Why don’t most self storage implement a marketing plans? Simple it takes a lot of self storage marketing experience, time and money just to develop a marketing and even harder to get your staff to implement. This is great news for Storage Authority Franchise owners because not only do we know what works, you will have your sales and marketing plan ready day one but even more important is we have the secret sauce of how to implement a successful marketing plan.
The Storage Authority Marketing & Sales Advantage for Higher Profits!
We Bring the Ritz Carlton Experience to the Self-Storage Industry!
Simply put Storage Authority Platforms & Systems makes for happy customers and allows Storage Authority Franchise owners to charge premium rates for higher profits. Storage Authority Franchises are the market price leaders, often renting up much faster at rental rates higher than their competition.
Overview
Sales and Marketing is 50% the environment and 50% people driven. Storage Authority Franchise owners start with the next generation facilities designs and the platforms, systems, tools, training, manuals and a detailed facility-specific marketing plan. The Storage Authority Manager driven system is backed up by both the franchise owner and Storage Authority experts available 24/7. Storage Authority has replaced the losing one-month free marketing strategy (which costs a facility over $50,000/yr. in profits) with “it just feels right” feeling, sales and marketing.
The Storage Authority over the top sales, marketing and customer service philosophy is shared in detail with every potential franchise to confirm they believe in our marketing strategies and plans and are ready to embrace them before they are approved.
Manager Training & Marketing:
Managers are hired for their friendly personality, and sales and marketing abilities and are taught the Storage Authority sales and marketing. Some examples items managers learn starting day one:
The Storage Authority standards and systems must be followed. Storage Authority is available to help and will do regular inspections and checks to help each manager and owner succeed.
Individual facility Unique Selling Features.
What makes us different.
With every feature a benefit must be provided and often an action. Never “we have 10 sizes” but rather “we have over 10 sizes so you only pay for the space you need. Let’s go take a look at a couple of units and find the right size for you.”
We are not in the self-storage business but rather in the business of being remarkable, wowing our customers and providing over the top customer service. Storage Authority managers are trained how to be exceptional without giving discounts.
Customers are looking to solve a specific need or problem. Storage Authority managers learn how to determine their needs, so we can rent more units.
Renting units at a premium price is about building trust.
We are the experts: We quickly assess the unit size range a customer needs and show them a unit.
People enjoy doing business with people they like and trust. Storage Authority takes every opportunity to provide the “it just feels right” feeling for more premium rentals.
Self-storage typically has a three-mile radius customer base. Storage Authority uses state of the art Geo Centric Target Marketing for 3 Mile Domination. (And maximum results for the least amount of time & money).
Storage Authority managers have detailed scripts they must learn and adhere to including the following scripts:
Walk in Script: Introduction: shake hands – name – show a unit – confirm a unit -ask for sale (one extra rental per week = $93,600 in profits a year)
Overcoming concerns & asking for the rental again script
Phone rental script.
Completing the rental agreement script.
May I have your number (to follow up) script.
Follow up script
Autopay script – for an easy extra $30,000 a year profits and more time.
Insurance script
Disc Lock script for a safer facility and more profits
Box & product script
Thank you, script
Rate Script ($15/month average higher rent for 500 units = $90,000 in profits a year.)
Before & after hours kiosk & website have their own scripts as well (one extra kiosk/website rental per week = $93,600 in profits a year)
Storage Authority managers have a list of daily, weekly & monthly marketing duties they must adhere to that is completed because they are completed regular they become a habit. Examples:
Daily
Walk site twice daily for security and ensure the facility is super clean.
Contact at least five customers a day.
Call at least one business a day to introduce Storage
Follow up daily with past prospects.
Walk the site daily – check units & facility super clean.
Social network posting.
Ask for referrals.
Ask for online reviews.
Sandwich board & banners out at street side daily.
Constantly remind the customer on every contact they are special by providing the little things that count –Example: free soda or bottled water carried out to them at their unit on a hot day.
Carry customer products to their car.
Visit renters on site.
Provide over the top remarkable service.
Candy bowl overflowing.
Offer free use of our “commercial car wash” vacuum.
Surprise their customers.
Weekly
Visit local business 2 hours every week (10 businesses a week)
Weekly marketing project – often co-marketing projects with local businesses.
101 weekly marketing projects are provided in Storage Authority Founders Marc Goodin best-selling self-storage book CRUSH your Competition
Facebook Friday special.
Monthly
Improve drive-by impressions
Visit top 40 business monthly
Volunteer 4 hours a month on company time.
Each month meet, email, mail a different major customer resources such as real estate agents, funeral homes, town hall, police dept., car dealers, universities, attorneys ect. and teach them how and why to refer to Storage Authority self-storage.
Monthly Marketing project.
Monthly marketing calendar used for month specific marketing for example:
Visit, email, and mail in October for winter vehicle storage
Pumpkin giveaway in October
College Campus marketing in March
High School car was in May
Free hot dog & Hamburg lunch cookout 3 times a year
Plant flowers in spring
Holiday marketing
Quarterly
Special Marketing projects and new marketing projects.
Storage Authority New Generation Facilities
Minimal lighting replaced with brilliant LED lighting.
Keypad entry replaced with cell phone app entry with geo-fence.
Multiple ways to rent & pay including high-tech kiosk at every facility.
Management program, security, gates & cameras all are cloud-based to detect problems & resolve immediately, even from off-site.
Over the top landscaping provided to provide the “just feels right feeling” as a customer drives in.
Free use of exterior “commercial Vehicle vacuum for clients.
Large professionally design monument & building signs. Rent 24/7 Here kiosk signs.
