The High Performance Recipe:
Merchandising Habits of High-Selling Dealers
Why Some Listings Sell, and Others Just Sit, and What the Top Dealers Are Doing Differently
Grab Your Merchandising Checklist
Grab our free inventory merchandising checklist and run it against your own listings to get your merchandising score.
Have Questions About Your Listings?
Q: Ten photos per unit sounds unrealistic when my team is stretched thin. Is it actually necessary?
The volume matters more than you’d think — top-turning dealers average just over ten photos per unit, and units with real photos of the actual unit draw more customer interest than stock manufacturer images. But you don’t need a photographer or a fancy camera. A smartphone in good natural light covers it: exterior from a couple of angles, interior, the odometer, and honest condition shots on used units get you to seven to ten naturally. The real unlock is making photos part of your intake process so they become a habit rather than a project.
Q: If I can’t show three price numbers, is just a sale price enough?
The contrast does most of the work. A single price is just a number — the buyer has nothing to compare it against. But show a retail price crossed out next to a lower sale price, and the brain instantly registers “deal,” even when the dollar savings isn’t huge. That strikethrough is visual psychology working for you. The ideal is three numbers — retail, sale, and savings called out in its own color — so the shopper does the math without thinking.
Q: Manufacturer rules won’t let me post a price. Am I just out of luck?
No — you have options. “Call for price” is one of the fastest ways to lose a serious buyer to a competitor whose price is visible, so if MSRP is all you’re allowed, the move is to signal value another way. Inventory image banners let you layer special offers and promotional messaging right onto the listing photo, where shoppers actually spot them. It’s the difference between looking like every other locked-down listing and looking like a deal worth clicking.
Q: How do I even merchandise a unit that’s been sitting for 600+ days?
Start with the fundamentals before you assume the unit is the problem: refresh the photos, adjust pricing if you’re able, and add a sale or image banner to signal movement. If it’s still sitting after all that, the conversation shifts from merchandising to marketing that specific unit through other channels like social or paid advertising, factoring in the unit and the time of year.
