KSS April eKourier 2023

Kennards Kourier Ko EDITION: April 2023

HERE WE GO ACHIEVEMENT DINNER 2023

WELCOME TO KSS CLEVELAND

THE GREAT REGRET

IT'S ALL ABOUT BLUE IN 2022

50 YEARS IN SPACE

1 Kennards Kourier April 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

Message From Sam

3

Team Member Profiles

4

10 Questions With...

5

50 Years In Space

6

It's All About Blue in 2022 7 Here We Go Achievement Dinner 2023 8 Welcome To Cleveland 9 The AI Paradox... 10 It's Been Wet But We Stayed Dry 11 The Great Regret 12 Newcastle TSM and Group Managers... 13 Helping Hands In Penrith 14 Solution Selling 15 Construction In Full Swing 16 Spotlight On... 17 Nev's Notes 18 Backtracks 19

NEXT ISSUE

Deadline: June 10, 2023 Editor: Sharon Munro Email: sharon@kss.com.au Distribution: July 21, 2023

Front cover and inside cover: Kennards Self Storage Cleveland. Photography by LucyRC Photography.

Kennards Self Storage Cleveland

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FEATURE

MESSAGE FROM SAM

L to R: Sam Kennard (CEO), Darren Marshall (COO), Tony Vuong (General Manager of Operations) and Wayne Brown (Learning & Development Manager).

Fireside Chat

Our new ‘Fireside Chat’ that we broadcast in March is our latest initiative to enable our vastly dispersed business to stay connected. As our business has grown, it is challenging to have our teams remain in touch with the leadership. I have always felt fond of my visits to the centres over the years. It helps me stay connected.

W e have combined the lessons of communication during the pandemic with the technology that became very mainstream. The concept also builds on the open Q&A sessions that I do with new Team Members during NET. The chats will be candid, authentic, and open. There is a lot happening in the business and we are mindful of keeping everyone informed as much as we can. Sometimes the formal

communications may be incomplete, so the chat can enable discussion on existing initiatives and plans. There were some great questions in our first Fireside, offering reflections on our history, lessons learned and the humble but courageous beginnings. It also revealed the curiosity about our growth and future plans.

many other people caught-up and viewed it later. The anecdotal feedback has also been positive. We hope the Fireside Chats help people feel connected to the KSS mission and values, and enable some closeness despite the vast distances. So, please tune-in and feel free to fire-in the questions. Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

The data from the first episode revealed there was strong live engagement while

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WHO’S WHO

TEAM MEMBER PROFILES

Emma Fraser Assistant Manager - Mt Eden NZ

Daniel Bray Centre Manager - Wairau Valley

Tell us about your career background: I came from the hospitality industry, from owning my own café to working in cafés. I love the interaction I have with customers and meeting a whole range of different people. What do you enjoy doing when not at KSS? (Hobbies/ Interests)? Spending time with the family. What are you reading now? Sadly I’m not reading anything at the moment. Have been way too busy with work and family. What are you watching now? Seinfeld. Love watching old re-runs of old TV shows. What favourite foods or restaurant would you recommend? I love Nachos and homemade cooking. Can’t deny a sneaky takeaway though. Where did you grow up and what was it like? I was born in Wellington (Lower Hutt). Lived their till I was ten years old, then moved up to Auckland where I have stayed ever since. Auckland is fast paced and the traffic is terrible but I don’t think I will ever leave. Favourite hangout people when not at work? Friends and family. Favourite holiday destination or interesting place you’ve been to? My brother lives in Colorado (Vail). It's a beautiful place to visit, crystal blue skies, fresh white snow. Vail is such a quaint small town.

Tell us about your career background: I spent ten years with Bunnings and two years with Spotlight as a Big Box Retail Store Manager in NZ. In the UK I had a background in Distribution and Retail Management. I was also self-employed running a small courier company for three years back in the UK. What do you enjoy doing when not at KSS? (Hobbies/ Interests)? I hang out with my wife, three grown up sons and my five year old dog. I enjoy reading, watching Netflix documentaries and dramas, watching sport and do lots of dog walking. What are you reading now? Gulag Archipelago, it’s a long read. What are you watching now? Your Honor Season 2. What favourite foods or restaurant would you recommend? 1947 Eatery - Indian in Auckland and a Sal’s Pizza any time! Where did you grow up and what was it like? I was born in modern day Zambia, grew up and went to school in the North West of England, spent time travelling around Australia after school and went to university in Newcastle upon Tyne. I'm happy we emigrated to NZ 18 years ago. Favourite hangout people when not at work? My family. Favourite holiday destination or interesting place you’ve been to? Victoria Falls, the top of Uluru, mountain peaks in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Dolomites, Libya, Tunisia, South Africa, Bali, Malaysia, Singapore, Queenstown, Cape Reinga, Coober Pedy, Cape Reinga, hitchhiked across the Nullarbor… amongst others.

