How to Sell More Used Cars with Follow-Up Emails

Learn how to sell more used cars by "re-booting" the sale with your prospect  If you're trying to figure out how to sell more used cars and get your prospects to commit, consider investing time in the process of sending follow-up em...

Learn how to sell more used cars by “re-booting” the sale with your prospect 

Learn how to sell more used cars by "re-booting" the sale with your prospect

If you’re trying to figure out how to sell more used cars and get your prospects to commit, consider investing time in the process of sending follow-up emails. Sometimes a well-crafted, thoughtful message can make all the difference in whether a lead chooses to do his or her business with you. In fact, following up with all prospective buyers is likely to make you stand out from the crowd of car salespeople.

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4 tips on how to sell more used cars with follow-up emails

First, let’s establish a sample scenario to better illustrate how follow-up emails can help you close deals. There are several instances when a follow-up is necessary. For this post, we’re going to assume it’s time to re-engage a lead. A lead you already met in person or had significant interaction with over the phone or email.

This particular lead wants to buy a mid-sized sedan from your dealership. She also mentioned a few specific cars you had on the lot. Two weeks has gone by without a peep, so it’s time to craft a well thought out email to get her back on the horse again.

A situation similar to this may have happened to you before, so if you want to learn how to sell more used cars, these four tips will get you there.

1. Craft a subject line that’s personal and communicates urgency

You want to communicate in as few words as possible that your email worth taking a look at. First, establish your end goal for the correspondence. Do you want to set up a meeting? Schedule a test drive? Perhaps discuss financing options for a particular vehicle? Whatever the case, know that you’ll only have a few seconds to catch their interest.

Let’s say you want to update this lead on a vehicle they expressed interest in. You have new financing options available and would like to extend the opportunity. Here’s a few ways to make the subject line personal and express urgency:

  • Include their name, as if opening a dialogue
  • Utilize keywords like alert, update, new, soon, exclusive offer, and limited time
  • Stay away from exclamation points and questions marks, as they may be considered spammy

A good example: “Alexa, here’s an alert on new financing options. Will end soon”

2. Make it short and purposeful (and with reference points)

If your prospect opens up the email, she’ll want to scan it and make sure it’s a.) not spam b.) not long c.) from someone she knows. She also should understand the email’s purpose. You want to communicate and validate all these objections in the first sentence. Reference your initial contact, state your name, and why you’re reaching out to her.

If you have it in your notes, refer to the conversation you had weeks prior and the issues with financing. State your purpose (discuss new financing options) and ask to meet in the next two days (creating urgency).

3. Choose the right time to send 

After you’ve crafted the email, you’ll want to send it with timing in mind. What do you know about her schedule? Did she mention any specifics about her job, family life, or commitments?

You know that if she works an early morning shift, it’s smarter to send it over in the afternoon. Send emails earlier in the week, too. People check their emails from the weekend on Monday morning. But do not send too early in morning, either, so it doesn’t get buried under other messages.

4. The follow-up to the follow-up 

Sometimes the trick for how to sell more used cars is persistence. You always have to give the customer the benefit of the doubt when it comes to responding to emails. You don’t know what the details of her life is like, how busy she is, etc. So it’s good to have a secondary plan to get your message in front of them one more time.

This tip is simple, but effective. You want to open your sent email and forward it to the same recipient. When the highlighted text of the email appears, press the “enter” button several times.

You’ll have a blank email box with the original quoted text farther down below. Write a simple one liner stating, “Hi Alexa, wondering if you saw my email from yesterday? The offer is still available.” If it works, she will scroll down to find the original message and read it over.

A personal touch goes a long way in a digital world 

Here’s the great thing – there is technology available so dealerships can improve performance and sales, and this software can help you send your emails automatically. Just remember, to keep your customers happy and loyal to your brand, you have to show them individual care. If you want to learn how to sell more used cars, satisfied customers are top priority, so don’t shoot out impersonal follow-ups. Take the time to add specifics to your communications.

Lead management, follow-ups, and email campaigns can be easier than ever with AutoRaptor. We built our CRM for auto dealerships, to help connect with your customers and drive sales. Take a tour of our services today and request a demo. Share your comments, too!

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Ty W.
Ty W.

Ty was born and raised in the automotive world. He's an enthusiastic expert who writes exquisite content about cars, automotive sales, and dealership best practices. When not writing for AutoRaptor, you'll find Ty on the golf course.