Yesterday I was speaking with one of my favorite clients. He was telling me about a meeting he’d just finished with one of the five or six Yellow Page directories in his market.
They were there to do their dog and pony show and tell him all about how his great his cost per thousand (CPM) was and how he MUST keep his first page position in their directory because - heaven forbid - a competitor would get that position if he were to reduce the size of his ad.
Most YP salespeople are trained to use ego and fear as sales tools. Blatant manipulation.
But, you see dear friend, his Managers have told him all year long that they weren’t seeing any results from the book.
So, on one hand he’s fooled into thinking that he must maintain his position or a pesky competitor will get the front spot. On the other hand, he knows (or thinks he does) that the book is a waste of his money.
The YP salesman tells him there’s no way their precious book would perform so poorly and that his managers are simply messing up the tracking efforts.
Certainly a possibility, right?
Of course.
But, what these two clowns didn’t know is that we’ve been tracking the ad through a very scientific tool we have.
So, we knew all along how well the ad really did.
We knew how much it cost him to get the phone to ring from that ad.
We knew the cost per acquisition of a new tenant on that ad.
And guess what, the ad WAS a complete waste of money. His cost per acquisition was well over $500 for that one book alone.
Now, that’s painful. But not nearly as painful as not knowing or finding out five years later when you’ve wasted far more money on a lousy marketing effort.
I’ve put together a special video for you that shows you the tool we use to track your self storage marketing efforts. It’s free to you and you can find it here:
I hope you learn from the video. It’s not entertaining but you’ll see a tool in action that can help you become much more profitable next month, next year and in your bright future.
Enjoy,
Derek M. Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions
800.941.4805
Sorry about that, we’ve had our heads down working hard on new strategies and technology for our clients over the past few months. I realize that’s a lousy excuse for not posting, but it’s the truth and that’s what we’re about around here.
One of the things we’ve been working on is an extremly robust and powerful Internet marketing program.
It’s no secret that the Internet is fastly becoming a major source of new tenants for self storage operators. Those who utilize the Internet properly see 25%-35% of their new tenants generated from their efforts. Not surprising when you consider that 51% of consumers now turn to online search engines to find LOCAL products and services instead of the Yellow Pages.
One of the fastest growing segments of online users is…BABY BOOMERS! Kids get it. But now Baby Boomers are becoming extremely savvy on the Internet.
“Alright Derek, I get it. The Internet is hot and I need to be on it. Quit rambling and tell me how to become one of those operators who acquires 25%-35% of my new tenants from the Internet!!”, you say.
Okay, okay.
I’ve created 3 videos just for you. They are informal, plain english guides to Internet marketing just for you, my loyal readers.
I’ve posted them on YouTube for you to watch in three sequential parts. Go here to see them:
**Warning, if you’re looking for a hollywood production you won’t be happy with these videos. They’re informal and educational.
**Warning #2, if you’re already familiar with the in’s and out’s of Internet marketing, parts one and two might put you to sleep. Well, maybe just part one.
Now is the time to get good at Internet marketing. Not next quarter, not next year…now. If you’re a subscriber to this blog, you’re already a forward thinking operator so I’m sure you understand the urgency of this.
Let me know what you think.
I hope you find these videos extremely helpful and insightful.
As always, to higher occupancy and profits!
Derek Naylor | President | Storage Marketing Solutions | 800.941.4805
P.S. I’ll be posting more and more videos in the future on a variety of self storage marketing subjects. You’ll be the first to know as they’re released. If you have a particular topic you’d like discussed, let us know in the “comments” section.
I want to share something extremely important with you today.Really…
I’m not just saying that so you’ll read this post either.The message I have today is crucial for anybody in the self storage business during these hellacious economic times.
I wasn’t around during the stock market crash or great depression so I’m happy to say that what we’re going through today and will likely go through in the not-so-distant future is about as tough as I’ve known it to be.
I know I should pay attention when my Canadian friends and clients call to rub in the fact that their “loonie” (Canadian Dollar) is now worth more than one of mine.I tell them they should get back to drinking beer and watching hockey or I’ll call their mounted police…eh?
In all seriousness, I love Canada and Canadians.I’ve never met a Canadian I don’t like.
But I digress…
I want to tell you a story that is near and dear to my heart.It has nothing to do with self storage directly but will lead me to my point which has everything to do with you…the self storage operator.
Those who know me well know that my family owns a glass business.Auto glass, windows, shower doors, etc.
My great grandfather, William Taylor Naylor, started the business and now my father runs the show.We have 7 retail locations in Utah and Idaho, a distribution facility and a manufacturing division.It’s a nice business.
