Sales Pitch: Selling a Used Car With the Right Classified Ad

We’ve all seen someone selling a used car on the Internet enjoy their 15 minutes of fame when the creative and wacky classified ad they put together went viral. While it’s fun to come across these kinds of ads, in reality, you don’t have to be a wordsmith or a comedian craft an effective ad. You just need to cover all the bases in terms of information, photos and presentation. Check out these tips on selling a used car the right way — with the right classified ad.

Photos, Photos, Photos

There is perhaps nothing more important when selling a used car than to include as many clear, in-focus and well-lit photographs of the vehicle as possible. You’ll want to cover each of the primary angles: front head-on, rear head-on, front and rear 3/4 shots and side profile, as well as detail shots that cover the engine bay, the front seats, the dashboard, the rear seats and the wheels. Anything else you think might be relevant to the sale, including photos of unique features, parts of the car that might need some repair or particularly flattering angles can help too. Don’t go overboard with Photoshop or other edits, either — you want people to trust that the shots you are showing them accurately represent the car or truck you are selling.

Concise, Yet Detailed Description

Selling a used car can be an emotional process, especially if you have owned the vehicle in question for a long time or have grown attached to it. Try to resist long, flowery descriptions of the automobile, and don’t feel pressured to crack jokes. Instead, describe the condition of the car as accurately as possible, including the make, model, year, options, mileage and any modifications that have been made.

Have you done any repairs to the car that make it more appealing? List those too. Do you have maintenance records? Mention that you can include them with the sale. Do any extra parts, such as tires or wheels, come with the vehicle? Does the vehicle need any work? Include that in your ad. The key is to be informative without overwhelming readers or cluttering up the text with details or memories that aren’t relevant to the buyer.

Contact Info

Finally, list the most accurate contact info possible so that potential buyers can get in touch with you. This might seem like one of the more basic aspects of selling a used car, but you’d be surprised by how many people either forget to include a phone number, don’t mention whether that number can receive texts. If you have any particular contact preferences, be clear about them up front, otherwise, you run the risk of missing out on legitimate buyers who simply can’t reach you.

Selling a used car with the right classified ad can make the process that much smoother.

Check out all the maintenance parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on selling a used car the right way, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.