This last week, I was talking to Diana Johnson, trainer for Watson & Taylor Management, and she was talking about the concept of the 3 C's of Appeal for Storage, that she had heard about from Bob Copper of Storage101. Our conversation got me to thinking that over the years I have been involved with several types of service industries from the full service gas station to restaurants and retail to Self Storage. Every successful organization I was involved with preached the basics that comprise the three C's of Appeal. It will help any business to draw and retain customers.
CURB appeal is the first of the 3 C's. What a potential customer sees from the outside forms their first impression. Everything from a green trimmed lawn with the proper amount of flowers and greenery to add color and personality. The parking spaces need to be swept clean with no stray cigarette butts floating about. When the striping starts to fade... refresh it. When the sun and wind fades signage... refresh it. Day in and day out your curb appeal is your Billboard to the general public.
COUNTER appeal is the second of the 3 C's. The area that you greet and wait on customers should be inviting and kept spotless. Do not have it littered with post it notes and piles of paperwork. Computer equipment should be kept dusted and cleaned, including the back side of the monitor that your customer gets to look at. You should clean the counter top where customers lean as oil, sweat and dirt builds up quickly. The front of the counter where customers shoes make contact, needs to be cleaned often. Even though the title is counter appeal, the rest of the office or customer area is included. Be sure and keep retail items dusted as well as those window ledges.
"CAN" appeal is the third of the 3 C's. It does not matter what business you are in, if a potential customer or client goes to use your restroom, and it shows neglect... It speaks volumes about everyone working there. Being on the road several thousand mile a month, a restroom affects my purchasing decision. If it is a restaurant, and the restroom is a shambles, I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like. My second thought is how does the staff get their hands clean in a dirty environment, especially if there is no soap or towels in the restroom. When stopping at convenient stores, their restroom cleanliness helps determine whether I trust the soda and ice machine to be clean as well as the freshness of the stores products. The cleanliness of your restroom is a direct reflection of You and your business! This is as true in the Self Storage business as any other. If your restroom is filthy, I can only imagine what your units look like... there will be dirt in the corners by the door rails.
As you can tell there is one "C" that is a common denominator among the 3 C's of Appeal... CLEAN! If you have time to Lean you have time to Clean. Rather than catching up on your personal Facebook account while at work, grab a rag, broom or mop... and start attracting Customers.
Smile... It is Contagious!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
In the past several weeks, I have been asked by many in the storage industry, have you started doing rate increases again? My standard reply is "I never stopped over the last 5 years." This normally brings the reply, "But the recession?" What I end up explaining to them and will now tell you; we are running a business that must stay profitable to remain in business. The business is similar to a clock with several gears that make it operate. Rate management is one of those key gears that must be maintained properly and continually.
Let's start with our street rates. In large metropolitan areas, the average market rate changes daily depending upon various aspects and conditions. These rate changes are influenced by the REIT's as their algorithms and unit counts change. Did you notice a drop in rates among certain attribute sizes as college students vacated their units, returning to dorm life recently? Other factors such as storms can affect rates both up and down. One competitor that lost their roofs during a storm helped raise rates in a market as their tenants scrambled for new space. Now that the roofs are fixed and they are starving for occupancy, they are running units at 60% off street rate. Since this affected only one attribute size for them, we found the most undesirable units in the same attribute size and reduced rates on those units. These undesirables are the odd shaped rooms, support pole in middle of unit, end of an aisle or even an odd size door. Not only did we remain competitive, but we rented units that had remained vacant forever and weren't making zip for us. If you are in a large market, you need to be doing competitive analysis at least every 2 weeks (daily for some stores) or you will be missing trends that are stealing prospective tenants from you. With today's consumer trends, this info is easily available on the Internet. (Another reason your web site needs to be functional and trending towards customer shopping trends; including smartPhone friendly sites.)
In smaller markets, I still recommend doing competition shops at least twice a month. Talk to your competitor. You may be competitors, but you are both in business to make money. When you communicate, not only are rates more consistent, but basic operation and ancillary income ideas can be learned and shared. Also with open communications, when there are those problem customers or scammers working in an area dumping waste in your units... these things can be stopped sooner or even prevented.
Now that you have your competitors rates...what do you do with them? First I compare them to mine to see where I stand in the market. I then look at the occupancy rate of that particular attribute. Is my occupancy low and my rate the highest in the market or vice verse; high occupancy and lowest rate... then it is time to adjust. Are there certain areas in a building that aren't renting... down a long hall, etc... time to discount. Have a unit attribute that as soon as you vacate one it rents... raise the rate.
Once you have adjusted rates... time to monitor. If you had a high vacancy rate on a particular attribute and reduced the rate to a Hot Rate, be sure to watch that attribute and as those units start to fill, adjust the rate up according to occupancy standards that you predetermine. If you have an attribute that you continue to raise rates on, due to high demand... make sure that once the unit rental starts to stall... you adjust the rate.
On to the Guts... current tenant rate increases. First lets talk about timing and frequency. We have used various cycles and formulas over the years. Once a year is about as frequent as you want to issue increases. Then depending on where you are in the market, an average increase should be between 4-12%. I do not raise people above my current street rate... I even try to leave them a dollar or two below street rate.
You have to use logic and weigh your options. Lets start with the long term tenant. He moved in six years ago on a $50 rate. The current Market rate on the unit is $75. You have a steady occupancy of 82-87% on that particular attribute, a 10% or $5 rate increase is more than reasonable. If the tenant leaves due to increase, your probability for release at a higher rate is in your favor. Second Scenario; tenant moved in a year ago and the street rate is $2 above his current rate. You have a 60% occupancy on that particular attribute size, the advice is to let sleeping dogs lie. Scenario number three; The tenant moved in a year ago on a "Hot Rate" due to low occupancy. You now have reached peak occupancy levels for that attribute. The tenant rate is $60 and the current street rate is $100; then my recommendation is around a 30% increase to $78.
As you can see... the competitors info is important for both exercises. Plus it gives you an opportunity to "KNOW" your competition.
Managers ask why we have to raise rates on good paying long term tenants. Because every tenant expects roofs to be fixed, A/C's to be replaced when needed, trash removed from the property and the lawn cut and kept. In the last eight months, 96% of my vendors have raised rates on the services they provide my facilities. You're not getting rich raising rates, you are simply covering ever expanding costs.
I am a Business not a Charity, although there is nothing wrong with being charitable to a degree. We all have a unit or two that we donate to some worthy organization or charity. While you are reviewing the rent rate variance list... these units will most likely stand out. It is a good time to evaluate if you are getting any return for your donation. Several of these spaces are donated with the promise of; mention in programs, website links, publications, newsletters etc. This is a good opportunity to follow up on those agreements, and even possibly suggest other marketing ideas to help spread your name in their organization.
Now just a little math for you. Back during the Twenties and Thirties, you could buy a 12oz. Coke for .05 cents. Yesterday, I bought a 12 oz. bottle of coke at the convenient store and it was $2.19. That is about a 5% price increase for each year over almost eighty years.
SMILE...... It is Contagious!
Let's start with our street rates. In large metropolitan areas, the average market rate changes daily depending upon various aspects and conditions. These rate changes are influenced by the REIT's as their algorithms and unit counts change. Did you notice a drop in rates among certain attribute sizes as college students vacated their units, returning to dorm life recently? Other factors such as storms can affect rates both up and down. One competitor that lost their roofs during a storm helped raise rates in a market as their tenants scrambled for new space. Now that the roofs are fixed and they are starving for occupancy, they are running units at 60% off street rate. Since this affected only one attribute size for them, we found the most undesirable units in the same attribute size and reduced rates on those units. These undesirables are the odd shaped rooms, support pole in middle of unit, end of an aisle or even an odd size door. Not only did we remain competitive, but we rented units that had remained vacant forever and weren't making zip for us. If you are in a large market, you need to be doing competitive analysis at least every 2 weeks (daily for some stores) or you will be missing trends that are stealing prospective tenants from you. With today's consumer trends, this info is easily available on the Internet. (Another reason your web site needs to be functional and trending towards customer shopping trends; including smartPhone friendly sites.)
In smaller markets, I still recommend doing competition shops at least twice a month. Talk to your competitor. You may be competitors, but you are both in business to make money. When you communicate, not only are rates more consistent, but basic operation and ancillary income ideas can be learned and shared. Also with open communications, when there are those problem customers or scammers working in an area dumping waste in your units... these things can be stopped sooner or even prevented.