I’m not involved in the business other than some occasional marketing consulting.I’m not cut out to work in the family business.Those of you who have worked in a family business know what I’m talking about.
A big part of being in the glass business is selling windows.As the real estate and development market heats up, so does our business.
When construction takes a downturn…so do our sales.
If you have a manufacturing facility (which we do) these downturns dry up our profits faster than you can imagine.I’ll never forget the nights I spent with my Dad when he had to do the seasonal layoffs the next day.The poor guy took it so personally.I can feel the anxiety now as I write this to you.
After the entertainment budget, labor was one of the first things he’d cut.
And you’ll never guess what went next…
MARKETING!
Now, as a young buck, I didn’t think much of that horrific mistake.
But as I started studying marketing and advertising, I began to realize that my Dad was making a colossal mistake cutting the marketing budget during the tough times.
Today, it seems like a no brainer to me.Hopefully it does to you too.
After all, if you have confidence in your marketing program and the sales it brings you, you realize that when sales and profits are down, you should SPEND MORE on marketing…not LESS.
But, you see, my dad didn’t have confidence in his marketing and see it the way I do.He and most business owners see marketing as something you put out there to build a brand and boost your ego. Very few businesspeople understand that sales are directly attributed to those efforts.
So, I ask you a question dear self storage operator…
Are you confident enough in your marketing program to spend more on it when times are tough?
If you’re not…well, you know the answer.
Here’s where this becomes relevant to you…
It’s no secret that our economy is getting tough.The financial market is not pretty.
If you have investors in your self storage business, it’s likely that you’re feeling some heat.
This doesn’t even factor worsening cap rates, the declining effectiveness of Yellow Pages or falling occupancies due to increased competition.
I’m not a dooms day kind of guy so I’ll quit talking about the negative.But just know tougher times are ahead in the self storage business.
So what will you do?
If you’re smart, you’ll increase your spending on marketing and advertising.I’m not talking about recklessly spending on ads just to say you’re doing more.I’m talking about smart, strategic marketing that you have 100% confidence in.Now, I realize that sounds ridiculously biased coming from a marketing guy, but it’s the truth.
One of my mentors, John Forde, sent me a very timely email on this very subject.Here are a few facts that you’ll find intriguing:
In April 1927, the Harvard Business Review found companies that advertised most during recessions had the biggest sales increases.
Companies that had higher sales and net income during the recession of 1974-75 didn’t touch ad budgets. What’s more, they also beat non-advertisers in the two years after the recession ended.
According to McGraw-Hill, companies that increased ad budgets during the 1981 recession trounced competitors not just during the downturn, but for three years following.
Kellogg pushed their ads through the Great Depression. Post didn’t. Guess who dominated the cereal market for the next 50 years. Can you say Corn Flakes?
Stanley Tools launched its biggest ad campaign during the 1974 recession. Their consumer product division took off. They grew at twice the rate of competitors every year thereafter.
Chevy pushed car sales in 1975. Ford scaled back by 14%, afraid of higher gasoline prices. Chevy picked up 2% of the auto market. It took Ford five years to regain the lost ground.
In recessions of 1949, ‘54, ‘58, and ‘61, companies tracked for ad spending cutbacks saw sales and profits fall off. Those who kept ad budgets, saw profits increase… and kept an edge in the years that followed.
Consumer spending has increased during every post- WW II recession, according to The American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Coca Cola increased their worldwide marketing budget $350 million for 2001. Net income went up ~22%.
I realize you’re not a Fortune 500 company with a multi-million/billion dollar budget, but the bottom line is that consumers still need storage during tough times.And, since most of your competitors will quit advertising or cut back, your market will have a lot more mental bandwidth to accept your message.
As 2007 comes to a close, I recommend creating a healthy budget for 2008.
After you’ve done that, create an innovative, centralized marketing strategy to support that budget.Do not assume that the old tricks work anymore.Question everything when creating your strategy and make certain that you spend time and money on innovation and marketing.
The days of “good curb appeal” for a marketing strategy are over.
I’m planning on putting on another FREE Teleseminar on this subject with a well-known expert in this industry to help you budget and plan for a thriving 2008 instead of the starving year that pessimists are calling for.
If you’d like to listen in on this, please send a note to info@storagemarketingsolutions.com with “Teleseminar” in the subject line.If enough of you are interested, I’ll make it happen later this month or very early 2008.
