Top 10 Ways to Promote Your Dealer Bid Sale Car Auction

“How do I get buyers to come to my bid sale inspection day?”

Just because you hold a Wholesale Inspection Event does not mean wholesale car buyers will show up. Getting the right buyers to come to your auction or bid sale, both in person and online can appear to be challenging. But it doesn’t have to be.

Simple, tried and proven marketing strategies can make all the difference.

Call to invite:
There is nothing more valuable than a personal invitation and if it comes from the owner or the auction manager, the call is priceless.
Postal Invitation:
In this millennial age, we forget the value of a simple letter in the mail. It is disarming and quite frankly charming to send a letter of invite with an RSVP
Broadcast email:
Once you collect the buyer’s email address it is easy to send periodic announcements. The important thing here is to make sure they are relevant and infrequent. No one want’s to be spammed.
Text Invite:
If you have their cell phone, a simple text message reminder is very powerful “Hey its Kevin, just want to let you know that our auction ends at 4pm today”
Pop in visits:
When you’re driving around, take the time to pop into independent dealers and even the used car manager at franchise dealers. Just to chat and let them know what you are up to.
Hold a GiveAway Drawing
Simple giveaways are a great way to get buyers to show up at your sale. We love the Apple Watch as a give away item, because it still has the WOW factor. One added benefit is that give-aways don’t compromise the integrity of your event because it is not a bribe, it is a random drawing.
Cook out’s
Everyone loves to eat and there is nothing more social than breaking bread together. A simple cook out with a lot attendant serving hotdogs and hamburgers can really draw a crowd especially if it is promoted and is a weekly event.
Pete Flaherty At Day Auto Hands out these special Auction Business Cards

Business Cards:
Make up special auction business cards and hand them out at other auctions or on pop in visits to Indy dealers.
Auction Invitation Flyers:
Sometimes when I visit Indy Dealers the owner or buyer is not there, in cases like that I like to leave an invitation flyer with all the details of the auction.
Manager and Owner Availability
I cannot stress this one enough. Buyers, especially the guys and gals who buy hundreds of cars per year, want to be able to dealer with the manager or owner. They like the social interaction, they like the glad handing and above all they like to express their opinion. None of this can happen if the dealer or manager is missing on the day of inspection.