Now that you have your competitors rates...what do you do with them? First I compare them to mine to see where I stand in the market. I then look at the occupancy rate of that particular attribute. Is my occupancy low and my rate the highest in the market or vice verse; high occupancy and lowest rate... then it is time to adjust. Are there certain areas in a building that aren't renting... down a long hall, etc... time to discount. Have a unit attribute that as soon as you vacate one it rents... raise the rate.
Once you have adjusted rates... time to monitor. If you had a high vacancy rate on a particular attribute and reduced the rate to a Hot Rate, be sure to watch that attribute and as those units start to fill, adjust the rate up according to occupancy standards that you predetermine. If you have an attribute that you continue to raise rates on, due to high demand... make sure that once the unit rental starts to stall... you adjust the rate.
On to the Guts... current tenant rate increases. First lets talk about timing and frequency. We have used various cycles and formulas over the years. Once a year is about as frequent as you want to issue increases. Then depending on where you are in the market, an average increase should be between 4-12%. I do not raise people above my current street rate... I even try to leave them a dollar or two below street rate.
You have to use logic and weigh your options. Lets start with the long term tenant. He moved in six years ago on a $50 rate. The current Market rate on the unit is $75. You have a steady occupancy of 82-87% on that particular attribute, a 10% or $5 rate increase is more than reasonable. If the tenant leaves due to increase, your probability for release at a higher rate is in your favor. Second Scenario; tenant moved in a year ago and the street rate is $2 above his current rate. You have a 60% occupancy on that particular attribute size, the advice is to let sleeping dogs lie. Scenario number three; The tenant moved in a year ago on a "Hot Rate" due to low occupancy. You now have reached peak occupancy levels for that attribute. The tenant rate is $60 and the current street rate is $100; then my recommendation is around a 30% increase to $78.
As you can see... the competitors info is important for both exercises. Plus it gives you an opportunity to "KNOW" your competition.
Managers ask why we have to raise rates on good paying long term tenants. Because every tenant expects roofs to be fixed, A/C's to be replaced when needed, trash removed from the property and the lawn cut and kept. In the last eight months, 96% of my vendors have raised rates on the services they provide my facilities. You're not getting rich raising rates, you are simply covering ever expanding costs.
I am a Business not a Charity, although there is nothing wrong with being charitable to a degree. We all have a unit or two that we donate to some worthy organization or charity. While you are reviewing the rent rate variance list... these units will most likely stand out. It is a good time to evaluate if you are getting any return for your donation. Several of these spaces are donated with the promise of; mention in programs, website links, publications, newsletters etc. This is a good opportunity to follow up on those agreements, and even possibly suggest other marketing ideas to help spread your name in their organization.
Now just a little math for you. Back during the Twenties and Thirties, you could buy a 12oz. Coke for .05 cents. Yesterday, I bought a 12 oz. bottle of coke at the convenient store and it was $2.19. That is about a 5% price increase for each year over almost eighty years.
SMILE...... It is Contagious!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The Two most important Aspects of your Job
This last week, I was involved in a little exercise that was interesting. One of our auditors was speaking to a group of storage facility managers and their supervisors and support staff. He asked everyone to pull out a piece of paper and to write down anonymously what they thought were the 2 most important aspects of their jobs. There were several answers of various sorts. One of the most prevailing answer in some form or the other was "Customer Service".
After everyone turned in their answers, less than 20%, had written down one of the two answers he was seeking. Customer service was not the answer... the most important aspect of any employee is to increase a facilities income. Increasing income to continue to cover the ever rising costs of operations is crucial to a facilities success. With a facility that is aging, there are continuing maintenance expenses that must continue to be paid for. Even if you are 95% occupied, there are opportunities to increase the facilities income through rate management and various ancillary income opportunities. Although renting space is your main source of income, it is those pennies and nickels from ancillary sources that can actually make a facility profitable. Truck rentals, selling boxes and packing supplies, storage insurance, carpet cleaning machine rentals and lottery sales are some of the most common profit centers. In smaller markets, you may want to do as a friend of mine has done at her location Coker Creek Storage in Tennessee. She lives in a small community, and her storage office also doubles as a Country Store and gift shop.
The second most important aspect of a storage facility employee is to maintain and grow occupancy. During the recession, we found that loss of occupancy by holding our street rates steady affected our profit margins more than keeping a higher occupancy at discounted move in rates. Even though these discounts affected our immediate income, they were filling space that would normally be left empty and bringing in NO income. If you are using the leases that are available through your state self storage associations, there are clauses that provide for rate increases with proper notification. Using fair rate management guidelines, a customer will remain a loyal customer, as most find the cost of moving more expensive than a moderate increase. Especially, if their rate remains below the current asking street rates.
As occupancies increase or decrease, rate management of available units as well as occupied units, are as important to increasing income, as well as maintaining occupancy. You must be continually gathering market data to remain competitive. At Watson & Taylor Self Storage we gather competitive information twice a month to stay competitive in all markets. Each attribute is looked at for every facility to best determine current rates.
Now don't get me wrong.... to help maintain those occupancies and asking rates, customer service is an important element of our job. So remember.... Smile it is Contagious!
After everyone turned in their answers, less than 20%, had written down one of the two answers he was seeking. Customer service was not the answer... the most important aspect of any employee is to increase a facilities income. Increasing income to continue to cover the ever rising costs of operations is crucial to a facilities success. With a facility that is aging, there are continuing maintenance expenses that must continue to be paid for. Even if you are 95% occupied, there are opportunities to increase the facilities income through rate management and various ancillary income opportunities. Although renting space is your main source of income, it is those pennies and nickels from ancillary sources that can actually make a facility profitable. Truck rentals, selling boxes and packing supplies, storage insurance, carpet cleaning machine rentals and lottery sales are some of the most common profit centers. In smaller markets, you may want to do as a friend of mine has done at her location Coker Creek Storage in Tennessee. She lives in a small community, and her storage office also doubles as a Country Store and gift shop.
The second most important aspect of a storage facility employee is to maintain and grow occupancy. During the recession, we found that loss of occupancy by holding our street rates steady affected our profit margins more than keeping a higher occupancy at discounted move in rates. Even though these discounts affected our immediate income, they were filling space that would normally be left empty and bringing in NO income. If you are using the leases that are available through your state self storage associations, there are clauses that provide for rate increases with proper notification. Using fair rate management guidelines, a customer will remain a loyal customer, as most find the cost of moving more expensive than a moderate increase. Especially, if their rate remains below the current asking street rates.
As occupancies increase or decrease, rate management of available units as well as occupied units, are as important to increasing income, as well as maintaining occupancy. You must be continually gathering market data to remain competitive. At Watson & Taylor Self Storage we gather competitive information twice a month to stay competitive in all markets. Each attribute is looked at for every facility to best determine current rates.
Now don't get me wrong.... to help maintain those occupancies and asking rates, customer service is an important element of our job. So remember.... Smile it is Contagious!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Make your Site more than a Cardboard Sign
Each day continues to amaze me on the advances that are made with the Internet and how the uses continue to morph for all industries. It is not only important, knowing that the tools are there for you to use, but being able to utilize those tools effectively. Many small business owners have heard over the years, 'you have to have a Web site.' What many have failed to realize, is that a web site is like any marketing campaign... it takes work and commitment.
You must remember that your site has to be inviting and pleasing to the eye. It needs to have a call to action and be filled with easy to access information. The site has to be more than just a stagnant page with your Name, Address and Phone number on it. That is like having a cardboard sign on a highway full of the new electronic billboards. Look at your competitor... what does their site look like and how do they function? Where does it appear in the generic searches?
As you fill your web page with content, utilize those keywords for your market area. Google analytics can help you discover this information. Using local landmarks and information in your directions and descriptions will help increase your SEO. You should also use the link device in descriptions to help direct customers to information pages. On each of our facility pages, if you go to our tab marked "About Us", you will find links to our lien sale schedule and a link to write a review. Word of mouth has always been, and will continue to be, an integral part of any marketing campaign. This is as important in the Internet world. Google + Local implemented a scoring system and averages for businesses with ten or more reviews. Be sure to encourage your customer base to leave reviews for your business.
Today's consumer wants instant gratification, so make your rates and prices available. Give the customer several options to contact you, and make sure you monitor all of these contact points. A growing population of Internet users use their smartphones as their main form of computer usage. Are you making maneuverability easy with QR codes? Make sure that your artwork and printed material used to direct your customers to your various sites, looks professional. Make sure that all personnel are properly educated to answer the novice Internet users questions.
