21 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
21 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Sell Cars Online?

by aaronco
18 replies
Hi guys,

I've been into internet marketing for a few years now but just recently took a sales job at a car dealership in hopes of using my experience as a marketer to sell cars.

Just wondering if anybody has any clever ideas in selling new and used cars online and making it so people call me or email me about a car?

Maybe build a fanpage just for used cars and running local geographic facebook ppc ads to the page? And doing the same thing with new cars?

Thanks for any help with this!
#cars #online #sell
  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    I ran the Internet marketing for a few dealers for years..

    the largest lead source you could quickly tap into is probably craigslist. if you post just the down payment instead of the price, it will generate a lot more leads.

    but be careful - you don't want to post from work and have their IP banned because 10 other people are posting while at work (even if it's not cars - they will log on, post a few DVD's, and CL see's it's the same IP being used by another account that just posted 5 cars, and BAM - your ads are ghosted)
    Signature

    -Jason

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606313].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    oh, and regarding facebook.. good luck. I have not personally ever spoken with a dealer who got any real results from the amount of effort social media takes..

    1 dealer in Dayton ohio supposedly does well, but they used a viral facebook game with ipad giveaways and just relied on a small percentage of any group of people being in the market for a car, hence they could pull some sales from such an untargeted group (if it's a big enough group).

    You'll have to think outside the box of what most of them do (ie, not just likes on dealer's page).
    Signature

    -Jason

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606334].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    next would be ebay.. I sat in on some training at the national dealers assoc. conference one year put on by reps from ebay motors. They said the best way to use it is as a lead generator - not for direct sales. Post the car, put the reserve price at sticker, and don't worry about it not hitting the reserve - all you want is the leads (the people who bid on it).

    yes - ebay actually taught and endorsed this!
    Signature

    -Jason

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606348].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Leadzguy
      You are going to find this a pretty tough nut to crack. I was a car dealer for 20 years now for 15 years own the largest special finance leads generation company.

      Pay attention to the previous post so as not to get the store's IP blocked. GM won't be too happy with you on that one. Be careful of automated tools especially for CL. There are a number of rules you have to follow so your local competitors can't get you blocked, like how many posts you can make and how often.

      You can invest in a cheap 800 service and have the calls ring to your cell so your fellow salespeople don't skate you. Always use the image of a car or similar car as well. You want to even put something about helping them with financing since 70% of the population are sub prime.

      Good luck
      Leadzguy
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606371].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author aaronco
      Thanks Jason...is ebay good for new cars as well?


      Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

      next would be ebay.. I sat in on some training at the national dealers assoc. conference one year put on by reps from ebay motors. They said the best way to use it is as a lead generator - not for direct sales. Post the car, put the reserve price at sticker, and don't worry about it not hitting the reserve - all you want is the leads (the people who bid on it).

      yes - ebay actually taught and endorsed this!
      Signature

      No affiliate links in sig.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606426].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
        Originally Posted by aaronco View Post

        Thanks Jason...is ebay good for new cars as well?
        Yes.. but in my experience it was tougher and often could become more price driven. A lot of dealers will only consider doing this with aged inventory. That's my experience though - there are some dealers that do well with it.

        exception - if you have something people will travel for.. I sold numerous new vipers on ebay. and challengers when they first came out. oh, and some Call of Duty edition wranglers.

        The trick for new cars - post the same 40+ photos as you would for a used car. it's been a little over a year since I've been in the loop, but at the time very few dealers were doing a good job on this for new cars.
        Signature

        -Jason

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606491].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    I'd say craigslist is your best bet.

    I've actually purchased cars on craigslist before, and my friend used to buy them, fix them up, then flip them (again on craigslist) for some good money.

    But yeah, Craigslist is the best place I can think of (and it works).

    Ebay? Maybe it works, but you have to pay; go the craigslist route.



    EDIT: Jason beat me to it ;D
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606350].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jaggyjay
    Thanks for that mini course Jason

    I gotta friend that buys and sells cars on ebay. This is good to know.

    As far as the OP... I was going to mention ebay, but how can I follow what Jason said?
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606367].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronco
    Awesome...thanks Jason and Sarevok... I like both of those ideas.

