Gabfocus Episode 27 | Somehow I Manage: Growing and succeeding as a Self Storage Manager
As a self storage manager, you're juggling a lot of responsibilities - customer service, marketing, sales, operations, and everything else. What does it mean to be a successful manager? In this Session, we'll discuss ways you can grow, how to handle common manager problems, and processes you can implement to make your life easier.
Featured Speakers: Mark Skrzypczak and Terri Wood
Moderators: Melissa Huff & Tommy Nguyen
Category: Operations
Focus: Managers
Aired: June 17, 2021
Duration: 1:25:03
Overview
If you don't have time to watch the whole Session, here are some of our favorite parts:
- At 6:30, Terri breaks down the normal day-to-day responsibilities of managers, and Mark tells us which of those are most important and why
- At 11:30, Terri shares some of the best places for managers to get training and feel prepared for their jobs
- At 21:50, Mark shares some practical tips on how managers can make a great first impression and why it's so important to the health of the facility
- At 24:15, our panelists talk about how managers can "set customers up for success" with thorough and clear onboarding and orientation
- At 28:30, Mark and Terri share how they prepare their managers for those inevitable, difficult tenant interactions
- At 34:15, Melissa shares her journey from manager to VP of Operations, and our panelists talk about the most important growth areas a manager should focus on
- At 43:30, Terri shares some extra resources she uses to continue her education and training in self storage
- As 52:00, Mark talks about how X uses KPIs to keep the team on track and working on the same goals
- At 1:02:00, Terri talks about how managers and operators can stay on the same page and set clear expectations for each other
- At 1:11:00, our panelists discuss the incentives their respective self storage businesses offer managers
- At 1:15:00, we answer the Question of the Week
Question of the Week
We asked our experts: What are the key qualities or skills that make a great manager?
"I'm always looking for a sales-focused individual! Someone who's confident with a great attitude. I want my staff to understand why a customer is there. I want to hire for attitude and train for skill. If you have a staff with the right attitude, they'll be able to get the job done. Sales acumen is essential, great customer care, and a really positive attitude are the biggest qualities we look at." - Mark Skrzypczak
" I'm looking for integrity. I need to be able to trust you. I can't keep an eye on everyone 24/7, so I need to depend on you. In this industry, there's not enough coverage to go around, so I need dependability from all my managers." - Terri Wood
Resources
Ideal Self Storage Manager Checklist
SSA Certificates
ISS Magazine
Atlantic Self Storage KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
- Retail Sales (box specials, bundles, etc). Average retail spend per rental.
- Autopay conversion.
- Insurance conversion.
- Inquiries to Hard Reservations to New Rentals.
Tracked with a daily/weekly tracker in excel.
Atlantic Self Storage Manager Incentives
- New Rentals.
- Hard Reservations.
- Retail Sales.
- Revenue growth YoY.
Gabfocus Takeaway
Managers are the core of a successful self storage facility. And, their job isn't easy. They're the first impression, the front lines, sales, marketing, customer service, onboarding specialist, admin, and everything in-between. Although it's hard to sum up what makes a great manager, both our panelists agree one has to have the right mix of positive attitude and work ethic. Managers that want to succeed in their roles need to have a "get it right" attitude, from customer service to how clean the facility is. Managers who want to grow, need to be looking for ways to always be learning, improving, and seeking out ways to diversify their experience.
