Walking miles and miles

Those of us who have been in the storage industry any amount of time soon realize that people need to store for a variety of reasons, some good some bad. The recent devastation from hurricane Katrina is a good example of a bad reason people may need to use self-storage.

Since I am a phone rep for Phone-Smart I talk with people all over the country every day and have recently spoken with people who have been displaced as a result of this disaster. One guy called me from Massachusetts, another from Florida wanting to store what remained of their belongings. The effects of this tragedy are far reaching.

In Columbia, Missouri alone, where Phone-Smart is based, we have already taken in over three hundred displaced persons and this is happening all over the country. Many of these people will need to store what they can salvage and since many have dispersed to other areas of the country we all will see some business generated by this.

Unfortunately a large majority of the calls I take involve someone needing to store because of some tragedy. Sometimes I feel like I am capitalizing on people’s misfortunes such as a funeral home does. When I do speak with someone who is going through a trying time I take a minute longer with them and let them know I care and show them the empathy they deserve.

There is an old Lakota Indian saying that rings true, “you don’t truly know the measure of a man until you walk a mile in his moccasins.” I have never been through a hurricane personally but I have been trough a tornado, so I take what I know and fit it to relate to the callers experience. This is true with any situation you may encounter, going through a divorce, the death of a loved one, domestic abuse, loss of employment, fire damage, and many other reasons.

All of us have had some tragedy occur in our lives at some point, so draw on your own experiences if possible and if you don’t have a similar experience try on the customer’s moccasins. I try on a lot of moccasins every day!

I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves how will this help rent more storage units. It begins with gaining the callers trust by establishing a rapport. This is important to do with any caller no matter what circumstances led them to you. If the caller knows you are there to help them solve a problem rather than just wanting to rent them a unit they are more likely to buy.

My approach is that I am providing a service, not just renting units. Once you have established a relationship with your new client you can almost guarantee repeat business as well as new business from the people they tell. “Word of mouth” advertising is the most efficient and inexpensive way to let people know about your facility.

I have been in the sales and service industry for the better part of twenty years and time after time I close the sale not because what I have is the cheapest price but because I truly want to help people solve their problems and satisfy their needs. The customers know this and therefore buy.

The best way to do this is to truly understand the customer’s situation by putting on their moccasins and taking a walk with them. Not only does it increase the bottom line but also brings personal satisfaction you helped a person in need. Who knows, you might even gain some new friends.

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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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