    I have been thinking about craigslist alot... Only thing is as a new guy...I know there are other people who have been at my dealership alot longer than me (I've only been there 2 weeks) that are posting on craigslist at my dealership. Do you think I would make them mad if I start posting on there as well....because that could create competition between us salesmen...but then again...I guess that's fair game.


    Also...should I just post used cars on craigslist or a combinations of used and new?

    Thanks again!
    Signature

    No affiliate links in sig.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606389].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
      Originally Posted by aaronco View Post

      because that could create competition between us salesmen
      lol.. you are new

      do they have a board in an office somewhere that shows each persons sales for the month?? what do you think that's really for ?

      Wanna see the #1 person go on a roll?? alter the numbers on the board, and make it look like the #2 person is on a roll and even with the #1 person Actually, don't do this - I got away with it because my family owned the place
      Signature

      -Jason

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606435].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author aaronco
        Hahahah....yea your right....I'm new.. Guess that was a dumb question.. All is fair game in Craigslist.

        I'm going after it...Craigslist here I come.

        Maybe once I get some seniority I will do that little trick you did by switching out the number 1 with 2...unless of course the number 1 guys is me. LOL

        Thanks Jason

        Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

        lol.. you are new

        do they have a board in an office somewhere that shows each persons sales for the month?? what do you think that's really for ?

        Wanna see the #1 person go on a roll?? alter the numbers on the board, and make it look like the #2 person is on a roll and even with the #1 person Actually, don't do this - I got away with it because my family owned the place
        Signature

        No affiliate links in sig.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606452].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronco
    Thanks Leadzguy, should i use my name on craigslist...such as "contact my name" or something else?

    Should i use the same pic of the car thats on the dealerships website?

    Just trying to figure out a way to do this so the other salesmen don't feel that I'm getting in their way.

    How often do u suggest i post so i don't get ghosted?
    Signature

    No affiliate links in sig.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606417].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronco
    Hey Jason....any idea how many times we can post a day on craigslist without getting ghosted?

    Thanks!
    Signature

    No affiliate links in sig.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606486].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
      Originally Posted by aaronco View Post

      Hey Jason....any idea how many times we can post a day on craigslist without getting ghosted?

      Thanks!
      I never had issues with posting 5 or 6 over the course of a day (I did WAY more - but that takes serious time/knowledge/skills and a pool of other IP's).. if you stay at that level of 5-6 a day, do it from home, don't embed photo's from the dealers website (ie, host them somewhere else, or upload them), get a free local google voice number and have it forward to your mobile phone - you should be good to go
      Signature

      -Jason

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606541].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author aaronco
        Ah..ok...that makes sense.

        I thought about buying a craigslist poster that switches out IPs but i will start with 5 or 6 a day for now. Thanks!


        Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

        I never had issues with posting 5 or 6 over the course of a day (I did WAY more - but that takes serious time/knowledge/skills and a pool of other IP's).. if you stay at that level of 5-6 a day, do it from home, don't embed photo's from the dealers website (ie, host them somewhere else, or upload them), get a free local google voice number and have it forward to your mobile phone - you should be good to go
        Signature

        No affiliate links in sig.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606548].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
          Originally Posted by aaronco View Post

          Ah..ok...that makes sense.

          I thought about buying a craigslist poster that switches out IPs but i will start with 5 or 6 a day for now. Thanks!
          just a heads up - Those posting tools require you to already have figured out your IP source(s). They will rotate through proxies you provide, or call external scripts you have (to pull new IP's from your ISP, if your modem/router supports it). But they don't actually provide an IP solution themselves.

          oh - and now that I think about it, I may have been posting 5 per hour, per account/IP. So you might be able to post more than just 5 a day with just 1 account/ip. But I'd start with just the 5 or so a day at first..
          Signature

          -Jason

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606650].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronco
    Awesome...thanks Jason, thanks for the help, every little bit helps when first getting started. I get the feeling there are some people at my dealership who aren't doing this.

    Thanks again!
    Signature

    No affiliate links in sig.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606526].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronco
    Now I see...ok def will just start with 5 a day.

    I pass a library on the way to work, I thought about stopping in there to use there computer lab to post 5 or 6 ads on their IP adress. Might work...unless other people are posting on craigslist from there as well.
    Signature

    No affiliate links in sig.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7606689].message }}

Trending Topics