L. James Johnson Bio (the BayAreaCarGuy)
L. James Johnson is the owner and founder of BayAreaCarGuy.com and author of the new book:
HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! – NEW RULES For Selling Your Vehicle Online!
HELP! NOW! and BayAreaCarGuy.com provide tools for dealers and private sellers to market their vehicles online quickly and profitably.
More about James:
- L. James Johnson joined the car industry late in life after a successful career in radio and TV Journalism. He later owned and operated three companies simultaneously: a manufactured housing sales company and two property management firms.
- Within six months of joining the car industry he attained top sales status. He had one of the highest Consumer Satisfaction Index (CSI) ratings in the district – above national average.
- After advancing to Internet Manager, James drew heavily on his experience in both business and Journalism to perfect the NEW RULES of selling cars online, which led to the publication of HELP! NOW!
- This is the first time all this information has been concisely packaged together in one book that’s essential for private sellers AND car dealers.
You can visit his website at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Sell Car Online Guide Available for First Time
For Immediate Release – November 30, 2009
The First Comprehensive Guide to Selling Vehicles Online Just Released
Berkeley, California, USA – L. James Johnson has announced that his new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car – New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! has just been released for download at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Johnson describes HELP! NOW! as combining his New Rules for selling vehicles online with time-honored Best Practices from the car industry. He developed the New Rules while an Internet Manager for a major car dealer. The New Rules were designed to help dealers and private sellers move beyond Old School sales and marketing tactics that hinder attempts to use the Internet effectively when selling cars, trucks, and SUVs.
Johnson says, “Dealers benefit the most from the New Rules because many simply don’t understand that a new approach is needed to use the Internet effectively.” He goes onto say, “Private sellers will use both the New Rules and the car industry’s Best Practices for pricing cars, handling inquiries, performing a vehicle walk around, staying safe during the test drive, and negotiating price, to name a few.”
L. James Johnson joined the car industry late in life after a successful career in radio and TV Journalism. He later owned and operated three businesses simultaneously. Within six months of joining the car industry he attained top sales status. He had one of the highest Consumer Satisfaction Index (CSI) ratings in the district - above national average. After advancing to Internet Manager, James drew heavily on his experience in both business and Journalism to perfect the New Rules of selling cars online, which led to the publication of HELP! NOW!
This is the first time that a comprehensive A through Z guide to selling a car or truck online is available to car dealers or private sellers.
Contact:
L. James Johnson
Owner, www.BayAreaCarGuy.com
Berkeley, CA 94702
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Simple HTML Formatting
Want to dress up your online ad? Use simple HTML tags in your Craigslist and other classified site postings to add formatting to the text. HTML tags in bold.
Bold
This text is <b>bold</b>.
- This text is bold.
Italics
I used <i>italics</i>.
- I used italics.
Underline
I <u>underlined</u> a word.
- I underlined a word.
Increase Font Size
I can make text <big>bigger</big>.
- I can make text bigger.
Decrease Font Size
I can make text <small> smaller</small>.
- I can make text smaller.
Center
<center>I can center this sentence.</center>
I can center this sentence.
Indent
I can indent and add italics to this <blockquote>sentence</blockquote>.
I can indent this sentence.
Make A List
My Honda Civic has extra features:
<ul>
<li>moon roof</li>
<li>alloy wheels</li>
<li>6-CD changer</li>
</ul>
- My Honda Civic has extra features:
- moon roof
- alloy wheels
- 6-CD changer
Links to Other Pages/Websites
I can create links to <a href=”http://www.bayareacarguy.com/tools/”>handy tools</a> that come in handy when selling your car online.
- I can create links to handy tools that come in handy when selling your car online.
Adding a Photo
I can add an extra picture of my car: <img src=”http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/ljamesjohnson/Porche.jpg”>
- I can add an extra picture of my car:
Font Colors
This is <font color=”red”>fun </font> because I can change <font color=”green”>font colors</font>.
- This is fun because I can change font colors.
I can also use <font color=”black”>black</font>.
- I can also use black.
Or <font color=”blue”>blue</font>.
- Or blue.
Or <font color=”fuchsia”>fuchsia</font>.
- Or fuchsia.
Or <font color=”maroon”>maroon</font>.
- Or maroon.