To higher occupancy and profits (even in tough times)…
Derek M. Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions
800.941.4805
P.S.Here’s another snippet about my Dad and Grandfather that I think some of you will appreciate.When my Grandfather handed the business over to my Dad, he gave him an audio recording of “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale.That recording is supposedly what set up the billion dollar personal development industry we have now.
Anyway, about 20 years later when the business was slow and my Dad was stressed, I sent him the same recording.I had no idea at the time that he had even heard of it, let alone that my Grandfather had given it to him at that landmark time in his life. Pretty cool!
Click here to view a short video about “The Strangest Secret”. I think you’ll enjoy it. It takes a few moments to load so please be patient…it’s worth the wait. Be sure to turn up your speakers.
In this post, I want to talk with you about a certain anxiety surrounding a false belief that many operators in the self storage industry have. A premonition of sorts…
The other night my wife and I curled up under a blanket with a fresh batch of salty popcorn and watched a movie called Premonition. If you haven’t seen it, you won’t need to after reading this because I’m going to spoil the ending for you.
But, I promise to make it worth your while by helping you increase occupancy and profits while your competitors shrivel up and suffer this winter season.
In the movie, Sandra Bullock’s character is a wife and mother living – what appears to be - an average American life. Her husband seems to have an average job, they live in a decent home and deal with the day-to-day like most folks do.
She has two children and performs the duties of a home maker…
After dropping the kids off at school one day, she goes home. While checking the messages on her answering machine her doorbell rings…
She opens the door to find a Police Officer on her porch. He informs her that her husband has been in a horrible car accident and is dead.
As most people would, she becomes hysterical and spends the rest of the day in extreme heartache and pain due to the loss of her husband and the father to her children.
The next morning she wakes up, puts on a bathrobe and walks downstairs to find…
Her husband in the kitchen ALIVE and on his way to the office!
Were the previous events a dream? No, she was having a premonition.
The movie goes on to reveal more and more of what’s to come.
She knows her husband is going to die…
But, nobody believes her…
She begins putting events in order and doing everything she can to prevent it from actually happening. Over the next week or so, her life is a complete hell.
Can you imagine knowing that someone you care deeply about is going to die?
Anyway, she pins down the exact moment and location of his car accident and drives out to the intersection just in time to save her lover’s life.
As she is talking to him on his cell phone, screaming hysterically for him to get out of the way of an oncoming fuel tanker the tanker hits him and he dies.
So, no matter what she did, he still died in the exact same manner she saw through her premonitions.
As I thought about this movie, I had a few ramblings go through my head…
(Yes, I’m so obsessed with self storage marketing, I can’t even watch a movie without thinking about it!)
First, there are some things in this life that we simply can’t control. But, does that mean we shouldn’t try?
As I watched Sandra’s husband die after all of her efforts to prevent his tragic death, it was a sad moment…to be sure. But at the same time, she had peace-of-mind knowing that she did everything she could to stop this horrific event.
Had she known and not tried to do anything (which she considered), she would’ve spent the rest of her life wondering “what if”.
I’m a firm believer in ACTION. If I try my hardest to do something and the result doesn’t work out in my favor…that’s okay with me. There’s obviously a lesson I need to learn.
But in many cases, taking action will lead to a different outcome that what I originally thought possible.
Had Sandra been able to stop the accident, she might still have a husband and father for her kids.
Had Wilbur and Orville Wright listened to common belief, they never would’ve achieved the greatness they did in their lives.
Now, to the subject of the most important person in this world…YOU!
As I talk with operators around this time of year, I notice that many of you are having premonitions of your own. And many of you are quite anxious about it…
Many of you fear that your occupancy will fall as the leaves of beautiful autumn trees do.
Many operators go into hibernation with the bears and let the silent forces of this business take you a few steps backward.
I think this is bogus.
While there are certainly some things in this life that we *can’t* control…our occupancy isn’t one of them. Those operators who remain proactive and aggressive throughout the Fall and Winter do just fine.
Sure, Fall and Winter are not the best seasons for the storage business. But, smart marketing will help you more than you might believe possible.
The holiday season can be extremely lucrative for self storage operators…
So can the New Year…
So can spring…
But, I have news for you: Yellow Pages and half-hearted marketing guesses aren’t gonna cut it.
To thrive while your competition is suffering takes smarts and aggressive marketing.
I’ve put together an outline called “Winning in the Winter”. This short checklist is full of Fall/Winter specific marketing ideas that have worked extremely well. I’ll send it to you free of monetary exchange if you’d like it.
To get your copy, simply send your complete name and mailing address to info@storagemarketingsolutions.com with “Winter” in the subject line.
