Thread: Loving Las Vegas Contest: Managers, Win a Free Trip to the ISS Expo!

Time and time again, I've heard this answer when asking people why they don't attend the annual Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas: "It sounds like an amazing event, but I just don't have the money, especially considering the cost of travel and hotel nights." Similarly, I've heard, "I'd love to go, but my owner makes those decisions, and he doesn't think it's worth the travel and hotel costs. There's really nothing I can do about it."

Actually, self-storage managers, there is something you can do about it: Enter the Loving Las Vegas contest, sponsored by Chateau Products Inc., right here on Self-Storage Talk (SST).

Beginning today, Wednesday, Jan. 25 and running through Valentine's Day, managers (or owner-managers) can take a shot at winning a prize package valued at nearly $1,200 that includes ...

• Roundtrip airfare to Las Vegas (March 13-16)
• Three nights at the Paris Hotel & Resort
• A standard education package to the ISS Expo. The education offered at the expo includes sessions from dozens of the most knowledgeable and engaging expert presenters in self-storage.

The key to winning the contest is submitting up to three ideas, all in one post or in multiple posts, but no more than three total, that respond to this prompt:

"Share a revenue-producing idea for your facility that has not been implemented."

Each applicant, identifiable by his/her forum username, may submit up to three responses at any time during the range of the contest. (No multiple usernames, though! I will catch you and you'll be disqualified!). Though the contest does not have rounds or progressive elimination, all posts are viewable to site members and other applicants, making it more difficult to submit original ideas as the contest progresses. Judges (the ISS editorial team) will review submissions as they are made and select two winning ideas, each from two different contestants.

The thread will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 14, 2012. No late posts will be considered. The judges will select two winning responses, each from two different contestants, that best satisfy these criteria:

• Originality (the idea cannot have been expressed by anyone else in the contest)
• Creativity
• Clarity (the idea must be well-explained and thorough)
• Economic practicality (the idea must be reasonable for a facility to implement)

The winners will be announced on the forum and on InsideSelfStorage.com on Friday, Feb. 17.

Sound like fun? Before you get to post, it's important to do two things.
1.) Be certain that if you win you are able to get away to Vegas for the show. Make sure that your supervisor is OK with you being away from the facility for this period of time (March 13-16).
2.) Read the attached Terms and Conditions document. By entering the contest, you are acknowledging you have read, understand and will comply with the Terms and Conditions.

As always, you can e-mail or PM me with specific questions. Thanks, and happy posting!

For me, I think increasing revenue starts at the actual move-in. There’s no time like “immediately”, to start making the company some money, so here’s what I do:

I list the units that are a bit lower than the competition. This may be due to the location of these units (ie: upstairs, furthest from elevator, etc), or I may have several available. I then take the average price of my closest competitor’s similar sizes, then I take the difference and that is my discounted price that I guarantee for at least 6 months!

Example:

My 5x10 price is $50, my competitors charge between $60 to $70 on similar sizes, so I average out the competition’s price to $65. My customer is saving $15 per month, which is also 23% off the average rate for our area.

$15 divided by $65 is 23%.

I can then add even more value by offering a free move-in truck valued at an average of $50 for a local rental.

NOW, they’ve saved at least $65 on the move-in, which is the price of my 5x10 plus my $15 administration fee, which seems like the first month’s rent is actually FREE!

The thing is, I’ve just secured a full price rental with no discount for my company, but my customer is walking away knowing that they just got a heck of a deal!

(Oh, and that free move-in truck? There is nothing better than FREE, local advertising!)

Good start to the contest. Who else has something? Better start now before someone posts your idea.

With the economy in the state it is I think it's become even more important to be creative when it comes to how we are marketing our facility and the incentives we give to new customers to entice them to become tenants must also be just as competitive.

We have talked here at our facility about implementing a cross marketing campaign with select local businesses that surround our facility. We would choose one local business per month to cross market with exclusively. The local business would provide us with coupons for their products, gift cards, the actual products, or vouchers for some of their services. We would then offer these items as incentives at move-in for new tenants. They could be given to every new tenant (if lower value items) or they could be part of a "contest" which every new tenant is entered in to along with any current tenant who has paid their rent before the first of the month for a set period of time.

In return for their coupons, products, and vouchers we could offer these select businesses exclusive counter space (or a table even) in our office for a small display of their brochures, business cards, etc with a sign stating that this month's promotion was generously provided by: "Whatever Business Name". Then have a statement saying something along the lines of : "Please support our local businesses and show your support for their generosity by doing one of the following: Like them on Facebook, give them a positive review on Google or any other review site, or try out their product or service."

You can sell this idea to local businesses by reminding them how many tenants you already have and how often they visit your office, as well how many walk-ins you get to your facility whether they rent with you or not. Remind them as well that for tons of new residents to your town/city you are one of the first businesses they frequent because they are not even settled in to a home yet in many cases. That means that all the businesses you let display in your office will be able to influence brand new residents before they even have a chance to look at any of the other competition.

I also suggest keeping a small out of the way table or bulletin board to allow all of the businesses sharing in the cross promotion to continue to leave their brochures and business cards even when they are not the spotlighted business for that current month.

I think this is a win/win situation. It gives us an extra incentive to entice new rentals and it gives the other business owners a steady stream of potential new customers for very little out of pocket cost.

Forgot to mention that you should also have your a-board sign or Marquee sign advertise the give-away along with any current special you have.

I have asked for, suggested, hinted at a number of marketing methods that would increase our visibility and thus rentals. Most are considered as only so effective, but I would like to implement some form of marketing that was supported by someone other than myself. For example, rate cards, brochures, business cards, imprinted pens, etc., basic items for most in self storage. I would like to have a referral program in place that rewards our current tenants for the business they bring us each year. Only dreams, but what the heck, I've resigned myself to working a couple more years might as well have some kind of goal.

Well! Here is an idea that we have NOT done yet but it is in the planning:

We are participating in a huge local event and setting up a "Trade Show" type booth that will look like a storage unit. We have gotten with several local businesses to donate items to put in the "Storage Unit". Every 45 Minutes we are going to AUCTION THE UNIT! The "Winner" will get the prize.

The proceeds from the auctions are going to donate a New Christmas Tree to the City's New Town Hall for their Tree Lighting Ceremony. We will have a plaque made listing winners and businesses that helped make the donation possible.

This gets us out in the community and folks will remember us from the Event and the fun!

PS. IF this entry wins, I will give it to my manager who came up with this idea as I am already going to the Expo!

So far so good, folks. Keep 'em coming!

I have two things to bring up. One we are not doing at the moment, and the other, I haven't been able to do at all. They are both pretty simple, and they involve marketing this property.

1. Cashiers, NC has a weekly (mostly) musical event during the season. It is called "Groovin on the Green". It is live music of all varieties, played by local area and regional bands. Good entertainment, and it is free to attend. I am asking my owners to sponsor portions of several of these events. We will be mentioned several times during the event, and flyers, brochures, etc can be distributed duriong these events.

2. Really simple little thing, but, I should have magnetic signs for our car, shortly, I hope.

To add, in general, our marketing consists of shopping locally. As far as things we haven't implemented here yet, we are getting new businesses up here during the off-season, so we will have new people to go visit. Our area is so small, that full-blown marketing campaigns don't really work well.

You can't win if you don't play, folks,