Then just when you think you have it all running smoothly... technology advances... stay educated. Does your storage facility web site need a tune up, facility audit, or Third party management?... contact Watson & Taylor Management for value add ideas.
Smile... It is Contagious!
You must remember that your site has to be inviting and pleasing to the eye. It needs to have a call to action and be filled with easy to access information. The site has to be more than just a stagnant page with your Name, Address and Phone number on it. That is like having a cardboard sign on a highway full of the new electronic billboards. Look at your competitor... what does their site look like and how do they function? Where does it appear in the generic searches?
As you fill your web page with content, utilize those keywords for your market area. Google analytics can help you discover this information. Using local landmarks and information in your directions and descriptions will help increase your SEO. You should also use the link device in descriptions to help direct customers to information pages. On each of our facility pages, if you go to our tab marked "About Us", you will find links to our lien sale schedule and a link to write a review. Word of mouth has always been, and will continue to be, an integral part of any marketing campaign. This is as important in the Internet world. Google + Local implemented a scoring system and averages for businesses with ten or more reviews. Be sure to encourage your customer base to leave reviews for your business.
Today's consumer wants instant gratification, so make your rates and prices available. Give the customer several options to contact you, and make sure you monitor all of these contact points. A growing population of Internet users use their smartphones as their main form of computer usage. Are you making maneuverability easy with QR codes? Make sure that your artwork and printed material used to direct your customers to your various sites, looks professional. Make sure that all personnel are properly educated to answer the novice Internet users questions.
Then just when you think you have it all running smoothly... technology advances... stay educated. Does your storage facility web site need a tune up, facility audit, or Third party management?... contact Watson & Taylor Management for value add ideas.
Smile... It is Contagious!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
If You Want Customer Service...Take A Cruise
By the second day of the cruise, the guest had been greeted with so many smiles and hello's that they were relaxed and began extending the courtesy in the passageways. You would go to dinner and there were at least three waiters taking care of all your needs... including having that second lobster tail or steak or a different meal because you didn't like your first choice. Each night your bed would be turned down, towels replaced, and towel scultures that would leave a smile on your face. Can't sleep and a little hungry?... call room service. If you walked up to a service counter, and a crew member was seated, the crew member would immediately stand to greet you. Their every action was service oriented enriched with a smile. This included the crew members that did nothing but wipe, sweep and mop their section of the ship to maintain that pristine look.
Cruise Ships use the simple rules of customer service and fantastic Curb appeal to deliver a great product. Their philosophy is supported by smiling, respectful customer service representatives to conquer the seas. Are you using these techniques to cruise into profits?
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
If You Want the Job... Act Like It
The past few weeks I have been interviewing for several
openings we have had available in our facilities. I find it amazing at how people apply for
jobs. I have seen everything from applicants that do not follow directions in
the advertisement, provide useless resumes without viable information, to the
way they dress for an interview. If you are currently looking for a job, take
note.
When reading the advertisement, make note of whether they
ask for a cover letter along with a resume. I ask for a cover letter for
several reasons. The first, of course, is to see if the applicant can follow directions.
Secondly, it gives me a general idea of the applicants writing and grammar
skills. Thirdly, I can spot the lazy applicants that use a form cover letter
with their resume. Most of the time I automatically discard these as it shows
they are applying for anything and everything with a particular title. Also, I take
consideration of an applicant that takes a moment to customize a cover letter
to the job description. I feel that
these job hunters are truly interested in the position that has been posted. I also suggest that if the company name is
available, you do as much research on that company as possible to be familiar
with their product and history. Take your time in writing the cover letter. Be
brief, precise, and make sure the information provided is correct, along with
proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
If an applicant makes it through the initial process of
having a proper cover letter, I then look at the contents of the resume. There
are several things that I look for when reviewing resumes. Is the information
up to date? I have had several resumes, that when I tried to contact the people
by phone, the number was no longer valid. The next thing I look at is the job
history. In the job description, I am looking for what you accomplished
in the position more than what duties you performed. A manager’s duties
are basically the same from industry to industry. What you were able to
accomplish for your past employers and what you can do for my company is what I
am interested in. Keep it brief… one page is preferable.
If an applicant makes it through the above criteria, the
next step is a phone interview. This process is normally a short call to determine
the applicant’s ability to think quickly on their feet. Initially, I am
interested in their phone skills, as our positions require phone sales. I give
the applicant up to 3 minutes to sell themselves to me. I am looking for more
than “I am a people person”… I am looking for the applicant that will give me
career accomplishments and goals, as well as life accomplishments and goals. If
the applicant makes it past this process, a face to face interview is
scheduled.
It is in the face to face that I have been the most
surprised. I have been shocked at the number of applicants that show up for
their interview dressed in shorts, jeans, t-shirts and flip flops. I wonder if
their mother ever told them that they only have one chance to make a first
impression. So dress to impress…
To recap… read the ad carefully and follow the instructions.
Do not use a form cover letter if one is requested. Use your resume to
highlight your abilities and accomplishments. Once you have applied for a
position, be prepared for a phone interview out of the blue. When going in for
a face to face interview, remember a first impression is made in the first 6
seconds of meeting so dress to impress.
If you want the job… Act like it.
Smile… It is contagious!
A Tribute to My Father
Over the Memorial Day weekend, my father, Curt Johnson,
passed away. It has been difficult for me to put pen to paper to add to my
blog. Every time I started to write, memories would fill my brain and the words
failed to come forward. My dad was an adventurer and story teller. He did many
extraordinary things throughout his life from becoming the youngest licensed
auctioneer in Missouri before he was twelve, to travelling around the world and
befriending Princes and Sheiks.
He volunteered for over 40 years with the Delaware Pow-Wow
from helping in the concession stand to serving on the Pow-Wow committee. Even
though he was part Cherokee and Choctaw, the Delaware gave him his Indian name
that he was most proud of… Opieihum or White Eagle.
He was proud to call Hogshooter Oklahoma, his home. Over the
years, he explored the various caverns, caves and canyons that outlaws had used
for hideouts around the area he lived. He went on to write a book on the
history of outlaws in Oklahoma, from the James gang to the gangsters of the
early 1900’s. He also wrote a weekly column for a couple of local papers, The
Nowata Star and ****** *****, called the Hogshooter Philosopher. He wrote about
everything from his adventures around the world to his point of view of what
was happening in the world that affected daily living.
My dad never met a stranger. He
would talk to anyone and could tell you their life story after a simple fifteen
minute conversation. I always found this unique trait fascinating. Over the
years the number of people I have met through my own travels that knew my
father left me speechless more than once. It is amazing the number of people my
father touched, helped and inspired. I was proud to receive an email containing
this tribute to him from a friend he never met;
I thank Mr. Hoover for his kind words. Dad would have been
happy to open his door and invite you in for a cup of coffee and a good conversation.
Dad was a talented artist that was accomplished in painting,
wood carving to sculpting. Some of my favorite memories are those from when he
was working on his projects. The earliest memories have are those of him painting signs on the
sides of trucks or the six foot painting of the Indian Chief he painted on the
basement wall of one of our homes. My personal
favorite memory involves the look on my mother’s face when she came in and
there was a 4 foot by 6 foot piece of wood on her dining room table with dad working
feverishly carving away at it. All was forgiven after weeks of work produced an
eagle with wings outstretched wide grasping the American flag in its talons
that he proudly placed above the fireplace. That was until the next project
ended up on her dining room table…
Dad inspired my favorite saying “Smile, It is contagious”
with his simple 2 word ending of his column each week… Stay Happy.
Dad you are deeply missed, but will not be forgotten for
generations to come.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
SmartPhones Revolutionizing Shopping Trends
Do you have a teenager in your life that can help you keep up with modern technology? Every time I think I am on top of the newest trends, I find out by talking to my 16 year old niece and 29 year old son, It changed again...
As a company, Watson & Taylor has always been on the front lines in Internet marketing and presentation. On our printed marketing pieces, we have been using QR codes to direct SmartPhone users to our web sites for payments, directions and of course to make reservations.
As a company, Watson & Taylor has always been on the front lines in Internet marketing and presentation. On our printed marketing pieces, we have been using QR codes to direct SmartPhone users to our web sites for payments, directions and of course to make reservations.
While stopping to grab a bite to eat for lunch, my son sent me text of a QR code that gave the
nutritional information for the menu item.
