100 Ways to Sell a Car — Ideas Take Flight
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RICH DEALERSIdeas Take Flight

100 Ways
to Sell a Car

Ten runways. Ten ideas on each. Every one of them is something a store can start this month without a new vendor, a new system, or a bigger ad budget.

1,000+Glides before Kitty Hawk
200Wing shapes in their own tunnel
3Ideas to commit to today
01/ 10Digital Presence

Get Found First

The runway you already own. Search, listings, your own site, and paid dollars pointed at your own zip codes.

  1. 01Master your Google Business Profile and Apple Business Connect listings.
  2. 02Run Craigslist and Facebook ads together, not just Craigslist.
  3. 03Put a trade value calculator on your website.
  4. 04Boost special offer posts to targeted zip codes on Facebook.
  5. 05Run small Facebook contests ("Best Car Name Wins a Prize").
  6. 06Use Facebook and Instagram Stories daily for flash offers.
  7. 07Email newsletter: customer success stories plus inventory highlights.
  8. 08Start a dealership blog focused on lifestyle and driving.
  9. 09Submit blog articles to local media outlets.
  10. 10Write a downloadable guide for first-time car buyers.
02/ 10Authority

Teach, Don't Pitch

Be the person in town who explains how this works. Education buys trust that advertising cannot rent.

  1. 11Start a YouTube channel with car buying tips.
  2. 12Host a Facebook Live Q&A on common car buying mistakes.
  3. 13Be the expert: share one piece of real information on your socials weekly.
  4. 14Sponsor or host a local podcast about community events.
  5. 15Offer to speak at local Rotary Clubs about buying tips.
  6. 16Run a free car buying workshop once a quarter.
  7. 17Host a new driver safety seminar for teens and parents.
  8. 18Organize car care clinics with service department tips.
  9. 19Offer free car seat safety checks.
  10. 20Print an inexpensive 8-page "Car Shopper's Mini-Guide."
03/ 10Video

Put a Camera On It

Ten uses for the phone already in your pocket. Nothing here needs a crew, a studio, or a budget line.

  1. 21List cars with video walkarounds on TikTok.
  2. 22Create a "Car of the Week" feature on Instagram Reels.
  3. 23Share behind the scenes dealership videos weekly.
  4. 24Go live on Instagram during dealership events.
  5. 25Send a video text message after every single inquiry.
  6. 26Personalize follow-up with quick customer selfie videos.
  7. 27Cut 15-second custom ads for customers to share with friends.
  8. 28Create a Facebook Group for local buyers and car fans.
  9. 29Launch a TikTok challenge encouraging buyers to show their cars.
  10. 30Build a Spotify playlist, "Songs for the Road," and give it to customers.
04/ 10Proof & Referral

Let Your Customers Fly It

Proof beats claims, and a referred buyer closes faster than any lead you can purchase.

  1. 31Post real customer video testimonials on Facebook and YouTube.
  2. 32Post before and after stories about customers' nicer, newer cars.
  3. 33Launch a "Where Are They Now?" happy customer video series.
  4. 34Offer $100 gift cards for referrals through social media posts.
  5. 35Offer a free car detail for referrals.
  6. 36Give service customers a $250 referral credit if they send a buyer.
  7. 37Run a "Refer 3 Friends, Get Your Car Payment Made" promo.
  8. 38Offer a cash prize drawing for survey completion.
  9. 39Send fun, handwritten thank-you notes.
  10. 40Hand-deliver thank you gifts (or cookies) to a customer's workplace.
05/ 10On-Site Events

Turn the Lot Into a Destination

You already pay for the real estate. Give the town ten more reasons to stand on it.

  1. 41Host "Drive for a Cause" charity test drive events.
  2. 42Bring in a mobile Santa during December.
  3. 43Run a Trunk or Treat at Halloween.
  4. 44Offer food truck Saturdays or service Saturdays on the lot.
  5. 45Invite local bands for parking lot concerts.
  6. 46Host a dog adoption day at the dealership.
  7. 47Hold kids' art contests with car-themed prizes.
  8. 48Run guaranteed credit approval events.
  9. 49Host a VIP pre-owned showcase night, by invitation only.
  10. 50Promote "Trade Up" events with exclusive upgrade offers.
06/ 10Community

Plant Your Flag

Ten ways to be the dealership the town actually knows by name, not just the one on the billboard.