I hope you have a wonderfully prosperous Winter season!
For now, here’s a picture of what I have the pleasure of looking at this Fall!
Beautiful isn’t it?
To your higher occupancy & profits!
Derek Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions800.941.4805
P.S. If you’re reading this and aren’t on our email announcement list, go to www.storagemarketingsolutions.com and sign up. It’s free and you’ll be the first to know of new posts and receive special offers!
The other day, Michael C. from Dallas sent me an email saying:
“Derek, I enjoy reading your blog and e-mails. However, I have to say that I already know most of the marketing ideas you share and find them pretty basic. I know you are a very sharp marketer from our phone conversation and you are capable of going much deeper. Are you ever planning on giving more advanced lessons on your blog?”
I know this person from a previous telephone conversation we had, so I called him and shared this response…
You see, there’s much more advanced marketing knowledge bouncing around in between my ears. I could talk for days about stuff like: 3PPI, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Frequency Measurement, RFM, advanced Psychology, Search Engine Optimization, print and mail intricacies and so on.
But, sharing it with you is *not* what you need. I think you’re all smart enough to understand it, but part of being smart is knowing what information and actions you need to succeed at any given point in time.
In other words, you don’t need a NFL Pro Bowl quality team to win a game against a community college. Wasting the time and money to assemble such an effort is pointless.
Selling self-storage to a consumer is not like selling an investment, rocket fuel tanks, IT infrastructure or anything complex like that.
But that’s not the only reason I like to keep it simple.
The reason I keep sharing pathetically obvious information with you is actually quite strategic.
See, I realize that you probably already *know* a lot of the things I share with you…
But, far too often, what we KNOW and what we DO are two separate things!
We know that diet and exercise equals weight loss, but many of us are still overweight and getting fatter by the day.
We’ve known for decades that smoking is a recipe for a miserable death. Yet millions upon millions of people still light up.
You know that you need to be promoting a referral program, doing press releases, focusing on differentiation, improving your Internet presence and so on.
But, very few facilities actually DO IT!!
If they would…their occupancy worries would likely be gone forever. They could charge higher prices. They could drop their Yellow Pages ad. And reduce stress at the same time.
And I believe part of why they don’t is because they don’t have the time and/or don’t have the confidence they need to create and deploy marketing campaigns…even the simplest of them all!
If you’re guilty of this, I challenge you to start small. Take baby steps to getting the most obvious of things taken care of.
Forget about making it perfect for now. Just do it. I promise you that, as simple as they seem, the strategies and tactics I share with you work and work extremely well.
On the subject of confidence, I found this beautiful piece of writing I wanted to share with all of you. It’s a bit sappy, but I haven’t read a more empowering piece of writing in a long time.
If you’re politically correct and/or think the word “God” is offensive…stop reading here.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
That is an excerpt from Marianne Williamson’s book called: “A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles.” I hope you enjoyed that and take the time to think about it.
And, I hope that the relatively simple and obvious insights I share inspire you to take action and to what you know needs to be done to increase your occupancy and profits!
All the best,
Derek M. Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions
800.941.4805
P.S. If you haven’t requested your FREE CD recording of the insightful Tele-seminar I did with Bob Vamvas, send an e-mail to info@storagemarketingsolutions.com with your name and mailing address and we’ll get a copy in the mail to you ASAP.
On July 7th, 2007 a concert called “Live Earth” took place. It was quite amazing…
It spanned across seven continents…including Antarctica…
Over 150 artists performed…
It was broadcast on over 120 television networks worldwide…
And was viewed by more than 2 Billion people.
I’m sure you at least heard about it - if not watched some of it. Being a fan of good live music, I TiVo’d the entire event and watched what I had time for.
The point of this entire event was to raise awareness of global warming and get folks from around the world to make a pledge to be more “green”.
The organizers used all sorts of great marketing to make this event as big as it was.
What a show…
But, did it really work?
Did it really persuade society to take it easy on Mother Earth?
The verdict is still out and will be for a long time. Some nay-sayers claim the event actually did more to hurt our environment than it did good. After all, how do you think these high profile artists arrived at their venues? Private jets and limos, baby! What about all the electricity used to power up Metallica’s music? Beer bottles? Water cups? Paper tickets?
I think you get the point.
But what nobody knows for sure is whether people will take the ACTION it takes to make this event worthwhile for those who were behind it. I have a sneaking suspicion Al Gore had his fingers in this at some level. While I don’t always agree with him, I have been impressed with his passion lately.
Anyway, the point of this post is to share something extremely powerful with you about self storage marketing.