With the popularity of the SmartPhone continually on the rise various retailers are using the technology to enhance their brands and products. Even the printed newspapers are using them to direct their readers to more photo's and information on articles. The city of Mission TX has installed signs in neighborhoods that have QR codes on them, that will take you to a site, that has criminal activity that has occurred in that particular area in the last 30 days.
This last Christmas season, the new technology played a large role in consumers purchasing habits. About 25% of customers used their cellphones to check on line reviews of the product while they were in the store. Another 25% checked out the competitions prices while shopping. The amazing numbers is that 37% of those shoppers decided not to make a purchase and almost 20% took their business elsewhere.
As I continue to monitor Google analytics, the number of SmartPhones searching web pages continue to grow. This is the reason we have introduced a mobile site for Watson and Taylor, making it easier for our tenants with SmartPhones to surf and use our site on the Go.
If you aren't using this technology along with social media, Internet marketing... You are just beginning to lose the race. If you are interested in a Self Storage Facility Tune Up.... contact us at;
214-389-3939.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Bait the hook with your Branding
As I sat on a conference call Friday, concerning our company's website SEO, the AAHHHAAA bell went off. We were analyzing some of the Google analytics along with the various search terms used in connection to people visiting our site. The entire Internet marketing team was on the call, and our optimizer made a statement that we had always assumed, but was just confirmed by the data. The importance of Brand Recognition.
He stated that our brand was the most used search term used to visit our www.watsontaylorselfstorage.com web page. It even outnumbered the search for self storage. Further proof of Brand importance was when we analyzed our third party properties and found they were searched and connected through our brand over their individual property names. The customer remembers the brand and returns to it time after time. Most consumers are loyal to brands based on service, and reliability. How many products do you choose by brand recognition?
As you plan marketing campaigns, keep your branding and logos uniform. It is an important decision that has impact on your marketing and SEO. It is always necessary to keep your look and web page updated and fresh looking, but keep your customer in mind when altering your brand. depending on the demographic and age range you are trying to appeal to will help determine these factors.
As we dug deeper into our Google analytics we found that nearly 8% of our home page landings were coming from strategic partners in the industry where we had a link embedded in their web page that referred people to our site.
When designing your brand, remember it is more than your logo. It is your philosophy of doing business along with ideas, colors and thoughts that relate to your target demographic. Branding is a continual project that is implemented through your marketing. Keep it fresh and up to date to maintain their attention.
He stated that our brand was the most used search term used to visit our www.watsontaylorselfstorage.com web page. It even outnumbered the search for self storage. Further proof of Brand importance was when we analyzed our third party properties and found they were searched and connected through our brand over their individual property names. The customer remembers the brand and returns to it time after time. Most consumers are loyal to brands based on service, and reliability. How many products do you choose by brand recognition?
As you plan marketing campaigns, keep your branding and logos uniform. It is an important decision that has impact on your marketing and SEO. It is always necessary to keep your look and web page updated and fresh looking, but keep your customer in mind when altering your brand. depending on the demographic and age range you are trying to appeal to will help determine these factors.
As we dug deeper into our Google analytics we found that nearly 8% of our home page landings were coming from strategic partners in the industry where we had a link embedded in their web page that referred people to our site.
When designing your brand, remember it is more than your logo. It is your philosophy of doing business along with ideas, colors and thoughts that relate to your target demographic. Branding is a continual project that is implemented through your marketing. Keep it fresh and up to date to maintain their attention.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Smile ...It is Contagious
This week I have been sitting in Mission TX as we close on a storage facility. I am actively searching for a new manager for the facility that we will be purchasing. As it is a new market to us, I am paying attention to everyone else's personnel as I visit various businesses around town. You never know where you may find that next Super Star. I have eaten this week in several chains as well as the independent proprietors. I have been extremely surprised that the personnel that has delivered the best service so far have been at the hole in the wall restaurants. Two of these establishments, Marco's Burgers and Tamales Y Mas, had two of the friendliest counter help I have experienced in the Valley. The thing that I noticed right off is that both of these people greeted me with a warm friendly hello and a big smile as I walked through the door. When each of them learned that we were first time visitors to their establishment, they took the extra time to welcome us and explain their simple menus, even making suggestions to their favorite items on the menu.
The thing that made me feel welcome was the smile on their face. They actually looked happy to be at work and enjoyed what they were doing. Although neither of these facilities had professional trainers teaching their wait staff how to greet customers that the large franchises have, these two individuals have learned that their smiles and the fact that to treat customers the way they want to be treated, fills their tip jars.
I have visited several large chains from P.F Chang's to Cheddars. I have been disappointed in the customer service received in all of these locations except P.F Chang's. And that was purely due to the only waitress in the whole restaurant, who besides the floor manager filling in for lack luster wait staff, was the only one to smile as she approached each and every table. Our waitress Loretta, was a spark of sunshine in the middle of a dark night. What was interesting, was I had asked various staff during our visit how the tips were; the answer from most was OK... the answer from our waitress was Great. It had to be the wonderful smile and positive attitude as she approached the tables that was the difference.
One of my mantra's have been "Smile... It is contagious." When interviewing, the first thing that I look for is whether the interviewee walks in with a smile and can maintain it during the interview. I will be the first to admit, I have hired someone with less experience, due to their smile and attitude.
So my advice is Keep Smiling....
The thing that made me feel welcome was the smile on their face. They actually looked happy to be at work and enjoyed what they were doing. Although neither of these facilities had professional trainers teaching their wait staff how to greet customers that the large franchises have, these two individuals have learned that their smiles and the fact that to treat customers the way they want to be treated, fills their tip jars.
I have visited several large chains from P.F Chang's to Cheddars. I have been disappointed in the customer service received in all of these locations except P.F Chang's. And that was purely due to the only waitress in the whole restaurant, who besides the floor manager filling in for lack luster wait staff, was the only one to smile as she approached each and every table. Our waitress Loretta, was a spark of sunshine in the middle of a dark night. What was interesting, was I had asked various staff during our visit how the tips were; the answer from most was OK... the answer from our waitress was Great. It had to be the wonderful smile and positive attitude as she approached the tables that was the difference.
One of my mantra's have been "Smile... It is contagious." When interviewing, the first thing that I look for is whether the interviewee walks in with a smile and can maintain it during the interview. I will be the first to admit, I have hired someone with less experience, due to their smile and attitude.
So my advice is Keep Smiling....
Saturday, April 21, 2012
EmployeeTraining is Fundamental
Once you hire an employee, have them read the company policy manual and train them to do their job. Many organizations place them in their position and come around once in a while to verify they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The only time any additional training is needed is if the form or the software changes.WRONG!
No matter what business you are in, from self storage to the hotel industry, we must continually educate our employees. Every action has a reaction and your front line employees can have an impact on everything from your profit to the unthinkable loss of a lawsuit because they formed bad habits, or were not aware of the law change. With the continued advancements in technology the way customers are attracted to our locations range from SmartPhone Apps, home Internet or good old Word Of Mouth. This drives the need for all employees to be continually trained on the ways to improve everything from your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Net Operating Income (NOI) to Customer Service and Sales techniques.
In today's self storage industry, many employees have forgotten that they are sales people not just caretakers collecting money. Bad habits have to be eradicated and new inviting habits formed. Every time a customer walks through the front door the employee should be standing to greet the customer, whether they are a brand new one or the guy that has been around for ten years. It is a common courtesy, that goes hand in hand with asking for the name of the new prospective customer. How else do they know who they are trying to rent to? If the prospect is leaving without renting a unit, the manager should have obtained a phone number or it will be impossible to follow up. A whopping thirty percent of customers that leave without renting can be reeled back in with a friendly follow up call or text to see if they still needed storage and a reminder that you sell packing and moving supplies. In our organization, we tape incoming calls for Quality Assurance. This gives our trainer an opportunity to review an employees' sales techniques and to insure they are solving a customer's storage needs. Our goal is to build upon the positive aspects of the call and give direction and coaching on how to utilize those strengths to improve the weak areas of the call. There is certain criteria that we want our employee to cover with each prospective tenant, but we do not want them to be robotic about it. Training in phone etiquette as well as technique for controlling a call to obtain all the necessary information to properly fit the customers needs is on ongoing process that can also be crossed over into face to face sales.
The Internet is the way a growing number of our customers find us. The better SEO you have the better the page ranking etc. How does employee training tie in with this? Again, they are on the front line dealing daily with the customer... the one that finds your facility. Training your employee to deliver top notch customer service will help them solve their customers storage needs, but they can also be trained to ask them not only to refer their friends, but to go to Google Places and leave a review for their facility. They can also ask the customer to use key words in their reviews such as self storage and the company name to enhance SEO.