  1. 51Partner with schools and nonprofits for car wash fundraisers.
  2. 52Set up tables at community fairs with giveaways.
  3. 53Sponsor Little League and youth sports.
  4. 54Sponsor local school newsletters or event programs.
  5. 55Create a "rolling radio station" at community parades.
  6. 56Bring donuts to police stations, fire departments, and hospitals.
  7. 57Take a booth at local farmer's markets or flea markets.
  8. 58Attend Chamber of Commerce mixers.
  9. 59Rent a small booth at a local career fair.
  10. 60Sponsor trivia nights or bar bingo nights.
07/ 10Partners & Mobile

Take the Test Drive to Them

Stop waiting for the up. Borrow someone else's foot traffic, or park the car in their lot.

  1. 61Set up test drive events inside neighborhoods.
  2. 62Host mini test drive events at big apartment complexes.
  3. 63Send banners and balloons to major local employers.
  4. 64Partner with a gym for a "Healthy Ride, Healthy You" event.
  5. 65Cross-promote your offers on other local businesses' social media.
  6. 66Hang window clings at partner businesses (restaurants, salons).
  7. 67Give balloons or car magnets to local businesses for their customers.
  8. 68Offer Uber gift cards so service customers come in to test drive.
  9. 69Partner with local moving companies for trade-in promotions.
  10. 70Target divorce and bankruptcy attorneys for referrals.
08/ 10Guerrilla

Cheap Altitude

Bicycle parts and spruce. Maximum visibility for the smallest possible check.

  1. 71Post bandit signs: "We Buy Used Cars, Call Us."
  2. 72Sponsor benches or bus stops with "Need a Car?" ads.
  3. 73Leave flyers at laundromats, apartment complexes, and gyms.
  4. 74Print vinyl banners for your driveway entrances.
  5. 75Distribute flyers at local colleges and military bases.
  6. 76Post flyers and signs on local community boards.
  7. 77Wrap employees' personal vehicles.
  8. 78Buy Uber or Lyft in-car ads locally if available.
  9. 79Rent a simple mobile billboard for a weekend.
  10. 80Make fun trading cards for salespeople to hand out.
09/ 10Acquisition & Mail

The Windshield and the Mailbox

Every car you buy is a car you sell. Ten pieces of paper that go find inventory and first-time neighbors.

  1. 81Run "We Buy Cars" ads on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.
  2. 82Place custom door hangers offering free trade appraisals.
  3. 83Leave "We Want Your Car" notes on cars in parking lots.
  4. 84Put business card sized "We Buy Cars" flyers under wipers.
  5. 85Pay salespeople cash bonuses for trade-ins.
  6. 86Incentivize the team to find private party cars to buy.
  7. 87Use big postcards instead of small mailers.
  8. 88Try shared mailings with non-competing local businesses.
  9. 89Send new mover mailers offering a free oil change or discount.
  10. 90Use reverse psychology: "Don't Buy a Car Today" ads.
10/ 10Retention

Keep Them in the Air

Getting up was never the hard part. Staying up is. Ten programs that turn one sale into the next one.

  1. 91Create a first-time buyer program.
  2. 92Create a downsizer and retirement buyer program.
  3. 93Create a loyalty club with free service rewards.
  4. 94Offer free oil changes for life (with terms) to used buyers.
  5. 95Include first-year maintenance with certified vehicles.
  6. 96Start a car buyer's birthday club with special gifts or offers.
  7. 97Celebrate customer anniversaries with a free service coupon.
  8. 98Use text campaigns to announce new arrivals.
  9. 99Email "5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Car Today" campaigns.
  10. 100Create urgency: "Only 5 Cars Left at These Prices" texts.
WHEELS UPBefore you leave the room

A list of 100 is a list of zero.

  1. 01Circle three. Not thirty. Three you can start inside 30 days.
  2. 02Put a name on each one. An idea without an owner never leaves the ground.
  3. 03Set the date you will read the result, and run it clean until then.
Access this presentation at link.richdealers.com/ways

The first flight at Kitty Hawk lasted twelve seconds. It only counted because they measured it, fixed one thing, and flew again the same afternoon.

1 / 12 100 Ways to Sell a Car
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