Customer Coffee bar. Free coffee, bottles of water and soda.
A Remarkable oversized retail office that provides that “just feels right” feeling.
Remarkable landscaping.
Free Wi-Fi for our customers.
Additional or specialty services such as wine cellar, power for car storage or pharmaceutical reps, extra secure fire rated rooms, handicap rooms.
Storage Authority New Generation Service:
Our motto: shake hands, call them by name 3 times and ask for the rental 3 times.
Great customer service replaced with over the top remarkable service.
The best guarantee in the business.
Clean, replaced with spotless and beautiful.
Staff empowered with solutions to solve problems immediately.
Staff provided the resources, so they can do a better job and get more done in a day.
Staff regularly secrete shopped to confirm Storage Authority Standards are met.
The Staff has uniforms and dress codes for a professional appearance every day.
The Site is walked two times a day to keep spotless and lock checks. (renters sometimes lock unit open)
Every customer is treated like a Million dollars on every touch.
Bringing the Ritz Carlton experience to the self-storage industry.
We understand customers are looking to rent and we make it easy for them to do so on the first visit or phone call. And if they do not we will call them back in 1-3 days.
Storage Authority provides:
Geo centric market.
24/7 Marketing & Sales hotline to assist franchisees.
Systems and platforms to be professional starting day one.
Marketing materials and sample marketing letters for different groups.
Marketing & Sales start-up training and ongoing training.
State of the art website and SEO.
Operations & marketing manuals.
Storage Authority has multiple vendors on board to provide the best customer service including movers, valet service, tenant insurance providers, merchant providers and more.
Storage Authority is constantly reviewing options from the self-storage industry, other industries, and our franchisees to provide more options and systems to gain additional renters at premium pricing and to better serve our customers.
National brand marketing.
Storage Authority New Generation Marketing
Both High Touch & High-Tech Marketing.
Social marketing daily on Facebook and other social networks.
PPC marketing-lease up accelerated.
Online rentals and reservations.
Rent here 24/7 Kiosks.
Every renter given the opportunity to make $30 and give $30 to a friend with our referral marketing.
$17.95 locks on sale for $12.99 means every customer buys a lock.
Autopay with 90% penetration.
Paperless contracts/receipts for customers who want email copies
Phone rental calls automatically recorded to management software for swift follow up.
Text marketing & payment collections directly from management software.
Employees empowered to help drive business.
Employees are educated on networking for profits.
Free Rental truck for new renters.
Seasonal marketing: festivals, holidays, winter car storage, campgrounds, college students, etc.
Special marketing promotions with local realtors since they represent the highest proportion of self-storage tenants, someone moving.
Phones answered by on-site manager 1st (most knowledgeable) then rolled over to call center.
Manager is the highest common denominator (vs the lowest for the REITs) for the closing the rental. Starts with the on-site manager answering the phone vs an out of town call center.
Storage Authority employees are kept active and engaged with a purpose to help them drive better results.
Owners are part of the local community and a large part of the sales and marketing team
Home-town self-storage creating a value to the community & local businesses
Cross marketing and promoting fellow businesses in three-mile radius
Storage Authority Value coupon envelope for every customer who takes site tour. Envelope is filled with local businesses discounts to promote community relationships & compound referrals.
Welcome cards and emails with referral bonus on move in’s and thank cards and emails with future discounts when our service is needed again on move out’s.
Storage Authority -Target Marketing Partners:
Moving Companies, Truck Rentals (that don’t provide self-storage) & Senior Move Managers –
Co-operative marketing and referral partnerships opportunities
Real Estate – Realtors / tittle companies / mortgage/ Home Inspectors / Staging / Designers
Great for cross-marketing
Apartments / Condo HOA’s –
For their move-in Packages – Self Storage Rack Cards with a coupon for move in packets, helps leasing consultants overcome an objection of downsizing to an apartment.
Senior Communities – 55+ Mobile Homes / Assisted Living & Independent Living
Do they do move in Packages? Resource Center?
Senior Care Providers – like home health care services. Cluttered homes are a safety hazard and they can recommend storage is they don’t want to part with the items.
Child Centers – Daycare /After School/ Recreational like ballet, karate, sports: – Families need storage
Restoration Companies/Disaster/Construction Companies – Emergency cleanup and store items able to salvage while the home is being restored.
Pharmaceutical Reps—They will target climate control units that are central to their distribution location, that will receive packages for them and store their sample drug inventory, marketing materials, and literature.
Insurance Companies –
Auto/Boat/RV – (their clients may need a place to store these) Homeowners – Buying/Selling – they call their insurance provider – may need temp storage or downsizing.
Bankers and Attorneys—They are a perfect source for referrals and often need your self-storage services for time-sensitive record keeping complying with their industry regulations.
Schools – Public & Private / Elementary – High – Families & Faculty need storage
What marketing opportunities with local school to participate in.
Teachers – Teacher Lockers to store supplies during the summer and keep home clutter free.
Colleges – Focus April & August – Student Flyer – Students use storage between summer semesters. Lockers during the school year to keep personal items locked up.
Funeral Homes/ Crematoriums
Families need quick storage to clear out the house for sale, time to grieve and then go through stuff and decide to keep or give away.
Local Businesses / Restaurants / Dr. Offices / Retail / Thrift Stores – store extra inventory, business records, catering supplies
Laundromat, pizza places, etc. Look to see if they have community boards, place to put our display – Get lots of traffic.
Home-based businesses – HVAC/Sales/Accountants/etc. – We accept package and deliveries, store inventory, equipment, business records.