The self-storage busy season is just around the corner, and soon your phones are going to start ringing. Are you ready to make the most of every rental opportunity? There isnt a lot of time to prepare, so I'm going to share three important sales tips that should help you maximize every chance you get.

Selling Tip 1: Don't Over Think It

Dont over think your prospect pool. Sometimes it's enough to know that they need storage. It's tempting to want to categorize the different types of people we serve and try to figure out how to build the right sales presentation for each. Marketers are always trying to segment customers so they can get better conversion rates. But you know what? When push comes to shove, none of that really matters.

Dont get all hung up on how different prospects behave. If a customer wants a storage unit, rent him one. You can ask some simple qualifying questions that will help you determine which unit will best suit his needs. Then show him what you've got and let him choose.

I dont mean to oversimplify things, but it's better than making them overly complicated. Keeping it simple will help you in two ways. First, it will help you focus on the customer rather than trying to pigeon-hole him. Compartmentalizing people usually only leads to confusion or misunderstanding, whereas focusing on the individual usually leads to a good rapport. Second, it will keep you from getting distracted by details that may get in the way of a smooth sales process.

Selling Tip 2: Make It About Value, Not Price

Yes, everyone wants a good deal and no one wants to spend more than they have to, but getting the lowest price isn't always the best thing. While getting to know your prospects, you'll find out what's important to them. Look for ways to tie those concerns to your property's features and offerings. Those that directly address the customer's needs create value, and value is worth the expense.

When you talk about pricing, always emphasize value. Prospects really dont know how to assess self-storage. Its' not like pizza. We all know why some pizza places charge $5 for a pie when others charge $15. Depending on the day, we might want the one or the other. In self-storage, you as the expert have to paint a picture of what value looks like and why it's worth the money.

Talking about value will help you in two ways. First, it softens the sticker shock people get when they've never stored before and don't know what storage costs. Second, it helps you concentrate on something other than price. Talking about how clean your property is or how quiet your roll-up doors are is a lot easier than talking about money.

Sales Tip 3

Dont ask for the sale, assume the sale. For generations, salespeople have been taught to ask for the sale. That's so 1980s! Asking the customer Would you like to take this unit? is so inferior to saying, Lets get your name on this unit now. Today, it's far more effective to assume the sale.

Most prospects shop hard and do a lot of research before calling or visiting your self-storage facility. There's a reason they're talking with youit's because your store is on their short list of possible choices. Don't let that prospect get away from you. Asking for the sale allows him to say "no." Assuming the sale makes it happen.

Start taking all the questions and phrases you use to ask for the sale and replace them with assumptive language. Here are a few simple examples:

• Replace "If you rent a unit here..." with "When you rent your unit here..."
• Replace "I can reserve a unit for you if you like" with "I'm going to reserve this unit for you."
• Replace "I can accept cash, credit card or check" with "You can give me cash, credit card or a check."

Practice this assumptive language until it becomes second nature. You'll see some great results by assuming rather than asking for a sale.

As the busy season gets closer, youll need to do some sales practice to get ready. Work on these three tips and youll be ready to go. Hopefully, youll have lots of rental inquiries flowing into your store, and you can practice these techniques often until you master them. Good luck and good spring selling!

Tron Jordheim is the chief marketing officer of StorageMart and director of PhoneSmart. He has consulted for many self-storage companies and spoken at industry events in Canada, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Prior to joining StorageMart, he managed one of Culligans top U.S. bottled-water franchises. For more information, visit www.phone-smart.net .

By Julie Purcell

Theres a lot going on in the marketing world. Back in the good old days, all you really had to worry about was placing a Yellow Pages ad and having a brochure to promote your self-storage business. A few years ago you likely added a website to that mix. Now you have a Facebook and Twitter page, conduct e-mail marketing campaigns, worry about search engine optimization (SEO), write blogs, and so much more! It can be overwhelming.

Wondering where to begin to ensure you cover all your digital marketing bases? It takes some effort, but when you combine several strategiesnotably social media, blogging and e-mail marketingyour facility will reap the rewards.

Inbound and Outbound Marketing

Before we talk about each of the digital marketing elements and how to use and integrate them, first we need to get in a whole new mindset. Enter inbound and outbound marketing. To understand what these are, lets compare marketing to dating.