Or <font color=”navy”>navy</font>.
- Or navy.
Or <font color=”olive”>olive</font>.
- Or olive.
Or <font color=”purple”>purple</font>.
- Or purple.
And I can use <font color=”teal”>teal</font>.
- And I can use teal.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
5 NEW RULES of Selling Your Vehicle Online!
Most used car buyers have been online before they ever walk into a car dealership. Car dealers have been forced to adapt (some kicking and screaming) – by building an Internet sales department, re-directing advertising budgets, and reconsidering how they price their vehicles.
Don’t tell them I said so, but many large auto dealers do a poor job of marketing their vehicles online. They know a lot about print advertising, but fewer buyers are looking in newspapers or auto/shopper magazines – and why bother? They’re out of date by the time they’re delivered. The cars pictured may have been sold before the paper went to press!
Many “old school” car dealers simply haven’t figured out the New Rules for effectively marketing their vehicles online. Unfortunately for them, they won’t get a second chance to create a first impression.
You Can Learn, Too!
If professionals are having a difficult time staying ahead of the learning curve, you shouldn’t feel bad if you are not clear on how to effectively sell your car, truck, or SUV on the Internet. It’s barely two years since I was asked to decipher the mysteries of online marketing, and to design the best method for selling used (my boss insisted on “pre-owned”) vehicles on sites like AutoTrader, Cars.com, Craigslist, and Kijiji. Luckily, it was a forward-thinking company that trusted me to experiment, knowing I’d make mistakes that we could learn from. How else to learn?
It took a year of trial and error to develop a clean, effective format for our online postings and ads. But that was only part of the learning curve. I discovered that there is a weekly shopping cycle specific to online buyers. Unless you time your ads correctly, much of your effort could be wasted. We also learned how important pictures and pricing are to attract potential buyers and complete the sale.
Developing New Rules for marketing used vehicles online increased our sales volume, and we drew buyers from farther and farther away. Customers regularly drove two, three, and, in one case, five and a half hours one-way just to check out a car we’d posted. And virtually every customer who drove that distance bought the vehicle they came to see.
Think about it. What would entice someone to drive eleven hours round trip to look at a used car?
James explains, other than great Photos, what is needed to have an effective online ad.
The New Rules
1. Bold Headline
First, the subject line has to grab attention away from all the competing ads – and for some models there may be hundreds posted.
2. Detailed Information
The text must be clear and concise, specifying all the information a buyer cares about in order to determine if your vehicle is worth the time to look at.
3. Personal Touches
Personal touches will sweeten your posting – information that only someone who cared about the vehicle would know. These make the seller seem trustworthy. Emphasize the positive AND tell the truth about the condition of the vehicle.
4. Specific Photos
Seeing the features and accessories that your buyer is looking for will catch her attention.
5. Video Walk Around
Finally, the secret weapon that induces someone to drive eleven hours is the video walk around. It’s a simple tool I love to use, even if my customer’s in the neighborhood, and it’s easy to put together. It builds an enormous amount of trust and rapport between buyer and seller, providing a load of information quickly. I know the video walk around sealed the deal for my buyers even before they came over to see the car. There’s a step-by-step guide on creating your own walk-around in Chapter 10.
HELP! NOW!
My new book HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! walks you through the 5 NEW RULES of selling your car online. I provide a step-by-step guide for selling your car online, including:
- price your car so you don’t leave money on the table
- what sites to choose, and how to market your car for FREE
- which photos do you take and how do you shoot them
- handling inquiries and test drives
- how to negotiate like a pro
- handling the paperwork and counting the money
Your time and money is on the line. Learn from the pros – learn the NEW RULES of selling your car online. HELP! NOW! is on the way.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Auto Dealer’s Camera Recommendation for Online Photos
Auto Dealers take an enormous number of photos for online postings. I mention in my new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! that many dealers do a poor job of their online marketing and badly shot photos are a big part of the reason.
You can find out what pictures you should include in your online ads – and how to take them – in my book HELP! NOW!. I also teach you how to record your own video walk around – a secret weapon that brought me much business as an Internet Manager.
When you take as many pictures as most dealers do, you need a camera designed for the specific issues you face over and over and over:
- you need a wide angle lense to capture the essentials of the interior.