As you read this post you’ll discover a way to drastically increase your occupancy and profits without spending a single penny more on advertising.
And if you implement what I’m about to teach you, you’ll even be able to cut back on your advertising budget (maybe even tell your yellow page salesperson “thanks, but no thanks” next year) and still watch your occupancy climb towards your goals.
But I must warn you. This simple concept will not be easy for you to implement. You’ll need to be persistent and determined to make it happen.
Here I go…
You see, like the organizers of Live Earth, you are probably able to draw interest in your self storage facility (although never enough right?). You have people showing up at your office. You have people calling and e-mailing with an expressed interest in giving you storage business.
But are you able to get them to take the ACTION you desire?
Are you able to convert the vast majority of them to paying tenants with signed lease agreements?
If not, don’t feel bad. Very few owner/operators are happy with their conversion ratios.
But why?
Do you think that people call, e-mail or walk-in to talk about the weather or the big game last night?
Probably not…
They inquire about storage because something in their life made them do so. Maybe a friend told them their garage looked like a bomb went off in it. Maybe they’re preparing to sell their home and want it to look nice. Who knows…?
My point is this: when people inquire about storage with your facility, they’re doing it for a reason. If you know what that reason is, your chances of converting them into a tenant go through the roof.
The fancy term for this process is called “Criteria Elicitation”.
In other words, you need to elicit your prospects purchasing criteria. You need to discover WHY they’re calling and WHAT is important to them when storing their belongings. They don’t care about everything you offer, just what’s important to them.
But, chances are, you or your managers aren’t doing that.
Something is happening between the prospects inquiry and them NOT renting a unit to dissolve their initial interest in storage.
Now, I’m not saying to expect 100% of the people to rent. There ARE legitimate reasons that people don’t. But I’ll bet that most facilities can increase conversion by 20%-100% by making this shift.
Here’s what this means to you…
If you have 50 people inquiring about storage each month.
And only 10 are renting (20% conversion rate).
You can double your return on advertising investment by simply converting 20 of those inquiries. Which comes out to be a measly 40% conversion rate. That’s still allowing 60% off the hook!
Think of the difference this will make to your bottom line!
Look, I recognize there are “Mystery Shoppers”, Management Consultants and call centers in this industry that have been telling the same story for a long time. You all get it.
But all they’re telling you to do is smile while you talk…call them by their name…offer them a special…help them with a space calculator…and so on. Which, believe me, will help. If you do anything, start with that.
But, a surefire way to supercharge your conversion ratio is to start eliciting criteria from those who call.
I’ve written a script for our clients to follow that makes this a breeze.
While I’m not going to give that out to everybody, I will tell you two questions to ask every caller or visitor that ever expresses interest in your facility that will drastically increase your conversion ratio.
Both are aimed at understanding why the visitor is looking for storage in the first place. Remember, it’s not to talk sports or weather.
Here they are:
“Mr. Jones, thank you so much for calling XYZ Self Storage. Do you mind telling me WHY you’re looking for extra storage?”
Say that in a nice, compassionate and sincere way.
They’ll tell you the scoop.
Then follow up with:
“That’s very common, many of our tenants have called for the same reason. Have you considered what’s important to you when selecting a self storage facility to provide this space?”
Do you see what’s happening here?
You’re eliciting criteria in a warm, authentic way and showing the visitor that you care about their needs and desires.
Most facilities blab on and on about themselves before ever asking a single question about the customer. That is a major cause for the transition of an interested prospect to a non interested prospect.
Now that you know the buying criteria, all you have to do is connect the dots between their criteria and your self storage facility to make the sale!
I understand if you think this is too wierd or hard to implement. Just try it for 30 days and compare your results against the previous months. You’ll find yourself having more meaningful and low-pressure conversations with callers/visitors, lower stress and best of all…more rentals!
Okay, that’s it for this post. But, I feel bad about being so serious during this long post so I decided to share a funny, yet subject relevant video with you. Turn up your speakers, click “play” and enjoy!
To your higher occupancy and profits!
Derek Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions
800.941.4805
P.S. If you’re reading this blog and haven’t signed up for our FREE newsletter yet, go to: www.storagemarketingsolutions.com and enter your name and e-mail address at the bottom of the page. You’ll be the first to know of new postings and get special offers that nobody else receives.
I haven’t told many people the story I’m about to tell you…
In 2005 my 18 year old niece, Carrie French, decided to join the Idaho National Guard. Fresh out of high school…
Her parents didn’t have the money to pay for college and she didn’t have anything going that would earn her a scholarship.