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WHO’S WHO

10 QUESTIONS... With Chantal Bastiaans - Centre Manager Maroochydore, QLD

Chantal with her Fiancé Mark and Stepdaughter Vera at North Stradbroke Island

How long have you been part of the KSS team? It will be 11 years this April since I joined KSS. What centres have you worked at in your time with KSS? I started at Newstead as an Assistant Manager in 2012. Went to Warana as Manager when Kennards acquired three new Sunshine Coast centres in 2013, managed Warana for four years and have been at Maroochydore since 2018. What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt so far on your journey with KSS? Don’t sweat the small stuff! Everything is fixable and if you need help just ask. There’s always a Team Member just a phone call away to help. What do you enjoy most about KSS? The trust and flexibility we are given to run our centres. I also really enjoy the functions KSS puts on. The Achieve - ment Dinner and Christmas Dinner are always guaranteed to be a great fun night that I look forward to each year.

What did you do before joining KSS? Managed a Men’s Fashion store.

What hobbies do you have outside of KSS? My family and I are big campers and go away as much as we can even if it’s just for a weekend. Attending Music Festivals with friends and being at the beach most days. Name a person who has inspired you both professionally and personally? Bethany Hamilton, she became a world champion female surfer and mothered two children, all with one arm after losing the other in a shark attack at the age of 13. Favourite holiday destination? Without a doubt North Stradbroke Island. It has the most beautiful beach ever; Point Lookout, it’s super laid back and carefree. To sum up KSS in one word would be? Eventful. What’s your favourite food? Thai and Vietnamese.

Top to Bottom: Chantal and family at their QLD home on the Sunshine Coast. Chantal at Double Island and at North Stradbroke Island Rock Pools.

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FEATURE

50 YEARS IN SPACE

24 hour access dates back to 1994. Introducing meeting rooms, wi-fi, delivery concierge and our expansive merchandise range have been at the forefront of the industry. We also demonstrate a commitment to customer service built on a culture we can all be proud of. The customer feedback reflects this with very high scores with specific mentions given to the service provided by our people. The business is also blessed with a team of highly committed innova - tive people who enthusiastically drive change and growth. We have embraced technology and adapted rapidly to the opportunities that have come from the internet and acceler - ating sophistication of customers. When I arrived in the business in 1991, Australia was enduring a damaging economic recession. The business had eight locations at the time and we were using a manual one-write customer record and account system. Today, we have grown to 103 operating centres and another 10 in the develop- ment pipeline. There are over 300 people working across our business in Australia and New Zealand. Over the years we have patiently and tenaciously acquired and developed a network of exceptional self storage centres. We have been particular in selecting locations that are superior and exceptional in comparison to others. It is now an enviable portfolio that cannot be replicated. Things have changed dramatically. Reaching 50 years and enjoying a number of notable milestones it is also exceptional, that in 2023 we remain a privately-owned family-run business. That is not common.

This year represents 50 years since my dad built our first storage spaces. Indeed these were also the first storage spaces in Australia.

I n 1973 when he was on one of his business learning trips to the USA, he discovered a storage facility in Los Angeles, California - a light bulb immediately lit up. He loved the idea. After returning to Australia, he quickly proceeded with his own project in the rear of the Kennards Hire yard in

Moorebank. The initial spaces were experimental in design, construction and customer offer. From pioneering in 1973, we have risen now to our market-leading position in 2023. We boast a long list of industry firsts and innovations. The adoption of individual door alarms and

1973 to 2023 1973

1991

2023

Pioneer Project Moorebank - 1 Location

KSS-Kennards Hire Separation - 8 Locations ~2,600 Spaces

50 Years - 103 Locations

100+ Spaces

~75,000 Spaces

Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer

Neville and Sam Kennard outside Wetherill Park 1994

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FEATURE

IT'S ALL ABOUT BLUE IN 2022

take, was unknown. We do like to think that our recruitment process is thorough and comprehensive enough to get people selection right more times than wrong.

All Respondents - 266

So which way did we go?

