Never overlook sales opportunities. How do you turn every inquiry into sales while satisfying customers needs? When someone calls to rent a storage unit for Christmas decorations, he may not be thinking about where hell be storing the boat hes about to buyso ask. Sometimes, all it just takes is the power of suggestion to flag other items that should be on a tenants storage list.

Other folks may come to your facility specifically looking for a place to store their RVs or boats. Why not sell them secure storage as well as some ancillariesthings they need and eventually would buy elsewhere? If your office offers trailer hitches, locks, batteries and flashlights, you save customers time, and create another revenue generator for your business. Selling takes four simple steps:

1. Create rapport. If you share a smile, chuckle or common experience with a customer, you are developing rapport ... and it goes a long way. It prompts the person to open up and talk to you as a friend or acquaintance. Theres no underestimating the value of a shared smile. Make sure to converse with all your prospects and customers.

2. Ask questions. Key questions help the prospect think through the situation and evaluate his needs. Asking about important considerations will draw his attention to items he may have missed. Do you have a lock for your hitch so you can leave your boat and trailer unattended? Have you checked the batteries in your flashlight? Did you remember to pack insect repellent?

3. Guide decisions. After raising questions about key considerations for your prospect, ask your customer what he thinks. Review the decision. Then move on to the next decision. Does he want covered parking or inside parking? Does he want you to handle the maintenance, or will he handle that himself? Does he want to have 24-hour access, or just entry during regular business hours? You get the picture. Help decisions along.

4. Ask for the sale. Dont spend time educating a potential customer then let him go down the street to do business with someone else. Make sure you ask for the business.

The Request

When asking for the sale, a good approach is to create a sense of urgency. Its always best for a customer to make a decision while talking to you. If he doesnt, he may get distracted, take on another project, spend money on something else or shop at another time, elsewhere.

Create urgency by letting him know space is limited and availability is fleeting. Tell him units rent quickly, so its best to reserve now. If his vehicle requires service, it should be scheduled at this moment, because your staff gets busy and convenient appointments are not guaranteed. Remind him youd hate to disappoint him later if there are no vacant units or available service appointments before his Thanksgiving excursion.

Finally, close the deal. Get a yes and a time frame for fulfillment. You cant close a deal by saying, Thanks for calling. We hope to see you soon. Ask a confirming question, and write the action on the calendar. You ask, Will Monday be good, or will Tuesday be better? The customer says, Tuesday is good. You both write it in for Tuesday.

Art of the Close

Nailing the close is the most important and, for many people, difficult part of making a sale. Dont be intimidated; sealing a deal isnt that hard. Below are some examples of classic closes with a few scripted phrases. See which work best for you:

Listen Closely

Sharp listening skills help you succeed at every step of becoming a sales wizard. Paying attention may be a challenge when youre busy or its your 15th time answering the same question about fuel filters in a day. Bite your lip, hold your tongue. Allow people to finish their sentences.

Heres a valuable tip to hone your listening skills: Paraphrase what your customer says. Repeat it for clarification. If he says it once, it might have been just a thought. If you repeat his words and he confirms, then its fact. This leads to a solid sale. Say something like, If I understand you correctly, then ...or So, if I hear you right ....

If you follow these tips and practice your selling skills, before long youll be selling boat/RV storage and numerous ancillary items to everyone who steps into your office. 

Tron Jordheim is the director of PhoneSmart, an off-site sales force that helps storage owners rent to more people through its call center, secret-shopping service, sales-training programs and Want2Store.com facility locator. You can read what he is up to at www.selfstorageblog.com. For more information, e-mail [email protected].