Might As Well Try This

You’ve tried everything else to move that aged inventory. Might as well try this:

“Mark Down Tent.”

A “Mark Down Tent” is not a permanent fixture. It’s to be used from time to time when you are trying to unload problem cars. You know those units that you all of a sudden discovered you are killed in and have had hanging around way too long.

Put up a tent that can hold 3 or 4 units, as close to the road as possible. If permissible, hang banners around it that say “Mark Down Tent” and use the little signs that you can stick into the ground with arrows to the “Mark Down Tent.”

Promote the “Mark Down Tent” in all your ads including your website. You might want the receptionist to answer the phone, “ABC Motors, have you heard about our Mark Down Tent?”

Using a marker, start off by putting a very, very high retail price and the date on the front windshield. You will be marking the price down each day by $500, with the date beside the new price until sold.

Draw a line through the old prices and dates. The sales person’s commission on day one will be $2000. Each day that you mark the car down by $500 the sales person’s commission will be reduced by $100.

Now don’t panic. I said to start off with a really high retail price. If you get to a point where you are uncomfortable with the pricing going too far south you can always pull it from the tent.

The idea is to create a sense of urgency with both the customer and the sales person to take action.

The reason you now need to put cars in the tent is you didn’t have a sense of urgency soon enough in the first place. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs