auto sales prospecting

What's the best way to prospect for used car buyers? You could call a list but who would be on the list?

Whoever is your target market.

That's my question. Who do I target? Who do I put on the list? I'm not selling cars or trucks I'm just wondering how those guys do it.

Here is an article Thomas on choosing a target market:
10 Essential Criteria For Choosing Your Target Market

Thomas,

How about people who have bought used cars in the past? Or, you could target SUV gas hogs w/ a message about 'Trade and save money immediately'. Kind of lame, but it's Monday am.
Also, try using 'pre owned' instead of used. Sounds better.

Cheers

Susan

Sorry it took so long getting back. Thanks everyone.

Thomas you need a piggy back promotion.

You need to tie up with someone who's got more clout and name than yourself and be the junior partner. I understand you sell manufactured homes, okay, then lets find someone with land [ideally overlooking the sea - with palm trees blowing in the breeze] and take an option on it, which ties him [the land owner] up at little cost, for upto 1 to 5 years, then you offer the land for sale to DIY developers and kick your products in with it. In the advertised sales pitch you add words to the effect of:

Perhaps you already have your own site, well we can buy it from you, take it in part exchange, or erect our Audrey Hepburn MK6 Model on it for you, why not ask our Tom the Builder Man to waltz over have him give you some free details. Your using your land, your palm trees to get interest, and to treble the incoming lead response.
It needs a fancy name so lets call it the 7 Palms Development.

You know theres nothing stopping you from registering another company, your own land for sale company, and pushing your homes from it. They came for the land and left with a 7 Palms Home, no one switches them better than us?

*Sorry about your photo- mix up. Maybe a free teeth fix offer was needed here? Bob England.

I've always wondered why car dealers never seem to use the phone.

You are the first car dealer I have ever heard of using the phone for prospecting. Well done!

Here's what I would do...

1) I would get hold of a list of owners of vehicles that are between 3 and 5 years old. The three year buying/ owning cycle is where you want to be
2) I would also get some cards printed and walk round my territory putting my card on all the cars I see of this age (with an offer to buy their car as a trade in etc)
3) Call a list of people who have purchased from my dealership two years ago (they will probably be thinking about changing their car about 2 years into it) and also focus on getting a referal from each of them whether or not they are thinking of buying.