see we only have a few left...tell you what we need to do...," is a great way to communicate urgency. BUT DO NOT LIE and don't say as one manager told me "we have a few dozen left so there's no rush".
Don't mention upper floors on the call; get the caller to the site, show them a unit on an upper floor and then up-sell to a more 'convenient' unit.
The price should be proceeded with the word "ONLY"; for instance, "...and your 10 x 10 is ONLY $100"
Give a Reservation Number <the caller thinks you have set their unit aside>

Don't risk your operation anymore...this isn't a crap-shoot, it's your livelihood.

p.s. I stopped the sending of this note to write this: We have conducted several market studies in the last few months and part of that process is to call 'to shop' stores so that we can measure the client's existing or potential competitor telephone effectiveness. ONLY 2 of the 30 plus stores we phone shopped came close to meeting our expectations of a good phone shop. Do something, remember...

Leaders Are Prepared

The Self Storage 101 partners now offer a comprehensive Leadership Development Program where monthly we will present approaches and concepts on how to lead groups to attain greater results for you! We have approaches to the very same questions your asking...

Why businesses don't meet budget
How to hire marathoners vs. sprinters
How to increase rentals without increasing marketing costs
Why excuses hamper growth and how to overcome

We'll work with new and existing DMs, RMs, heads of Operations and supervising managers thru a process that provides them the tools to lead, direct and provide a positive vision for your staff. Each month we will review and discuss not only approaches to leadership, but also:

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 2/5/2010 8:32 PM | Add Comment

Leaders Value Growth

Leaders Value Growth

Fellow Self Storage Owners, Operators, Leaders, Managers, Brokers, Vendors and anyone else who receives our email. What you're about to read is an actual email exchange with someone we've worked with in the past. Be forewarned, there are truisms within and it MIGHT make you uncomfortable if you feel the same way. But, do me the kindness and follow the whole email till the end....

From: G**** [mailto:G****@************.com
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:38 AM
To: bobv@selfstorage101.com
Subject: RE: Lemming Mentality

Dear Mr. Bob Copper,

For once...you made me read the WHOLE article...I like your Lemming Mentality process. And NO, I choose not to be a lemming. I hope 2010 brings your business and your family success and wealth. Thank you again for your words of wisdom,

From: Bob Vamvas [mailto:bobv@selfstorage101.com]
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 9:25 AM
To: G****
Subject: RE: Lemming Mentality

So, G****, why haven't you registered for the Leadership program? Let's go!

From: G**** [mailto:G****@************.com
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 2:09 PM
To: Bob Vamvas
Subject: RE: Lemming Mentality

I knew I was messing with a beehive when I responded to your email...I put myself in a category that I "assume" (yes, I know that word is dangerous) many other people fit into... I'm too busy running around in my daily work "mouse wheel" to take time...or make time...to participate in honing my skills. As critical and important as your leadership program may be...I bet your finding it hard to get folks to make/take the time to participate. The cost is not an issue for me...it is solely a time-management problem.

However...Please don't take me off your mailing list. You never know when something may change. Take care of yourself and enjoy your day!

From: Bob Vamvas [mailto:bobv@selfstorage101.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 6:47 AM
To: G****
Subject: Thanks for the idea!

G****:

Guess what? Your comments will be one of our future newsletters! Thanks for the ideas. We just had one of our creative sessions and if you keep doing what you've been doing you'll keep getting what you're getting!

From: G**** [mailto:G****@************.com
To: Bob Vamvas
Subject: RE: Lemming Mentality

Bob,

Sooo...Let me get this straight...I INSPIRED your creativity...and your way of THANKING me...is to make me your mouse wheel lifestyle "poster child" ...? Hmmm... Sounds good to me! I like your picture on your email. The mouse has a little more hair than I do...but that's fine by me. Anyway, I hope 2010 brings your organization success.

My turn...

1)      We really like G****! He's a hard worker, nice person and has been in storage a long time. He knows what needs to get done. He runs a good size portfolio.

2)      Hours after receiving G****'s last email, we received a registration for our Leadership Development program from someone whose portfolio is 8 times that of G****'s. This person found time.

3)      Each of us has 24 hours each day. The question is what kind of transactions into our "time" bank are we making to "buy us" or "debit us" time?

