Hot Picks

Meeting Monthly Income Goals: Creative Techniques for Self-Storage Collections, Sales and Auctions

Tuesday, March 15, 8-8:50 a.m.
Location: Concorde C
Speaker: Anne Ballard, president, Universal Management Co.

Hit your self-storage facility’s monthly budgeted income by using these simple and creative techniques for collections, sales and auctions! Our speaker will teach you insider tricks of the trade that will get delinquent customers to pay, including the “liver or peas” strategy. She’ll address when and how to make effective collections calls, who should make those calls, words to avoid during calls, and alternative collections methods such as e-mail, online listings and short message service (SMS). She’ll also teach ways to close more walk-in prospects and turn your auctions into marketing events that generate larger crowds and higher bids. You’ll learn the “2x2 method” for sales, the “birthday envelope trick” for increasing first-time auction payouts, and the “Vanna White” approach to preventing delinquencies. Be passionate about your collections and sales, and customers will love you for it!

Cash Isn't Always King: Manager Compensation and Incentives

Tuesday, March 15, 9-9:50 a.m.
Location: Concorde C
Speaker: Linnea Appleby, president and chief operating officer, StorKwik Self Storage

Just as price isn’t the customer’s main motivation for choosing a self-storage facility, money isn’t always the main motivator for keeping staff happy and motivated. In this session, Linnea Appleby will explain how communication, trust and recognition can create a loyal, dedicated team who loves their work. You’ll learn how to attract, develop and retain great employees, develop bonus programs, create successful low- and no-cost incentives, empower staff, improve communication, and uncover new resources. Whether you have one self-storage facility or 100, this session will help you be more effective in your self-storage operation.

Using SBA Financing for Self-Storage

Tuesday, March 15, 10-10:50 a.m.
Location: Concorde C
Speaker: Georgia Ragsdale, CEO, Best American Financial Services LLC

For the first time in history, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will allow for the financing of self-storage properties. Learn about this transformative loan product and why it may be right for you. This session will outline the details of the offering: leverage, rate and terms as well as who qualifies for this loan and how. Understand the submission process for SBA and gain important knowledge on managing the process. Our speaker will review a head-to-head comparison on the SBA loan to other commercial loan types available and look at the positive impact of this on your storage investment.

Building a Powerful Online Presence: Making the Web Work for Self-Storage

Tuesday, March 15, 11-11:50 a.m.
Location: Concorde C
Speakers: Scott Jensen, director of interactive marketing, Extra Space Storage Inc.

Are you exhausted by all the technical mumbo-jumbo from Web-development companies and Web designers? Does everything your IT guy says make you feel as if he is speaking a language from another planet? Are you concerned about the gas mileage of your search engine? Do you think a "keyword" is something that opens a "bookdoor"? If so, this session is for you. From website design to pay-per-click advertising, our speakers will explain it all in a language everyone can understand. This seminar will help you establish an effective online presence and understand why your website, search-engine marketing and search-engine optimization are the future of your business.