Our 2022 results compared to our 2021 results showed a strong shift to a more constructive culture. The change in percentage terms was significant. Our constructive styles improved overall by 6.2% (totalling 86.3% more than our goal of 80% blue). Our primary style once again was Humanistic- Encouraging, where our people feel supported, ideas are discussed openly and we are open to the influence of others. Our Defensive Styles showed significant reduction, Passive Defensive reducing by -12.4% and Aggressive Defensive reducing by -18.8%. This result is particularly pleasing when you think about the amount of change in our people during 2022, combined with coming out of Covid and the current economic climate we find ourselves in, with rising inflation, rising interest rates and global uncertainty. As usual in every survey result there are opportunities. We look forward to unpacking and digesting the OCI results further. We will speak with Team Members and circulate the results in the Executive Summary with everyone. Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer 2021 RESULTS SHOWED A STRONG SHIFT TO A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE CULTURE ‘ ‘ OUR 2022 RESULTS COMPARED TO OUR

Another year, another Organisational Cultural Inventory (OCI) survey complete. It’s unusual for a business to measure culture every year, but we do. The decision to do this represents our strong commitment to organisa- tional culture.

R eflecting the value we place on the importance of maintaining a positive constructive culture, and the benefit that brings to the satisfaction of our Team Members and the impact on business performance. KSS is a business committed to continuous improvement. We do not sit still, always looking to change and evolve to be the best we can be, fuelling our ambition to be a long enduring successful business. Reflecting on 2022, the most signifi - cant changes that occurred in our business, other than coming out of Covid, were changes in our Team.

Turnover of people for the year was over 30% normally below 20%. We lost people from all levels of the business, in particular, from the Leadership Team. Changing our Chief Financial Officer, changes to the Operations Team for all states along with the retirement of some very long-serving outstanding Team Members. Change in people in particular the Leadership Team can have signifi - cant and profound impact on culture. Get recruitment wrong and your culture can have a rapid serious decline, get it right and you gain new experience, new ideas and new enthusiasm which can have a positive impact.

What direction our culture result would

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FEATURE

HERE WE GO ACHIEVEMENT DINNER 2023

Left to right: Chris Sanson, Centre Manager Cleveland, Kellie Robley, QLD Operations Manager, Carol Dunne, Centre Manager Sandgate, Stuart Smith, Centre Manager Homebush, with presenters Jelena Stricevic and Darryl Hodgson, NSW Operations Managers, at last years Achievement Dinner.

W e are turning 50! What a great way to celebrate this amazing milestone with a bigger than ever Achievement Dinner. The Achievement Dinner is an event that KSS and our teams hold dear to heart. The event celebrates many milestones and achievements across the business in the previous 12 months. This year we will celebrate on July 29th at Dockside, located at King Street Wharf. The venue has a stunning view across the water at Darling Harbour.

to the recipients of these awards they consistently demonstrate the values and constructive behaviours we all know as the Blue styles from the OCI. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD Recognising a new Team Member that has been in the business for less than 12 months, has embraced their role, and achieved positive influence through the business be it through centre results or positively influencing their teammates. Teams have shared their feedback on the format of 2022’s Dinner and enjoyed having the extra time once the formalities concluded to catch up with their teammates for a drink, a chat, and a boogie on the dance floor. This will be the same format for 2023, with the SCOTY Awards presented on Yammer outside of the Achievement Dinner and also the 10 Years Hands in Cement.

SERVICE AWARDS This award recognises the length of service a KSS Team Member has contributed to the business. Ranging from 5 to 25 Years of Service, and sometimes longer. It is always great to hear the stories from the recipients when they share the changes and innovation they have experienced in the business during their time. FREEDOM CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS This is a truly humbling award to receive. The recipients of these awards are chosen by all Team Members in KSS. Nominations are submitted for various recognised efforts the Team Member has contributed to their teammates or KSS. When you speak

What to expect on the night?

Look out for your invite that will arrive via your personal email in May.

Tony Vuong General Manager Operations

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FEATURE

WELCOME TO CLEVELAND

W elcome to Cleveland! We are the Newest KSS centre in Queens- land with 553 units, spanning over 4,810 rentable square metres, with Mini Warehouses up to 50 square metres, RV, Caravan and Boat Storage. Cleveland is a suburb located in the Redland City region of Queensland, about 27 kilometres southeast of Brisbane, and is considered a part of the Greater Brisbane area. Situated on a peninsula that juts out into Moreton Bay, the suburb is surrounded by water on three sides, with Cleveland Bay on the west, the Raby Bay on the east and Moreton Bay on the south. This location offers residents the opportunity to enjoy

a variety of water activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing.