Say you want to meet Mr. or Miss Right. Outbound marketing is like placing a personal ad. Youre blasting out information about yourself, hoping someone likes it, responds and takes the next step. You schedule your first date, your eyes meet from across the room and, hopefully, its all champagne and roses from there.

Outbound marketing includes Yellow Page ads, print advertising, billboard displays, signage, etc. You have a short window of time to really make a good impression on someone and catch his attention. You lay it all out there, hope a potential client responds and takes the next step to contact you. This is a waiting game and often expensive.

Inbound marketing is a bit different. Theres more strategy involved. Instead of just blasting out content, youre trying to attract the right kind of attention and engage potential clients. Its not just a one-way street where you list things about yourself, its a conversation.

Lets return to the dating analogy. You go to an event and chat with someone. You try and find out more about him. What are his interests? What is he looking for in a relationship? These are things you try to uncover in that first meeting.

Back to self-storage. How do you attract the right kind of attention through inbound marketing to get new customers? You find out what people are looking for and make it about them. This takes research. Sometimes what people are looking for may be different than what you think. Any initiative you take will have a bit of risk, but with risk comes reward. For example, instituting a referral program works very well at some facilities but not at others. Here are some other ideas to attract the right attention:

Change your advertising messages to be more attractive. Think less about long lists of what you do and instead focus on how well you do it. Most important, how will you solve the customer's problem? When people need storage, they're often moving, downsizing, making some sort of a change in their life. They need a solution, and you can provide it.

Make things interesting. This is where digital marketing mediums such as social media come in. Dont just always talk about your facility on your Facebook page. Talk about whats going on in your community. Talk about your latest charitable partnership. Be witty and funny. Heres how to get started:

• What are your goals? Keep them specific and measurable. Write down some of your priorities and the time frame in which you want to accomplish them. Check in with this list monthly.
   
• What is the average value of a customer? When thinking about marketing and advertising, this is a great metric to use. Determine how much your average client spends with you annually, then add the referrals you generally get from one client. If your average client spends $1,000 and gives you two referrals, that average value is $3,000. Any advertising dollars you spend should be with these figures in mind.

How do we reach those goals of creating more attractive messages and being a more interesting company? Enter the inbound-marketing trifecta: blogging, social media and e-mail marketing.

Social Media: Get the Word Out

Social media is the easiest way to get the word out about your business and increase your referrals. People are making purchasing decisions based on whether you have a Facebook page! You hope clients will refer you if they get into a conversation with someone specifically about your service, but the chances that theyll refer you to their friends if the topic doesnt come up are few. This is where social media comes in.

The average Facebook user has 229 friends. Say your page has 100 fans. Every time you post something, if its shared by your fans, the potential reach could be thousands of people!

Blog to Connect With Clients

A blog is a collection of thoughts on your website. This is a great place to put stories, helpful information, tips and the latest and greatest about your business. The most important benefit of a blog is it helps your Google search-page rankings. The more you blog, the better your website will do. This is a great way to humanize your business and help clients get to know you better.

Stay Top of Mind with E-mail Marketing

E-mail marketing is the act of sending out e-mail blasts to your current customers. E-mail messages could include:

• Articles about your business
• Information about your referral program
• Links and incentives to connect with your social media accounts and website
• Tips, coupons and monthly specials
• Cross promotional information about other businesses and their specials

E-mail marketing is also a great way to build referrals and stay top of mind with your customers.

Putting It All Together

Once you have all these pieces in place, suddenly everything starts integrating and you begin to see some pretty neat things happen. For example, when you do an e-mail blast and include an excerpt of your blog, you drive traffic to your website. With all the new visitors on your site, youll see your Google page rankings improve. This means theres a higher chance of your facility being found online when someone searches for self-storage in your area.

Your e-mail blasts might also bring more people to your social media pages. People start liking and commenting more on your posts and sharing them. This inspire a connection who needs storage to call you.

Or say you partner up with a neighboring interior-design business. You both agree to mention each other in your regular e-mail blasts to clients or on your social media pages. Suddenly your moving clients looking to stage their home hear about a great business whose services they may be seeking. In return, the other company's clients, who may be moving or need a little extra space, are now referred to you. Its a win-win for everyone.

