SOLD BY AMS: Valentine's Day Match-Making!

While testimonials don't always reveal what are considered typical results of a product or service, we are often thrilled by the effectiveness of our service. And we greatly appreciate it when customers take a minute to contact us to thank us for our help.

Today, I'm excited to share a testimonial we received by telephone from Edward in Acworth, GA...

"Thank you for selling it so quickly; I will definitely use your service again in the future!"

Edward listed his 2002 GMC 6500 with us on Valentine's Day and sold the truck THREE (3) DAYS LATER to one of our buyers. As you might expect, he was extremely satisfied with the service he was provided. Another VERY satisfied customer! Congratulations, Edward! And THANKS for testifying!

Sell Your Vehicle in 2010 - Step 4

CLEAN IT UP!
Your investment in a little car maintenance and cleanup can reap big dividends when selling a car. Some cosmetic changes can make the difference in making a great first impression on potential car buyers, and can vastly improve your chances of getting your asking price. Minor maintenance that will cost you little but will enhance the appeal of your vehicle include:

* Wash and wax the car
* Tidy the interior and empty the trunk
* Clean the carpet and upholstery
* Shine up the tires and hubcaps

To take this preparation a few steps further you can make any minor repairs, throw in an inexpensive oil change, make sure the tire pressure is at the recommended level, and hang up an air freshener.
It is sometimes helpful to ask a friend or relative to take the car for a test drive. Many times they are able to hear or see something that you might not notice because you have become accustomed to your own car's idiosyncrasies.
Additional steps to make you look like a conscience car owner are compiling all the car's service and parts records in a folder in the glove compartment, and considering taking your car in to your regular car mechanic to have them provide a statement of condition or diagnostic results.

Great advice from OnlineGURU, Inc.!

Moore Advice: Trade In? Don't Be Silly... or Lazy!

Hopefully, you are only considering a trade in because you're out of marketing money and have exhausted all other possibilities of getting rid of your vehicle at a fair price. If that isn't the case, of course, I'm going to tell you not to trade in your vehicle. And I could easily be accused of having an agenda -- try the AMS strategy! But the bottom line is that you can lose $500 to $2000 by trading in your vehicle, depending on what you're selling.
Trading in is a "cut your losses" and perhaps "convenient" solution if you're "made of money" to "selling" your car. Did you follow all of those quotation marks? :-) I just don't want you to give up too soon. Consider this... if a trade-in is an option, you might as well try drastically reducing your price for a week or two -- just not quite as low as trade-in value. See if you get any bites that way.
The extra time and little bit more money you invest in your last ditch efforts to get all of the proper value out of your car WILL BE well worth it. I've said it before... selling a car is not easy. But that doesn't mean you should pay the price of the "easy" way out... and you can quote me on that!

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Like a Glove?

Being fairly new to the motorcycling community, I was interested in what type of gloves provide the security I need and the protection from the elements, but weren't so thick that I couldn't bend my fingers (which is necessary while riding!). So I asked the experts at www.motorcycle.com and found out that they recommend the following options:

Most highly recommended for all-season comfort:
Lee Parks Design -- World's Finest Deerskin Motorcycle Gloves

Recommended for warm weather:
Joe Rocket Atomic 2.0 Gloves -- Motorcycle Superstore

Long-finger bicycle riding gloves were another option that was rather popular, and are actually what I had been using. Most of these gloves, however are made for riding in cold weather (otherwise, cyclists use the fingerless gloves).

It was a helpful study for me and I hope others have found this information useful!

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

Yahoo's Best Answer! -- Girly Cars?

As I continue to offer advice on Yahoo, I thought it would be a splendid idea to share with the followers of the Auto Marketing Systems blog all of the answers that are voted "Best Answer" by the Yahoo Community or chosen as "Best Answer" by the person who asked the question.

So...the following question was posed by Luke G. -- "What cars are 'girl' cars?"

My answer:
Assuming you're asking because you are a guy that doesn't want to make a big mistake by purchasing a girly car, maybe you should avoid the following...
- VW New Beetle (has a flower holder for goodness sake)
- Mazda Miata (great car, just not masculine)
- Mini Cooper (sorry fellas, give it up)
- Acura RSX (I'll let you do your own research)
- VW Cabriolet (it doesn't even sound masculine, does it?)
Others could argue the following...
- Volkswagen Jetta (that's 3 for VW... interesting)
- Honda Civic
- Honda Civic Del Sol
So, if you're looking for a small convertible, be careful and choose wisely. Another good rule of thumb... avoid anything pink.