KSS Cleveland boasts everything that our KSS centres offer. Secured by CCTV surveillance with multiple cameras, PIN access in and out of the centre and perimeter fencing. 24 hour, 7 day a week access, a Meeting Room, Delivery Concierge Service, and a Box Shop. We are the first centre to have the new LED Size It Room, or as we call it our “Star Wars Size It Room". We are looking forward to our future expansion where we will see up to 1,000 more units added.

months now with an occupancy rate of 45.88%.

We really pride ourselves on our outstanding customer service and go above and beyond to ensure our customers have a memorable experience. Our Challenges ahead are to keep increasing our occupancy, as our opening special of 30% discount has now ended.

Chris Sanson & Reanna Moore KSS Cleveland

Cleveland has been open for five

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FEATURE

THE AI PARADOX: IS THIS THE REVOLUTION WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR?

T he landscape of marketing is experiencing a seismic shift with the rapid advancement of automa - tion technology and Artificial intelli - gence (AI). AI is enhancing the skills of creative experts, particularly marketers. It can examine consumer information and behaviour, offering useful insights that help professionals generate more impactful communication and avenues to connect with target audiences. AI optimises content, landing page design, and conversion rates, leading to successful marketing campaigns. Chatbots are causing a stir in the world of growth marketing. Powered by advanced artificial intelligence technology, they have the potential to revolutionise how businesses interact with customers and approach marketing. Digital Marketing is a constantly evolving field that requires businesses to continuously improve important in the era of AI, where tools like ChatGPT can help businesses generate marketing content without the need for manual writing, and can engage with customers in a conversa- tional and human-like manner. As an AI language model, GPT-3 is indeed the latest and most advanced version developed by OpenAI. Its primary purpose is to generate human-like text, but it can also perform various language tasks such as transla- their strategies to keep up with competitors. This is even more

tion, summarisation, and answering questions.

or persuasion, whereas AI-generated content is often focused on generating large volumes of content, which can lead to mediocre outcomes. It's true that the integration of AI like ChatGPT into search engines like Microsoft’s Bing can have both positive and negative effects. On one hand, it can provide users with more person- alised and relevant content, making their search experience more efficient and enjoyable. On the other hand, it can lead to a decrease in the diversity of perspectives and voices available online, as well as potential biases in the content that is presented. As AI continues to develop and be integrated into search engines and other online platforms, it will be important to balance these benefits and drawbacks and ensure that the technology is being used ethically and responsibly. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft and other companies continue to innovate and improve search using AI, and how this will shape the online landscape in years to come.

One of the key features that sets GPT-3 apart from its predecessors is its significantly larger training dataset and more advanced architecture. This allows it to generate responses to a wider range of prompts than earlier versions. The paradox of AI lies in its ability to both commoditise and enhance content creation. While AI can make the process more efficient, it also highlights the value of handmade content. Marketers must carefully weigh the risks and benefits of using AI in content marketing. Human-created content has several advantages over AI-generated content. It is more creative and unique, based on personal experi- ences, perspectives, and emotions. While the quality of human-created content can vary, it tends to be higher due to the knowledge, experi- ence, and research involved. Human- created content also displays a deep understanding of context and subject matter, which AI lacks. Additionally, human-created content is natural, conveying a wide range of emotions, opinions, and styles, whereas AI-generated content lacks nuance. Finally, human-created content has a clear purpose, such as entertainment

Did you think this article was off? See the paradox now?

- ChatGPT, powered by Deepa Chirayath.

Deepa Chirayath Digital Marketing Coordinator

10 Kennards Kourier April 2023

FEATURE

IT'S BEEN WET BUT WE STAYED DRY!

C rikey! To say it has been wet in New Zealand the last couple of months would be an understatement. Going into the last weekend of January, the Auckland region experienced a weather bomb up to the scale of a one in one hundred year event, with a state of emergency declared after 539mm (21.2 inches) of rain fell, this far surpassing the previous record of 420mm in 1869. This was a good reminder of the value of ensuring all storm water drains and gutters are kept clear and clean, to ensure they work at maximum potential, for times like these when you really need them. Fortunately none of our Auckland sites were affected, and as a result of these events, we have experienced increased occupancy at our established Mt Eden and Three Kings sites, and our new Wairau Valley site has successfully reached high performance occupancy

above 85% as well.

Hastings site was cut off for three days due to surrounding street surface flooding. Fortunately again, non of the these sites were affected by the storm and experienced extra demand and occupancy as the clean up of the region began. Both events really enforce the saying, “If it's worth storing, it is worth insuring". Next time you make a Care Call, remind customers that events like the above can happen at any time (storms do not just happen in Winter). In a disaster there are two types of customers, the insured customer and the uninsured customer. I will let you decide who is the easiest to deal with.