After meeting with a National Guard recruiter at a job fair, she thought the training and tuition money would make a great start to her young life and give her the edge she needed to fulfill her dream of becoming an attorney.
But, since we were at war, she was concerned. She asked the recruiter if she’d be sent to Iraq if she signed up.
The recruiter told her “no way”…
By the time she got out of basic training, the war would be over, he said.
Well, guess what?
The war wasn’t over and she did get shipped off to Iraq…still 18 years young.
Less than a few months into her tour of duty, she was killed by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) on the side of an Iraqi road as she rode in her Hummer.
Her services were the most patriotic thing I’ve ever experienced. The Governor was there, 2 Apache helicopters were parked by her graveside and great memorial speeches were given while American flags rippled in the wind. She died serving our country and her parents were horribly sad, but proud in their hearts.
After the services were over and our emotions settled down, I began to ponder…
What is the U.S. still doing in Iraq?
I don’t mean politically, we all have our own opinion on that.
I mean militarily…
The worlds only Superpower is struggling in a relatively small country with *no* air force or national army fighting against us. We are spending somewhere around $1,800,000,000 (that’s ONE POINT EIGHT BILLION) per week in Iraq. We have almost 150,000 U.S. troops over there operating world-class aircraft, machinery and weaponry.
Check out this short video about the U.S. Air Force F-117 stealth bomber (click play and turn up volume):
That little “Nighthawk” is capable of slipping into any territory - undetected by enemy radar - to drop laser guided bombs that strike within mere FEET of the target. The bombs and missiles it drops are capable of destruction beyond my comprehension.
And this bomber is just ONE of many highly advanced tools in the U.S. military toolbox.
What about the opposition in Iraq causing all of this havoc? What do they have?
Well, it seems like their weapons are nothing more than improvised bombs made in caves of whatever explosives they can find. Sure, they have rocket propelled grenades and machine guns…but not many…and those aren’t really doing the damage either.
So, what’s happening here and what does this have to do with self-storage marketing and advertising?
A lot, actually…
It seems to me that we are fighting the wrong kind of war.
We’re playing by rules that the opposition could care less about.
If this were a traditional military war, there’s not a doubt in anybody’s mind that it would’ve been over when President Bush declared “Mission Accomplished” on the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.
I’ve thought a lot about this and actually have a lot to say on the subject, but I’ll spare you my ramblings and get to the point that’s relevant to you…self-storage marketing.
I’m sharing my point of view on the war in Iraq because I think there are EXTREMELY valuable self-storage marketing & advertising lessons that can be learned from this line of thinking.
If you’re one of those unstable whackos that spins every statement about the war into an anti-American rant, quit reading this now and pickup on the next post.
On the other hand, if you can have an adult conversation about serious topics without reading between the lines, this might be one of the best blog posts you’ve read in a long time.
You see, the self-storage facilities that use our services are dominating their respective markets with strategies and tactics that are LESS EXPENSIVE, EASIER TO IMPLEMENT and MORE EFFECTIVE than the stuff the “big boys” like Public Storage and Extra Space do.
The “big boys” in the self-storage industry are buying bigger Yellow Pages ads, expensive Television and Radio time and paying creative fees bigger than a single facility’s entire annual budget! They have advanced tracking systems and entire teams of highly educated marketing execs calling the shots.
Yet, when we go head-to-head with them in a local market, we’re winning. When you use the right strategies and tactics, you can charge higher fees, spend less money and attract more tenants all day long…regardless of your size. We fight a different kind of war.
It’s guerilla warfare in the self-storage marketing world…and it works extremely well.
I’ve compiled a list called “14 Stealth Strategies for Competitive Self-Storage Operators” for my newsletter and blog readers. This list will reveal a chunk of these elite strategies.
However, I’m not going to send it to just anybody. It’s too powerful. The facilities that use these are usually able to back completely out of the Yellow Pages and maintain a heavy flow of new tenants that pay higher prices and refer more friends and family.
And, when I give stuff away for FREE, people assume it has no value so they don’t use it.
Since my blog and newsletter is not meant to generate profit, here’s what I’ll do.
In honor of my niece who died in Iraq, I’ll send the detailed “14 Stealth Strategies for Competitive Self-Storage Operators” report to anybody who sends me a request via snail mail with a check – for whatever amount you would like – made payable to “Fallen Patriot Fund”.
You can learn more about this fund by clicking here.
If you’re interested, send your request and check to my attention at:
PO Box 13569
Ogden, UT 84412-3569
We will make the donation on your behalf. You’ll be sent the appropriate paperwork from the charity for your taxes.
