» Self Storage Management
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Sell More Self StorageBy admin on August 5, 2010 | No Comments
Are you sick and tired of losing sales? Do you feel like you have to be doing something wrong, like there has to be one simple thing that you could fix to drastically improve your sales? Lucky for you, that is most likely the case. Time and time again, I write about the simple things that salespeople do wrong, the things that they can change to see the improvements that they are really looking for. Thus, if you know that you are looking to make some of these improvements for yourself, then you are going to want to be sure that you are paying nice and close attention to this article. By the time you finish reading it, you are going to have a much better idea of how to improve your techniques.
The first thing that you can do, here, is make sure that you are not giving yourself away from the very start of your conversation with your customer. In other words, you do not want to come across as a cold, hard salesperson. To the contrary, you are going to want to make them feel as though you are their friend, and that you are simply trying to help them solve one of their problems by selling them your product. If you come across as wanting to get into their wallet, then you are not going to make the sale that you are looking to make. Really, it is just as simple as that.
Second of all, you are going to want to be sure that you sound nice and happy to be on the phone with your caller. If they do not think that you are happy to help them, then they are not going to end up trusting you enough to spend any money. And no, I am not advocating that you inspire false confidence in your callers. I am merely saying that if you want them to trust you, you have to earn it. Show them that you care, and show them that you are willing to help them find a solution to their problem. If you can do that, they you are not going to run into many problems when the time comes to ask them for their credit card.
Moving on, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are giving them the best deal that you can. When they see that you are ready and willing to fight for them when it comes to the cost of your product, they are going to begin to trust you quite a bit more. It is when you beat around the bush and do not offer them you special until the last minute that you begin to make them angry at you. And trust me, you do not want to let your conversation get to that point. The minute that you do, you know that you have lost them for good.
At the end of the day, reader, you are going to make sales the same way that you make friends. You are going to have to be somewhat persistent, but not off putting. You are going to need to control conversations without bulldozing. You are going to have to be able to deliver information strategically. That much being said, though, if you are ready and willing to do it, then you are not going to run into any problems when it comes to boosting your sales figures.
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Self Storage Management DetailsBy admin on March 5, 2009 | No Comments
When it comes to re-location or expansion of business or simply going for a change, a question that constantly lurks in the mind is where to keep the belongings in an ideal manner. Placing them in garages or storehouses of friends and relatives is not a right solution for it can often be problematic. It is possible that the goods being kept are being neglected or they suffer damages. Moreover, it can be financially expensive. Hence, it is best to seek professional assistance in the form of self storage management , which is trained to provide easy and hassle-free storing solutions. It is a modern, affordable and unique way of keeping the items fresh and intact in well-maintained warehouses, which in the process saves time and energy.
Self storage management is all about optimally utilizing the resources in hand regarding self storing. Self warehousing industry provides lots of facilities for customer satisfaction by taking his responsibility of proper store space of his valuables and possessions. As such, there is a need for organized running of this industry. Companies dealing in this business, therefore, have to abide by stringent rules and regulations and also have to keep records. Thus, many things depend on the proper running of the self warehousing company. It has to decide about the self storing rates that must be economical so that most of the people can afford the service. It is explicit about its own terms and conditions simultaneously so that business can be carried out without any hazards.
The self warehousing facility offers a unit of appropriate size to the individual with free access to his belongings. Self storage management ensures that the prices of these rented spaces are flexible and can be changed according to the need of a situation. Often a real estate rental deposit is taken at the beginning which is usually refundable. It constantly works upon things that can increase the level of customer satisfaction, like tight security of the goods at store rooms, discounts on services, short term or long term opportunity of keeping items, and many more. Provisions are kept for proper packaging of goods and even renting of trucks for transport. Mobile storing is another service where it gives its client time to unpack his belongings and settle down in his new home.
Self storage management understands the need for advertisement and features to be highlighted upon to be in the competition. Different self warehousing companies have varied ways of presenting themselves before the customers. To boost its productivity it applies latest technology in its operation. Company websites are being created to reach out to more people at the same time while software is used for their smooth working. Often it allows its client to go for insurance cover of his possessions as a part of the facilities being doled out. The company’s skilled men offer valuable information and suggestions to its clients besides guiding them through formal procedures. Many matters while shifting and re-location cannot be discerned without the help of these professional experts.
