As the owner of an automobile sales company, waiting for customers to find your dealership and putting out a few advertisements may not be enough -- especially in a tough economy. Gain an understanding of your customers, then go find them. According to Road and Travel magazine, the reasons for buying cars range from boredom with a current car to the desire for better safety features. Address these needs and prospect regularly to keep customers flowing in. Also, remember that when a customer feels positive about buying a car from you, she can be a very valuable source of new leads.
Establish an account with a car sales website like Autotrader.com, Vehix.com or Cars.com. List your current cars for sale and provide detailed information about your business as well as photos.
Create a website that features your car listings including photos, pricing, and features. Set up a "Contact Us" form page to pull in leads. List the site on your business cards and fliers so that people who you meet while out and about can browse your cars and information about your auto business online.
Post fliers about your car-selling service and hand out postcards at colleges in your area. College students, both the freshmen who are newly adjusting to being on their own and those who are about to graduate, may be on the hunt for a new or used car soon.
Form alliances with driving school instructors who come into contact with young and new drivers regularly. Provide driving instructors with fliers and business cards that they can make available to students and post in in the classroom. Ask instructors to pass on information about students who show a serious interest in buying a car soon.
Purchase targeted leads lists of automobile drivers. Ask for a list of people who have either inquired about a new car in your area recently or have a lease that is expiring soon. Credit reporting agencies, like Experian, sell these lists directly to businesses.
Talk to friends, colleagues and family members who have or know of teens (and adults) who are in the market for a new or used car. Provide business cards to friends, colleagues and family members so that they can pass along the cards. And ask them to provide you with the person's name, email address, or phone number so that you can contact him with more details.
Consider radio advertising. If you do, make sure that you have a specific deal to offer that will help bring people to your location or call you to inquire and leave contact information.
Contact your past satisfied customers. Offer a referral payment if they can refer you a new customer that decides to purchase one of your cars. You can offer the same incentive to your family and friends.
Visit auto shows that are held within a 50- to 75-mile radius of your area. Hand out business cards to prospective customers and mention any specialty cars that might be of interest to enthusiasts in attendance. Attempt to get each interested person's email address, at least, so that you can contact him later.