To higher profits and peace…
Derek Naylor
President
Storage Marketing Solutions
800.941.4805
I’m a nut for innovation. I get especially fired up when I hear stories of innovative self-storage owner/operators…
So, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m a Steve Jobs fan (is it wierd that I’m typing this on a PC?). Steve is a master innovator that has impacted just about every human being on this planet in one way or another.
Here is one of my favorite videos of Steve. Here, you’ll see him giving the commencement speech at Stanford graduation in 2005. If you haven’t seen this before, take 14 minutes and watch it. I’ll connect the dots from Steve Jobs to self-storage marketing after you’re finished watching this. As you’ll see, connecting the dots can only happen after the fact. Just turn up your speakers and click the big “play” button below to watch the video:
Great message, isn’t it?
I chose to post this video now because graduation is happening all over the country around this time of year. And, what happens when college seniors graduate? Well, they typically MOVE somewhere. And to do that they need boxes and moving supplies. And possibly storage until they find a new place to live off campus.
And another thing happens. Freshmen, Sophmores and Juniors do NOT graduate. A good chunk of them journey back home for the summer to be with their family. And guess what? They move out of their apartments for the summer. While some just take their stuff home with them, a bunch don’t. And you guessed it…they need self-storage!
I won’t spend too much time on this point. It should be obvious that college students have a need for storage around this time of year. If you have a university in town, start marketing to the student body around tax time (4/15/every-friggin-year).
As a loyal reader, and because I’m feeling generous, I’ll send you a copy of a flyer we did for our clients if you’d like to see how we approached marketing to college students. My printer ran off about 150 extra copies for one client. So, I’ll put one in the mail to you if you’d like. I’ll even pay for the postage. Just send an e-mail to my assistant, Kate, at info@storagemarketingsolutions.com with your complete mailing address to get it.
I hope you enjoyed the video and will start looking at those noisy college students as opportunities rather than partying pests!
I live a great life with my beautiful wife and our two healthy children. Yesterday (Mothers Day) reminded me of how lucky I am to have a wife that pours every ounce of passion and love she has into influencing our children for happy and healthy lives.
But, I’m lucky for more reasons than that. I also have some very intelligent subscribers to my e-newsletter and blog. The dialogue that I have with my subscribers is invaluable and fulfilling. Some of my readers are undoubtedly lazy and - how do I put this gently - dumb intellectually challenged. But they’re few and far between so I won’t focus on them…
Last week I asked you to look at pages 24-25 of your May 2007 Mini Storage Messenger for what could be the worst press release ever.
Sure enough, within 2 minutes of that e-mail being sent, the answers started to pour in. Almost every release on those 2 pages was guessed, but most of the answers pointed right at the release that I was referring to.
Now, before I dive in to the press release, I feel an obligation to let you know that this is probably not the worst press release ever written. But it’s just bad enough that it deserves some constructive criticism.
I should also say that the company that released it is probably a great organization. I don’t know a lot about them, but I know they’ve been around for a long time and many people are absolutely thrilled with their products and services. My opinion is of their press release, NOT their products.
Alright, enough of the disclosure…
The press release I was referring to is on page 25 and has the headline of “”ABC” Releases StorLogix 2.0 and Falcon Xt 4.2″
Did you get it right? If so, congratulations.
The press release goes on to say:
“”ABC” Integrated Systems has released StorLogix 2.0 and Falcon XT 4.2. The new version of Falcon XT adds an embedded TCP/IP stack to the firmware allowing network connectivity to any Ethernet local area network. Additional features in the new StorLogix version include embedded badge printing, a PTI 2000 classic interface, and enhanced reporting capabilities”
Now, how many of you have any clue what that means? To the average person, that press release might as well have been written in Mandarin Chinese.
I’m sure that, in plain english, these updates that ”ABC” is announcing are significant to the product users. But, in what way?
I have no earthly clue. And neither did most of you…
So, that brings us to lesson #1 about press releases. Make sure you speak your readers language and clearly communicate the benefit of your announcement/story to them.
Press realeases are a great way to market your self storage business. They are non-invasive and best of all, FREE! But, since newspapers, radio stations and television broadcasters are in the business of selling advertising space, the last thing they want to do is give away your sales pitch to the public. So they won’t.
However, most press outlets are always looking for good, reader focused, stories to keep their audience happy.
This is where you come in…
By regularly submitting press worthy stories to your local press, chances are high that you’ll get some good coverage. The key is creating press worthy stories and events.