One area that is continually changing is the area dealing with laws. It is a necessity that we keep ourselves up to date on all law changes and keep our employees informed of these changes. Not only must we be concerned with the lien laws, but labor laws, and changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Their lack of knowledge in the changes in these laws could draw an unwanted and unnecessary lawsuit. Your national and state self storage associations are great resources in these areas. Self Storage Association Texas Self Storage Association Tennessee Self Storage Association
Communication with your employees should happen on a routine basis and at least one hour per month should be spent on the continued education of each employee. I accomplish this with a weekly email to the entire group with an educational piece, kudos to the top performers, policy changes and marketing information. Then we also require all our employees to attend a training webinar once a month to cover various training.
With our managers and employees, we are not striving for Perfection, just exceptional service!
No matter what business you are in, from self storage to the hotel industry, we must continually educate our employees. Every action has a reaction and your front line employees can have an impact on everything from your profit to the unthinkable loss of a lawsuit because they formed bad habits, or were not aware of the law change. With the continued advancements in technology the way customers are attracted to our locations range from SmartPhone Apps, home Internet or good old Word Of Mouth. This drives the need for all employees to be continually trained on the ways to improve everything from your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Net Operating Income (NOI) to Customer Service and Sales techniques.
In today's self storage industry, many employees have forgotten that they are sales people not just caretakers collecting money. Bad habits have to be eradicated and new inviting habits formed. Every time a customer walks through the front door the employee should be standing to greet the customer, whether they are a brand new one or the guy that has been around for ten years. It is a common courtesy, that goes hand in hand with asking for the name of the new prospective customer. How else do they know who they are trying to rent to? If the prospect is leaving without renting a unit, the manager should have obtained a phone number or it will be impossible to follow up. A whopping thirty percent of customers that leave without renting can be reeled back in with a friendly follow up call or text to see if they still needed storage and a reminder that you sell packing and moving supplies. In our organization, we tape incoming calls for Quality Assurance. This gives our trainer an opportunity to review an employees' sales techniques and to insure they are solving a customer's storage needs. Our goal is to build upon the positive aspects of the call and give direction and coaching on how to utilize those strengths to improve the weak areas of the call. There is certain criteria that we want our employee to cover with each prospective tenant, but we do not want them to be robotic about it. Training in phone etiquette as well as technique for controlling a call to obtain all the necessary information to properly fit the customers needs is on ongoing process that can also be crossed over into face to face sales.
The Internet is the way a growing number of our customers find us. The better SEO you have the better the page ranking etc. How does employee training tie in with this? Again, they are on the front line dealing daily with the customer... the one that finds your facility. Training your employee to deliver top notch customer service will help them solve their customers storage needs, but they can also be trained to ask them not only to refer their friends, but to go to Google Places and leave a review for their facility. They can also ask the customer to use key words in their reviews such as self storage and the company name to enhance SEO.
One area that is continually changing is the area dealing with laws. It is a necessity that we keep ourselves up to date on all law changes and keep our employees informed of these changes. Not only must we be concerned with the lien laws, but labor laws, and changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Their lack of knowledge in the changes in these laws could draw an unwanted and unnecessary lawsuit. Your national and state self storage associations are great resources in these areas. Self Storage Association Texas Self Storage Association Tennessee Self Storage Association
Communication with your employees should happen on a routine basis and at least one hour per month should be spent on the continued education of each employee. I accomplish this with a weekly email to the entire group with an educational piece, kudos to the top performers, policy changes and marketing information. Then we also require all our employees to attend a training webinar once a month to cover various training.
With our managers and employees, we are not striving for Perfection, just exceptional service!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
An Insider's Guide to Storing Your Universe
I recently had a relative that was making a major move and was going to be storing the majority of her personal household items. She came to me, being in the business, and asked the proper way to store her house. If this would have been simple... rent a space big enough, rent a truck, pack and label, insure and pay on time. But NOOOOOO I was dealing with my cousin who has a manual on everything from cleaning the kitchen to properly raising your child.
I took my time in replying to her request, as I was sure of the amount of work that was going to go into this. So anyone that gets a bit of useful information from these instructions, you owe a thank you to my cousin.
The first step is to determine how much needs to be stored and begin determining how much space you will need. Nine times out of ten you will need more space than you originally estimate. Then start shopping for a storage facility that meets your needs and whose units rates fit into your budget. Search for facilities convenient to work, home, family etc. You want to look at how well the facility is maintained and the cleanliness of the facility. Ask who their pest control company is. How is the temperature in the space you are in... take into consideration current temperature, humidity and the amount of dust in the unit and how much dust will be coming in. Remember to inquire about lease conditions and rules. Some facility leases limit the value of items that can be placed in storage and require written permission to store a larger value. Many will also require that you insure or purchase a warranty program to cover the value of your possessions.
Preplan the way that you will be packing your storage unit using either a storage calculator or sketching it out. Depending on the time frame that you are working with, and the amount of items that you are storing, prepacking and stacking in the spare bedroom or garage is a good way to estimate the space you will need. Use good packing materials and don't skimp on the amount you use. If you are storing your precious belongings... pack to protect!
As you pack your boxes, take photos of precious items. (Digital cameras hold hundreds of shots) Wrap knick knacks in wrapping paper, and make a list of each item you place in the box. Number each box and place box number on the top of each list. Use packing paper, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap to fill in dead spaces in boxes to strengthen them. As you prepare your furniture for storage, again take photos from several angles, and list each piece going into storage. Use blankets to wrap furniture and secure with stretch wrap to hold the blanket in place without sticky residue. Stretch wrap is also great for securing drawers in place, protect sofas, protect mattresses and even secure those rugs that you rolled up.
There are several different type and sizes of boxes for various items. Small boxes should be used for heavy items such as books, canned goods and small kitchen appliances. Many dish and crystal kits are designed to fit in the small box. The Medium box is great for many of your basic household knick knacks, lamps and table statues. Large boxes should be utilized for those light bulky items from pillows and bedding to the cookie sheets and pots. Mirror boxes protect those precious paintings and mirrors when properly wrapped. The one box that I can never seem to get enough of for my wife, are wardrobe boxes. A 24 inch wardrobe box will comfortably accommodate about 18 to 20 inches of clothes as they hang in the closet. She has also learned to pack her shoes that are in shoe boxes, in the bottom of the wardrobe boxes that she is placing her blouses in.Again, DO NOT FORGET the photos and list!
When you are making arrangements for transporting your belongings to the storage facility, you have to decide whether you are physically capable or can round up the help to assist. If you are the do-it-yourselfer, be sure to consider renting your moving truck during the 7th and the 22nd of the month and try to avoid weekends for the best rental rates and mileage rates. When reserving vehicles and the accessories that you may need to assist in moving, remember that sometimes equipment will not be available because someone else did not return it on time or the truck broke down. During the first of the month and on weekends, these events are more likely to occur.
If you are using movers or a moving service, be sure and check their references, ask for proof of insurance and search the Internet for reviews.
As the storage unit is being filled, those photos again become an important part of your record. You should always make a copy of your lists and photos, whether it is kept in your safe deposit box or on your cloud in the computer... a back up is always suggested.
When completing the rental agreement at the storage facility many will ask that you place your account on auto debit, which automatically charges your credit card or checking account each month. This is a great plan, but be sure that their software system can be accessed via the Internet to obtain copies of your rental receipt or that one will be emailed to you each month.
To sum it up... Plan ahead, list and photograph possessions, Rent a space large enough, Pack It Right and insure it through your agent or through insurance or warranty programs offered at the facility. Make sure that the amount offered is appropriate to cover any loss that you might encounter. If you are using homeowners or renters insurance, check with your agent that your policy specifically covers your belongings in storage or anywhere in the world. You have spent a life time collecting these items close and dear to the heart... pack them with care and respect.
I took my time in replying to her request, as I was sure of the amount of work that was going to go into this. So anyone that gets a bit of useful information from these instructions, you owe a thank you to my cousin.
The first step is to determine how much needs to be stored and begin determining how much space you will need. Nine times out of ten you will need more space than you originally estimate. Then start shopping for a storage facility that meets your needs and whose units rates fit into your budget. Search for facilities convenient to work, home, family etc. You want to look at how well the facility is maintained and the cleanliness of the facility. Ask who their pest control company is. How is the temperature in the space you are in... take into consideration current temperature, humidity and the amount of dust in the unit and how much dust will be coming in. Remember to inquire about lease conditions and rules. Some facility leases limit the value of items that can be placed in storage and require written permission to store a larger value. Many will also require that you insure or purchase a warranty program to cover the value of your possessions.
