I don’t have time. Really? Bullshit.

I've been reading a lot of articles lately that all have one overriding theme - doom and gloom. I reckon a little bit of positive attitude goes a long way especially in a retail sales environment.

There’s no doubt that this industry, especially used, has taken a fair hammering over the past couple of years and there’s probably more short-term pain to come with the new emission laws coming into effect on 1 January next year, but I’m sick of all this negativity especially when the majority of sellers have good tools at their disposal but just aren't using them to help their sales efforts.

The negativity is seeping through. From a selling perspective, we have to start looking at the glass half full, not half empty. And I know that in a lot of cases yard owners and managers have to step up to the plate and realise what the hell is going on, or not, to be more accurate.

Fact 1: The internet has changed the way Kiwi’s buy and sell their cars. What I see though, is that there are still a hell of a lot of yards that haven’t reacted to this fact. By reacting, I mean putting some real effort into having great listings.

Fact 2: Just having your cars on the internet/Trade Me is not going to give you the best possible results you want (billboard in the desert springs to mind). You have to work smart and if you want good results then you need a good plan.

And I don’t want to hear why this can’t be done because I’ve heard every excuse under the sun, and I can tell you that these excuses haven’t changed in over 10 years, but there’s usually one that always comes up, which you may have guessed.

Example 1: I had an opportunity to have a talk with a salesman at a franchise a couple of weekends ago while an older family member took a car for a test drive. I asked the salesman about how internet advertising was going and he said that Trade Me provided the majority of the enquiry. Great, no surprise there but I wanted to know more about the content of the listing itself and what he thought of it.

The listing was what I describe as conventional; 11 good, clear photos and most of the key information listed even if a little over the top. But at this early stage I want the listing to sell me this car and that means emotion – getting the heart pumping, so after reading the advertisement I want it enough to make the next move. And everyone in this game knows this. 

Here's a tip: Throw the majority of convention out the window.

I don’t really need to know about the mud flaps, armrest – front centre (Shared), pedals, rear apron and so on, especially if the text is cut short. Most of this database-driven information is all too sterile, especially slapped with the disclaimer “confirm with seller”. Most of that stuff I will either take for granted or will be shown, but don’t make it the headlining story because it’s mainly boring. Just bullet point it in the features list.

The only extra information was in capitals (which, for the millionth time, is shouting in internet terms, so don’t do it) and was almost useless. “JUST ARRIVED” (no kidding), then the year, make and model, (which is already listed) and finished with “LOW MILEAGE” which I already knew as the actual mileage is listed just above.

Just tell me about the car. How about something like “Just traded from 1 careful owner. Always garaged this car is immaculate and in new condition. Still has 24 months of the manufacturer’s warrant. Come and see for yourself this weekend. We’ll happily trade your vehicle and can provide finance on the spot. Ask for me, Andrew, and I’ll throw in a couple of extras.”

Keep all the features listed (in the features list - at best this is a technical issue) but you have to add a personal touch which will make you stand out from the crowd.

So let’s get to the crunch – why wasn’t there a short and emotive story? And the answer I got was a question: “Who is going to do that because I don’t have time”. Really? Bullshit.

How about this for an idea sales manager: 40 used cars on the yard and 4 salesmen. Empower them to each write a quick story on each car for 10 cars each week. Make it part of their KPI's. And swap them around each week to keep it fresh. This will give them a real understanding of the listing and what works and what doesn’t, just like real estate agent. 

They must understand the entire listing process and being familiar with, and getting good at writing a 50 word blurb will make an enormous difference. And if they can’t, another way is to contract someone who can, like real estate agents do, but the salespeople must understand what's written and it still must have a personal touch.

Let’s face it, the internet is here to stay and is one of the most powerful sales channels, but it won’t replace the physical yard presence. What has changed is how and when you engage with customers to get them onto the yard. No more negativity - glass half full – positive, emotive words on every listing can be done and you DO have the time (yes I was shouting).

Sales managers need to empower or at least engage with their sales staff to get the buy in and story for each car. Owner operators have to find time to put 10 minutes of story into each car. Not sure how to do it or what to say? The good news it, you don’t have to be a literary scholar - usually the ideas are right there in the cars history. It might be as simple as thinking what you would say to a prospect standing in front of you. Use Google or You Tube to search for ideas if you get stuck. Think emotion and think what you really want to say.

Example 2: A client called us to say that he couldn't understand why one of his cars hadn’t sold. “It’s the best value XXXX XXXX out there by far. It’s a great buy but I have to get rid of it to make way for other stock” he said. The listing was OK - it spelt out the features, the photos were OK and the price was sharp, but no story; no personal touch.

In my opinion, he needed to say in his listing what he had said to us on the phone. Why not? There’s plenty of emotion from the dealer and he’s clearly being very open about selling it. People would hope to get a bargain after reading that.

And we know the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – imagine if you were printing newspapers or selling CD’s? No don’t, you’d end up depressed.