Self storage management , thus, works for the client. It is advised that before selecting the genuine self storing company that meets almost all the demands of a person, he carefully compares services provided and their quotes so that money invested can reap greater returns, and hence, cannot be cheated into false negotiations.
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Self Storage Management ProfessionalsBy admin on January 20, 2009 | No Comments
Storing items in storehouses provided by firms is not just about shoving the items into a cabinet and forgetting about them till they are finally retrieved one fine day. There are self storage management professionals who are employed by the property management firm to dedicatedly take care of the items stored in the storehouses. They clean the items during periodic intervals and carefully place them back in the storehouses. Apart from that they ensure that the items kept in the storehouses are not stolen and all the items that are adversely affected by the detrimental effects of the environment are kept in chambers that are environmentally regulated.
The firms that provide chambers for storing items take several different measures for ensuring security to the items stored in them. This is because more than any other aspect the clients are more concerned about security of the items that they had placed in the storehouses. The self storage management of a firm takes the responsibility of handing over the items stored in the storehouses in the same condition in which they were brought to the warehouse. The storehouse operators endeavor to provide security in different areas. There are some major security measures that are commonly taken by all storehouses.
One of the basic measures that the storehouse operators take is to provide personal identification numbers to their all their clients so that no imposters can access their storehouses under their names. Another major security feature is that of having an electronic gate system. The clients are allowed to enter the premises of the storehouses only after they identify themselves at the gates through an electronic code or a biometric identification system. The self storage management also carefully monitors the movement of the clients, the storehouse staff, visitors and any other persons. They use a closed circuit television for the purpose. This television shows the movements of each and every person in a given area of the premises of the storehouse. The movements can be recorded for any future reference.
Generally the storehouse operators allow the storehouses to be accessed for twenty four hours and all the seven days of a week. Some firms have time stipulations. They allow the clients to visit the storehouses only during some hours allotted to them. For example, let us say, six a.m. to five p.m. in the evening. If someone wants to access the storehouses beyond the stipulated time period he has to request the self storage management for permission. Some storehouses allow the clients to access the storehouses several times a day. But each time the clients have to undergo the entire procedure of identifying themselves at the gates if they go out of the premises after entering them once.
Another security measure that is taken by the management of the storing companies is to provide insurance for the items that are kept in the storehouses. The insurance amount is usually one to one and a half dollars per week for thousand pounds weight. One can also take a separate insurance cover for his items if he wants to. People generally take insurance against natural calamities and mishaps such as fire, floods, earthquake, burglary. The self storage management advises the clients on the protection their belongings can be placed under when covered by an appropriate insurance scheme.
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Smoke Gets In Your EyesBy Natalie Thomas, blog manager on June 16, 2006 | No Comments
Kay Johnson, Blog Editor and PhoneSmart Call Center Operator lets off some steam
Welcome to our self storage blog a diary of the self-storage industry
Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This
A Guide to Keeping Your Sense of Humor Under FireIt was a warm and slightly humid Saturday in June. I went through my morning routine of breakfast, shower, tanning and workout looking forward to an evening of fun at a local dance and picnic. First, however, I was scheduled for 7 hours in the PhoneSmart Call Center and assist callers with their storage needs.There was nothing to indicate that this evening would be anything but routine. Take a lot of calls, share moments with co-workers between calls and do our best to sell the stores.I arrived and logged in, got my cup of Earl Grey tea (hot) and settled in expecting to take about 50 or so calls in my 7-hour shift. The evening was hectic and filled with the normal assortment of caller inquiries and for the first 2 hours or so, totally predictable. We often have callers who are tense, upset, angry and stressed. If we keep our cool and attempt to meet their anger with kindness and a calm voice we can usually get through.One of my co-workers was on the phone with an unpleasant man. She had taken quite a bit of his abusive bad language and asked if she could transfer him to me, as she was exhausted with him. As I am the elder person on staff here and at times have the ability to take an abusive caller and set them down (I am referred to by co-workers as the “Terminator”) she knew she could count on me to end the situation. He cursed, ranted and belittled the store manager and then turned his rapid wit on me. I actually managed to say “thank you for calling” even when he had called me a “drugged out empty headed bimbo” I went to the ladies room, washed my face and made another cup of Earl Gray (hot) I took a deep breath and slipped back into the headset.My next several callers were easier to deal with. Just as I had regained my sense of humor SHE called. “I was just talking with the store manager and we were cut off connect me to