The 3 C's of Appeal that will Draw More Customers

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!