Establish a Selling Budget
HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND?
Keeping it in proportion — How much should you spend? It's all proportional. For example, if you sell a $20,000 SUV with nothing more than a MAGNATIZE kit and a trip to the car wash, your sales budget is about 20 bucks, or .1%. Suppose you sell a worn-out Ford Taurus for $2,000 and spend $50 on advertising, $100 for a detail job and $150 for necessary repairs. Your $300 selling budget will cost you 15% of the sale. Compare the selling cost to a trade-in — Sure, 15% is extremely steep, but by comparison, the dealer will give you $1200 trade-in value for your $2000 Taurus — a whopping $800 “selling cost” or 40% for the convenience.
How much should you spend? — At minimum, plan on spending $50 - $100 for the MAGNATIZE kit, online ads and do-it-yourself detailing. In most cases, 5% seems a reasonable limit — slightly higher if you have to fix-up to sell and a less if it's a newer, more expensive car. The most cost-effective approach is use your MAGNATIZE signs in conjunction with free online ads like Craigslist.com. For everyday transportation, this should be sufficient. Do-it-yourself car lots — Many communities have impromptu used car gathering spots (school parking lots, road frontage etc.) where private individuals display cars for sale on weekends. The cost is free. Be sure to display your MAGNATIZE sign where it faces the traffic.