Preplan the way that you will be packing your storage unit using either a storage calculator or sketching it out. Depending on the time frame that you are working with, and the amount of items that you are storing, prepacking and stacking in the spare bedroom or garage is a good way to estimate the space you will need. Use good packing materials and don't skimp on the amount you use. If you are storing your precious belongings... pack to protect!
As you pack your boxes, take photos of precious items. (Digital cameras hold hundreds of shots) Wrap knick knacks in wrapping paper, and make a list of each item you place in the box. Number each box and place box number on the top of each list. Use packing paper, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap to fill in dead spaces in boxes to strengthen them. As you prepare your furniture for storage, again take photos from several angles, and list each piece going into storage. Use blankets to wrap furniture and secure with stretch wrap to hold the blanket in place without sticky residue. Stretch wrap is also great for securing drawers in place, protect sofas, protect mattresses and even secure those rugs that you rolled up.
There are several different type and sizes of boxes for various items. Small boxes should be used for heavy items such as books, canned goods and small kitchen appliances. Many dish and crystal kits are designed to fit in the small box. The Medium box is great for many of your basic household knick knacks, lamps and table statues. Large boxes should be utilized for those light bulky items from pillows and bedding to the cookie sheets and pots. Mirror boxes protect those precious paintings and mirrors when properly wrapped. The one box that I can never seem to get enough of for my wife, are wardrobe boxes. A 24 inch wardrobe box will comfortably accommodate about 18 to 20 inches of clothes as they hang in the closet. She has also learned to pack her shoes that are in shoe boxes, in the bottom of the wardrobe boxes that she is placing her blouses in.Again, DO NOT FORGET the photos and list!
When you are making arrangements for transporting your belongings to the storage facility, you have to decide whether you are physically capable or can round up the help to assist. If you are the do-it-yourselfer, be sure to consider renting your moving truck during the 7th and the 22nd of the month and try to avoid weekends for the best rental rates and mileage rates. When reserving vehicles and the accessories that you may need to assist in moving, remember that sometimes equipment will not be available because someone else did not return it on time or the truck broke down. During the first of the month and on weekends, these events are more likely to occur.
If you are using movers or a moving service, be sure and check their references, ask for proof of insurance and search the Internet for reviews.
As the storage unit is being filled, those photos again become an important part of your record. You should always make a copy of your lists and photos, whether it is kept in your safe deposit box or on your cloud in the computer... a back up is always suggested.
When completing the rental agreement at the storage facility many will ask that you place your account on auto debit, which automatically charges your credit card or checking account each month. This is a great plan, but be sure that their software system can be accessed via the Internet to obtain copies of your rental receipt or that one will be emailed to you each month.
To sum it up... Plan ahead, list and photograph possessions, Rent a space large enough, Pack It Right and insure it through your agent or through insurance or warranty programs offered at the facility. Make sure that the amount offered is appropriate to cover any loss that you might encounter. If you are using homeowners or renters insurance, check with your agent that your policy specifically covers your belongings in storage or anywhere in the world. You have spent a life time collecting these items close and dear to the heart... pack them with care and respect.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
How a Nickel Makes a Quarter...The Queens of Marketing Turn 100
This year represents the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America. This organization began back in 1912 to nurture independence and to hone skills of young women. It has flourished over the years and cookie sales are synonymous with the organization and has been a part of the groups program funding for almost as long as the organization has been in existence. The first mention of girls baking cookies with their mothers and selling as a service project occurred in 1917. In the early 1920's a Mrs. Neil published a recipe for a basic cookie that could be made for approximately a Nickel per dozen and could be sold for a Quarter per dozen.
The Girls over the years have continued to sell cookies to fund council and troop activities. They have learned to minimize the number of licensed bakers for quality assurance. (Currently two.) The cookie sales have also been a way for the girls to enhance their marketing and business skills. The council has utilized by accident or purpose some of the basics of standard marketing and sales. Have a product that is exceptional, control the quality, and use a smiling girl on the packaging... and to move the product. But most important, have a large enough profit built in to make it all worth while.
You may be asking what this has to do with Storage. In all aspects of marketing, you look at your ROI. (Return on Investment) A 500% ROI is impressive. The lesson here is that whatever marketing plan or path you pursue, keep it consistent and be sure to track your cost to determine your ROI and whether the program worth continuing.
I want to make sure that whatever marketing path you are following, that you remember some basics. First, the Most Important Aspect of any marketing plan is YOU! The success of any marketing program depends on how well you implement it. If you are not the front line manager, it will depend on how well you train them to implement the program. If one manager is not following the program or not offering part of the deal, it can harm your program quicker than anything else. Give the customer what you advertise.
Marketing is simply;
Follow this link to the Girl Scout Cookie History and a recipe for the basic Sugar Cookie .
The Girls over the years have continued to sell cookies to fund council and troop activities. They have learned to minimize the number of licensed bakers for quality assurance. (Currently two.) The cookie sales have also been a way for the girls to enhance their marketing and business skills. The council has utilized by accident or purpose some of the basics of standard marketing and sales. Have a product that is exceptional, control the quality, and use a smiling girl on the packaging... and to move the product. But most important, have a large enough profit built in to make it all worth while.
You may be asking what this has to do with Storage. In all aspects of marketing, you look at your ROI. (Return on Investment) A 500% ROI is impressive. The lesson here is that whatever marketing plan or path you pursue, keep it consistent and be sure to track your cost to determine your ROI and whether the program worth continuing.
I want to make sure that whatever marketing path you are following, that you remember some basics. First, the Most Important Aspect of any marketing plan is YOU! The success of any marketing program depends on how well you implement it. If you are not the front line manager, it will depend on how well you train them to implement the program. If one manager is not following the program or not offering part of the deal, it can harm your program quicker than anything else. Give the customer what you advertise.
Marketing is simply;
- Have Something Good to Say
- Saying It Well
- Saying It Often
Follow this link to the Girl Scout Cookie History and a recipe for the basic Sugar Cookie .
Saturday, March 31, 2012
How Customer Service and Marketing Go Hand in Hand
I spend a lot of time
traveling between stores, and I am always watching for the way other businesses
in all fields perform training, use marketing, implement marketing campaigns,
and in general operate to be successful. Traveling to Houston recently,I used a lot to park
in at Love
Airport called the “Parking
Spot”. I chose this particular company for the customer service provided
and the curb appeal of their facility among other factors. I took note that I
was waiting in a line that was moving efficiently with about 10 cars. The
facility next door had no line and attendants were slouching against the outside of
the ticket booth wall. Their curb appeal was not as nice, but they were running
a great deal. Upon entering the Parking Spot, I was greeted by a well groomed
smiling employee that welcomed me to the Parking Spot and offered me free water
and a morning USA Today along with the row number that had availability. Upon
parking and approaching the shuttle, the driver assisted with baggage and also handed
me a business card with my row number and spot number. The reason I mention
the co,petition is the funny little thing that happened on our return trip.
We were on the shuttle back to the lot from our return, and a block from the lot,
a gentleman with a tip ready in hand, approached the driver and explained that he
was not in the Parking Spot lot, but in the lot next door. They had not given him
anything with their name on it or used their name enough in the entry
presentation to remember it. All he could remember was he was next door to the
Parking Spot. He meekly asked the driver if he could drop him off next door. The driver graciously complied with his
request.
Remember, Keep Smiling... It is Contagious!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Proof is in the Pudding
This past summer, while the temperatures were climbing to over 100, Storage Wars Texas filmed at several of our locations. I watched closely as the filming took place, making sure that the sale followed the Texas lien law and all bidders had an opportunity to be part of the sale. All of the units were paid for by the person offering the highest bid. I also watched not only on the facility surveillance system and from around the corner as they were going through the units filming their finds and loading it in their vehicles. It sometimes took five takes to open the box or carry it to the truck. I was amazed at how REAL this reality TV show was.
