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ISSUE: Second Quarter 2009
A Manager’s Balancing Act:
Marketing Security Without Selling Fear
By Elizabeth Ferrin
 Renting units is the bread and butter of the self storage business. As old tenants pack up and move out, new tenants must be found to fill the vacant units. When the cycle continues seamlessly, self storage facilities maximize their profits. However, some storage businesses are finding that local economic conditions and increased area competition have made signing new customers increasingly difficult
When sales become slower and new customer inquiries start to dwindle, many self storage managers recommit to ramping up their advertising and marketing efforts. They search for a new message that will resonate with potential renters, and try to get the word out about all the features and benefits their self storage facilities have to offer. In short, the managers look to identify their businesses’ greatest competitive advantages.
After examining the competition and talking with current renters, some managers settle on security as their facility’s strongest benefit and naturally want to go about advertising all of their safety strengths. Without a doubt, many customers appreciate high security and want to rent at a property that’s fully equipped with all the bells and whistles, including the best, top-of-the-line security systems available. However, managers must proceed with caution when trying to market their facility’s safety features.
Less Is More
Surprisingly, a less-is-more strategy is often the most effective when marketing security. “Customers assume things will be secure when they rent a unit,” says Tom Litton of Litton Property Management in Lodi, Calif. “They assume their things won’t get wet and they also assume pest control won’t be a problem.”
A security-driven sales presentation
can actually create the impression
with the customer that the facility
has a problem with safety.
He quickly adds that the vast majority of self storage customers are new to the industry. When they call a facility or come in to talk to the manager, most have never rented a unit and do not know what to expect from the process. Litton goes on to say that managers who bring up potential security issues immediately—for the sake of highlighting all the safety features at their facility—may be giving these new tenants undue cause for concern. “It creates an impression in the consumer’s mind that they should be worried about security.”
In an effort to make new customers feel secure about leaving their personal belongings in storage, some managers end up overemphasizing the security features at a facility. A security-driven sales presentation can actually create the impression with the customer that the facility has a problem with safety. It can shatter the initial assumption that their goods will be safe while in storage, as well. In the end, the potential customer may choose to walk away instead of signing a rental agreement.
Security Features & Benefits
Rather than simply listing all problems that are common to self storage businesses and highlighting all of the site’s countermeasures to attack the issues, managers might find more success in selling security as one of the many features and benefits the property has to offer. “I would not suggest making security a major promotion,” says Charlie Fritts, CPM, chief operating officer of Storage Investment Management, Inc., which serves clients in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. “It’s better when treated as part of the overall features and benefits.”
Rather than hard selling security, take the time to casually point out various safety features when walking a new customer around the property. Although a manager could tell a customer that the facility is equipped with keypads and go on to explain that keypads are designed to keep unauthorized people off the property, a better strategy might involve simply showing the customer how to operate the keypad. At this time, the manager could also point out any special features of the gate entry system.
If the keypad has an intercom, show the tenants how it works. Let them know that with the push of a button, they can be instantly connected with the manager on duty. “It’s good to mention the intercoms,” says David Essman, director of marketing at Lakewood, Colo.-based Sentinel Systems. “That’s something I think of as a security tool. Show the tenants where you have intercoms—both indoors and out—and tell them if they feel uncomfortable for any reason, they can contact the manager immediately.”
Smile For The Cameras
The tour of the keypad should also include a brief rundown of the pinhole camera, if applicable, and any security cameras located in the main entryway. Cameras tend to be the most commonly requested security feature at a self storage facility. “Customers believe camera surveillance provides the best security,” says Litton.
While cameras should be highlighted, managers always need to use a bit of caution when explaining their purpose. “The attorneys in our industry suggest cautious wordsmithing and I agree,” says Fritts. “Words such as ‘monitored’ or ‘surveillance’ indicate there is someone watching your video monitors 24/7—just recording it is not the same. Managers need to know the bad words like surveillance and they need to understand that security systems are intended to inhibit problems but do not guarantee anything.”
When standing at the gate, take the time to point out all of the cameras in the immediate area. “Cameras are a nice feature to have,” says Essman. “If you’re trying to sell a unit to a customer, you want to show them you have cameras around your property. You can have a camera in the keypad and cameras positioned at the gate so you can get pictures of all the vehicles entering the facility and their license plates.”
Individual door alarms are widely considered the gold standard in facility safety; they can prove to be an excellent marketing tool, as well. When talking about door alarms, managers can start by giving new tenants a general rundown of the alarm systems. Let the customer know that when a renter enters his code at the gate, he can open only his specific unit. If he has followed another vehicle through the gate onto the property, an alarm will sound when his unit door is opened. They should also be told that the system will let the manager know whenever a customer is on site and will indicate when his unit door is opened or closed in real time.
