Make the follow-up call

Welcome to the self storage blog, PhoneSmart’s diary of the self storage business. Today’s entry is from Laurie, one of our super sales reps. She also is the project leader for our sales follow up program, which is renting a lot of units for our clients.

Fortune in Follow-Up

In a world where customer service seems to be fading away, the possibility of making a potential sale can be greatly increased with a simple phone call.

The Storage Industry has seen many changes over the last couple of decades. One of which is the manner in which consumers locate information regarding storage properties.
As little a few years ago, the favored method of advertising came from Yellow Page listings or special mailings. Consumers wishing to gather information would simply pick up the phone and start calling.

Recently, however, more and more people are researching facilities online. The convenience of sitting at a computer, pressing a button, and finding information is rapidly catching on. Consumers can now sit at their computer and shop for storage units. In fact, accessing the Yellow Page Website is quickly replacing the act of picking up a phone book. Many self-storage companies are aware of this trend and are now including company Website addresses in their advertisements.

Unfortunately, with all of the technology we have lost some of the “human element” required in making a sale. If a consumer does call your facility it means they have questions relevant to their personal storage needs. How we gather information and relate it back to a potential client can be crucial in making their decision easy. For the consumers who are “shopping around” you can go the distance and secure the rental with a few simple steps!

First! Qualify their need. Many consumers, if they have done their research, will call and request a climate controlled unit. Many of us know that climate control is not always necessary. Yesterday, I spoke to a potential client who was storing her household belongings for 3 days and requested a quote for climate control. Convincing her that a standard unit would be perfectly adequate for that short of a stay saved her $80. She told me that no one else had even bothered to ask how long she was storing! Also, qualifying unit size is very important. After all, who needs a 10×20 unit to store a couch?

Second! Listen and take good notes. Make sure you are aware of what time frame the potential client might be in need of storage. If they ask where you are located, make sure to take note of whether or not your location is convenient. Note what items they are storing (files, house, car, tools, etc.) and include that information in your notes as well. Make sure you get the correct spelling for their name, and make a pronunciation guide if thee caller has a name that is difficult to pronounce. Repeat the phone number back to verify it is correct, after all, you want to be able to reach this propspect.

Third! Make a follow-up call to the potential client as quickly as possible. It is best to try reaching them back within a couple of hours. You know that when you spoke to them they are in the process of getting a storage unit. Sometimes, you can gather more information that may help you to assist them better.

Take this scenario for instance: The other day a gentleman called requesting a unit to park his car. We only had outside parking spaces available and he insisted on parking inside of a unit. Just in case, I took his name and number. Later, I followed up with him to see if he was having any luck in his search and to let him know I still had the parking space available. During this follow-up call he related more information to me. He was hesitant to park in an outside space because he had recently moved into town and all of his possessions were stored inside his vehicle. Quickly I offered him one of our small units (that happened to be on sale) to store his belongings. He told me that he had not even considered that option! Turns out the parking space combined with a locker were less expensive than the lowest price he was able to find all day. He was so relieved that he came down and rented immediately.

Even if a client has reserved a unit with you, making a courtesy follow-up call can help increase your reservation-to-rental percentages. How many of us have had phone calls from people who have made reservations, but cannot remember at which facility. Just going over some of the details such as your store hours, phone number, and address can imprint into the mind of a client that you care. You want their storage experience to go smoothly.

Many clients will even tell you how much they appreciate the call!

Submitted by Laurie Cox
Phone-Smart Off Site Sales Force

Tweet This Post 

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

View admin's Profile      Subscribe via RSS