The Art of Property Management Persuasion

Open todays local newspaper and you are likely to read an article about residents of some city attempting to prevent the construction of a self storage facility in their town. Though, many of these people have storage problems and could use the self storage business to solve storage issues, they still do not want a storage faciltiy in their town. It is important for property managers to understand the publics complaints so they can take measures to respond in a positive matter that is beneficial to both, the public and property managers.

Public Complaint Number 1: The general public stereotypes self storage facilities based on its early ancestors. The public sees self storage units as an eyesore. They are huge metal boxes that property managers neglect to take care of. They feel that a storage facilitys presence decreases the value of their home.

Property Managers Solution: Yes, in the early days storage facilities were not much to look at, kind of like a dead deer on the side of the road. However, modern self storage facilities are beautifully landscaped with flower gardens and waterfalls. The modern storage building hides its intended purpose. They are constructed with clock towers and blend into the scenery. Wireless cell phone companies used this strategy a couple of years ago by designing towers that looked like trees. Now a self storage facility is not going to look like a tree, but they can appear as homes and shopping malls.

Public Complaint Number 2: Property managers allow all types of riff-raff to rent a self storage unit. Storage units are used as homes, a place to store drugs and stolen goods, and a place to stash a dead body.

Property Managers Solution: Some people watch too many movies, but that is not to say that self storage units are innocent from these accusations. There are just as many stories in the local newspaper about crimes taking place in storage units as there are stories about people fighting against a storage facilitys existence. Property managers need to promote positive purposes for self storage and give these complaining people a purpose of their own for self storage. Property managers need to let the public know about the multiple uses of self storage. They can use self storage for RV storage, boat storage, and vehicle storage, things that homeowner associations restrict. In recent years, self storage has added a more prestigious service to its resume, wine storage. If property managers inform the public about wine storage at a self storage facility, then the public will view the self storage image differently. Unfortunately, wine storage at self storage is not publicized enough.

Pubic Complaint Number 3: Self storage facilities do not bring a lot of jobs to a town for the amount of space they occupy. Since they do not employ too many property managers, the town is awarded very few tax benefits.

Property Managers Solution: Boy, this is hardly a tough one. First of all, the more land a business owns, the more taxes they pay. Second, they are right. A self storage facility employs very few property managers, hence the town cannot generate a lot of income tax from them. However, this does not mean property managers are excused from community involvement. There are many things property managers can do to win over the publics appreciation of having an active self storage business in town. Property managers can donate storage space for local charities or get physically involved, like working in a soup kitchen. Becoming an active member in the community will certainly turn around the self storage facilitys bad reputation and peoples view of them as a free-loader.

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