You see, there are two types of events:
Events that happen. And,
Events that you create
If nothing is happening at your facility, make something happen! Mothers Day is a perfect example. Earlier this month, you should’ve put out a release similar to this:
XYZ Self Storage Makes Mother’s Day Even Better For <City> Mothers
XYZ Self Storage will be making Mother’s Day even better for 5 local mothers. They announced on <date> that they will be sending 5 women to XYZ Day Spa for 3 beauty treatments of their choice. While they are at the spa getting the rest and relaxation they deserve, XYZ Self Storage will be sending a crew to their home to help their husbands eliminate clutter from their garage and closets and place it in their secure self storage facility.
“I know how emotionally wearing and hard being a mother is” said Jane Smith, Owner of XYZ Self Storage. “This year we decided that it would be great to help these deserving mothers get the break they need and come home to a clutter free home” she added.
The drawing will take place on <date>. To enter your wife or Mother, stop by XYZ Self Storage at 123 anywhere street to get details and enter the contest. Also, all existing XYZ Self Storage customers will be entered into the drawing.
XYZ Self Storage has been a part of <city> for X years and provides secure and affordable storage for local residents.
You can contact them by calling 555.123.4567 or by sending an e-mail to storage@xyzstorage.com
By submitting something like that (in the right format) to the local press, you might have received valuable press time. The newspaper, radio/TV station might have put a spin on it to fit their needs, but either way, you get great exposure for FREE!
On top of that, you’ve just positioned your facility as a great member of the community and people will look much more favorably on you. Not only have you provided a nice, valuable service to the community, but you’ve built in the benefits of storage at the same time.
What about the expensive spa treatments? Well, if you’re smart (which most of you are) you’ll contact local spas and let them in on the action. If you position it properly, you can probably get the spa to give the treatments to you for FREE or for a deep discount in exchange for the publicity and signage in your office.
Are you starting to see how this works?
As part of your overall self storage marketing plan I recommend submitting press releases as often as you can. Just make sure they’re well written, in the right format and that the stories you send are not “sales pitches”. Reporters will learn quickly if you’re any good or not.
One more tip…
Keep your releases as topical as possible. If you can tie it into a major holiday or local event, your chances of getting it published go way up.
That’s all on press releases for now. Since they’re vital to self storage marketing, I’ll probably talk about them more in a later post.
I challenge you to write a press release for the next holiday this week. Create an event, get the details lined up and start making media contacts.
Do you like to be sold? Do you enjoy walking onto a car lot and watching the creepy salesmen “casually” cross paths with you and ask you something like: “what’s it gonna take to get you into this car?”.
I didn’t think so. As Jeffery Gitomer puts it, people love to buy but hate to be sold.
So, when marketing or advertising self storage, how do you make people want to buy without sounding like an over-hyped salesperson?
In short, you position your facility as an attractive option that solves their need or want. Key words: attractive, their, need and want.
Think about that one.
When you’re attracted to something because it solves a real need or want, there’s not a whole lot of selling needed on the other end. It’s more a job of facilitating the sale. Right?
There are many ways to do this. One is by delivering your message in a medium that people don’t relate to being sold by. One of the most popular ways savvy businesses do this is through a Press Release to relevant media.
People love the news. Frankly, I don’t know why because it’s not really even news these days and it’s more depressing than ever, but that’s not the point. When people read the news, their “sales shield” is down and they’re open to hearing your story.
Press Releases are an unbelievable way to get 100% FREE advertising that is worth tens of thousands of dollars if you paid for the space. And, a great way to promote your self storage business.
So, I want to teach you how to do this to effectively (and for FREE) market your self storage facility. But, I’m going to do it kind of backwards…
I’m assuming that most of you reading this subscribe to the Mini Storage Messenger. If you don’t, you should, it’s a great source for owner/operators.
Open up your May 2007 issue (Driving Innovation) to pages 24-25. There you’ll find a bunch of press releases. I want you to read over them and look for one of the WORST press releases ever.
E-mail me at info@storagemarketingsolutions.com and tell me which press release you think it is. Don’t type the entire release, just the title is fine.
In a few days, after the responses stop coming in, I’ll announce, what I consider to be, one of the worst press releases ever. Then, I’ll constructively tell you what’s wrong with it and how to use the power of press releases to cheaply and effectively market your self storage business.
I look forward to your responses!
To higher occupancy…
Derek Naylor
P.S. I know a guy that sold pieces of the Brooklyn Bridge through FREE press releases and made millions. Why didn’t you or I think of that?
