Using Technology to Better Understand Your Customer

Think of the last time you went to buy something and the salesman didn’t have most of the answers. Was it frustrating for you to have to wait because the salesman had to go find someone to help answer your questions?

 

Now, think of another time you bought something and the salesman knew 95% of the answers. It made a huge difference, right? Understanding the product you are selling – inside and out – not only gives you a leg up on your competition but also a go-to person for the customer. In the self-storage industry, you are helping people in some sort of transition in their life. Being able to assist the customer with other services and also providing answers or recommendations will build rapport and respect with that person.

 

To become the expert at your site, it’s important to first understand who your customers are by using tools already in place to get this information. Are you gathering demographics data about your customers? What about asking why they are storing with you, how they found you, or what they are storing with you?

 

When is the last time you shopped your competition? Are you getting reviews to get feedback and post online? Have you tracked your latest promotion or discount to see how effective it is? Do you know what your cost per customer is or how to find it?

 

Cohesive branding across each platform is critical – in store, online, and anywhere else with customer interactions. Do you have your logo, colors and any other brand identity across each of the forms/letters you send through your software, or are you using out-of-the-box templates? These are all important questions to answer and use to your advantage.

 

Technology is readily available within the self-storage industry, especially management software options which provide more and more tools at your fingertips. Most operators are not using their software features to their advantage and are losing out on potential leads, customer data, and assistance with completing daily tasks.

 

There are many everyday tasks each operator should perform to best analyze their operation and how to improve it. When you better understand what technologies are readily available within management software platforms, you’ll discover easier ways to gather data and also automate daily tasks. Knowledge is power. Now, use that knowledge to your advantage.

Article Contributions by: Sue Haviland - Owner-Lead Consultant at Haviland Storage Services

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