Speaking of Sales: Breaking the Rules
I knew it was going to happen. It was Christmas Eve, and I went into the office to get caught up. Something also told me we’d be getting a call (or several) from a client facility, where there’d be an anxious renter facing a lockout situation. It happens frequently: Someone ...More
March 1, 2008 Tron Jordheim
Posted in Articles
Manager's Memo: Service Starts at the Signature
As managers, we’re always focused on drawing customers to our business to rent units. We obsess about marketing strategies to lure potential customers to pick up the phone and call; we practice our phone skills to sound personable and trustworthy; and we go to great lengths ...More
March 1, 2008 Mel Holsinger
Posted in Articles
Manager's Memo: Resolutions Reap Rewards
It’s impossible to believe, but we are now in 2008. Need some help making resolutions to set the tone for a successful and rewarding year? Read on for tips to get your facility off to a great start. R = Responsive Operators need to be more responsive to customers. Overall, ...More
January 2, 2008 Mel Holsinger
Posted in Articles,
Management
Overcoming Obstacles to Training
Staff training is becoming increasingly vital for self-storage operations. As competitive pressures rise and the power of the rent increase slackens, many storage companies will look to better training as a tool for improving revenue and profit. Itused to be you could ...More
November 9, 2007 Tron Jordheim
Posted in Articles
Learning to Sell Self-Storage
The self-storage industry has boomed over the past several years. As competition escalates and facilities adopt the same features and benefits, it’s critical for owners and managers to focus on the basics of phone and face-to-face sales. Selling is a creative process, more ...More
November 9, 2007 Brian Byrd
Posted in Articles
Special Operations: Training Never Rests
It would be nice to see more consistency in the area of self-storage training. It seems we’re programmed to train only when performance is down, making us more reactive than proactive. If we look at staff development as more of an investment than an expense, it can ...More
November 9, 2007 Brad North
Posted in Articles
Staff Compensation
A topic that frequently comes up in conversations with self-storage owners and operators is staff compensation and incentive programs. Everyone is looking for the “norm” in these areas, but it seems as though there isn’t one. Compensation ranges from sparse to extravagant ...More
November 9, 2007 Linnea Appleby
Posted in Articles,
Management
Conducting a Successful Staff Interview
Recruiting plays a huge part in any organization’s overall success. It starts with the company’s people, and finding the right ones can and will be difficult. That’s why it’s essential to have a clear direction when beginning the hiring process. An organization must have ...More
November 9, 2007 Kristin Hilton
Posted in Articles
Incentives and Bonus Plans
As competition escalates in every market, putting pressure on facility operators to improve performance, it becomes increasingly important to ensure your managers are at the top of their game at all times. Knowing they will usually perform better when given incentive to do ...More
November 9, 2007 Mel Holsinger
Posted in Articles
The Ideal Manager?
Who is the ideal self-storage manager? The answer to this question is complex, depending on many facility-specific factors: job duties, the demographics of the customer base, the personalities of the rest of the team, etc. It’s a highly subjective, debatable subject, and ...More
November 9, 2007 Cheryl Kelley
Posted in Articles
