Get good at follow-up. Even these kids know more rebounds mean more points.
My store managers are finding that more prospective customers than ever are interested in shopping around. Are you experiencing the same thing? Does that mean our store managers are doing a poor job at selling?
I don’t think so. It just means that our store managers need to be expert at a part of the sales process that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.
It’s time to get good (really, really good) at follow up.
Effective follow up allows you to capture those renters who are shopping around because it allows you to re-insert yourself into the buying process.
There is a gap between when the customer calls or visits and when they fill out the rental paperwork somewhere and make a firm commitment to rent. You need to find a way into that gap.
When done poorly this comes off as pushy or annoying. You know you’ve done it right when you are able to reconnect with the prospect and they welcome your call or email. You’ve done it right when they perceive your attempts at follow up as caring and helpful. That’s what you would like, isn’t it?
Effective follow up allows you to stay connected with the prospective customers who don’t reserve a unit at your facility because their need for storage is a week or two weeks or a month away. They are calling around well in advance and scoping out the landscape.
Your competitors are hoping they call back when they are ready, but you are more proactive. You stay in touch. You go out of your way to be helpful. You build rapport.
You win.
Effective follow up helps you get more people to show up on Saturday. You know, the ones who say, Ok, sounds great, I’ll see you on Saturday (and then don’t show up).
Yeah, those guys.
Are you connecting with them between the initial call and the appointment? If you do it right, you will have more renters and fewer no shows.
Follow up is under-rated. It is one of the most powerful skills a property manager can possess because it is useful in every selling situation, even the successful ones that end up with a reservation or an appointment to come to your property.
What parts of the follow up process do you find most challenging? What successes have you had? Let me know in the comments.
This is the first in a series of four posts (at least for now) in a series about follow up.
The second post in the series: Warning: Your Offer To Beat Competitor’s Prices May Not Be Working walks you through why offering to meet or beat your competitors prices and move in specials is usually misused and often doesn’t work.
Up third, I outline how you can use effective follow up to get higher prices for your storage units and/or discount less. I titled the post A Simple And Honest Tactic For Getting Higher Prices. I think you’ll like it.
The fourth post is an Interview I did with Marc Smith, a professional sales guy and friend. He sheds some wonderful perspective on follow up and answers, among other things, How to Follow Up Without Being Annoying.
Photo Credit: luzer
