Storage Heroes Tip #1: Don’t ever underestimate a good business contact.

In our business, it’s easy to think of ourselves as buyers, or as salesmen, which we are- but it’s pretty difficult to think of ourselves as personalities. Thank goodness for Brian as a business partner though, because I’ve quickly learned that you can’t buy or sell without a personality. A personality yields contacts, and contacts yield business. It all relates.

How many times have we gone into a store where the sales clerk treated us as if we didn’t exist? We’ve all had that “Pretty Woman” moment. We’ve also had the experience where the sales person would not let us leave the store without talking our head off or trying to force us to buy something. Whether it worked or didn’t work, it likely made us pretty uncomfortable. How many times though, have you walked into a store and had the salesman ask you how your day was? Inquire about pictures of your children? Actually care about your personal life?

I’ve underestimated a lot of these things, until now– and now, ironically, is when our business is starting to really grow. Just today I’ve gotten five phone calls, count them, FIVE– and all had some type of product or service they wanted from us. ALL five are people I established relationships many months ago, when I didn’t even think it would yield any results. All five are now going to be some of our most lucrative business deals yet.

The Storage Heroes blog today was about a customer we met who happened to buy a great deal of merchandise from us and who has come back again and again, and likely will do a great deal of business with us in the future. We’re happy to have met her– she’s a good person– and I’m really glad we could help her out with some merchandise at below wholesale prices. But more importantly, I know now that if I ever have an item in that genre, I can give her a ring. I also know that if I need a service that she offers, she’ll be able to help me out. It’s not always about what you can make at any given moment– it’s not even about hoping that treating people well will yield results. It’s about treating everyone the best that you possibly can– if it pans out, great, you’ll reap the benefits weeks or months later. If it doesn’t, at least you know you’ve been an honorable person.

Read more about this latest unit at: http://storageheroes.blogspot.com/2011/11/we-came-we-spa-we-conquered.html