Here's the nugget. We want the best for all of the G****'s out there, but you've GOT to want it yourself! What you value you will do. Today, find a way to duplicate your efforts and invest your 24 hours wisely.

Leaders Value Growth

The Self Storage 101 partners now offer a comprehensive leadership development program where monthly we will present approaches and concepts on how to lead groups to attain greater results for you! We have approaches to the very same questions your asking...

Why businesses don't meet budget
How to hire marathoners vs. sprinters
How to increase rentals without increasing marketing costs
Why excuses hamper growth and how to overcome

We'll work with new and existing DMs, RMs, heads of Operations and supervising managers thru a process that provides them the tools to lead, direct and provide a positive vision for your staff. Each month we will review and discuss not only approaches to leadership, but also:

Actual case studies, data or scenarios that come from our years of audits, operations leadership and store ownership.
Data from existing staff and share that anonymously with the group so that they will see, first hand, what employees think about their leadership.

Developing Leadership starts Tuesday, February 23 : LEAD101.03 starts at 8:00am EST, and LEAD101.04 starts 8:00am PST. During this session we'll discuss "Possessing the Ability to Lead: Are Leaders Born or Made?" and "Leadership comes from Within!"

Priorities: Making Time for the Important starts Thursday, February 25 : LEAD102.01 starts 8:00am EST, and LEAD102.02 starts 8:00am PST. During this session well discuss a better investment in your 24 hours and why it makes sense to balance your efforts as well as your teams. Want to help others get more out of their day? Register today!

Each session lasts approximately an hour and 15 minutes. To register, click here and we'll send you a registration packet.

For only $99.00 per month why wouldn't you do this? You will receive a site license so that an employee of your choice can dial-in, log-in and participate; for sites who wish to have more than one participant, there's an additional license of only $25.00 per person. This is a 6-month commitment with a 30-day cancellation.

Upcoming sessions include Going from Good to Great, Goal Setting for Success, Effective use of Time, Why I Would Hire or Fire Myself and much, much more!

Remember: A leader knows the way, grows the way and goes the way. A leader has a passion for improvement and faces the brutal facts. Lastly, the EASIEST way to GROW your business is to grow your PEOPLE.

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 1/27/2010 8:26 PM | Add Comment

Do You See What You've Done?

Do You See What You've Done?

Most mornings you can find me walking my Border Collie - Collie (she's a mix) in and around my neighborhood. As my partners know this is often before the local bakery starts baking! I use that time to think thru what I've been reading, US events, our children and always 'what can I say to open other people's eyes?'. Today, let's discuss a very sensitive leadership concept - INTEGRITY.

This past week investors we were working with in a due diligence project walked away from a deal because the owner was not truthful with the books.

Business peer hired a terminated employee (this person was never checked to see if he were eligible for rehire). Person was terminated for failure to comply with company policy on cash handling and fighting with team members in front of customers, but told NEW employer they were the fall guy for the lender.

A manager we're working with is starting to come in later and later.

A client of mine is getting false and misleading information from one of their suppliers so they're cancelling their service with the provider.

This morning I received an email from a construction company. I went to their website and the first thing I noticed was they conduct feasibility studies -- we don't know of any construction company that would NOT tell you to build.

What have we become? If your books are not in order and you want to sell, get them in order. If you're going to be late, tell the owner. If you're falsifying information, stop. If you can't be objective, then find someone who can. If you want or don't want something, speak up! If you're angry, find a way to deal with it; "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city."

Ladies and gentlement, this is a plea, if you are failing in an area come clean! I truly believe we're a forgiving industry not a forgetful one. Warren Buffet was asked how he makes his hiring decisions. "I look for 3 things, he said. The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high degree of energy. But, if you don't have the first, the second two don't matter."

Leaders Are Truthful!

The Self Storage 101 partners now offer a comprehensive leadership development program where monthly we will present approaches and concepts on how to lead groups to attain greater results for you! We have approaches to the very same questions your asking...

Why businesses don't meet budget
How to hire marathoners vs. sprinters
How to increase rentals without increasing marketing costs
Why excuses hamper growth and how to overcome

We'll work with new and existing DMs, RMs, heads of Operations and supervising managers and managers who are determined to grow each thru a process that provides them the tools to lead, direct and provide a positive vision for your staff. Each month we will review and discuss not only approaches to leadership, but also:

Actual case studies, data or scenarios that come from our years of audits, operations leadership and store ownership.
Data from existing staff and share that anonymously with the group so that they will see, first hand, what employees think about their leadership.

The next session starts Tuesday, January 26 : LEAD101.01 starts at 8:00am EST, and LEAD101.02 starts 8:00am PST; each session lasts an hour and 15 minutes. To register, click here and we'll send you a registration packet. During session one the group will discuss "Possessing the Ability to Lead: Are Leaders Born or Made?" and "Leadership comes from Within!"

For only $99.00 per month why wouldn't you do this? You will receive a site license so that an employee of your choice can dial-in, log-in and participate; for sites who wish to have more than one participant, there's an additional license of only $25.00 per person. This is a 6-month commitment with a 30-day cancellation.

Upcoming sessions include

Steps to Improving Revenue and Profitablity by Going from Good to Great

Setting Rental and Store-Wide/Portfolio Goals

Making Time and Valuing Myself and My Staff

Why I Would Hire or Fire Myself and much, much more!

Remember: A leader knows the way, grows the way and goes the way. A leader has a passion for improvement and faces the brutal facts. Lastly, the EASIEST way to GROW your business is to grow your PEOPLE.

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 1/22/2010 8:24 PM | Add Comment

Lemmings

A Lemming Mentality

Steve is NOT a lemming, Kraig is not a lemming, Jo Dee is not a lemming, Mitch is not a lemming, Wayne, John, Scott and Kathy, etc. are NOT lemmings. I asked a few of them why aren't you a lemming (of course, I had to define that for them) and here are just a few of the responses I received...

"My thinking was set apart years ago when I went thru an awful divorce and decided to rebuild my life starting with my thinking. I did not want the divorce but I knew I couldn't stay stagnate in my life and thoughts."

"I don't have a self-storage background and only came into this industry thru the grace of God. My background was in retail and we were extremely profitable. After I sold and bought into self-storage, I just used the mindset we used that demonstrated time and time again, regardless of the economy we could make a profit just by getting in-front of the consumer."

"I knew I didn't, and still don't, have all of the answers. I read, listen, attend, grow. In looking at the lemming image you sent, I guess it's fair to say that's not me."

I am not a lemming because I do not shy away from the "tough stuff." Training, counseling, disciplining, and firing are vital aspects of my job. I set high expectations with employees. When I feel I am not getting what I pay for, I take action.

"I have been somewhat lucky but not in where I built my stores, hire the right people and market to the public, but in my decision-making abilities. After college I decided to skip getting my MBA and started to associate with a different breed of people..these were both men and women who had things and did things I wanted and wanted to do."

"I know what we need in this industry we need to get the phone to ring and we needed to have the right people on staff to do the right thing. My success is based on having the best people working for and with me."

"You and I talked about the 'Good to Great' book and not that that changed who I was as an owner but the description of a level 5 leader is how I best describe my style and why I believe I'm not a lemming."

"I just DO. I'm not a cowboy, I have all of the facts but I can over analyze (paralysis by analysis) but I can't just wait. It's not in my nature."

"I like the lemming picture. My strength is in my people. Operationally, they know more than me! I paint the vision, provide counsel and get out of the way."

So, what do we believe is the common denominator in what we read? It's in the THINKING! We don't have a KNOWING problem in our industry, we have a DOING problem! It's either because we don't face the brutal facts and take action, or we're DOING the same thing and truly not thinking thru potential solutions.

Many people wrote to me after I wrote "I tweeted my facebook, linked in and plaxo ids to craigslist and am still not getting the rentals" that they GOT IT. Change occurs FIRST by thinking differently (DOING--make it active) and then implementing. We know we have issues, leaders take control and by influencing, first themselves and then their people, grow. Leaders are not lemmings.

Let us help you fight lemming-ship!

The Self Storage 101 partners now offer a comprehensive leadership development program where monthly we will present approaches and concepts on how to lead groups to attain greater results for you! We'll work with new and existing DMs, RMs, heads of Operations and supervising managers thru a process that provides them the tools to lead, direct and provide a positive vision for your staff. Each month we will review and discuss not only approaches to leadership, but actual case studies, data or scenarios that come from our years of audits, operations leadership and store ownership. Further, we will gather data from existing staff and share that anonymously with the group so that they will see, first hand, what employees think about their leadership. Each session will last approximately one-hour and 15 minutes.

For only $99.00 per month you will receive a site license so that an employee of your choice can dial-in, log-in and participate; for sites who wish to have more than one participant, there's an additional license of only $25.00 per person. This is a 6-month commitment with a 30-day cancellation. There are assignments, actual self storage case studies, and data collected from their staff shared anonymously with the participants so that the group can draw their own conclusions on the effects of the group's leadership style.

The next session starts Tuesday, January 26 : LEAD101.01 starts at 8:00am EST, and LEAD101.02 starts 8:00am PST. To register, click here and we'll send you a registration packet. During session one the group will discuss "Possessing the Ability to Lead: Are Leaders Born or Made?" and "Leadership comes from Within!"

Upcoming sessions include Going from Good to Great, Goal Setting for Success, Effective use of Time, Why I Would Hire or Fire Myself and much, much more!

Remember: A leader knows the way, grows the way and goes the way. A leader has a passion for improvement and faces the brutal facts. Lastly, the EASIEST way to GROW your business is to grow your PEOPLE.

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 1/15/2010 8:28 PM | Add Comment

I Tweeted my Facebook

Along with the other 52,000 storage facilities, I Tweeted My Facebook, Plaxo and Linked In Ids to Craigslist, and I'm Still NOT Getting the Rentals!

How Do you Stand Out?

What we have discovered time and time again that in this industry owners and operators constantly do what the other guy does, no matter the results. Here's what we know:

1. We believe our managers are the nicest people! We have met a few cranky managers but for the most part they are incredibly kind so we tend to hire folks who are nice.

2. Signage is all over the map but considering municipal restrictions and budgets, most owners want to do the right thing.

3. Everyone wants the best placement on the web so when a prospect searches for storage, you want your store to come out among the top but definitely on the first page.

4. About 1/5th of you have TRUE self storage call centers (an answering service is not a call center).

5. Many have embraced email marketing.

6. We have taken great store managers and promoted them to DMs, RMs and in some cases VPs of Operations.

Here's How You Stand Out

1. Learn to CLOSE THE SALE! For instance, we reviewed thousands of web leads and call center reservations and the results would frighten you. For instance, in just ONE example of a multi-store porfolio we discovered they had left over $170k in revenue by not improving their web-lead conversions. Conduct a temperament analysis to determine the true people skills of your managers.

2. Get to the consumer! Stop waiting for them to call you or search for you; what you need to do is find better mechanisms of communicating to them, first.

3. Make sure you are firing on all cylinders when it comes to referrals. You will receive 10-15% of your business thru referrals and the transaction cost to do so is nominal!

4. Develop a system which measures your business across several dimensions. Remember, rentals and delinquencies are nothing more than a scorecard of several measurable steps.

5. Stop making your message about you! Yes, you have security cameras...yes, you have perimeter fencing, and yes you have tenant only access. But, you must communicate to your prospects pain-filled messages or messages which sets your business apart from your competitors. Your message MUST be about your prospects NOT your store.

6. Develop the leadership skills of your leaders. A leader sets the tone (positive or negative) and influences those they supervise. If you are not sure if your leaders are truly equipped, we suggest a 360 degree assessment to create that baseline (a major announcement is forthcoming on this subject).

Now What do You Do?

Need an outside perspective on what might be occuring in your business? Pick up the phone, call 877-839-5142. Let us help you stop the bleeding. If you choose, click here and let us know, in confidence, how we can best assist you.

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 1/1/2010 8:35 PM | Add Comment

Indifference

The Single Most Important Characteristic to Succeed?

Answer TRUE or FALSE to these 7 items. You have...

1. Fully Training Management Team
2. Clean Facility
3. Appropriate Supporting Technology
4. Appropriate Site Security
5. Enhanced Marketing Strategy
6. Networked with Local Businesses
7. Easy to Navigate Website

We're hoping you've answered TRUE to all of these (if not PLEASE CALL).

However, if you're getting visitors to your website and the expected number of walk-ins, but not getting the rentals, or your revenue doesn't match the projections, then there is something else...it could possibly be INDIFFERENCE. That's the attitude we take when we don't care about converting more prospects to renters, the property is sloppy or when we as leaders don't watch the details. Read on...

Elie Wiesel wrote "For one who is indifferent, life itself is a prison. Any sense of community is external or, even worse, nonexistent. Thus, indifference means solitude. Those who are indifferent do not see others. They feel nothing for others and are unconcerned with what might happen to them. They are surrounded by a great emptiness. Filled by it, in fact, they are devoid of all hope as well as imagination; in other words, devoid of any future."

Who is Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel? From Wikipedia.com -- He is a writer, professor, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, the best known of which is Night, a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps.

Elie Wiesel grew up in the close-knit Jewish community of Sighet. While the family spoke Yiddish at home, they read newspapers and conducted their grocery business in German, Hungarian or Romanian as the occasion demanded. Ukrainian, Russian and other languages were also widely spoken in the town. Elie began religious studies in classical Hebrew almost as soon as he could speak. The young boy's life centered entirely on his religious studies. He loved the mystical tradition and folk tales of the Hassidic sect of Judaism, to which his mother's family belonged. His father, though religious, encouraged the boy to study the modern Hebrew language and concentrate on his secular studies. The first years of World War II left Sighet relatively untouched. Although the village changed hands from Romania to Hungary, the Wiesel family believed they were safe from the persecutions suffered by Jews in Germany and Poland.

Wiesel's secure childhood world ended abruptly with the arrival of the Nazis in Sighet in 1944. The Jewish inhabitants of the village were deported en masse to concentration camps in Poland. The 15 year-old boy was separated from his mother and sister immediately on arrival in Auschwitz. He never saw them again. He managed to remain with his father for the next year as they were worked almost to death, starved, beaten, and shuttled from camp to camp on foot, or in open cattle cars, in driving snow, without food, proper shoes, or clothing. In the last months of the war, Wiesel's father succumbed to dysentery, starvation, exhaustion and exposure.

There is much more to his story. How about yours? Are you indifferent? Do you really care to improve the operations of your store? The bottom line is don't be indifferent, and don't allow your staff to slip into indifference. With your heart and correct business practices in place, make a difference, one tenant at a time.

Now What do You Do?

Need an outside perspective on what might be occuring in your business? Pick up the phone, call 877-839-5142. Let us help you stop the bleeding. If you choose, click here and complete our contact form and tell us, in confidence, how best we can assist you..

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 12/18/2009 8:21 PM | Add Comment

If it Weren't For These Customers!

Which BEST Reflects Your Customer Service?

If I were to distribute these photos to your customers, which image would they say best reflects how they've been treated and served? No, I personally don't believe the customer is always right only because the customer doesn't always know. BUT the respect, responsiveness and quality of how you provide service to your tenants is critical to many aspects of your business -- length of stay and referrals are only two!

My wife and I were doing some Christmas shopping at the local mall and frankly were appalled at the poor customer service and attitudes at some of the stores. We made decisions NOT to buy at certain stores because of the poor employee attitudes. Are you losing storage customers to competitors because of poor employee attitudes? Do you really know how customers are treated at your storage facility? Can you afford to miss even ONE rental because of poor customer service?'

And, don't confuse customer service with sales. For instance, someone who works with people in sales and customer service must have a passion for people. But it does get muddy when someone sends you a web lead to follow up on -- are you "selling" or "telling"? More on this subject in future newsletters.

Here's what we've done for our clients, and something you might strongly consider.

a) Develop a questionnaire with 7 to 10 measurable elements and a simple 5-point scale.

b) Send the questionnaire to a good cross section of your customer base (10-20% minimally). You need to include a self-addressed envelope.

c) In your request, tell your customers if they respond by a certain date they qualify to win a gift (make it an inexpensive DVD player or $50.00). As long as you're communicating, advise them of your referral program!

d) Capture the results in a simple graph form (see an example below of what we've done). This survey analyzed data from the owner, manager and tenants and included 10 different customer service dimensions.

e) Communicate the results and the winner! Again, include details about your referral program.

This process is cheap, puts more eyeballs on your business AND gives you an accurate picture of your service. Where there are gaps, correct them! Where there are none, thank your manager for doing an outstanding job and reward them accordingly!

Of course, if someone sends you vacuum cleaner bags instead of the survey results, take immediate action.