You get the idea. You generate more top-of-mind awareness and people refer you more readily. We all know how big referrals are in this business. Imagine the power of getting just a few extra referrals a month and what a huge impact that would have on your facilitys revenue!

The most important take away is all these efforts build trust and confidence, which is key in self-storage. The more trust you build, the more youll build your business.

Julie Purcell is president of Epic Creative, a full-service marketing agency that handles a myriad of self-storage marketing and advertising needs including social media, e-mail marketing, blogging, graphic design, Web design, SEO and more. For more information, call 717.620.9804; visit www.getepiccreative.com . Follow www.facebook.com/getepiccreative and @getepiccreative.

The William Warren Group (WWG), a privately held real estate company that operates the StorQuest Self Storage brand, has formally announced the purchase of three storage properties in Arizona and one in Colorado for $17.7 million. All four facilities will be rebranded as StorQuest. The transactions were part of a larger 15-property acquisition in Arizona, Colorado, California and Texas, company officials said in a press release.

The three Arizona properties were purchased for $10.8 million and comprise 175,660 rentable square feet in 1,660 units. The properties are:

• Arizona Rent-A-Storage, 9240 N. 67th Ave., in Glendale, Ariz. (75,100 rentable square feet in 682 units)
• Midvale Valencia Self Storage, 6400 S. Commerce Court, in Tucson, Ariz. (54,785 rentable square feet in 451 units)
• Watchful Eye Self Storage, 10461 E. Apache Trail, Apache Junction, Ariz. (48,975 rentable square feet in 375 units, 60 vehicle spaces and a cell tower)

We are thrilled to continue to grow our Arizona footprint, said Bill Hobin, president and CEO. These three properties provide a tremendous value-add opportunity and an ability to capitalize on Arizonas economic rebound.

The Colorado property at 530 Stacy Court in Lafayette was purchased from A-1 Self Storage for $6.9 million. The facility comprises 72,312 rentable square feet in 551 units. It has been under WWG management since September 2011 and will be StorQuests eighth branded facility in the greater Denver area.

This asset provides a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the continued growth of the StorQuest Self Storage brand and the Colorado storage market, Hobin said.

Based in Santa Monica, Calif., WWG develops, acquires and operates self-storage assets in major U.S. metropolitan markets. Until recently, its portfolio was concentrated primarily in California, with additional properties in Arizona, Colorado and Hawaii. The company now has 96 facilities in its operating portfolio, 57 of which are branded as StorQuest.

Update 2/21/14 The six storage units designated for a business incubator at Downtown Self Storage in Huntsville, Ala., have been sublet in time for the March 1 launch of the Clinton Row Project. The units are leased to Downtown Huntsville Inc., an organization committed to bringing diverse and sustainable businesses to the region. The project is designed to provide temporary homes for young retail companies and lure entrepreneurship to the downtown area.

Signed tenants include All-N-One Health, a boutique selling natural and health products as well as workout items, and local artist Christina Wegman, who will sell original paintings and prints. Another gallery, liveEASY, will feature locally handcrafted art and goods, while Woodtech will offer custom-woodworking products from Alex and Fred Dietrich.

The other two units will feature Posh Couture, a designer-clothing boutique, and The Rocket Shoppe, which will offer Huntsville-themed merchandise and local products.

All six businesses will open on Saturday, March 1, with a grand-opening celebration planned for early April.

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1/30/14 Downtown Self Storage in Huntsville, Ala., has agreed to sublease six ground-floor units to startup businesses to help lure entrepreneurship to the downtown area and serve as an incubator for young retail companies. The units are leased to Downtown Huntsville Inc., an organization committed to bringing diverse and sustainable businesses to the region. Called the Clinton Row Project, the incubator will officially launch March 1.

Facility owner David Johnston said he immediately liked the subleasing idea when approached by Downtown Huntsville because he believes the incubator businesses will fill a need as more young professionals move into the area. This used to be one of the prime retail streets in the city, he said.

Project tenants subleasing through the facility at Jefferson Street and Clinton Avenue will pay $100 per month for a 10-by-10-foot unit and be allowed to customize the interior space. "It gives local, small business entrepreneurs an opportunity to test whether their retail concept can be successful in an urban, walkable setting like downtown," said Chad Emerson, CEO of Downtown Huntsville.