‘

NEXT TIME YOU MAKE A CARE CALL, REMIND CUSTOMERS THAT EVENTS LIKE THE ABOVE CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME

As if what happened in January wasn't enough, a couple of weeks later along comes Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle. All the media hype of Auckland having another weather bomb turned out to be fake news. Unfortunately, the track of the cyclone had a devastating affect on the Hawkes Bay region, where we have our Onekawa, Napier and Hastings sites. ‘

Andrew Kirkham NZ Operations Manager

Napier and Onekawa sites were without power for a week and access to our

11 Kennards Kourier April 2023

FEATURE

THE GREAT REGRET

"The guys at Abbotsford Hoddle Street were amazing, helping me to find my ideal space to store my stuff. Very friendly service and helpful." "Team at Flemington are incred- ibly helpful, not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for and the guys are incredibly helpful and their customer service is second to none." "Peter and Amanda at Kennards Self Storage Rosebud have been absolutely fabulous to deal with. Great range of storage units to choose from in a clean, tidy, well secured facility. Highly recommend Kennards Rosebud for all your storage needs." "Excellent service at Castle Hill. Everything you need to move is in one convenient location at afford- able prices. I bought boxes, tape and bubble wrap and hired a trailer for a house move." "Great location, easy to access and the staff were friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend Adelaide Airport." "Best experience I’ve had moving into a storage unit because of Andrew. Super helpful and best customer service and overall great guy. 100/100 would recommend Kennards Storage Marrick- ville, especially when Andrew is working." "The team at Kennards Cardiff are amazing!!! So helpful and friendly, 10/10!"

I n the last Kourier I wrote about the growing trend in Australia, globally known as the "Great Resignation", where large numbers of employees are quitting their jobs due to various reasons such as burnout, lack of career growth, or dissatisfaction with their work environment. Overall, the "Great Regret" is a reminder that changing jobs is not always the solution to workplace dissatis- faction and that careful consideration is needed to ensure a successful and fulfilling career However, a new survey by Robert Walters, a recruitment agency, suggests that many people who have left their jobs during the pandemic are now experiencing regret. The survey found that 80% of employees who changed jobs during the pandemic wished they had not done so. ‘ ‘

poor work culture in the new job, inadequate onboarding, a lack of clarity on job expectations, among other factors. Many employees also noted that they were lured by higher salaries or better job titles but found that these factors did not compensate for the dissatisfaction they experi - enced in their new roles. I wrote previously that the Great Resignation has many positives for both the employee and the employer However, the survey potentially highlights the importance of carefully considering all factors before making a decision to leave a job, especially in uncertain times such as the pandemic. It also emphasises the need for employers to provide a supportive and collaborative work environment, clear communication, and opportunities for growth and development to retain their employees. These reasons are not lost on KSS. Our recent OCI results indicate that this is in fact an important and critical part of our business Which Team Members are recognising. Overall, the "Great Regret" is a reminder that changing jobs is not always the solution to workplace dissatisfaction and that careful consideration is needed to ensure a successful and fulfilling career.

The reasons for regret included a

Darren Marshall Chief Operating Officer

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FEATURE

NEWCASTLE TSM AND GROUP ASSISTANT MANAGER’S MEETING

"On a Sunday Afternoon, I was desperately looking for some decent cardboard boxes (50) and, to my delight, Kennards Milton had exactly what I was looking for. Yvonne was very helpful in making these competitively priced boxes available and helped with taking them to my vehicle. Thank you." "The lady who was working at closing time on 6/4 at North Melbourne was so lovely. She helped me send a parcel out even though she had locked up the office and was closing the roller doors as I rocked up. Really great customer service. Thank you!" "I came here a couple of weeks ago to inquire about storage. Within 10 seconds of entering the office, a staff member had greeted me and was eager to help. I found him straightforward, honest and at no point did he try to upsell anything. After chatting for maybe 10 minutes, he was able to show me through to a storage unit for rent, and provided a quote via email within an hour of leaving the shop. Very professional." "Awesome service Chatswood team thanks for your help. I was not going to leave a review but the service I received was excellent and you guys actually listened to all my requirements and gave me the best advise for my needs." "If you need storage I highly recommend using Kennards in Mt Eden. The team here are great, Maria made the whole process so easy. They genuinely provide great service and when I next need storage I will be coming back."

