A secret shopping evaluator knows that a good salesperson does not talk a customer into getting something. The good salesperson does not try to shove something down the throat of a customer, or try to trick them into a purchase. A good salesperson is able to help the customer talk themselves into needing it, whatever it is!

The secret shopping evaluator is aware that this technique is very true with selling self storage. When a customer calls to inquire about it, the telephone rep only has a few minutes to sell the facility and help the customer realize that renting a unit at this particular location is exactly what they are looking for. The best way to accomplish this task is with the Five Agreements.

All secret shopping evaluators know that location is the number one reason people choose a self storage facility, so this is the First Agreement that the sales rep needs to get. After describing the directions and nearby landmarks, the sales rep needs to say, this is a convenient location for you, right?

Next the telephone rep wants to determine what size of a unit the caller will need. This is done fairly early in the call so the salesperson can determine what is available that will work for the customer. Giving the caller a choice of units is the best way to achieve this Second Agreement. The salesperson should say, do you think the 5x10 or the 10x10 will work the best for you? Since the customer is choosing the size, they are obviously in agreement.

For the Third Agreement, the secret shopping evaluator wants to hear the sales rep get the caller to agree to a timeframe as to when the unit will be needed. This can be used to the advantage of the salesperson in many different ways. If the caller says they will need the self storage unit in a week, then the phone rep will emphasize that a unit needs to be reserved now to insure that it will be available in seven days. If the caller says they will need it in a month, then the salesperson can recommend the unit be rented now so the customer can take advantage of the current special, and start moving into the self storage unit at a leisurely pace.

The Fourth Agreement is about the importance of all of the security and amenities that this location provides. By getting the caller to agree that video cameras and monthly pest control and an onsite management team are essential features, the phone rep is also putting into the back of the mind of the customer that maybe the competitors do not offer these things.

And of course the Fifth Agreement is the price. By first going over the other four agreements, the salesperson is letting the caller know what all they are getting included with their rental rate. If the phone rep cannot get this fifth agreement, if the customer thinks the price is too high, then all a good salesperson has to do is to go back over the other four agreements and see what the problem is.

The salesperson should remind the caller and reemphasize the first four agreements. We are a convenient location for you, correct? And you will need our last available 10x10 unit this Saturday? And you agree that our great security and amenities are important when you are paying for self storage, right? And you know we have a great value for this area, right? So we need to go ahead and reserve that unit for you for this Saturday. Which credit card would you like to use?

All secret shopping evaluators know that being a good salesperson is not about trickery or deception. Being a good salesperson is about letting customers sell themselves on the product or service. This is how secret shopping can help your self storage business.