Selling heavy equipment is still relationship selling
meaning buyers and sellers still like to meet face-to-face to build a
relationship. However, the internet has made it more convenient and effective
to market equipment for sale to new prospective customers. Following are four
cost effective ways to market/advertise your inventory and attract new
prospective buyers.
- Google Adwords allows sellers to place equipment specific ads in front of prospects looking for that specific unit. Example: a prospect searches Google for a CAT D6R XL bulldozer, a text ad appears alongside the search results CAT D6R XL for sale, XXXX hours, Great Undercarriage, $XX,XXX, the prospect clicks the ad and is taken directly to the sellers webpage displaying the D6R XL details and images. Depending on competition and how the ad is setup, the click could cost less than $.25 making it highly cost effective.
- Craigslist allows sellers to create a free equipment detail page with upto 7 images advertised in every major city throughout the world. This is a highly effective but tremendously under utilized technique sellers need to consider implementing into their marketing plan. If used in conjunction with Adwords, a seller could create a highly effective advertising campaign for a fraction of the cost compared to traditional outlets like MachineryTrader.com and RockandDirt.com.
- Become an expert author. Heavy equipment sellers are experts in condition, function, and specifications of the equipment they market and sell. Writing articles about these topics presents the seller as an expert in their field. There are several free online article publishing sites allowing sellers to create an account with their biography, website links and contact information. Articles can be posted on seller’s website, blog, and social media to attract readers/followers.
- YouTube videos are an excellent means to advertise heavy equipment. Several buyers are located too far away to make a day trip for equipment inspections. Video allows a prospective buyer to see the equipment run, operate and listen for any issues. A short five minute video posted on YouTube, and reposted on the seller’s website, can make a hesitant buyer reach out for more information. YouTube videos can also be linked in email marketing efforts to broaden sellers marketing efforts even further.