- you need a flip screen (also called an articulating LCD) so you can hold the camera at odd angles and still see exactly what you are shooting.
Chad Manz is a dealer marketing specialist and online photo expert. He has worked with dealers across the country teaching them how to take online photos. There is only ONE camera that Chad Manz recommends for dealers:
A private seller can get away with the least expensive digital camera available today and still take acceptable pictures. Private sellers – or dealers on a strict budget – can see my recommendations here.
A dealer is only hurting themselves if they try to get a away with a camera that lacks the necessary features. The result will either be photos that are not up to standards, or time unneccesarily wasted for the person taking them. Either one will hurt a dealer’s bottom line.
While you’re at it, get rechargable batteries and a simple charger. You’ll also need an extra large memory card, and if you plan on doing video walk arounds, get the biggest memory card available. A mini-tripod will come in handy, along with a lense cleaning kit.
Good photos often make the difference between a car selling quickly – or not. If you are curious how to get your dealership to the front of the online photo line, as well as learning the essentials of what should go in your ad copy, get my book HELP! NOW!
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Customize Your Bill of Sale Online
When selling a vehicle privately it’s best to have a Bill of Sale if your state DMV requires it or not. This is from my new book: HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!:
A Bill of Sale makes the sales transaction explicit by identifying what is for sale, any conditions attached, and the price.
To make sure you get it right (a mistake here can be costly in more ways than one), it’s actually easier to download an attorney prepared Bill of Sale online. For a small fee, you can get a professional document that has been specifically designed for your state. There are even a few specialized websites that allow you to customize your Bill of Sale to make sure there is no confusion about the details of your car sale.
Click Here! to learn more about the the customizable website I recommend. Take a few easy steps and you get an attorney prepared, customized Bill of Sale that meets the specific requirements of your state.
Find more tools for buying and selling vehicle on my website at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com/tools.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Backpage.com – An Up and Comer!
With classified websites organized to provide a local service, how do you determine which free websites to use when selling your car, truck, or SUV? It’s always smart to use as many as possible. What the heck, they’re free, right? You’ll only be out the time it takes to create each post.
Which Ones to Use?
The world of online classified websites is constantly changing. Craigslist is the towering giant among current players with over 50 million visitors a month. An up and coming player in this game is backpage.
backpage is owned by the original alternative newspaper, New York’s Village Voice. Your ad may be displayed along with classified ads from the back of various local alternative newspapers including:
- SF Weekly (my local alternative choice in the San Francisco Bay Area)
- LA Weekly
- City Pages (Minneapolis)
- Seattle Weekly
The ads in backpage are free. However, you have the option of paying a fee to add your post to the local, printed newspaper, and for posting online in multiple cities.
Mud on the Wall
Remember the “mud on the wall” theory? Always throw up as much “mud” as you have time and energy for because you never know when that last post on some obscure website will generate a phone inquiry about your car. backpage is a growing player in the world of online classified websites. It could very well be the difference between your car selling or not. What the heck – it’s free, right?
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
CARFAX or AutoCheck?
As an Internet Sales Manager I used both major vehicle history reports: CARFAX and AutoCheck®. Both serve a purpose, but in this economic downturn it’s important to save money. That being the case, the best buy is the one that is better known in the auto industry, yet less known by private sellers: AutoCheck®
. This is one situation where my position as an industry insider comes in handy.
On Dec 28, 2009 I found these prices online following a price increase by both companies:
- Single Reports
- AutoCheck®
$24.99
- CARFAX $34.99
- AutoCheck®
- Multiple Reports
- AutoCheck®
- CARFAX $44.99 – Maximum of 5 reports
- AutoCheck®
If you choose the single report package you can save 40% by buying your vehicle history report from AutoCheck®. (44.99 – 34.99 = 10 divided by 34.99 x 100 = 40%)
Other Benefits of AutoCheck
Speed is Crucial
As an Internet Sales Manager for a major dealership, we once took in a trade that came up with a clean report when we initially ran the vehicle history. However, a month later when I went to sell the car we ran a new vehicle history report that indicated an accident.
The dealership I worked for had a policy of NOT selling used vehicles that had been in an accident - period!
