Tag Archives: Sales

Book Review: Help! I Gotta Sell My Car Now! @bayareacarguy

Posted on by
1

I follow a variety of Automotive-related people on Twitter in order to stay tuned into Automotive News.  One of the people I follow is @bayareacarguy, Mr. L. James Johnson.

Help! I Gotta Sell my Car NOW!

James is a former Internet Sales Manager at an Automobile Dealership.  When a close friend called to ask his advice on how to sell his Cadillac online, James helped guide his friend to a successful sale.  He then took his advice and expanded it into this book, Help! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!

This book is in Adobe acrobat format (pdf), and is available through e-Junkie, which means that it is easy to purchase online, and download safely.  The book itself contains 12 chapters spread across 138 pages of content, and appears to have been professionally edited.  The Author is using file header marking with the Buyer Name and email address.  This does not impact the reading experience, but does help discourage unauthorized distribution.

I found the text easy to follow, and persuasive.  The text is clearly written, and the Author uses frequent “Take-Away” boxes to ensure that the important points of each section are conveyed.

The book is largely text instruction and explanations, although the section on how to photograph your vehicle for the most effective online advertising contains example pictures and angles.  The book is written in an easy to understand format.

The book is supplemented by a variety of online links to the bayareacarguy.com site and other internet resources.

The chapters for the book are laid out in a logical fashion to walk you through the steps needed to successfully sell your vehicle online:

Chapter 1 – NEW RULES for Selling Vehicles Online — Even the Pros are Having Problems Figuring It Out
Chapter 2 – Getting Your Vehicle Ready — Common Sense Suggestions that will Put Money in Your Pocket
Chapter 3 – Pricing Your Vehicle — Learn from the Professionals.
Chapter 4 – Setting Yourself Apart — Use Your Natural Advantage when Competing against Car Dealers
Chapter 5 – Marketing for Free — Part I Craigslist
Chapter 6 – Marketing for Free — Part II Craigslist
Chapter 7 – Premium Websites — Posting Your Ad on AutoTrader and Cars.com
Chapter 8 – Matching Your Words to the Buyer’s Needs — Discover the Buying Criteria that Best Describes Your Vehicle
Chapter 9 – Photos – Photos – Photos — Take Effective Pictures that SELL Your Vehicle!
Chapter 10- The Video Walk Around — A Secret Weapon that Anyone Can Master
Chapter 11 – Handling Inquiries and Test Drives — How to Negotiate Like a Pro – And Be SAFE
Chapter 12 – Handling the Paperwork and Counting the Money — Be Confident – Be Safe

One of the things I like about this book is that the Author not only describes what to do, he also explains why you need to do that, and he explains HOW to do it.  This is not a glossy, quickly-written overview.  This Book is a step by step instruction manual on how to prepare your vehicle, how to get attention from customers, and how to get the best value when selling your used vehicle.

Read More about the Book and Purchase your Copy.

This video by the Author explains the topics covered in the book, and gives you a feel for the overall flavor of the Author’s approach:

Recommended Improvements:  I would include a link in the footer of each page back to the table of contents page.  I would also show the Chapter Number and Title in the Footer as aids to navigation.

Highlights: Well written and edited. Clean layout. To the point, step by step instructions on how to sell your used vehicle.

Disclosure: The Author sent me a free copy of the book to review.  Based on my review of the book, CaddyInfo has signed on as an affiliate for the book.  Sales of this book via the links provided benefit CaddyInfo (a portion of the sales price is returned to the site).

2010 Cadillac STS — More HP, More Space than a CTS

Posted on by
Reply

The Cadillac STS is perhaps in its final years in 2010 and 2011, pending the release in 2012 of the new Cadillac XTS large car that will replace the STS and the DTS.   As sometimes seems the case, the current Cadillac STS has evolved into a very interesting, if mostly overlooked sedan.  It does not sell nearly as well as the CTS — and it costs a step function more than the CTS is not small reason — but also offers a higher level of standard features and options than the CTS offers.  The STS starts at $46,845; the CTS at $35,165.

