Push, Pull, or Drag...

I've been reading a lot of articles lately about the lack of good used cars on the market.  Some of the obvious culprits are "cash for clunkers" and the overall economy.  With the slow economy people are simply just keeping their cars longer.  The average turn used to be 3 years, now it's 5 years. 

One of the good side effects is that new cars are selling better than expected.  Unfortunately those deals are coming with trades that are less than high grossing cars.

Q:  So where do you find good used cars? 
A:  Anywhere you can! 

You need to get creative about sourcing.  Creative, but smart.  There are all kinds of tools and software available to help you stock what sells in your market but don't forget about your own database.

• Utilize matchmaker tools on your website or in your CRM tool
• A customer owned car that's on another customers wish list can be turned into 2 sales with a little effort
• Market "free" inspections to your database - make it a event day at the dealership (hot dogs, music, corn-hole tournament) whatever!
• Have fun things for the family to do while there car is being inspected and your sales staff is showing off new models
• Send out simple marketing that reminds your database that you buy used cars.  A lot of people are looking to downsize to one or two car families
• You can take the "hassle" out of selling a used car
• Another great source is eBay Motors or Craigslist.  Once you know what you're looking for, cars that sell in your area, hit the Internet and look for deals from FSBO's (for sale by owner).  You can pick up some great deals.

Plus, it never hurts to stay in touch with your customer base.  If they're not in the market they probably know someone that is...I smell a BIRD DOG check!