THINK BENEFITS NOT FEATURES

How to differentiate your facility– think benefits not features!

Promoting your benefits & advantages using the Ultimate List of Facility Features.

In a crowded marketplace, you need to find what makes your facility genuinely unique, special and different and promote it widely to all your prospects during the sales process. Otherwise, your facility is no different; it’s just a commodity without any redeeming features and ends up competing mostly on price. Every storage facility has a range of unique features that help differentiate it from competitors. Your role is to find, know and promote the relevant features and turn them into clear advantages and benefits. It’s time to turn your facility features into advantages and benefits. You want to sell the sizzle, Not the sausage to promote the benefits that differentiate you from your competitors.

STEP 1 – Brainstorm with your team to identify all your facility features and the best ones.

STEP 2 – Identify how each feature is an advantage or benefit to your prospect or repeat client.

STEP 3 – Explain the real benefit to your prospects – using “which means”, “that means” or “because”.

For example here are some phrases clearly explaining the facility’s benefits

“We have air-conditioning which means your goods will keep cool on those humid days” (unlike our competitor who has evaporated cooling)

“We have a drive-in service which means you don’t have to carry your items from the car (unlike our competitor that has trolleys and a lift)

Also, remember that a feature is only a benefit if it meets that client’s needs. For example, having a 6m x 3m space for a client may not be a benefit to clients with only 4m x 3m of goods.

So make sure you talk about benefits when describing or showing prospects around your site.

Promote your benefits – not just all your features.

POPULAR FEATURES

l Location l Security cameras l Back to base alarm monitoring l Secure perimeter fencing l Undercover loading bay l Goods hoist l Passenger and goods hoist l Various sizes l Box shop l Padlock for sale l Wide driveways l Restrooms l Handicap toilets and access l Climate control l Good signage – easy to find l Wifi access l Piped music l On-site manager

A STORY WITH A SAD ENDING FOR A FACILITY

“A few years ago we were looking to store some goods, so we had an inspection tour around a very nice storage facility. A pleasant site manager was escorting the tour. I was genuinely amazed as she went on and on pointing out the obvious – every single feature of the facility. “There is a window, that’s an air conditioner, that’s a tree, here is the gate.”

At no point did she ask any questions to find out what our needs were and explain the specific and relevant benefits of what she had to offer. Sadly, no sale was made by that person.

Remember – don’t tell them everything you know, tell them what they want to know and need to know. Most people struggle to remember more than three key things about your facility.

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF FACILITY FEATURES

l You and your team need to turn these facility features into advantages & benefits! l “We have (feature) which means you can … (benefit)” l “We have (feature) so that you can … (benefit)” l “We have (feature) because… (benefit)”

You probably realise when you think about it, that your facility has many great features and the key is to work out the benefits that go along with those. Start a list today, there will be many benefits for each of the features listed here. Then that becomes the foundation of your marketing and sales strategy which can be cross promoted, on your website, in your marketing brochures, during phone and email enquiries and especially during the site inspections. l