Image 1: 2010 Cadillac STS

New for 2010: Two exterior colors: Vanilla Latte and Tuscan Bronze ChromaFlair

Originally I felt the STS did not sell as well as the CTS due to the more muted appearance of the STS design.  Updated in 2005, the new Rear-wheel drive STS is on the same Sigma platform as the 1st Generation CTS was.  It is also made at the excellent Lansing Grand River Factory alongside the CTS.

Image 2: 2005 Cadillac STS c GM

If you compare the 2005 STS (image 2) with the 2010 STS (image 1) you can see that Cadillac has improved the front-end grill and spoiler treatment nicely over the years.  The STS still has what I think is a crucial flaw — a very plain hood line — as flat as sales for the STS have been.

What features can you get on the STS that you can’t get on the CTS?  (What do you get for the more money? More features):

  • 320 hp Northstar V8 provides more power than the 304 hp VVT DI V6 in the CTS (also available in the STS)
  • Lane Departure Warning System
  • Side Blind Zone Warning
  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Heads-up Display
  • Magnetic Ride Control — STS V8 Performance Model
  • Heated Steering wheel
  • More rear leg room — 35.9 inches in the CTS compared to 38.3 inches in the STS, so 2.4″ extra room in the STS.

Notably, once you get a fully-equipped STS Performance Sedan out the door it rings up at US$68,785.  That is more than even the CTS-V, which starts at $62,020 — another sign of what a tremendous performance value the CTS-V is.

The STS is available in V6 or V8, Rear wheel drive or All wheel drive.  A certified pre-owned STS is a terrific value in the current market place.  Because they did not sell very well, and are not nearly as well known as the CTS, one can often find unbelievable bargains on lightly used examples.

Re: Businessweek: Profit Goal Means Fixing ‘Critical’ Sedans

Posted on by
2

Interesting article in Business Week on GM’s moves to adjust inventory levels on the Malibu and CTS.  I had noted when we looked at the monthly Sales Reports that CTS sales continue to be muted.   I suspect that some previous CTS buyers are going into the new SRX.  But the CTS still needs to hold up its sales numbers.  Especially troubling is that the CTS sales include the new CTS Sport Wagon, so they should not only be up but up nicely with the new model out.

The CTS sedan was released in 2007 as a 2008 model, so the current model is 3 years old (2010 models are on the lots now).

The CTS Coupe is set to arrive this summer, in both V6 and CTS-V Coupe forms.  That should boost sales for the CTS nicely, but it will also take away from sales of the CTS sedan, and CTS-V sedan as some sedan customers select Coupes instead.

From the article:

Malibu and CTS inventory reached a five-month supply in late 2009, more than double the industry average of roughly two months, Reuss said. The CTS was priced too high against models such as Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s 3-Series, he said.

GM slashed CTS prices this week by as much as $3,000, said Steve Shannon, executive director of marketing for Cadillac. One popular version was pared to $39,990 from $42,255, with monthly lease payments dropping to $369 from $417, he said. BMW’s U.S. Web site advertises 3-Series leases for as low as $379.

Adjusting the price of the CTS to make it more attractive in the market place makes terrific sense to me.  AND it makes it a great time to buy a new CTS.

I am also concerned that GM / Cadillac advertising & marketing seems very sequential.  In other words they focus on one model at a time — right now the SRX.  Almost all the media I see are for the SRX.  No CTS ads, limited Sport Wagon ads, no Escalade ads.  Cadillac needs to find a way to ‘up’ all their vehicles, not just the flavor of the month:

Here’s the new 2010 SRX and it joins the award winning CTS Sedan and the new CTS Sport Wagon in the Cadillac luxury performance stable!

Introducing new models or having specific models is good but you have to also highlight your entire line.  Perhaps one of the reasons some Cadillac models are languishing (thinking STS and XLR but DTS as well) is that you can’t even find them mentioned in current Cadillac media outside of the website.

Original article: GM Meeting Whitacre Profit Goal Means Fixing ‘Critical’ Sedans – BusinessWeek.