O n the 8th of March Team Members from Newcastle, Central Coast and Northern Sydney gathered together at the Art House in Wyong. It was a fantastic day broken into three sessions. Firstly we covered, “What am I allowed to do”, focusing on empowering the team to make decisions and dispelling some common Kennards myths as a group. After lunch, we covered goal-setting by showing what a good SMART Action plan looks like. Finally, we finished with a condensed “80% Blue” session, engaging the team in what our culture looks like and opportunities to improve. Days like this are a great opportunity to network with Team Members you may have never met, and even rekindle old working relationships! Above, left to right: KSS Team Members Caitlyn Biscoe, Maryia Reed, Medhat George, Call Geddes, Varsha Samji, Krishna Challa, Michelle Leonard, Portia Badri, Kylie Mercer, Aaron Petty, Jared Mobbs, Lesley Fitzpatrick, Phillip Boniface, Kylie Toner, Melissa Forrester, Mick Rayner

Jared Mobbs NSW Operations Manager

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CHARITY

HELPING HANDS OF PENRITH

"Have rented a storage unit here at Port Melbourne for a number of years with no issues at all. Facility is safe and secure and the staff are always friendly and ready to help with any queries or packing supplies." "First time using a self storage centre so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Had a really great experi- ence from Dinesh and the team, that helped me choose the right storage size and were accommo- dating even in last minute changes when I needed additional space. Really great prices and the best part is that you get your money back on any unused time. Had my items in storage for just shy of a month and they came out exactly how I put them in. Thanks Kennards Guildford - really appreciate the help!" "Carol and the team at Newcastle were so lovely and helpful from start to finish. Carol went above and beyond to help us during such a stressful time and we are so grateful for her patience and understanding." "Great people to deal with. The manager was on shift and really went the extra mile to help out with our requests. Really great service, would travel from the opposite side of Brisbane to have the pleasure of dealing with them at Virginia." "Super friendly team at Murarrie, clean/new facilities, ease of access and the team are always there to help. Thank you!"

T he Lions Club of Penrith has a long and proud tradition of raising funds to support local, national and interna- tional groups who provide support directly to people in need. These activities include, but are not limited to, Mama Lana’s Community Foundation at Penrith who provide meals to the homeless and those suffering hardship, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, collecting second hand eye glasses that are sent to developing countries so that people can have access to free spectacles. Last year KSS assisted the Club by donating boxes for their food collec - tion activities. Since then the Club, with the generous support of the local community, has collected between

$15,000 and $20,000 in groceries. These have been distributed to local community kitchens and to Food Bank to assist with flood relief. With all the collections that the Club conducted they are still in need of boxes. KSS happily supplied more boxes to enable the Club to continue their invaluable work. Lions Clubs assist with fundraising for special causes in their local communi- ites and help with development and building of local parks, community venues and sporting centres. Their purpose is to create and foster a spirit of understanding among the people of the world.

Sharon Munro EA to the CEO

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TRAINING

SOLUTION SELLING

At its core solution Selling is about connecting customers to the best possible solution for their particular needs. The concept is decades-old methodology that involves taking a more empathetic approach to sales.

A t Kennards we believe taking the time to connect customers with the right solution for their problems is the best way to secure a long-term, loyal customer. When we take the time to master this strategy, we can better solve our customer's problems, and ultimately build stronger relationships. Solution Selling requires our teams to dig into the true needs of customers rather than approaching every sale as an opportunity to push a space or product. Leading with the product is known as Product Selling, which differs from Solution Selling in a few ways. Solution Selling doesn’t focus on the product at first. Instead, it involves a more consultative selling approach that shows what the space, service or product can do to make a custom- er's life easier. Rather than discussing specs and features, Team Members

using Solution Selling will identify their customers problem first and then guide them to the solution that best solves that problem. Solution Selling requires our Teams to dig into the true needs of customers rather ‘

demonstrate how Kennards products and services can tangibly alleviate our customer's specific need or pain point. Go beyond simply providing a range of size options and hope they choose the correct one. Instead, solution sellers look at the how we can deliver a world class sales experience. This type of relationship selling focuses more on building trust and rapport instead of aggressive or unethical selling techniques. Most potential customers don’t appreciate generic or pushy sales tactics. One thing is certain, when we take the time to understand our customer's struggle and pain points we create more opportunities for upselling, cross- selling and positive word of mouth referrals in the future.

than approaching every sale as an opportunity to push a space or product

‘

If you’re thinking about leaning more into Solution Selling here are some things to keep in mind:

Wayne Brown Learning & Development Manager

The main goal of Solution Selling is to

15 Kennards Kourier April 2023

PROPERTY

CONSTRUCTION IN FULL SWING

started on the construction of a new 5 storey building for KSS at the existing KSS Minto site. The site is an original centre developed from vacant land 35 years ago. The current KSS buildings are a mixture of one and two storey buildings and have always enjoyed good customer occupancy. The new development required demolition of two existing single storey buildings to be replaced with a new 5 storey, 8,000sqm self storage building with a new lifts and new office. Combined with the remaining buildings on-site this will bring the site to almost 14,000sqm GFA. The project is due for completion in December 2023. PYMBLE NSW The KSS Pymble site in NSW continues to grow. Construction of another stage started in September 2022 with Patterson Building Group and involves building over the final top floor roof terrace area to make the existing structure a 5 storey building.

in the 1970’s and was a CSIRO laboratory until KSS purchased the property in 2013. KSS has undertaken several phases of expansion over the subsequent years and currently has 600 plus storage units. The new stage will provide another 2,200sqm of gross floor area, about 200 more units. Part of the ingenious design included building the new roof structure over the top of an existing solid brick and concrete fan room which was built to a government standard no longer used. It was tough going to demolish this but the idea generally worked. What’s next for Pymble? We do have further Council approval for a final expansion of another 11,000sqm GFA building sometime in the future, which will take the Pymble site to over 21,000sqm GFA, but that’s another 5 storeys for another day. Michael Macheledt, Craig Henery & Brittany Ahern Property Development Team We are aiming to have the project complete in mid-May 2023.

CRANBOURNE VIC Located Southeast of Melbourne this centre is now open and already filling up. Cranbourne has over 550 units available including eight Enterprise Spaces. This centre, being the first to showcase our evolving showroom design, will also have a retail tenancy at the front of building C, which we are in the final stages of configuration from the potential tenant. due in July. This centre once open will have over 500 units including 16 Enterprise Spaces. Building A has the structural steel underway, roofing is being completed and the hoist is installed. Building B roofing is complete and external cladding and internal walls being completed. Building E fit out is complete and the roller doors have been installed. Electrical services are underway along with the painting to the northern elevation. Building F roller doors are installed with electrical trays underway. CRAIGIEBURN VIC (Pictured above) Works on site continue with completion

MINTO NSW In December 2022, Total Construction

The original building was constructed

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PROPERTY

SPOTLIGHT ON MARIBYRNONG VICTORIA

in the rear and as we drive through the centre, we give a guided tour. We have a bit of fun on the way, giving customers a laugh as well as all the centre information they need to know. customer would be Gary. Gary is Agreement Number 8 and he has stored at this centre for 20 years! I wonder if he remembers what he has stored? We’ve also had a couple of celebrities over the years such as Roberta Williams, Megan Gale and Tina Arena. The team at KSS Mariby- rnong is made up of Eli Savic (pictured left) - Centre Manager and Tania Norris (pictured right) – Assistant Manager. Eli has been a part of the KSS family since commencing as an Assistant Manager back in 2008. Eli then went on to become the Centre Manager in 2018, returning to work after having her second child. Eli has recently celebrated her 15th year with KSS. Tania has been the Assistant Manager at KSS Maribyrnong since 2016 after being a Manager at Priceline for 15 years. Tania will be celebrating 7 years with KSS in September 2023. Business has been great! Recently a few square metres shy of 98% occupancy and happy to say 90%+ occupancy for over 12 months. At Maribyrnong our longest storing

T he original buildings at 151 Raleigh Road Maribyrnong, were home to the Maribyrnong Munitions and Explosives Factories during World War II. The relationship between Munitions factories and the Maribyrnong area is a long and significant one. It dates back to the mid 1870’s with the construc- tion of the Saltwater Gunpowder Magazine in 1874. Fourteen years later, in 1888, the Colonial Ammunition Company built the Colonial Ammuni- tion Factory in Footscray. This factory soon became a major supplier to the colonial forces. By the time World War II started, a number of factories had been built in Maribyrnong and Footscray. These included the Cordite Factory, built in 1918, and the addition of High Explosives and Filling departments to the Explosives Factory in Maribyrnong in 1918-20. The property was purpose built as Millers Self Storage back in 2001, prior to KSS taking over in late 2004.

Enterprise Spaces and the conversion of the level three open car, boat,

and caravan spaces, to lock up units. Located on the ground level you can find the purpose-built Gun Storage room and then two levels of storage units consisting of both indoor drive-up units and aisle units. We also have a drive-up mezzanine level which is located in a quiet area behind the street level units and our office. Maribyrnong is the only centre within Victoria which does not have lift/hoist access to the upper levels. However, we can boast that all levels are drive up which is not only convenient but very appealing when talking about unit location to our customers. Located around the corner from one of the largest shopping complexes in Victoria, Highpoint Shopping Centre, and with Raleigh Road a main thoroughfare for traffic, KSS has great drive by exposure with no chance of the public missing our centre. Something which is unique to our centre and our customers love, is our buggy. We use this for onsite tours of our centre. Many customers sit

We have two competitors close by and it can sometimes be

challenging. However, we find that a lot of customers come to KSS as they receive the service they are looking for and we go above and beyond to make their experience awesome.