The result was that I lost a sale, the dealership lost a customer, and the customer was put through a process he was justifiably disappointed over, all because the speed at which the accident appeared on this vehicle history was not as fast as it could have been. A quicker turn around could have saved us all a lot of grief.
This is an example of buyer beware. No vehicle history report will catch every incident and this is another reason to have your own mechanic check out used cars prior to purchase. Want more examples? Below are two investigative journalism reports on the negative aspects of some vehicle history reports:
Shorter U.S. TV station report
Speed is crucial, and it’s another reason for purchasing AutoCheck® because they deliver accident information faster. And you get twice as many number of accidents in your report when compared to CARFAX.
And just like CARFAX you get:
- available information on accidents, odometer rollback, lemon vehicles.
- a list of the number of previous owners.
- a buy back program is available.
But unlike CARFAX, AutoCheck® has another benefit, which is something I haven’t used so I can’t recommend it one way or the other:
- An AutoCheck®
Remember that no vehicle history report is perfect and getting any pre-owned vehicle inspected by your mechanic is always a good idea. Of the two, the better buy is AutoCheck®
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
The links I provide are often affiliate links that I receive a commission from if you click thru and purchase a product. I appreciate the support as this allows me the resources and time to develop my website (www.BayAreaCarGuy.com) and funds the development of my next book on how to buy a car from a major dealer. See my video explanation at http://bayareacarguy.com/sell-car-online-thanks-for-the-click/.
Escrow.com – Be Safe!
Unfortunately, fraudulent escrow services have been popping up online. All of them say they are reliable and licensed, however, don’t accept just any escrow service recommended by the buyer or seller you are dealing with.
Escrow.com
is one the first escrow services that emerged in response to the growing trend of online buying and selling in the 1990s by providing much needed safety and security. They acted as a middle-man protecting everyone’s interests.
If you have any doubt about the buyer or their form of payment, use an escrow service. But not just any service. is one of the oldest, most reliable online escrow services available.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Online Escrow Services – Be Safe
Selling your vehicle online yourself can put extra money in your pocket. But when it comes time to get paid for your vehicle, safety is a primary concern.
Do you accept a personal check? Not on your life!
What about a cashier’s check? These used to be safe, but unless you confirm its authenticity with the issuing bank, I recommend that you treat cashier’s checks like personal checks: wait for funds to clear (a week or more) before you release the vehicle to the buyer.
I understand that waiting a week before completing a deal is not practical for most people. That’s why I recommend using an online escrow service. The following is from my book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!:
An escrow service acts as a middle-man, holding the money until the loan is paid off, then releasing funds in a safe manner.
These services are reasonably priced, especially when the fee is split between buyer and seller. They offer a level of safety that is priceless.
There are online escrow services that protect both buyer and seller, but you have to be on guard against fraudulent ones. Do not accept just any escrow service recommended by the buyer. When in doubt, use a reliable and licensed escrow service.
Escrow.com
I recommend Escrow.com. This is one of the first escrow services that responded to the growing trend of online buying and selling in the 1990s by providing much needed safety and security. They acted as a middle-man protecting everyone’s interests.
If you have any doubt about the buyer or their form of payment, use an escrow service. But not just any service. is one of the oldest, most reliable online escrow services available.
has the recommendation of the BayAreaCarGuy!
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Auto “Bill of Sale” Now Available Online
When selling a vehicle privately it’s best to have a Bill of Sale if your state DMV requires one or not. This is from my new book: HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!:
A Bill of Sale makes the sales transaction explicit by identifying what is for sale, any conditions attached, and the price.
To make sure you get it right (a mistake here can be costly in more ways than one), it’s actually easier to download an attorney prepared Bill of Sale online. For a small fee, you can get a professional document that has been specifically designed for your state. Go to Find Legal Forms for an Auto Bill of Sale
.
Find more tools for buying and selling vehicle on my website at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com/tools.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
The Video Walk Around
The Walk Around Video
The video walk around is the secret weapon that brought me serious customers when I was an Internet Sales Manager for a major auto dealer. It was rare for someone to make a long drive after viewing a video walk around and NOT buy the car. The video and your prior conversations will make the sale. Buyers usually make the trip to simply confirm the details and pick up the car.
HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW!
