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As appearing in Dealer magazine, November 2008

How Vehicle Resumes Help Position Used Inventory for Faster Sale

Growing in popularity, vehicle ‘resumes’ build confidence in used inventory

By Mike Baker

You know that the used vehicles on your lot are quality buys for the right buyer; you put your own money into them,after all. Yet many potential used car buyers remain skeptical about used vehicles because they might come with a checkered history.

Of course, one of the salesperson’s objectives is to make the customer comfortable with your inventory. But let’s face it; they typically don’t know much more about your used inventory than what’s written on the windshield and window sticker. And that lack of knowledge doesn’t help the potential buyer who’s already skeptical about the salesperson and the vehicle feel better about either, including your dealership for that matter.

Notes the Los Angeles Times in a March 2 feature, “Keys to buying a used car with confidence” : “…[U]sed-car dealers didn’t earn their place in the pantheon of villainy for nothing, and decades of rip-offs and other bad experiences have led several generations of Americans to develop a steadfast aversion to even thinking about going used.”

Okay, that’s probably a little strong, but the point is made. Fortunately, vehicle history reports can help address some of this concern. These reports generally provide the prospective buyer with facts about the particular vehicle’s service and repair histories, collision repair history, and title history. J.D. Power and Associates has called vehicle history reports “increasingly important to used-vehicle buyers.”

Recently, a new form of such reports, a vehicle resume, if you will, has emerged. These resumes present used vehicle buyers with a number of additional evidentiary resources, including:

  • Traditional vehicle history report
  • Automotive magazine editor’s “test drive” reviews
  • Compilation of owner reviews and experiences
  • Complete vehicle specifications, options and accessories
  • Information about the dealership marketing the vehicle

Using these documents as selling tools can help your sales staff build confidence and trust in your inventory and dealership, increase closing rates and increase gross profit per vehicle. Furthermore, this information also helps them polish their product knowledge.

Here’s how you and your sales force can put these reports into action:

  1. Advertising: Note in any print or online advertising the availability of this information; invite shoppers to visit your web site to download the report on the vehicle in your ads they’re interested in; let viewers of online inventory listings – from your web site or third-party listing sites – link to and download the report. Send it as an attachment to lead responses for the particular vehicle.
  2. Window Stickers: Be sure window stickers listing vehicle specifications and content mention the report’s availability. If your report provider offers one-owner car logos, put these on your stickers as well as online listings and traditional advertising.
  3. Customer Greeting: As salespeople greet shoppers visiting your lot, be sure that they’re asking whether the customer would be interested in reviewing the vehicle’s resume. Retrieve that vehicle’s report from the sales office and review it with the customer right on the lot or use it to guide the customer to the salesperson’s desk.
  4. Worksheet Value-Builder: Reference the vehicle’s verified low miles, problem-free history, positive owner reviews and other genealogical assets during the work up to build value into vehicle’s selling price.
  5. Be-Back Builder: Use these tools to continue selling your vehicle if the customer walks. The encouraging, factual vehicle presentation in these reports will continue to sell your vehicle as the customer checks out inventory at the dealership across the street or across town. It also will continue to sell as the shopper reviews the document at home later.

Your customer can take your salesperson’s word for the quality and value of your used inventory or you can be proactive and present clear, convincing evidence to buyers that the car, truck or SUV they’re eyeing is indeed an honest buy. The third-party endorsement these reports contain – both automotive journalist test driver reports and actual owner comments – add even more selling power to your sales presentation.

Vehicle history reports and vehicle resumes when presented at strategic points in the selling process will help your dealership build confidence in your inventory so more shoppers choose to buy their vehicle of interest from you.

Mike Baker is president of AutoUpLinkUSA, a leading provider of online vehicle inventory listing and image publishing marketing services. He can be reached at or