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Auto Marketing Systems Advice Now Available on Yahoo!

I thought I'd make a public announcement on our blog that I am now offering my expertise in the Cars & Transportation section of Yahoo Answers! Not only am I proud to represent Auto Marketing Systems in this venue to give advice, but I will also be looking for a few answers myself! I plan to visit frequently and post survey questions that I hope you will all participate in. So keep your eye out when you visit Yahoo Answers. Feel free to create your own account and earn points by answering my survey questions - the "Best Answer" always gets 10 bonus points! See you there!

Auto Marketing Systems 866-326-0949

AMSVehicleSales.com Now on Yahoo Answers!

I thought I'd make a public announcement on our blog that I am now offering my expertise in the Cars & Transportation section of Yahoo Answers! Not only am I proud to represent Auto Marketing Systems in this venue to give advice, but I will also be looking for a few answers myself! I plan to visit frequently and post survey questions that I hope you will all participate in. So keep your eye out when you visit Yahoo Answers. Feel free to create your own account and earn points by answering my survey questions - the "Best Answer" always gets 10 bonus points! See you there!

Auto Marketing Systems 866-326-0949

SOLD BY AMS: Steaks on Us!

One week after receiving an awesome testimonial from a customer who sold her vehicle in less than 72 hours, we received yet another thrilling testimonial, this time from Keith in San Jose, CA...

AMS,
I'm writing to tell you that in these days it's hard to find a business that does what it says it can do. When I first received your phone call on my home phone, I was extremely hesitant to call, although I had no responses to my current ad, so I reluctantly called you. My first thought was wow, $99.00, thats a little pricey. Then... you assured me that there were buyers who wanted my vehicle. Again I was hesitant, I followed your suggestions & I'm pleased to inform you that you sold my car in two days, for five hundred dollars more the my original asking price. I commend you on a job well done., and I thank you for the steak dinner as well (I bought it with the extra cash)... Keith o San Jose, Ca.

Keith listed his 1993 Toyota 4Runner with us on May 13th and sold it two days later!! Another awesome testimonial. Congratulations Keith! And THANKS for testifying!

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

SOLD BY AMS: First Come, First Sale!

While testimonials don't always reveal what are considered typical results of a product or service, we are often thrilled by the effectiveness of our service. And we greatly appreciate it when customers take a minute to send us an email thanking us for our help.

Today, I'm excited to share a testimonial we received this morning from Cathy in Woodbridge, VA...

Your service is great! I had a couple of inquiries and I sold the bike this morning to the first person who looked at it. And, actually had a second person who was very serious and would have purchased is the first one hadn't. I would definitely recommend your service to anyone in the market to sell a vehicle.
Again, thank you.

Cathy was selling a 2001 Kawasaki Voyager XII and listed with us on May 5th. Less than 72 hours later the sale was a done deal and she was emailing us the above testimonial! How awesome is that? Congratulations, Cathy! And THANKS for testifying!

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

Moore Advice: Think Like a Salesperson!

When it's time to sell your vehicle, you need to prepare yourself mentally to get the job done. Today's "Think Like a Salesperson!" quote comes from one of the Founding Fathers of our country, and one of the greatest thinkers of all time, Benjamin Franklin, who said...

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."

What is your excuse for not trying to get that vehicle out of your driveway today? Tough economy? No money? Start with FREE advertising while you SAVE a little money to spend on other means of marketing your vehicle. This is not a new concept. It just takes discipline, right?
What else is holding you back? Need to talk to your spouse about it? Well, I'm no Dr. Phil, but this seems like an easy one. I assume the two of you have already agreed to sell the vehicle, so the next step would be someone taking the reigns, doing some research and making some moves.
Do you want/need to fix something on the car before you test the market? Good idea -- this usually costs you a lot less than how much it increases the value and often the appeal of the vehicle. Oh... but, it isn't going to fix itself!
Are you just procrastinating? Well let me share another quote with you today..."Time is money!" And I didn't even know when I started typing this entry that this quote was also coined by Ben Franklin! Coincidence? I think not.
Join me in the fight against the often perceived American laziness, and make sure you get top dollar for your vehicle by not wasting time! You wouldn't want to disappoint Ben Franklin, would you?

