How To Attract New Customers To A Used Car Dealership
Getting new customers to come calling at a used car dealership is quite different than attracting new car customers – especially in terms of advertising via auto direct mail, print and broadcast. Used car customers have wholly different requirements, from cost to concerns about quality. And, there’s the stigma associated with the “used car salesman” to get over. Here are a few tips to help elevate your communications with consumers.
Offer Bona-Fide Guarantees
Those in the car sales game know that new and used cars can be just as reliable or unreliable as one another. Some cars are made to last forever and others, well, aren’t. Still, there’s a fear among consumers of used vehicles that the car’s life has already been cut short – and this perception is true regardless of whether the automobile has less than 5,000 miles on it or well over 100,000.
To help get shoppers over this hurdle of perception, a used car dealership would be wise to offer a set of guarantees. More than mere empty promises, by offering guarantees in writing as to the shape of the vehicle and how you’ll respond if the vehicle doesn’t live up to a certain criteria of reasonable expectations, you’ll give consumers the confidence they need to pull the trigger on a purchase.
Certified Pre-Owned and Quality Assurances
Of course, many manufacturers offer “Certified Pre-Owned” programs that you might already adhere to. However, if the vehicle you’re offering doesn’t quite live up to manufacturer’s standards, you’d be wise to stand by that inventory with your own set of guarantees. For example, offering up a service promise – perhaps even one that comes at a nominal fee – on some of your pre-owned inventory would be worth pursuing. And, whatever promises and guarantees you do decide to offer, make sure to shout them from the rooftops in every imaginable way – via your auto direct mailings, on your website, in print, in your broadcast ads and even in banners and signs on display in and around your dealership.
No Questions Asked Detailed History Reports
Thanks to the countless ads for services like CarFax, it’s become an expectation of every pre-owned vehicle shopper that any reputable used car dealership will provide detailed history reports on their inventory, without any hesitation. You’d be wise to mention your willingness to comply with this expectation across all of your marketing efforts.
