A hard lesson that all salespeople need to learn is that customers often promise to buy, but then don’t. It’s a lesson that transfers to online move ins in the Self Storage industry, and it’s one I learnt the hard way when I was starting out as a car salesman.

Customers would often say ‘we’ll be back later’, and as a naive young salesman, I would fall for it every time. A colleague used to get these customers to sign the ‘Be Back’ book, and while we all know it was probably a useless tactic, it was worth a try!

Fast-forward into today’s digital world, the Internet has it’s own ‘Be Back’ book: reservations.

When customers reserve something, they’re saying they want to buy it, but not right now. It’s setting businesses up for cancellations and all the associated costs.

Are customers who make reservations really committed to buying?

The commitment is helped by a deposit. Terms like ‘non-refundable’ will control my desire to reserve anything at all. But there’s actually a much more reliable option in the Self Storage industry: online move ins.

RapidStor is one of the Self Storage industry’s leading online rental tools. RapidStor has rented over 10,000 Self Storage spaces since it was created for the Self Storage industry, and it integrates in real time with SiteLink Web Edition.

RapidStor research reveals there are two types of Self Storage users: those who are ready to rent shortly, and those who want to rent later but are ready to commit now.

None of these are ‘reservations’ – they’re bookings! They’re commitments to rent either now or in the near future.

Some industry reservation systems promote the ability to ‘reserve with no obligation’ or ‘reserve with no deposit’. These types of reservations set up Self Storage businesses to fail, with potential abandonment and non-completion being major issues.

Would an airline ever let you ‘reserve’ a flight without any commitment, financial or otherwise, to take that flight? Of course not! It simply wouldn’t work for their business, and it doesn’t work for Self Storage.

RapidStor research reveals the vast majority of online enquiries turn into an online move in within 48 hours. With a targeted campaign driving potential renters to your online booking system that works to securing an online move in, your Self Storage business can be renting spaces out 24/7.

Self Storage Startup is one of Centreforce Technology Group’s many successful websites. Self Storage Startup provides information and advice regarding Australia’s Self Storage industry.