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Moore Advice: Speaking of Pricing...

In my last entry I mentioned pricing your vehicle in a manner that will help you sell quickly. For more on this thought, let me refer you to an article by our very own Adam Little, who reiterates that Your Price is Probably not Your Problem.

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Moore Advice: Quick Sales Don't Come From Playing Games

A quick sale is often about getting the first look from buyers. And while the price tag isn’t everything, it is definitely something – especially if you are advertising somewhere that doesn’t typically give you a whole lot of room for details, such as a local newspaper. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising or marketing your vehicle, don’t waste the little that you do have. Quick sales don’t result from playing games and experimenting with your price to make an extra buck off of someone. Certainly you should do your research and find a fair price, but if you have a price that you have determined to be the lowest you would accept, why not put that price out there and raise a few eyebrows?
The truth is, you have already decided that this lowest price is how much you are going to end up getting for your vehicle. That’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy. The real question you must ask yourself is… do you want to play games and delay the inevitable in the hopes of making an extra buck (which you won’t) or do you want to get this vehicle off of your hands as soon as possible (without trading it in)?
Don’t forget… your buyer has most likely done his research as well. The closer you start to a fair price and the sooner you make it clear that you’re not interested in playing games, the sooner the two of you can come to the exciting conclusion of an agreement!

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

Moore Advice: Think Like a Salesperson!

When it's time to sell your vehicle, you need to prepare yourself mentally to get the job done. Today's "Think Like a Salesperson!" quote comes from the great American motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar, who said...

"It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference."

You can be given all of the tools you need to build a treehouse. They could be the finest Craftsmen or Dewalt tools money can buy. But the treehouse isn't going to build itself. You have to cut the wood, pick up the hammer, bang in the nails, and screw in the screws. Someone has to do the leg work.
The same is true about selling your used vehicles. I can give you all the tools you need, and you could say, "Hooray, I've got what I need to sell my car!" But you will not get your car sold until you put those tools to work. Auto Marketing Systems knows how to make the difference that Mr. Ziglar was talking about. If you don't know how, put us to work for you.

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Moore Advice: Get the Word Out That Your Car is For Sale

You've heard it before... Never sell a car to someone you know. Why not? Because there's a law of nature out there that says when you sell a car to a friend or acquaintence something is going to break, crack, rupture, rip, or flat out fall off within a month of the sale whether the vehicle was in perfect looking and/or working condition or not when the title and money changed hands. I don't think that qualifies as Murphy's Law, but it sounds like a cousin. If that's not bad enough, you then find yourself running into your [former?] friend more often than you ever did prior to selling him or her a -- unbeknownst to you -- broken car. Your promises of ignorance of any problems fall on deaf ears and the weight of the guilt trip is lightened only by the new car you're driving while your on it.
I remind you of this unwritten rule, still tested and broken by those who dare, to offer you something more. While you might want to avoid selling your car to someone you know, you can always sell it to someone your friend knows. My point being this... get the word out. Let your friends know that you are trying to sell your vehicle. Let your co-workers know. Let your church family know. Let your book club know. Let your ball team know. While you may not want to sell it to someone you know first hand (because they'll also call you and tell you about everything that ever goes wrong with the vehicle), there is no law I know of that says you shouldn't sell a vehicle to a friend of a friend.
It should be no surprise that this is often a very successful path to selling vehicles; however, it is surprising how often this path goes untraveled by sellers. Word of mouth has been around longer than any advertising or marketing venue known to man so don't be afraid to speak up! You'll be amazed at how many people know someone else who is looking for a used vehicle to buy.

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Moore Advice: Clean Cars Sell!