Over the last six months, I have talked several times of my experience...and was pleased to say I was on Storage Wars Texas. Everyone I talked to wanted to know if it really was real. Did they really find those things in units? Well lets begin by saying that not every unit bought makes it to the screen. Some of the units bought have no story or monetary value and get cut. My standard answer was, "Well so far everything I have seen has been above board and Real. But as they say The Proof is in the Pudding. I would let them know when I see the final cut." Well tonight I saw the units that were shot at our facilities. Some of those units were not the prettiest, but the items that they showed coming out of the units, I personally saw. The Pudding I saw, was the Real Thing!
Making a living can be done by buying units and reselling the items, but you have to remember, only about 5-10% of the top units make it to TV screen. There are several units that turn a moderate profit and there is always a large amount of items in units that head straight for the dump...part of the key to success is truly knowing the value of what you are looking at.
Oh by the way, Victor, you owe me a drink for turning you onto John Redding.
Over the last six months, I have talked several times of my experience...and was pleased to say I was on Storage Wars Texas. Everyone I talked to wanted to know if it really was real. Did they really find those things in units? Well lets begin by saying that not every unit bought makes it to the screen. Some of the units bought have no story or monetary value and get cut. My standard answer was, "Well so far everything I have seen has been above board and Real. But as they say The Proof is in the Pudding. I would let them know when I see the final cut." Well tonight I saw the units that were shot at our facilities. Some of those units were not the prettiest, but the items that they showed coming out of the units, I personally saw. The Pudding I saw, was the Real Thing!
Making a living can be done by buying units and reselling the items, but you have to remember, only about 5-10% of the top units make it to TV screen. There are several units that turn a moderate profit and there is always a large amount of items in units that head straight for the dump...part of the key to success is truly knowing the value of what you are looking at.
Oh by the way, Victor, you owe me a drink for turning you onto John Redding.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Trust--The reason they rent
Shopping for self storage takes place in a variety of ways. From looking for facilities on the Internet and yellow pages to driving by the facility on a daily basis. No matter how a customer finds the facility, the top five answers for picking the facility are:
5. Brand Recognition
4. Curb Appeal
3. Price
2. Location
# 1. They Trusted the person they were dealing with.
There are several aspects of trust that a customer looks for from a Self Storage Manager. A customer gets a first impression in the first 6 seconds of meeting a facility representative. A well groomed, smiling and pleasant employee begins the foundation of a customer's trust. The organization and appearance of a Manager's office is an extension of that manager, and a major factor in that first impression. As a potential tenant talks to a manager, their knowledge of their facility, product and industry continues to build the future tenant's confidence to trust this person's advice. The manager should also be well versed in all aspects of your marketing programs to insure the proper implementation of the offer. It also requires them to stay current with all offers on various web sites as well as any other advertising sources.
Once that trust is earned by one customer, it can easily be transferred to another through word of mouth referrals. This is also one of the best ROI you can hope for.
Hire smart, using tools such as etest.net to help in evaluating manager prospects. Do that background check along with a multi level hiring process to get more than one opinion on the candidate. After that perfect candidate is found, spend the time to properly train them on all aspects of renting storage, along with each marketing program. Their knowledge creates the trust that makes the rental.
5. Brand Recognition
4. Curb Appeal
3. Price
2. Location
# 1. They Trusted the person they were dealing with.
There are several aspects of trust that a customer looks for from a Self Storage Manager. A customer gets a first impression in the first 6 seconds of meeting a facility representative. A well groomed, smiling and pleasant employee begins the foundation of a customer's trust. The organization and appearance of a Manager's office is an extension of that manager, and a major factor in that first impression. As a potential tenant talks to a manager, their knowledge of their facility, product and industry continues to build the future tenant's confidence to trust this person's advice. The manager should also be well versed in all aspects of your marketing programs to insure the proper implementation of the offer. It also requires them to stay current with all offers on various web sites as well as any other advertising sources.
Once that trust is earned by one customer, it can easily be transferred to another through word of mouth referrals. This is also one of the best ROI you can hope for.
Hire smart, using tools such as etest.net to help in evaluating manager prospects. Do that background check along with a multi level hiring process to get more than one opinion on the candidate. After that perfect candidate is found, spend the time to properly train them on all aspects of renting storage, along with each marketing program. Their knowledge creates the trust that makes the rental.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Smart Business, Smart Site, SmartPhones!
I consider myself technologically informed, but will admit that I am a dinosaur running as fast as I can to stay educated with the ways of the future. Tomorrow is already so 45 seconds ago. Twenty Five years ago, I was one of the first in my circle of friends to have a home computer with Windows. Then, I was in the groove carrying the newest technology made affordable to the general public known as "the cell phone." What a deal... $1 a minute and a phone that was the size of a brick... which over a very short period of time transformed into smaller, more convenient devices with packaged minutes at even better rates. At the same time, computer technology continued to develop and the laptop and air card became my best friend, giving me the unbelievable freedom to mix work and pleasure in a new fashion.
Then, the Apple IPhone came out and not being a MAC fanatic, my general thought was "so what, I have my Blackberry." That was until about 3 weeks after their release and a friend of mine was playing with his at a Self Storage Show. He handed it to me to show me the ease of it's operation and I immediately fell in LOVE. I went out and purchased one for my work phone. The addiction was cemented the first time I dropped and broke the screen on my phone. I found myself driving an hour out of my way to get to a store to replace my phone. The ease of access to the Internet and web based operating systems has made managing several properties possible on the go.
In using my phone on a daily basis, I have learned to Facebook, Twitter, get property reports, fix customer payment problems, search for hotels, make plane reservations, use as GPS, send pictures to the IT guy, text the son, and let's not forget staying in touch with the wife. That is the way my day starts before I even start talking to people. I find myself continually getting further away from my standard laptop and even Ipad due to the continued advancements being made for the "SmartPhones". Still, I'm waiting for my son to show me the app that will allow me to print from my IPhone to several different printers, and I will be thrilled.
I think I'm advanced until I get together with the family and the 10 and 12 year old relatives have their own "SmartPhones" with more apps than I want and the ability to host their own Hot Spots. I then realize the continued growth of Internet usage on these devices will be how the next generation will be making purchasing decisions and will be obtaining their information. Then, I also realize that the Facebook posting from my elderly aunt is being done via her IPhone. During a FaceTime conversation, she let me know that she does all of her banking and bill paying on the Internet using her phone.
The latest numbers I saw concerning SmartPhone Internet usage are as follows: 1 in 3 mobile Internet searches are local. After looking up a site on a SmartPhone, 61% call a telephone number and 59% visit the location. In a recent conference call, one of the Self Storage REIT's disclosed that in the last 6 months, their mobile searches have gone from 8% of their traffic to 17% of their internet traffic and that mobile searches result in calls from 60-65% of mobile searches in comparison to 18-20% from standard internet searches.
The other thing that I noticed is what pages attracted the women in the family. They still account for 60 to 70% of purchasing decisions in the home. The ability to access a site quickly, with the information such as coupon, prices, telephone number, and map were the top five items that kept them on a page. Websites that had white backgrounds and sharp distinct colors grabbed their attention. Having "call to action" verbiage and easy manueverability to find information is what keeps them from bouncing off of a page.
Keeping your website up to date and able to load fast to mobile applications will continue to be the direction of technology development. As you update your site, look at your competitors and compare how they load to mobile devices. Does what you have on the landing page have the content to make you want to stay or explore? If you really want to know what works find 5 to 10 young ladies between the ages of 16 and 30 with their SmartPhones. Give them the list of competitors sites and ask them what they liked and disliked about each site. The answers might surprise you!
Then, the Apple IPhone came out and not being a MAC fanatic, my general thought was "so what, I have my Blackberry." That was until about 3 weeks after their release and a friend of mine was playing with his at a Self Storage Show. He handed it to me to show me the ease of it's operation and I immediately fell in LOVE. I went out and purchased one for my work phone. The addiction was cemented the first time I dropped and broke the screen on my phone. I found myself driving an hour out of my way to get to a store to replace my phone. The ease of access to the Internet and web based operating systems has made managing several properties possible on the go.
In using my phone on a daily basis, I have learned to Facebook, Twitter, get property reports, fix customer payment problems, search for hotels, make plane reservations, use as GPS, send pictures to the IT guy, text the son, and let's not forget staying in touch with the wife. That is the way my day starts before I even start talking to people. I find myself continually getting further away from my standard laptop and even Ipad due to the continued advancements being made for the "SmartPhones". Still, I'm waiting for my son to show me the app that will allow me to print from my IPhone to several different printers, and I will be thrilled.
