May begins

Welcome to May. It is a new month on the self storage blog. It is the start of another new monthly cycle. Getting into a new cycle deserves an attitude check. Keeping your attitude sales focused can be tricky in self-storage as it can be in any business. Now that the end of the month rush to rent units is done, we are going to start getting a lot of current tenant calls in the call center.

This is the same cycle you experience at the store. Today and tomorrow there will still be some new renters showing up to get a unit. But starting today you will get your early month calls like, “How much do I owe?”, “When are you open so I can pay my bill?” People are easily conditioned. So after the first five calls like this, you assume the sixth call will be the same. So you answer with your, “ Drat, another silly billing question” attitude. But the sixth call is someone who is shopping around for a storage unit.

Self storage insiders believe that a caller will stop calling when they get a friendly, knowledgeable person who sells the store. Will you be caught off-guard and give the caller the wrong first impression? Sometimes playing a mind-game with yourself is far more effective than allowing the flow of the day to condition you as if you were one of Pavlov’s dogs.

Assume every person who is calling is a new potential customer. This is, in fact, true. If you get first time callers, then the field is wide open. If you get a current tenant, then you have the chance to sell boxes, supplies and referrals. If you get 20% of your business from referrals, then every 5th tenant you talk to represents a new customer. If you rent 25% of your units to referrals, then every 4 current tenants you talk to represents a new renter. So don’t allow the couple of current tenants who have less than lovely phone manners ruin your attitude. Approach those current tenant billing calls as a way for you to stimulate referrals. Answer each call as if you are making a sale. This is one of those self-fulfilling prophesies. Make it happen. Bye for now, Tron.

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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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