Although the organization is still in the process of finalizing some subleases, Emerson said the business tenants will likely hold soft openings in February leading up to the March 1 grand opening.

Signed tenants include Live Easy, a startup featuring local, handcrafted art and goods, and local artist Christina Wegman, who will sell original paintings and prints. A third unit will serve as a rotating gallery of artists who will be able to display and sell artwork in two-week time slots. A fourth unit will be occupied by Business Button, a public service launched by volunteer organization Huntsville Open Tech Coffee, which is dedicated to accelerating high-tech startups in Madison County.

Downtown Self Storage was founded 15 years ago in a building that previously housed a furniture store and a dealership for farm equipment.

Self-storage operator BiG Storage in Chester, England, is storing thousands of plastic ducks for Babygrow Appeal, a charity founded by the Countess of Chester Hospital. The toys were part of a Sept.14 fundraiser called the Duck Race, in which the colorful ducks competed along the River Dee. The event raised £12,500 to help build a new neonatal unit at the hospital. The organization aims to raise £3 million.

Last years ducks have been scooped up from the river and stored in a BiG Storage unit in anticipation of this years race on Sept. 20. Jeff Banks, business development manager for the company, told the source they were delighted to help the Babygrow Appeal by providing a new home for the ducks.

The yellow, pink and blue birds for this years event can be sponsored by individuals for £2 or by corporations for £200. Business-sponsored ducks, which can be decorated to represent the companys brand, will be on display the day of the event from noon to 2 p.m. and on the hospitals Facebook page. Online visitors can cast their vote for Best Dressed Duck until Sept. 12.

The event, which begins at noon, will also include a quiz and childrens coloring competition, with the Duck Race beginning at 3 p.m. Prizes will be given to the first five sponsored ducks to cross the finish line. Last year, the first-place winner received £250, second place received £150 and third place received £100. The fourth-place winner received family passes to Brio Leisure (Northgate Arena), Martin Mere Wetlands Centre and the National Waterways Museum. The fifth-place winner received family passes to the Mollington Health Club & Spa, Blue Planet Aquarium and the Crocky Trail.

A privately owned company launched in 2006 by self-storage professionals Andrew Donaldson, Paul Fahey and Kevin Murphy, BiG Storage has locations in Cheadle, Lancaster, Macclesfield, Morecambe and Warrington in addition to its facility in Chester. The company regularly contributes to charitable organizations, sports clubs and community-interest companies.

This month Storage Asset Management (SAM), a York, Pa.-based self-storage management and consulting company, collected items for auction at its 36 managed facilities that will be auctioned to benefit Charity Storage, a nonprofit that donates the proceeds from self-storage lien sales to local and national charities. To date, SAM has raised $3,075 for the organization. The funds will be split among the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Kure It Cancer Research and the Self Storage Association Foundation Scholarship Program.

SAM held an employee vote to determine which charity it would support through its fundraiser. We are very excited to have the opportunity to support the ASPCA and its efforts by donating the profit made from Charity Storage auctions, said Tina Krueger, marketing manager. Likewise, SAM was impressed when it found out that charity auction money not only goes to the charity we choose, but also toward cancer research and the Self Storage Association Scholarship Fund!

Storage operators who participate in Charity Storages fundraising efforts dedicate a storage unit from inventory as a collection point for donated goods. Departing and current tenants, auction buyers, and local residents and businesses can donate items to the unit and receive a tax-deductible receipt. When the storage facility holds a public auction, the unit is sold alongside tenant-delinquent units, and the money generated is allocated to local and national charities.

Charity Storage was created when Lance Watkins, founder of the self-storage auction site StorageTreasures.com, and Barry Hoeven, founder and owner of Westport Properties and the nonprofit Kure It Cancer Research, saw the popularity of self-storage auctions grow and realized the industry could give back to society. The net proceeds from each sale are split three ways: 10 percent goes to the SSA Foundation, which provides scholarships to students with a connection to the self-storage industry; 30 percent goes to Kure It; and the remainder goes to a local or national charity chosen by the participating self-storage operator.

We are making every effort to get the word out to everyone in self-storage about Charity Storage, Watkins said. Having Storage Asset Management come through in such an impressive way truly validates everything we are doing. We thank SAM for joining our effort and look forward to working with them for many years to come.