I think I'm advanced until I get together with the family and the 10 and 12 year old relatives have their own "SmartPhones" with more apps than I want and the ability to host their own Hot Spots. I then realize the continued growth of Internet usage on these devices will be how the next generation will be making purchasing decisions and will be obtaining their information. Then, I also realize that the Facebook posting from my elderly aunt is being done via her IPhone. During a FaceTime conversation, she let me know that she does all of her banking and bill paying on the Internet using her phone.
The latest numbers I saw concerning SmartPhone Internet usage are as follows: 1 in 3 mobile Internet searches are local. After looking up a site on a SmartPhone, 61% call a telephone number and 59% visit the location. In a recent conference call, one of the Self Storage REIT's disclosed that in the last 6 months, their mobile searches have gone from 8% of their traffic to 17% of their internet traffic and that mobile searches result in calls from 60-65% of mobile searches in comparison to 18-20% from standard internet searches.
The other thing that I noticed is what pages attracted the women in the family. They still account for 60 to 70% of purchasing decisions in the home. The ability to access a site quickly, with the information such as coupon, prices, telephone number, and map were the top five items that kept them on a page. Websites that had white backgrounds and sharp distinct colors grabbed their attention. Having "call to action" verbiage and easy manueverability to find information is what keeps them from bouncing off of a page.
Keeping your website up to date and able to load fast to mobile applications will continue to be the direction of technology development. As you update your site, look at your competitors and compare how they load to mobile devices. Does what you have on the landing page have the content to make you want to stay or explore? If you really want to know what works find 5 to 10 young ladies between the ages of 16 and 30 with their SmartPhones. Give them the list of competitors sites and ask them what they liked and disliked about each site. The answers might surprise you!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Aggregators: A place in Self Storage?
Over the last month there has been an attack on Self Storage Aggregators. They have been attacked on how they have dominated front page listings on Internet services, fees charged, maps claimed and how they are competing against the same industry that they are claiming to be helping. There are a variety of business plans out there that are lumped into this one category. There are those that list on a closest distance from center of zip codes, radiating out, for a set monthly amount. Some pay per lead sites are managed by REIT's that have found independent facilities to join their network in a market area that they do not have Corporate facilities to cover, but know the value of assisting a customer. There are affiliate programs that are focused on being able to give 1st or 2nd page presence to small operators that are driven from the those pages by the dominance of the REIT's in major markets. There are also the pay per reservation or rental sites, that offer various buy up opportunities.
These aggregators are being compared to those in the hotel and airline industry. The hotel industry can sometimes be compared to the Self Storage industry due to the number of individual property owners seeking to drive traffic through their front doors. There is a fine line owners and managers must balance when it comes to marketing, discounts and promotions in either industry to fill space. At the same time you must take various local factors into consideration along with management of street rates.
Aggregators gained their foothold in our industry during a time when growth of facilities was at it's highest point and the economy threw a curve to the nation with the worst recession we have seen since the 1930's. These vendors offered advice in a growing technology and the fastest growing marketing medium in history, known as the Internet. They have the strongest presence in the larger market areas where small and middle size operators with limited budgets are battling the REIT's who are spending millions of dollars monthly on Internet advertisement along with Internet marketing and SEO research. It is difficult for the small operator to battle the advertisement dollar of a REIT that buys ad space with their web link under an independent's name and address on the independent's facility map flag on Google Maps.
If you are looking at a number of units that are vacant and want to use the technology of showing your street rate and a special Internet rate, there are those aggregators that charge a fee per reservation and can help with placement through a varying rate scale, along with charges for various unit sizes. You have to look at the average ROI per customer and the related costs to determine if this is an option for you.
There are basically two types of customers that you obtain using the aggregators. The first is the lazy Internet user that is looking for several quick choices in his general vicinity. The second is the customer that is looking for that Deal.
The bottom line is that the operator is still setting what they will accept for an empty space. An operator's success or failure on any Internet site is whether they keep the information current as well as being open to publicly publishing prices. Make that "Call To Action" easy with a telephone number that will be answered by a manager that professionally obtains and disseminates the proper and necessary information.
I have used aggregators in the past for travel and have learned that dealing with hotels directly will usually give me the same if not a better price. When there is a problem it is easier to deal directly with the organization you are having a problem with, than with a 3rd party. I personally book direct to earn the vendor points as well as an escalated amount of customer service.
There are several sides to every issue and I guarantee there is not one answer that is 100% correct. The best answer is get educated, learn as much as you can and everything about the Internet you can, and then continue soaking it in. Secondly, you must consider the marketing dollar, advertising dollar and Internet investment dollar you have to spend, and then use what you have to be the most beneficial to your organization. What you do Today will be different from what works Tomorrow... be versatile and open to change. Our customer's renting habits along with the way they find us, changes daily...
Aggregators: A place in Self Storage ?
Maybe you should be asking; Is my web site Smart Phone friendly?
These aggregators are being compared to those in the hotel and airline industry. The hotel industry can sometimes be compared to the Self Storage industry due to the number of individual property owners seeking to drive traffic through their front doors. There is a fine line owners and managers must balance when it comes to marketing, discounts and promotions in either industry to fill space. At the same time you must take various local factors into consideration along with management of street rates.
Aggregators gained their foothold in our industry during a time when growth of facilities was at it's highest point and the economy threw a curve to the nation with the worst recession we have seen since the 1930's. These vendors offered advice in a growing technology and the fastest growing marketing medium in history, known as the Internet. They have the strongest presence in the larger market areas where small and middle size operators with limited budgets are battling the REIT's who are spending millions of dollars monthly on Internet advertisement along with Internet marketing and SEO research. It is difficult for the small operator to battle the advertisement dollar of a REIT that buys ad space with their web link under an independent's name and address on the independent's facility map flag on Google Maps.
The first thing I will say is that the large and the small facility owners should have a web presence if they want to continue to increase the value of their investment. With that said, you must also be willing to invest the time and money required to manage it's success. Right now you should already have a Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn page and Google+ account. Use these sights to help stay current on your industry and research others that operate in a similar manner. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to the game. "How do you make the most of it?" is the million dollar question, as Google continually changes the way it looks at relevance. As an example in late 2011 there was a large push on getting reviews on various sites that offered postings as Google was extracting reviews from various 3rd party review sites. Google has since stopped extracting reviews from other sites for relevance... which encourages the smart owner to be educating his team on how to send their clients to the Google review pages, sign in, and leave that desired review and rating... Realize that just building a web page "Does Not" guarantee they will come. It takes continual updating to keep your site relevant through various strategies including link building, bounce rates, relevance ratings on Google analytics, to the proper key words for SEO. It is a lot of work and then only the beginning.
Some of the operators trying to compete in major market places, have a limited number of units and a limited budget for Marketing and Internet optimization. The cost and effectiveness of web hosting varies immensely from flat rates to build the site starting anywhere from $1000 and up, plus a monthly maintenance and optimization fee that can start at $100 and up. That is where one form or another of the aggregators are helpful. Some aggregators offer flat fee services that offer a landing or place page for a facility and some even offer administration rights to edit rates, units and various descriptions. If you are looking at a number of units that are vacant and want to use the technology of showing your street rate and a special Internet rate, there are those aggregators that charge a fee per reservation and can help with placement through a varying rate scale, along with charges for various unit sizes. You have to look at the average ROI per customer and the related costs to determine if this is an option for you.
There are basically two types of customers that you obtain using the aggregators. The first is the lazy Internet user that is looking for several quick choices in his general vicinity. The second is the customer that is looking for that Deal.
The bottom line is that the operator is still setting what they will accept for an empty space. An operator's success or failure on any Internet site is whether they keep the information current as well as being open to publicly publishing prices. Make that "Call To Action" easy with a telephone number that will be answered by a manager that professionally obtains and disseminates the proper and necessary information.
I have used aggregators in the past for travel and have learned that dealing with hotels directly will usually give me the same if not a better price. When there is a problem it is easier to deal directly with the organization you are having a problem with, than with a 3rd party. I personally book direct to earn the vendor points as well as an escalated amount of customer service.
There are several sides to every issue and I guarantee there is not one answer that is 100% correct. The best answer is get educated, learn as much as you can and everything about the Internet you can, and then continue soaking it in. Secondly, you must consider the marketing dollar, advertising dollar and Internet investment dollar you have to spend, and then use what you have to be the most beneficial to your organization. What you do Today will be different from what works Tomorrow... be versatile and open to change. Our customer's renting habits along with the way they find us, changes daily...
Aggregators: A place in Self Storage ?
Maybe you should be asking; Is my web site Smart Phone friendly?
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