It could be said that the most important people in the self storage business are the Managers. At least in our case, that is so.

The public relates to them as the face and personality of the facility, not the Owners. Customers for the most part don’t even know we exist.

When we build, expand, or take over an existing facility, it is the managers that are the source of the net lease up results. Sure we train them and give them resources, but it is the Managers that do it.

I thought it may be interesting to meet a few of ours. Watch this video and see what themes emerge you can detect.

I learned the hard way not to just show up and say to our lady managers and say I am going to film you today. So they did get few minutes notice. The most was an overnight for one. So for the most part these are not scripted answers. They did get some time to think about it, but not a lot. No Manager talked with another about what to say.

Let me introduce you to some of our Managers.

Now this was not all of our Managers, and these were not handpicked. I could have videoed any of the other Managers who were not on here, and the same type of themes would have been mentioned.

This is not by accident or coincidence either. It by design.

For our business plan, we are seeking self-starters who have (1) people skills, (2) sales skills, and (3) take ownership.

We also are seeking a culture fit.

You will not get who we have at $7.95 to $10 per hour.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have looked at a facility and the Owner is paying the least they can for a Manager, even subcontracting them out to maximize the return they can get. If the Manager is sick, they are off with no pay. No benefits. No health insurance.

It is not that that Owners are bad who do that, they are just defining the skillset and culture of their company by those decisions.

That may be a perfect fit for your business plan and I am not suggesting we have figured out the “right” way to hire and run a facility. The real purpose is to get you to think through your plan and strategy.

Our strategy is to have the most expensive facility in any sub-market. To do that part of what we feel is required is high quality customer service. To do that we feel we need what you saw in the video.

But that is ours strategy. What is yours?

Have you written out you plan or strategy?

I suggest the following:

• Write out you facility or company’s overall strategy. Why do you exist and how do you want to be perceived by your customers and the market.

• How is your facility or company different? What can you uniquely offer the market your competition isn’t?

• Even if it is you and not a “Manager”, what is needed on the front line to fulfill what you have created above?

• And finally, what environment or culture in you facility or company do you want to create or have for your customers and employees to come into?

o You are going to create a culture by design or default. Go on and create it.

How about those Managers?