How To Sell Self Storage And Get More Rentals

When you listen in on one of our seasoned phone representatives selling self storage, you get the impression that selling self storage is a piece of cake. However, considering the amount of work and effort these representatives have put in to being proficient self storage representatives, you begin to understand how multi-faceted the whole process is. Just like selling any other product or service, selling self storage requires knowledge, practice, and patience.

Our new hires go through an extensive training session that usually lasts their first two weeks with the company. By the end of the two weeks, the basic foundation of how to sell self storage is formed. They learn how to recommend a size, where to look on the store screen for different information, new terminology that is appropriate for the industry, how to ask for the reservation (or sale), and how to utilize sales tools such as move-in specials to get a reservation. At this point enough role plays (acting out a call with two people) have been performed that the next step is to get our new hires on the phone.

The next two weeks of the new hires’ first month are spent practicing with live callers. As there are only so many situations you can role play, nothing is better than hands-on-learning with live callers (After all these are people who can actually say no if given the opportunity. Role plays, however are typically easy sells). This puts the new hire in direct contact with the self storage audience they will be selling to for the remainder of the their employment. Patience plays a key role in this stage of the learning cycle, as not every caller is the same. Some callers can be difficult, some are a pleasure to work with, while others still are just plain mean.

Regardless of the type of call our new hire is dealing with, the practice of looking at the store screen for important information, pacing the speed of delivery, and determining the needs of the caller are all imperative for creating the vine-ripened self storage representative. Then after a few months of being on the phones, they can be expected to be pros at several different scenarios, suggesting two 10×10 units when 10×20 self storage units are sold out, recommending a drive up unit when outside parking is sold out, or even promoting climate controlled self storage units for facilities especially affected by inclement weather.

It is true that some of our representatives are natural born salespeople, and we are glad they work for us. They would be capable of selling anything in any industry. But even these naturals have to be educated to an extent about self storage in order to be proficient in this industry. Basically they can’t sell it if they don’t know the benefits to give to customers, how move-in specials work, what kind of qualifying questions to ask, etc. But by being knowledgeable, well rehearsed, and patient, they have been able to be successful.

Pennsylvania Storage Units

ABC Self Storage

Bowling Green location, 1628 Campbell Ln, Bowling Green, KY 42104

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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