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
