My Autos

How I sold my teachers used car in less than two hours!

Class project

Marketing teachers have always been dynamic, which is probably why I enjoy my marketing courses so much in school. One teacher in particular stands out to me, he made a big deal of utilizing real life examples to demonstrate his curriculum. Generally searing the concept into our ripe minds. His most recent brainstorm came last week when he told the class that whoever could sell his used car the fastest and for the most money would be excused from the midterm. This was not a ’sell a used car’ lesson, this was a ‘market value’ lesson.

Everyone was game for the task and ready to get started, but there was just one question left to ask; what was the car and where was the car? The car was in the parking lot, and by the looks of it had been there a while, it was a ratty old Honda Accord that had seen better days. Everyone cringed as they saw it, but then the look of steely determination took over most faces, the idea of skipping a hefty midterm high in everyone’s minds.

Method options

This class met twice a week for two hours both times, he gave us this assignment at the beginning of the class period and told us to research our options and the market value of the vehicle, and to have something to show him by the end of the class period. Everyone went to work right away, some of the guys even borrowed a hose from maintenance and went to town washing the Accord in the hopes of raising its value.

I took another route, I jotted down all of the information about the vehicle, then I went directly to the computer lab. I had a secret weapon, the fastest way to sell a car is to go online. My sister had just sold her car to an online service, and had raved about how easy it had been.

Online solution to a real life problem

I went to their website and filled out their brief online form, which allowed the car to start accumulating bids right away. Then I called their 800 number to cover all my bases. The woman who answered the phone was very helpful and when I explained the project to her she was eager to help me win.

She said it was lucky I called when I did because they had an appraiser near the school who would be finished with his appointment shortly. She phoned him and asked him to come see my teachers Accord, sure enough he appeared in the parking lot 15 minutes later.

No midterm for me

My fellow students didn’t know what hit them. I called my teacher out to the parking lot and less than half an hour later he had cash in his hand for his ratty old Honda. Not only did I eliminate one midterm off my schedule, but I earned the respect of a teacher I respected.

<b>About the Author:</b> My name is Paige Filler and I'm a creative writer with a love of all things that go vroom. I do my homework to bring thought and innovation into everything I write about the auto industry. You can find more of my stuff at <a href="http://www.cash4usedcars.com/" target="blank">Cash 4 Used Cars</a>, and <a href="http://blog.cash4usedcars.com/" target="blank"> this blog.</a>

Changing the Adversarial Nature of Car Sales
Consumers have an adversarial attitude towards car dealers, and I can’t say blame them. The retail auto industry has done so many things to create an atmosphere of confusion and intimidation that many car buyers understandably dread the buying experience. Not only do some dealerships encourage their sales staff to engage in dishonest tactics to fleece customers, many have proven themselves to be sexist as well. I always wondered how the salesmen for those particular dealerships came home at night and looked their wives or daughters in the eye. Being a dealer myself, I have encountered the best and worst that the business has to offer. While my turnover is quite low compared to most, I have hired sales associates with prior experience over the years. I have also fired more than a few of these “professionals” within a week of hiring them. Why, you ask?
I don’t mean to sound trite, but I do business by the golden rule. As a result, I won’t tolerate dishonesty on the part of my sales staff or the condescending attitude that I notice many dealers and salespeople take toward their customers. I also refuse to use the dubious tactics that many dealers use to nickel and dime more profit out of every customer that enters their showroom. Now, let me tell you what the results of following the golden rule are…
I don’t have an adversarial relationship with my customers. Sure, more than a few have stepped into one of my sales staff’s offices ready to do battle, but we quickly alleviate their anxiety by doing something that I can wholeheartedly recommend for any business. We give them honest, fair and respectful treatment. I know this might sound like a novel approach in the auto industry, but it’s the only way to do business in my opinion. If more dealerships would stop trying to treat every sale as though it were the last one they will ever make and concentrate on building a good repoire with their clientele, they would enjoy the success that I do. I would bet that my profit margin is, on average, a bit below that of most other dealerships. Still, I never have a shortage of customers, most of which return for their next purchase. Many of my long term customers will wait for me to find the car they are interested in before buying from another dealership. Why? Because they know that when they drive off my lot, they have been treated fairly and have received a good value for their money. More importantly, I can go home at night knowing I run an honest business and that I can take pride in considering myself part of the community I do business in. That’s worth a lot more to me than a few extra bucks. I wish more of my competitors felt this way as well, because it would benefit our industry as a whole to change our sales philosophy for the better.

To learn more visit Spanos Imports of Daytona Florida visit http://www.spanosimports.com/

What A Body Lift Kit Can Do For You
Vehicle owners nowadays take extra effort in making the necessary modification to their vehicles just to maximize its performance. Body Lift Kit is one of the mostly needed vehicle kits for today. It doesn’t only trim up your vehicles for larger tires but it also gives them a brand new rugged look. You can spend some money on performance shocks or simple brackets to increase the height and jazz up the look of you rig. You can also ditch the stock springs and shocks to have a set of adjustable airbags; but the best addition you can make to your vehicle is give it a body lift . Small as they may be, these kits can make a big difference to your vehicles when used. Those who owned 4×4’s, trucks and SUV’s are likely the ones to install such performance parts. Raising the vehicle’s body provide better ground clearance which they really need especially when they take their rigs for off road driving and adventures. Lift kits aid drivers in their usual problems on jagged, uneven roads. They allow the installation of larger tires that do not only give your auto a more muscular look but also provide better weight support for big vehicles. Small, ordinary tires may not be able to handle a rough terrain that is why it’s important that you have these kits to give room for off road tires. Although a body kit is installed for best performance, it also comes with potential side effects. This vehicle handles differently from an ordinary vehicle in driving conditions which may occur on streets, highways and off road. The steering, braking and handling raised vehicle will differ from standard passenger cars and trucks. . If larger tires are installed the speedometer will read lower than the vehicles actual speed. Unnecessary sudden maneuvers, unexpected stops, sharp turns and other abrupt driving conditions could cause loss of vehicle control. You can roll over or encounter other accident that could result in serious injury or death to driver and passengers. That is why safety measures like reduced speed, seatbelts and careful driving should always be observed. There is an abundant online lift kit shops in the web. With just one click, you may readily purchase top of the line performance products of a particular brand and type.