Top Tips on Writing to Sell: Part Two

Click Dealer’s Head of Sales, Lee Rawlinson, has used his years of experience and expertise in the industry to devise a two part series of top tips on writing to sell for dealers…

They say there is nothing more powerful than the written word and I’m inclined to agree, dealers thrive off face to face interaction but with the internet being the main place people start their search for a new car these days, it’s vital that your messages on portals and websites persuade the reader to make an enquiry or visit your forecourt.

Writing effective text for websites and advertising portals can be difficult and time consuming, so I’ve come up with a two part series of top tips to help dealers focus on writing to sell more vehicles.

Don’t Fill Your Copy with Empty Overstatements! –

Too many words like fabulous, fantastic and sensational will hamper your credibility. Instead, try and convince the audience that your product is brilliant by explaining the features and benefits, that in turn will lead them to believe they’re getting a great deal/vehicle.

Revise and Edit Your Work –

Make sure everything is spelt correctly! In this day and age poor spelling is not acceptable and is a huge turn off for readers because it screams of unreliability! Write your text using a word processor, use the spell-checking function and then copy and paste it onto the relevant platform. Cut out all dead wood and try to make your message concise and to the point, check your facts and then triple check your copy before posting.

Make Use of Testimonials and Reviews –

Satisfied customers can supply you with some of your most persuasive content because their opinions genuinely come from the heart. These people have tried and tested your vehicle and basked in the benefits first hand, what better sales weapon could you possibly ask for? Just make sure to ask their permission before using any quotes!

Ask for The Customer’s Order –

If your text doesn’t have a call to action in it, you’re not letting your potential customers know that you want their order! A call to action is the brief statement that tells a customer to buy your vehicle and tells them how to do it. It needs to be persuasive and it needs to help you close the sale!

Don’t Offend –

Humour can be an effective tool if it’s used wisely and is inoffensive in nature. For example, don’t joke about drink driving or anything of that ilk! It’s also best not to criticise your audience’s taste either, if their current car is a BMW and you say all BMW owners can’t drive, that jokey, tongue in cheek message could lose you sales!

Appeal to the Emotions Rather Than the Intellect –

The purpose of your writing is to get your reader to act and there is nothing more powerful than human emotions in terms of achieving that goal. Everybody is motivated by gut feelings, some more so than others, it’s about appealing to that instinct and triggering the emotional response of ‘wanting’ or ‘needing’ that vehicle!

Write for Easy Reading –

Your style should cater for the audience that you’re addressing but there are some rules which apply to all copy across the board. Avoid long and convoluted sentences and be sure to cultivate a style which flows smoothly and rapidly. Write persuasively and make the reader feel involved but remember not to clutter your text with unnecessary words, less is more. Communicate effectively with your audience and make sure that your message is crystal clear!

Click here if you missed Part One of my ‘Top Tips on Writing to Sell!’

For more information on how you can increase profitability in your dealership or to find out more about Click Dealer’s upcoming blogging function, email marketing@clickdealer.co.uk or call us on 01782 904 715.