Now What do You Do?

Need an outside perspective on what might be occuring in your business? Pick up the phone, call 877-839-5142. Let us help you stop the bleeding. If you choose, click here and complete our contact form and tell us, in confidence, how best we can assist you..

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 12/11/2009 8:17 PM | Add Comment

What We Want for Christmas

Self Storage 101
"A Group that Gets It!"
877-839-5142

December 4, 2009

What We Want for Christmas

Retailers start moving their business into the black after Thanksgiving. So, if you're going shopping for us to guide your business into profitability, here are some ideas (you probably want the same we want)...

For prospective owners not to over-expand because their CPA said "You should look into self storage". And how many do they have?

For stores to have clean windows void of 15 VISA MasterCard stickers. Your consumers get the point.

For owners to invest more into people and less into leaf blowers. It's a manager-centric business.

For owners to know that good managers don't make great multi-store leaders. It's both a learned skill and a process and not everyone qualifies.

For more stores to use a call center. One rental pays for itself.

For managers to understand what Owners Alert means on the management summaries. You need to know what gives owners angst.

For construction and building companies to stop doing feasibility studies. And why would they tell you not to build and expand?

For marketing gurus to stop telling managers to do something they themselves never did. Tell them to go door to door and have them send us their results.

For call centers to stop using the word "THEY". Remember team?

For stores to manage and measure forward not in hindsight. There are specific ways to increase visibility and move-ins while decreasing move-outs.

For owners to stop hiring people who have 10 years experience with 8 different stores. There's a reason why they don't stick.

For more management companies to admit they may not have all of the answers. Thank you to those who trusted us.

For owners to audit their store after they've changed managers or management companies. You need a true baseline.

For our industry to stop making concession after concession and giving away the business. When someone comes to your store with a truck full of furniture, we're sure you don't have to offer the dollar move-in special.

Now What do You Do?

Need an outside perspective on what might be occuring in your business? Pick up the phone, call 877-839-5142. Let us help you stop the bleeding. If you choose, click here and complete our contact form and tell us, in confidence, how best we can assist you..

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 12/4/2009 8:20 PM | Add Comment

Self Storage Excuses

Excuses

Here are the excuses we make regarding why we don't rent more units and make more money.

1. Competition

2. Everybody who needs storage has storage.

3. Our marketing is bad.

4. We only have non-climate control.

5. There's no one in our market to rent to.

6. The economy.

7. We set the wrong goals.

Here are your choices:

1. Call the bank or your investors - tell them your closing shop.

2. Quit the store.

3. Change.

Now we HOPE you understand that choices 1 and 2 are not choices we ever recommend. So, here are some change choices:

1. Shop your competition, learn more about them then they know about themselves.

2. Change your thinking - not EVERYBODY has storage.

3. Think out of the box - hire an outside marketing perspective. I've said this time and time again (but not to you); we can get better marketing ideas from a kid out of college or from someone who does not have 'traditional storage marketing techniques' ingrained in their head.

4. Sell the value of non-climate control (truly, what % of people REALLY need climate control?). You can save folks a lot of money with a NCC unit just by being inquisitive (e.g. Don't give out your prices EVEN if someone asks if you have climate control but say "Tell me more about what you're looking to store, I think I can save you some money."

5. Learn how to cold call. Train - train - train!

6. It is what it is. Look for downsizing opportunities in the commercial market; read the business section. Rent space by the week if need be!

7. If you've you've set realistic goals, change the dates but don't change the goals! Don't know who to do this? Get outside perspective.

The last we checked, self storage is still the best commercial deal out there. Find a way to stabilize but don't quit!

Posted by Self Storage 101 at 11/24/2009 1:22 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Main Navigation

All Gunked Up

Are You Ready?

Leaders Value Growth

Do You See What You've Done?

Lemmings

I Tweeted my Facebook

Indifference

If it Weren't For These Customers!

What We Want for Christmas

Self Storage Excuses

Back to Main Page

Quick Search

Calendar

Syndicate

Monthly Archives

Category Archives

Recent Entries

Recent Comments

Subscribe

Main Navigation

Quick Search

Calendar

Syndicate

Monthly Archives

Category Archives

Recent Entries

Recent Comments

Subscribe

Tag Cloud