Don’t Stop Selling
One way to sell more is to simply keep selling. Most self storage managers think the sales process has only two pieces, the storage space, and everything else, and so they stop selling too soon. The trick is to keep selling, i.e. moving from sale to sale, as long as the customer will let you or until you run out of things to sell.
A Retail Example
Let me illustrate with an example from another retail business.
Imagine yourself walking from you car and through the automatic sliding doors of your favorite department store to shop for a suit. After the sales clerk measures you to see what size jacket and pants you need and discusses your preferences, he goes to the rack and pulls some suits that he thinks will work. You shop until, fast forward, you have selected a suit and you’ve had it pinned and marked so that it can be tailored to a proper fit.
You came in looking for a suit, and the menswear salesman helped you find one. Boom, done. So, does the sales clerk walk you to the register to check out?
No.
Instead he walks you to the shoes and picks a pair that will complement the new suit. If you say yes, he just increased your order by 15-20%.
But what if you said no? It doesn’t matter, he still walks you to the shirts and helps you pick a nice pinpoint oxford or two, adding another 5% to the sale.
So, now we done, right?
Of course not. The sales clerk now shows you a selection of ties that will go nicely with the shirt and the suit, and takes the time to explain why the colors and patterns work in this ensemble of clothes.
Ok, great so now we are off to the checkout.
Not so fast. If you are going to invest in looking top notch with your new suit and shoes, you might as well complete the outfit with a new belt to match. So he shows you a few of his best selling dress belt. (Remember, Best Selling = Social Proof = More Persuasive).
And on and on the process goes. (I’ve even had guys try to sell me additional collar-stays and packets of spot remover wipes for my new tie once we finally made it to the register).
Expand Your Self Storage Sales Process
The best sales people have a process that helps them sell everything they have to offer. Looking back to the menswear example, if the salesman is any good he takes his customers through the same steps every time.
When you think about everything you have to sell: a storage unit, auto-billing, storage insurance, locks, standard boxes, wardrobe boxes, dish pack boxes, mattress covers. Then, of course, they need that plastic wrap stuff, and some bubble wrap to keep their stuff safe and secure. Finally, they need some tape to seal it all up. You try to sell a second unit (maybe a 5×5 as an add-on for a discount). You ask for referrals. Put it all together (along with whatever I have missed) and you definitely have a number of items to build a process around.
You undoubtedly spend a fair amount of money and energy attracting each new customer. Having a sales process that includes everything you have to sell helps you get the most revenue from every one.
What do you plan on adding to your sales process to make sure you’re selling everything you have to offer?
photo credit: Paul Stevenson
