By Magen Smith
Increasing customer conversions doesn’t have to be complicated. Following are five simple strategies self-storage managers can use to sharpen their sales acumen, boost marketing and customer-service effectiveness, increase efficiency and, ultimately, rent more units.
1. Give the move-in price, not the monthly rate
When potential customers call your facility and ask for the price of your 10-by-10 unit, instead of simply answering, “The monthly rate is $99,” differentiate your facility by starting a conversation.
Manager: “When would you like to move in?”
Tenant: “Saturday.”
Manager: “Your rent for this month would be $39, then $99 each month after that.
What is your name and phone number so that I can hold a unit for you until you can
sign the rental agreement?”
Most self-storage management software programs have a pro-rate feature built in to easily calculate a pro-rated move-in amount. If your software doesn’t, simply use the move-in feature to get the rate, and then cancel the move-in.
2. Ask for referral business
Do you have a referral program? Offer your existing tenants a free month of rent if they refer a friend. Referral programs are an easy way to increase your word-of-mouth marketing. At move-in, consider providing tenants with vouchers they can give to their friends, or mail vouchers to tenants after they have become established customers.
You can also build your social media platform and randomly give a free month of rent for new “likes,” “shares” or “re-tweets.” Entice your customers to spread the good word about your business by making it easy for them and building in rewards.
3. Solve customer problems
Selling is all about problem solving. If someone calls or visits your facility, he is primed to rent. If you can demonstrate that your storage facility is equipped to address a need or solve a particular issue a prospect may be experiencing, you will convert more leads.
What do your tenants care about? Security? Location? Price? Access hours? Surveying customers at move-in will help you understand their concerns and motivations for storing with you. Then build your processes to solve their problems.
4. Be Accommodating
If you can make it easy for tenants to rent and move in, you’ll sell more units. Most people aren’t thrilled to move their belongings into storage on a Saturday, so make it easy on them by having trucks, carts and dollies available.
5. Make things easy
If you can make renting a unit as streamlined and automated as possible, you will rent more units. Can tenants rent online? Do you take credit cards? Can the lease be signed electronically? Do you have a kiosk for easy move-ins and payments? If you don’t currently offer any of these services, you should at least ask what day and time the new tenant will be arriving so that someone is ready to help onsite.
What innovative strategies do you implement to increase rentals?
Magen Smith is a former self-storage manager turned certified public accountant (CPA). Her company, Magen Smith CPA LLC, helps storage operators understand the financial side of their business. Services include monthly financial management, simplifying bill-paying functions, revenue management and strategy. For more information visit Self StorageCPA.com; e-mail magen@selfstoragecpa.com.