After the purchase in 2004, Some of the fit outs completed by KSS included

Diane Colosimo VICTORIA TSM

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NEV’S NOTES

NEV'S NOTES

Neville Kennard (1937 - 2012) Founder of Kennards Self Storage, enjoyed and was very passionate about expressing his ideas. These little gems have been appreciated by many in KSS. We will continue to publish his ideas that we have in stock. Enjoy!

THE TRIBAL CHIEF AND THE WITCH DOCTOR

support their cause (of a clean planet, higher taxation and more control).

witches at the stake — they were women who the real “Witch Doctors” saw as a threat — kept these Witch Doctors of the day on top and on side with the Tribal Chiefs of the day. Kings and Premiers don’t often go against the Witch Doctors. Mao Tse Tung and Joseph Stalin had Karl Marx and Frederick Engels and the religion of Communism. Tribal Chief Adolf Hitler dispensed the belief of his people being a “Chosen Race”, with some “inferior races” — Jews and Gypsies — to act as real-time devils. Pol Pot had behind him the religion of Communism and Witch Doctor “Anker” to dispense fear and hope to the people (mostly fear). Doctors or anyone telling me what to do with my life, in this life or the next ‘ King Henry VIII of England didn’t like his Witch Doctor — the Pope — so he fired him and got a new one; it caused some confusion and discontent (Witch Doctors do have a certain hold) but at least the new one could be “local” and head up the Church of England — they formed a pretty good local duo —local Chief, local Witch Doctor. American Presidents typically have a basket of religions and belief systems and convenient Witch Doctors — Christianity and Democratism are a couple. Australian Prime Ministers recently have had the religion of Global Warming/Climate Change with appropriate alarmist witch-doctors to I don’t like Tribal Chiefs or Witch

President George Bush, a Christian, as well as having “God on His Side”, had Saddam Hussein, Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Al Qaeda devils on the other side; and “Making the World Safe for Democracy” as his cause and excuse for a war or two. There’s nothing like a war to get patriotic fervour going — but you have to win, otherwise the tribe will get restive. Governments like wars; the tribe doesn’t like a losing war. They can look for another Chief or Witch Doctor. President Barrack Obama seems to need some new Witch Doctors right now — the “change you can believe in” mantra is fading, Obama-Care is not credible and the wars are not going so well. The tribe may look for a new Chief and/or Witch Doctor. The old religions are fading with their Witch Doctors so new ones are needed; the climate, the environment, threats of extinctions are available for a while. The old Tribal Chiefs pass their use-by dates too, but the next election gives some choices, and hey, the religion of Democracy is still alive and well so we have that to believe in, for the time being anyway. And the next Tribal Chief may bring us out of the Global Financial Crisis with some Economic Witch Doctors! Ben Bernanke is trying to replace Alan Greenspan as Economic Witch Doctor; he will have a tough time as Greenspan got a rails run for way too long and left poor Ben with a pile of debt and trouble. I don’t like Tribal Chiefs or Witch Doctors or anyone telling me what to do with my life, in this life or the next.

‘

T hroughout history the Tribal Chief and the Witch Doctor have found it beneficial to be on the same side. The Tribal Chief has the warriors and weapons and money, while the Witch Doctor has the hearts and souls of the tribe. Witch Doctors spin their magic, dispense their potions and weave fear; they can promise health and eternal happiness or threaten agonising death, eternal damnation. Tribal Chiefs promise security, abundance, happiness in the here and now — if you follow their plan. Together they are a powerful force. For “Tribal Chief” these days read King, President, Prime Minister, or Party Chairman. For “Witch Doctor” read Pope, Archbishop, Mullah, Green Guru or Global Warming Alarmist …. Whatever is the religion or belief or fear of the time. Politics and Religion — they need each other. Politics is about living at the expense of others. A Religion is a Cult that has gained political acceptance. The Spanish Inquisition and burning

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March 3rd, 2011

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HISTORY

BACKTRACKS Backtracking to the 'Kennards News' in April 1993. The Adding Value Award was introduced, what we know today as the FREEDOM Award, the Yellow Pages was the main source of advertising, Sam Kennard became a member of the SSAA committee, Team Headquarters was based at 2 Cowpasture Place, Wetherill Park and KSS had 11 centres operating.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt

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