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Running a self-storage business is not easy. With a large, competitive market, one must showcase excellent skills and knowledge to stay at the top of the game. Especially now, when the pandemic is dictating how businesses operate, it is even more critical to invest in self-improvement and excel at your position. Therefore, managers need to be present at all times and lead the employees by setting up examples. With that in mind, we want to look at the 5 top traits a self-storage manager needs to have.

How to find quality managers?

Among many of the problems self-storage owners face, one of the common ones is finding good staff. Whether you are a business owner searching for a qualified manager or a manager looking to improve your skills, you will find this section valuable. The most important traits a self-storage manager needs to have are:

  • exceptional communication skills;
  • confidence and the right approach;
  • time management skills;
  • technological knowledge;
  • a desire to keep improving.

TIP: To find a quality manager, it is crucial to know what skills they need to possess.

These five traits should be in every self-storage manager's arsenal, so let's talk about them in more detail.

  1. How to communicate with employees and clients

A self-storage business is worth a couple of million dollars. As front-line representatives, self-storage managers must have exceptional communication skills.

You must speak in a professional way and always be clear and concise. If you make pauses as you talk, use jargon, or sound confusing at times, you need more practice. When a client speaks with you, they need to see confidence. So, it is necessary to take charge of the conversation.

If you are doing e-mail correspondence with clients, your grammar needs to be impeccable. Furthermore, you need to develop a professional style of writing e-mails. Polish your speaking and writing skills to perfection.

  1. How to be confident and build the right approach to everything

To be confident at your job, you need to know every piece of it. The more you learn about what you do and the more experience you gain, the more confident you become. Confidence is born out of knowledge.

If you feel like you lack confidence in your approach to business, it is crucial to work on fixing the problem.

We have already mentioned how important it is to work on your communication skills. Well, that is the first step.

The second step is to learn more about what it means to be a good manager. You need to build your own style and approach. Always welcome your clients with a smile and a firm handshake. That shows you mean business.

Furthermore, if you wish to attract clients to your self-storage business, you need to build a positive attitude and be honest. Clients will not choose a company that hides the truth. They might get tricked once, but they will never return.

TIP: Confidence is a highly valued skill in any line of work.

Finally, you need consistency to become more confident. Create a list of values that you represent, and stay true to them. You have to show the same passion and energy towards every client, not only when you feel like it.

  1. Every self-storage manager needs to know how to manage time

It might surprise you, but multitasking does not exist. If you are working with a new client while an existing customer shows up to ask a question or pay monthly rent, and then the phone rings, you cannot speak with all three simultaneously. You can switch between them and "try to multitask", or you can prioritize.

A ringing phone cannot be a priority when you have a customer in front of you. That's what the answering machines are for. However, depending on the situation, you would want to give a subtle sign to one of the clients that you are aware of their presence, and you will be with them shortly, as soon as you are done with the current customer.

By prioritizing, you are not overburdening yourself with having to think about three different scenarios. Instead, your full attention goes to a single client, and they will appreciate that. Furthermore, the next client will be satisfied because they know they will also have your full attention when it's their turn.

You need to learn how to manage your time most efficiently and prioritize between clients depending on the situation. Do not try to "multitask".

  1. Use software applications to your advantage

One of the crucial traits a self-storage manager needs to have is being tech-savvy. There is an array of applications at your disposal, so learn how to use them to your advantage. We live in an age of technology, and you need to be a part of it.

Once you learn how to be proficient in all software platforms, you will improve in other sectors as well. For example, apps help us be more efficient and productive; they take security to a higher level and help us organize the business and serve clients more quickly.

  1. If you are not improving, you are stagnating

The harsh truth is that there is no standing in place when it comes to business. If you gain some knowledge and think that will be enough to continue to succeed, you will start to stagnate and lose your edge. A good self-storage manager must aim for improvement at all times. Analyze your competition, attend seminars or webinars, seek advice from more experienced colleagues, and learn from your mistakes. Learn from your clients and your employees.

TIP: Always seek perfection and aim to improve yourself the best you can.

5 top traits a self-storage manager needs to have - delivered!

We hope that you now better understand what it means to be a self-storage manager. Work on these top traits a self-storage manager needs to have, and become the best version of yourself. That is the only way to excel on the professional and private plan. Good luck!

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