Founded in 2010, SAM manages approximately more than 35 self-storage properties and three UPS Stores along the East Coast.

By John Egan

Reprinted with permission from "The Storage Facilitator" blog.

It appears self-storage managers, owners and operators put up with their fair share of four-letter words over the phone. And were not talking about words like unit or feet.

A recent study by Seattle-based mobile-advertising company Marchex Inc. ranked 20 service industries based on the rate of expletive-filled customer calls they handle. The top industry was  Satellite TV, with one of every 82 calls laced with customer profanity. In seventh place was self-storage, with one of every 192 customers spewing swear words over the phone.

Consumers expect great service and easy-to-understand pricing from national and local businesses, and they arent afraid to voice their displeasure when they dont receive it, John Busby, senior vice president of the Marchex Institute, a branch of Marchex Inc., said in a news release.

The study found that a considerable amount of cursing actually happens while customers are on hold. This should be a clear signal to businesses that long hold times leave a negative and lasting impression, Busby said.

Now that you know the self-storage industry rates high for incidences with cussing customers, you may be wondering what to do the next time you confront a cursing caller. Here are eight tips from the pros.

No. 1: Dont Hang Up Right Away

Let the customer finish. Give [him] an opportunity to calm down. Let [him] know you are there to help. Use the techniques that your company trained you on to deal with this situation, says customer-service expert Shep Hyken, chief amazement officer at Shepard Presentations LLC, a St. Louis-based company that offers customer-service training. If all else fails, ask the customer to call back when he is willing to be reasonable.

Ending the call is an extreme measure that should be avoided, says Stephanie Willis, a member of the Amazing Customer Experience (ACE) Team at online self-storage marketplace SpareFoot. Why? The cussing customer will likely call back and be more aggravated than before.

Taylor Zarsky, an event and ticket specialist for hospitality organizer Red Carpet Experiences, says shes never resorted to hanging up on a fuming customer. But one time I did ask a customer if he kissed his mother with that mouth, Zarsky says. Guilting typically works in a pinch.

No. 2: Remain Calm

Customers will react to your tone and demeanor. If you get defensive or use words like cant, no or wont, chances are thecustomer is going to become completely irrational and may even begin to cuss at you, says Patrick McKernan, president of American Mobile Glass of New Jersey Inc., which repairs and replaces glass for cars, homes and businesses. Too often, Ive seen customer-service representatives overreact and let the customer get them in a frenzy.

Instead, withhold judgment about the cursing customer and dont take the barrage personally, says industrial psychologist Janine Sergay, president of The Sergay Group Ltd., an organizational development training firm in Long Grove, Ill.

No. 3: Be Empathetic

Tron Jordheim, director of operations for self-storage call-center firm PhoneSmart, says the companys customer-service agents typically adopt a caring tone during the first round of cussing. We let the caller know we are there to help with their problem or situation and that we want to help. This usually calms the person down enough for the cussing to stop, he says.

Albert Hood, a member of SpareFoots ACE Team, says he generally lets cursing customers vent. I try to interrupt positively when I can after that, and then figure out a way to change the tone and direction the conversation is going, he says. I finally offer the solutions that I can, and try to be honest about what I can do and where I may be able to send them to resolve their dilemma.

No. 4: Be Firm

Sometimes a customer takes out his frustration on a customer-service agent by launching a very aggressive and very offensive tirade, Jordheim says. If thats the case, PhoneSmart call-center agents respond with something like, I am trying to help you with the issue. I am glad to help you. But I cannot help you if you continue to speak to me this way.

If the verbal abuse continues, agents will add, I am going to end the call if you continue to speak this way. Let me get a little more information from you and then I can help you.

If that doesnt do the trick, they tell the customer the call is being ended.

No. 5. Weigh the Situation

Jenelle Cottriel, another member of the ACE Team, said her reaction to a cursing customer depends on the circumstances. If the caller is merely using colorful language, she lets it slide.

But if its meant in offense, I ask them to stop. If that doesnt work, I start speaking quietly and slowly, Cottriel says. Angry customers are looking for more fuel for their anger, so they do want to listen. If youre harder to hear, they have to listen harder and longer. In that pattern, fiery, curse-filled anger is much more difficult to maintain.