her again” I explained that I could transfer her to the manager’s voice mail system and she exploded “You are an *_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _” for one of the few times in my life I was speechless. She hung up on me and I put my self on “Make busy” and sat stunned for a moment. I had a sip of Earl Gray and put myself back in rotation. I am, after all, an old hand at customer relations and a pretty tough old bird. When the DNIS for that store came up again I thought nothing of it as we take many calls for them the same rude, horrible woman asked the same question. I gave the same answer and was called the same ugly degrading name. I managed not to tell her what I thought about HER but when she hung up on me again I passed the details on to my co-workers and left my station. I was looking for an outlet for the anger that was rising unbridled. I considered kicking the lockers in the break room but did not wish to damage company property. Tron Jordheim was not available and I considered calling my ex husband to lure him to drive to the center so that I could take it out on him.In the absence of any of these outlets and not wishing to harm my good friends who man the phones with me I went outside, paced the parking lot and asked my higher power for a calm and peaceful heart. I was, after all, only 3 hours away from good 60’s rock and roll and doing the Twist with my baby.I got a drink of water and sat down at my station. Then came the really hard call. The call after you are so agitated and upset that you want to scream and kick things. No matter how difficult you owe it to that next caller to have a smile in your voice and to treat them will good humor, professionalism and kindness. In this circumstance it was very much like when I participated in track and field (hurdles) in high school. I had to reach down into that well of strength that keeps you running and clearing the high hurdles.I am proud to say that for the rest of the evening I was able to give my best to the remaining callers. I put my hurt feelings aside and did my job. My track coach would be proud. I am proud.By the way, I not only remembered how to do the Twist but, the Pony, the Stroll, and the Mashed Potato and slow danced with my baby to “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
Property Management Blog The ins and outs of Property Management
Self Storage Search Engine Finding Storage Faster -
Web Lead GenerationBy Natalie Thomas, blog manager on May 12, 2006 | No Comments
Get new rentals from new sources.
Written by Tron Jordheim, Director of PhoneSmartWeb lead generation…
How does it work?
PhoneSmart creates leads from its own on-line lead products and buys leads from other websites that are attracting people who are moving and storing and organizing. The leads typically come from within three miles of your facility.The leads are emailed to our sales team. Our sales team emails and calls the leads in order to sell your facility. Our goal is to get them to come into your store to rent. You pay the actual cost of the lead ($4.00 to $10.00 per lead depending on the source) and you pay PhoneSmart a $75.00 commission when one of those leads rents with you. There are no other costs involved.You can contract with the lead sources directly and have them send the leads to our team, or you can have us deal with the sources and pay us the actual cost of the leads.This is a great way to contact people who are researching storage in your area and make a great first impression. You get to market to them and sell your facility before they have a chance to really shop around.PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
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Self Storage Search Engine Self Storage in Wyoming
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Nothing happens until someone sells somethingBy Sarah E. Little, Blog Executive on April 26, 2006 | 1 Comment
Welcome to our self-storage blog an insider view of the self-storage industry.Employee evaluations are tough to do in self-storage if you are not at the store very often. You can mount a camera that streams to the door and can watch what is going on at the store at any time. Or you can use someone like Phone Smart to call the store posing as a tenant or prospective tenant from time to time.We are probably tougher at scoring sales calls than most services, because we are a sales oriented company and we think that being sales oriented is the way to go. It is surprising to see how not sales oriented some storage operators are. I have a theory that storage used to be a construction game. It did not matter where you built, as long as you keep your costs down and had an appropriate unit mix, you could succeed. Then it became important to have a good location draw in renters and to be able to command top of the market rates. This is when self-storage became a real estate game. Before long, other people were placing their will built facilities on good pieces of land. Then the competition came in running a tight operation. This is when storage became and operations game. Software providers and management company’s focus on being able to understand the key indicators and control points to run an efficient business.But now most operators are watching their numbers and running their reports and there is no longer much of a competitive edge comes in effective sales lead management. If you are creating more leads from your contacts and closing more than you used to, you will prosper. Secret Shopping is a great way to know if your staff is selling your callers or merely answering the phone.You can tell if your people are just being friendly and knowledgeable or if they are using their friendliness and their knowledge to make callers stop shopping around. If your people can sell on the phones they can sell your walk-ins.How do you run your business? Are you still in construction or real estate? Are you still struggling with operations? I would suggest you get into selling. It’s what your sharpest competitors are doing.
PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
StorageMart: Texas Find Storage Near You
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Found MoneyBy Natalie Thomas, blog manager on April 24, 2006 | 1 Comment
Tron Jordheim, Self-Storage Guru offers this entry from his blog diary
Found money. .
Some of our clients call us “Found Money”. I understand why. I was looking over some reports today. For the forty or so stores I was looking at, it looks like we are getting 20-25% of their phone calls call forwarded to us. Those calls are coming in before and after hours as well as during office hours when the staff is just too busy running the business to get every phone call that comes in. Self-storage is not a brand game. People keep calling until they get a live person who can help them.We are responsible for 15-25% of rentals at some of the stores I was looking at. That includes factoring in walk-ins who did not call first. These are rentals that would have gone elsewhere. So we are found money. The additional rentals we create do not involve any additional marketing cost or payroll cost or utility cost at the property. Yes, we get paid to answer the calls and create the leads and reservations. But we are almost always paid for in one new rental. Hardly any of our clients are renting just one unit a month from us. If we account for 15% of rentals, that is a lot more than one. So the revenue from rentals number two, three, four and so on goes straight to the bottom line. WOW! That is found money!Bye for now, Tron
PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
Self Storage Search Engine Finding Storage Faster
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mine your callsBy Tron Jordheim on February 3, 2006 | No Comments
Welcome to the self storage blog, our self storage diary for self storage insiders.
Some of you are using caller ID systems. Some of you are moving to VOIP services that include caller id and call tracking systems. Here is a note about the missed calls report I just got from a new client with my response.
Tron,
These calls were set to forward to our PhoneSmart line and show up on our phone providers report as “missed calls” – I’m not sure what that means — did you receive them you can match the times the calls came in …. let me know.
Thanks,Hello ,
Normally the systems that track missed calls register every call sent to us as “missed” since it was not answered at the property.
This is a great report for you to have. Once you are staffed to where you can really mine your phone contacts, you can compare this list of missed calls ( they were forwarded to us) to the leads/reservations and messages we send you.
There are usually about 10% of rental inquiries that do not leave us any information. There is also a small percentage of people who will hang up during the transfer and answer process that we do not get to talk to.
You can identify which callers from your missed call report did not get to talk to us or chose not to leave a message. Some you will recognize as current tenants and they will appreciate a follow-up call from your staff. Others will be people you don’t recognize and then you can call them and tell them , “Hi, I saw you on my caller ID and I just wanted to make sure you got the help you were looking for”. People love a good follow-up call.
Our parent company StorageMart has been using a caller ID +/+ system from Client Discovery for a year at all its locations and they are renting to an average of one person a month per store by combing through the caller id info and matching it to PhoneSmart leads/rezes and messages.
Tron
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June activityBy Tron Jordheim on June 15, 2005 | No Comments
Welcome to the self storage blog, our diary of the self storage business.
One of the hidden values we bring to the self storage industry is the analysis we do on phone call and rental activity. It is essential to us to be able to anticipate call volume for staffing purposes. Running a call center is all about right-sizing your staff. We also need to be able to track our results to see how our training and selling approaches are working and how consumers are behaving. Our approaches and consumer behavior influence each other to a very great degree. Since this is the busy season, we need to pay particular attention.
June is off to a very good start compared to last year. The first ten days of June gave us better call volume than last year and the demand wave stayed higher than last year. We also saw good rental demand. Our ratio of credit card reservations for the first part of June was as strong as last year. This is a good sign, as credit card “action” has been slower than last year up until now. Many clients have reported to me that they have found their second quarter of ‘05 to be weaker than ‘04 in net rentals and total move-ins. This indicates that “something is up”.
There were many people being deployed in military actions last year. Home sales were booming and a softness in the economy may have been causing life changing and career changing events for people. This year, home sales continue to stay strong, yet the storage business seems a little soft. So the fact that this June is looking better than last year’s June and the fact that June is looking better than other months of this year, in comparison, has got to be positive.
Of course we are also experiencing the anti-climax of the “middle of the month syndrome”, when we get lots of current tennant calls and fewer rental calls than we had towards the end of May and the beginnning of June. The rush of heavy rental demand at the end of the month in busy season is balanced off by the dissapointment the middle of the month brings. But the end of June is coming along with 4th of July weekend, so don’t fret. The new customers will be flooding your stores and our phone lines again.
bye for now,
Tron
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