Use the video walk around examples on my website at BayAreaCarGuy.com/video, in conjunction with my book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! where I provide a step-by-step guide on how to create your own effective walk around (a great selling tool for so many reasons!) that may also make you a star on YouTube!
In HELP! NOW! I teach you how to:
- prep your car
- find a location
- the equipment you’ll need
- how to script your walk around – including what features to SELL
- how to create a general video for everyone
- how to create a video for a specific buyer
- the mechanics of shooting your video
- how to upload to the Internet
- much more
Creating your own video walk around and posting it on YouTube is both fun and easy. Want to see what one looks like? View my video walk around examples by visiting the Video page at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Find more tools for buying and selling vehicle on my website at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com/tools.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
Is A “Bill of Sale” Needed To Sell Your Car?
Did you know that in most states a Bill of Sale does not actually transfer legal ownership of your car to the new buyer when you sell it privately? For those states, the actual transfer is done through the DMV.
However, some states require a Bill of Sale for a private deal to be completed. In my new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! I recommend that you complete a Bill of Sale if your state requires one or not. Here is why:
A Bill of Sale makes the sales transaction explicit by identifying what is for sale, any conditions attached, and the price.
HELP! NOW! also outlines what a Bill of Sale should include in case you want to take a stab at it on your own:
- The vehicle identification number (VIN)
- year, make, and model
- odometer reading (mileage)
- date of sale
- purchase price
- be sure to include the phrase “sold as is,” unless you have agreed to something else
- names and addresses of buyer and seller
- signatures of buyer and seller
To make sure you get it right it’s actually easier to download an attorney prepared Bill of Sale online. For a small fee, you can get a professional document that has been specifically designed for you state. Go to Find Legal Forms for an Auto Bill of Sale
.
Find more tools for buying and selling vehicle on my website at www.BayAreaCarGuy.com/tools.
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L. James Johnson’s new book, HELP! I Gotta Sell My Car NOW! New Rules for Selling Your Vehicle Online! is available for download at BayAreaCarGuy.com.
How Much Can I Save With A 0% Auto Loan?
Yesterday I announced that Ford is unveiling a rather incredible 0% for 72 months promotion on most models beginning this Friday the 13th as part of their President’s Day weekend sale. This is a huge saving for our customers, especially when you consider that the savings you make on this financing package kick in after you negotiate your best price. I also mentioned that, in part, we can thank the economic downturn for savings of this order, because, in all likelihood, without the downturn Ford would not be putting this much money on the table.
The question today is how much can you save when you get 0% from a manufacturer? BTW, a word of caution about some of the 0% offers you find advertised in your local newspaper. If the APR incentive does not come from the manufacturer it may not be a real saving to you. In other words, a local dealer will often pass along the cost of lowering the interest rate by raising the price of the vehicle from what they would normally sell it for. This can result in an effective – and unofficial – two-price system: a higher price for financing with 0%, and a lower price for cash or a regular financing rate. As a consumer you can catch this marketing ploy by reading the fine print of the advertisement. It may say something like: “Dealer participation may affect selling price.” As usual, consumers need to be at the top of their game, and as always – buyer beware.
However, when an auto manufacturer advertises a low APR it is a real saving to you because you are able to negotiate the price of the vehicle completely independent from the interest rate on the loan.
What kind of savings are possible with 0% financing? Let’s take the example of someone borrowing $20,000 over 72 months (6-years). Further, let’s compare a 0% loan with a regular loan that has an interest rate of 6.99%. This is one way of calculating the difference:
Loan #1 – Borrowing $20,000 @6.99% over 72 months has a monthly payment of $340.88.
Loan #2 – Borrowing $20,000 @ 0.00% over 72 months has a monthly payment of $277.77.
How much do you save over 72 months? $340.88 less 277.77 = $63.11 is what you save per month. Multiply this times the 72 month term of the loan and your total savings are:
$63.11 x 72 = $4543.
Wow. Over $4500 savings on just the financing. This kicks in after you negotiate what should be a low price for the vehicle itself. And with the Ford promotion that begins this Friday you may get additional cash back (up to $1,000) depending on the model you are interested in.
0% financing can save you a huge amount of money. Negotiate your best price first, and make sure the incentive comes from the manufacturer – or be very careful so you don’t end up paying more to get less.
Questions? Email me at james@BayAreaCaGuy.com