Of course, a demonstration always carries the most impact. “When you show the customer a vacant unit, open the door and let the alarm go off,” says Essman. “This way, they will know what happens if someone tries to open the unit that’s not authorized.”
Silent Security Salesmen
The facility’s site graphics display system can also be a strong marketing tool. “Video security monitors in plain view within the rental office, especially when set to display changing but full-screen camera views, usually grabs the prospect’s attention,” says Fritts. “I call them the silent salesmen.”
The site graphics generally display each building and include every unit number on the property. While they are usually placed in an area clearly visible to every customer who comes into the office, many managers still take the time to explain the system a bit. Managers can tell the customer that the displays let personnel know who is on site at a glance. They can also point out the different colors as they change on the screen and let the customer know what the different shades indicate about who is on the site.
While it’s not a feature that would need to be pointed out to a customer, lighting can also help boost the site’s overall impression of security. “Lighting is important as far as security goes,” says Essman. “In the past, many facilities were not well-lit, but I think that’s improved over the decades. If you put an emphasis on having a well-lit property, it’s going to look cleaner, more modern, and safer.”
Know The Competition
Although managers need to be able to explain the security features at their facilities in a general way to potential renters, they also need to be aware of the safety systems at competing sites. If all of the self storage businesses in the competitive area have roughly the same safety features, then a general explanation is generally all that is needed in order to show that the facility is on the same level as the competition.
Newer storage businesses usually have a competitive advantage with security when compared to older facilities in the area. In this case, security can be mentioned as one of the many features offered to make the site stand out from surrounding properties. Keep in mind that lengthy explanations are probably not necessary—unless the customer seems to want to know more. “We train our staff to listen for the customer to indicate their most important consideration,” says Fritts. “If it is not clear they should ask, ‘What are the most important aspects of storage for you?’ Then, focus on how our facility can meet those needs.”
As a word of caution, Fritts strongly advises against making any security promises. “Giving someone the impression that your facility is super secure like a bank’s vault may backfire if there is an incident,” he says. “Almost any security feature can be defeated.”
While managers should be able to recite the features and benefits the facility offers, they also need to be educated about the specific aspects of their property’s safety systems so they can accurately answer any customers’ questions. In addition, good-quality, high-security locks, like disc style padlocks, should be recommended to all new customers—especially those who have expressed security concerns. Managers themselves should also appear honest and trustworthy to help maintain the facility’s high-security feel.
Security Promotion Pitfalls
Quietly showcasing security features is always a solid strategy, but managers may want to think twice before planning a large-scale security promotion. Remember, not every customer is ultra safety conscious. “Facility security is an individual customer issue,” says Fritts. “Some want every possible advantage, while others have actually asked me if we have a space with a broken door alarm that we would discount.”
There is also the issue surrounding the effectiveness of marketing to a customer’s individual fears. “Sometimes self storage managers selling security don’t empower the customers,” says Litton. “You don’t want to sell fear. Sometimes selling fear works, but it’s detrimental long term. You need to be careful not to overemphasize—just present security as one of the features of the property. It’s about convenience and value—that’s what they’re looking for. Customers want to know they’re going to get something for their money and that it’s going to be convenient for them.”
Looking at advertising strategies, it may be helpful to picture a hotel brochure. It will generally have pictures of the property’s lush grounds, swimming pools, and restaurants, but it almost never addresses the nuts and bolts security protocols utilized by the hotel. In fact, if vacationers even remotely sense that security and safety issues are a top concern at the hotel, they would more than likely avoid making a reservation and look for another place to stay.
While security should not be overemphasized, it’s important to keep in mind that most customers value security. They want to store their personal possessions only in a safe, well-protected environment. Self storage facilities that are equipped with solid security systems will appeal to just about any customer. Those that are lacking in security, on the other hand, will be less attractive, in general—especially in areas where competing facilities are well equipped security-wise.
Managers must take the initiative to keep up with the competition. They should be aware of all the features being advertised at other facilities—not just security—and work to ensure their own businesses offer similar benefits to their renters. Managers should also strive to understand every new customer’s questions and concerns regarding safety. While it is undoubtedly an important feature, security is just one part of the total benefits package managers must present to customers. It generally takes all the features together to fill empty units and successfully market a self storage facility.
Elizabeth Ferrin is a freelance writer based in Maple Grove, Minnesota. She is also a frequent contributor to the Mini- Storage Messenger, Mobile Self Storage Magazine, Self Storage Now!, and RV & Boat Storage Today.
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