A guest blog spot by ISS Associate Editor Elaine Foxwell.
Pitchers predicaments ... No, I'm not talking about the pitchers mound in baseball of which I know nothing (Hello! Hockey fan here). My pitching occurs when I phone people about the Inside Self-Storage Annual Top Operators List. And when I do this, I'm sometimes privy to others predicaments.
I enjoy this part of my job perhaps because I get to offer a valuable resource for free. In most cases, calling is fun since I get to talk to a wide variety of folks. Despite being busy, people are usually willing to give me a couple of minutes and usually my two-minute pitch is well-received. Now, if I were selling something instead of offering a freebie, Id be totally tongue-tied and the results would be dismal. I was never destined to be a salespersontoo much pressure. That job is for braver people than me. But I try to make each call personal. After all, no one wants to hear information delivered in a Robbie-the-Robot monotone. And a quick, Sure, Ill get right on it is a satisfying answer.
Anyway, as I was saying people are usually kind and after the usual How are you today? some even share a little slice of their day or life. These few minutes are a treasure. The weather is a great ice-breaker. If I say Im in Phoenix, and I get, Just how hot is the weather out there? Yeah, it really is 105 today. One manager in Missouri lives about 50 miles from my son. Her daughter is in Maine, so we commiserated over how little we see our kids. Another facility owner was dealing with the stress of a rash of burglaries. I could clearly hear the frustration in his voice. I even ran across one chap who owns a couple of Tennessee Walkers; so we briefly compared the traits of our horses.
Then there are the rare individuals who dont even let me get past the first sentence. One man hung up on me half way through my pitch. Dont want it, was his curt response as I imagine the phone was slammed down. Not interested in a free listing in a national publication? Awe, come on now? Mentally, I wished him well and hope that whatever business demons were hounding him that day will disappear leaving him in a more serene place for the next caller.
My daughter works at a call center while she works on a nursing degree and we compare stories (names changed to protect the guilty). I dont know how she does it day in and day out. I certainly couldnt do it. But we understand the frustration from dealing with no-so-pleasant people and the satisfaction that comes from helping others.
Want that free publicity? Then go to www.insideselfstorage.com, select either Top Operator List or Buyers Guide on the left-hand menu, and give us your info.