No. 6: Grab the Reins

For someone to curse at a customer-service rep, [he] generally feel like [hes] being screwed over in some tremendous way, or has potentially gone through multiple channels already and feels extremely frustrated, Willis says. At that point, its about taking ownership of the problem and committing to solving it. Hopefully by telling [him] confidently that you will do your best to resolve the issue, [he] can relax.

Offering a discount or a refund, if appropriate, could help defuse the situation, according to Janet Attard, CEO of BusinessKnowHow.com, a website geared toward small businesses.

No. 7: Match the Callers Volume

When their voice rises, raise your voice, but keep your intensity just below theirs. The customer just wants to know you get them, says Traci Brown, an expert in body language and persuasion. After just a little time, you can lower your voice slowly and theyll lower their intensity right with you and settle down. Then you can have a meaningful conversation and resolve their issues.

No. 8: Emphasize Training

How to deal with irate people should be included in training for self-storage professionals, especially those who spend much of their time on the phone. The best thing to do is provide the best service from the get-go, says Austin Brandt, co-founder and customer-support lead at Chasm Health LLC, an Indianapolis company that helps consumers obtain their medical records. Dont screw up in the first place. If youre a customer service-centric organization and constantly work to deliver an awesome experience, your chances of being cussed out by a customer are next to zero, he says.

At American Mobile Glass, agents jot down details about over-the-phone complaints. Then, during a weekly meeting, the customer-service team reviews those situations. Why did it happen? What could be done to prevent something like this fromhappening again in the future? McKernan says.

John Egan is the editor in chief at SpareFoot, an online marketplace for the self-storage industry. Before joining SpareFoot, he was the editor in chief at Bankrate Insurance. The Storage Facilitator is a self-storage blog managed by SpareFoot  and hosted by SelfStorage.com .

Self-storage managers looking for insight to better execute their day-to-day facility operation can participate in an arrangement of educational seminars devoted to their specific issues and needs at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, March 30-April 1, in Las Vegas. The Management Track on March 31 includes six sessions that will delve into topics including expense management, collections, facility maintenance and more.

The day begins at 9 a.m. with an in-depth look at minimizing costs and maximizing facility revenue. Hosted by Collin Duncan, senior director of operations support for Extra Space Storage Inc., the seminar will include information on averaging payroll costs, how to take advantage of economies-of-scale benefits, and why operators should consider solar panels.

The 10 a.m. seminar, led by Brad North, president of Advantage Consulting & Management, will offer advice on creating a successful collections program. Operators will learn tested, tried and proven collection techniques, how to create an effective system and set goals.

Tron Jordheim, CEO of PhoneSmart, will host the 11 a.m. seminar, which offers a hand-on sales practicum. He’ll include demonstrations on guiding the sales conversation with customers and best practices for phone sales.

The afternoon program begins at 1 p.m. with a session designed to help managers polish their customer-service skills. Led by Stephan Ross, president of Cutting Edge Self Storage Management & Consulting, the seminar will include advice on dealing with difficult customers, procedures operators should have and how to handle special requests.

Carol Mixon Krendl, president of SkilCheck Services Inc. will host the 2 p.m. seminar, which focuses on self-storage pricing strategies. Operators will learn how and when to raise rental rates, and how management software can help them maximize income.

The last session of the day, at 3 p.m., explores facility maintenance, including creating a budget and routines, and the role technology plays in keeping a facility in top shape. Presenter Jamey Fawcett, president and chief operating officer of Accent Building Restoration, will cover proactive vs. reactive maintenance, recent changes in self-storage maintenance needs, and what to look for in a third-party maintenance company.

The expo’s concurrent education program, March 31 and April 1, includes 10 tracks covering issues related to self-storage ownership, management, marketing, investment, finance, building, development, liability and more. Five add-on workshop options are also available. The conference and tradeshow will take place at the Paris Hotel & Resort. Discount registration rates are available through March 28.

Created for self-storage owners, managers, developers, investors and suppliers, the ISS Expo is the industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, comprising four days of education, exhibits and networking opportunities. The event focuses on strategies for generating revenue, best practices, current trends, and new products and services. Details and online registration are available at www.insideselfstorageworldexpo.com.