Let me start with an analogy that will perhaps kill two birds with one stone. Or more appropriately a message that will preach to two genders with one story.
Ladies, let's pretend you finally got a date with that guy you've had your eye on for weeks, maybe months. Gentlemen, pretend you are "that guy" in this story. How you met and how you got the date aren't important, so allow me to skip that part. Fast forward to the night of your first date. He's coming by to pick you up at 7 o'clock for dinner. What have you done to prepare for your date?
Gentlemen, you had to be at her house by 7 o'clock ready to impress. What did you do to prepare?
Ladies, if you're anything like me, you cleaned up. You showered, you washed your hair - unless of course you wanted it to style and "hold" better and therefore left it a little "dirty" with product, but most likely you wanted it to smell good so you washed it. You probably also cleaned up around your home - cleaned the bathroom, picked up clothes, shoved things in closets and hampers, maybe even swept or vacuumed - just in case he needed to use the restroom before heading off to dinner. If it was Summer time, meaning there was still some daylight at 7 o'clock, perhaps you even tidied up the outside of your house if you're a homeowner. In any case, you didn't want him thinking you were a slob.
Gentlemen, if you wanted any shot at all at this date being successful, you took care of two key items. First, you cleaned your car. And then, you cleaned you.
Now, I'm sure you are all deeply engaged in the setup of this story and want to know how the date went, so I'll say that everyone cleaned up nicely, made great first impressions and the date went great, yada, yada, yada.
I need to bring this analogy full circle... Just as we want to present our best on first dates, you should be ready to present your vehicle's best on its first dates. Ladies, imagine being picked up in a car --or truck or van... actually, guys don't pick us up in a van or a minivan for that matter... just don't-- anyway, imagine that you can't even tell what the original color of the paint job is, and when the door is opened for you (hint, hint, guys), you find that you have to sit where it appears Sparky was sitting just a couple of hours ago, and voila, you arrive at the restaurant in a fur coat that you didn't have when you left your house. I imagine you would get the impression that someone wasn't trying to impress you at all.
Gentlemen, if this wouldn't impress a lady, it's certainly not going to impress a buyer. Every meeting with a potential buyer should be like a first date. At a minimum it's helpful to run the vehicle through an automatic car wash and vaccuum it out yourself, but if you really want to get the most out of your vehicle, don't be afraid to invest a little more money and have it detailed. Most detailers have different options available, but whatever the cost, it's usually worth it and you can get that much more of return on your investment because of your vehicle's appearance. Not all buyers are savvy enough to look under the hood and kick all of the tires, but every buyer can take one look at a vehicle and make a judgment call on how well you've maintained your vehicle. Odds are, if it looks like you've maintained the aesthetic appeal of the vehicle, buyers are likely to assume that you've maintained the mechanical appeal as well.
Don't forget, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Clean cars sell.

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

Moore Advice: There is Always a Right Time to Sell

So you've decided to sell and now it's time to put a price tag on what many of you would consider "love." I know the feeling. I have fallen in love with a couple of my old cars (and one truck), and when it came time to move on, I thought to myself, "How do you put a price tag on what this machine and I have been through together? The trips with the family, the conversation, the music, the speed, the occasional road rage, Booger sticking his head out the window, the hum of my first V8, the memories of learning to drive a stick - all of these things that MasterCard would call 'priceless.'
Unfortunately, that's all between you and the car, and you just can't put a price tag on it. No, seriously... you can't put a price tag on it because there is no selling power there. While those are beautiful things and we can all relate, when the tables are turned and you stand there as a buyer you just want to know how much value that vehicle still holds, and that's all you want to pay.
Hence, the sad truth... vehicles can lose value quickly and there is always a right time to sell. So take lots of pictures and create lots of memories, and when the time comes hopefully you have prepared yourself to part ways. Probably not at the price you'd put on love, but at least at a price others would consider fair market value.

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949

Moore Advice: Get Serious!

Selling your car starts with YOU. Once you've made the decision that you're ready to sell or that you need to sell, you need to take action. Quick sales don't fall in a person's lap. My message to you today is "Get serious about selling!" Put maximum effort into selling today so you're not still trying to sell two months from now. Be aggressive in every area - market aggressively and follow leads aggressively and follow-up with leads aggressively. These are the times when you must stay active in your pursuit of a buyer. Give yourself a shot - if you don't follow up with a potential buyer, they will buy from someone else. If they're looking to spend their money, why shouldn't they spend it on you? But it's up to you to put yourself in front of them. If you aren't the aggressive type, I'd suggest you find someone... or some company... that is.

Auto Marketing Systems - 866-326-0949