Dealing With Buyers When Selling Your Used Car
Selling your car is relatively simple, you place an advert and then someone turns up at your door with cash and drives it away. Except they don’t. What you must do is treat any potential buyer like a valued customer. Be polite, but firm and always stay in charge of the selling of process.
Selling your car, first contact
Answer the telephone, text, or email politely and answer questions directly. Don’t waffle on pointlessly about the car. Be honest and straightforward. If the potential buyer wants to look at your car, make sure the time is convenient, during daylight and at a place of your choosing. Make it clear that you will not be alone. Remember to take all of their contact details in advance.
"Set a minimum price you would accept in your head and stick to it."
Selling your car, dealing with the buyer
Be friendly and helpful not desperate, or talk too much. Have the documents ready in a folder. Unlock the car doors but keep hold of the keys, open the bonnet and let the buyer look around. Don't fuss or offer to do anything, let them come to you with a request for a test drive. Put all the emphasis on them to show interest as they will effectively sell to themselves.
Let the person get comfortableSelling your car on the test drive
- Make sure the buyer has a current driving licence and is insured.
- Drive first. That way you show that you are in control and secondly you prove that your car can be driven without any problems.
- Park in a quiet road take out the keys.
- Ask the potential buyer to swap seats then make sure the seat is adjusted to their liking and talk them through the controls.
- Make it clear before you hand over the keys that the speed limit must be observed and they must follow the route you set. Ideally take them on the most traffic free and simplest route you can with no right turns across traffic.
- Keep silent, let the buyer talk themselves into liking the car.
- Do not go ahead with the drive if the potential buyer wants to take a few friends with them. You must not be outnumbered. Politely refuse or make sure you have someone else with you.
Selling your car, how to negotiate
Stay friendly at all times. Never reduce the price without being asked. Keep calm and don’t waffle about the car or price. Simply state the price you want and stay quiet, which puts the emphasis back on the buyer. Set a minimum price you would accept in your head and stick to it. When negotiating never allow the price to be cut by £100s, just offer small compromise sums in odd £10 to £30. Always use the positives of your car to justify the price, such as new parts, the immaculate paintwork, faultless service record, items that can never be taken away from the car.
When selling a used car, it's all about the presentation.
How To Prepare A Used Car For Sale
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