Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Acquisitions in Numbers

Effective Strategies for Vehicle Acquisition: Keys to Success in Working with Private Sellers

Acquiring vehicles from private sellers offers a highly efficient and strategic method for maintaining dealership inventory. With the right structure—built on automation, consistent follow-up, and careful funnel management—this process can yield impressive results.

The Power of Persistent Follow-Up

Research shows that 80% of vehicle acquisitions require at least five follow-ups after the initial contact, yet only a small portion of buyers actually follow through to that extent. Many give up too soon:

  • 44% stop after just one unsuccessful attempt
  • 22% quit after two rejections
  • 14% quit after three rejections
  • 12% quit after four rejections
  • Only 8% continue beyond four follow-ups

This presents a clear opportunity: persistent follow-up significantly increases the chances of securing a vehicle.

VAN Follow Up

Understanding the Acquisition Funnel

The acquisition process can be broken down into a series of key stages:

  1. Initial outreach and seller discovery: Target all private sellers with accessible contact information.
  2. Response rate: Aim for half of the contacted sellers to respond.
  3. Appointment setting: Secure appointments with approximately 40% of those who respond.
  4. Appointment attendance: Half of the scheduled appointments should lead to actual visits or inspections.
  5. Vehicle appraisal: All attended appointments should result in a proper vehicle evaluation.
  6. Acquisition: The goal is to acquire about 80% of the vehicles that are appraised.

Viewing the process this way helps identify bottlenecks and prioritize areas for improvement.

VAN Funnel Analysis

Benchmarks and Projections

To better estimate outcomes, consider the following example based on standard industry benchmarks:

  • Out of 1,000 outbound contacts, expect a 50% response rate
  • From the 500 responses, aim to schedule a 20% of appointments
  • Of the 100 appointments scheduled, 50 vehicles will be appraised
  • Ultimately, 30 vehicles will be acquired, which would be a 60% of the appraised vehicles

These projections help guide staffing, resource planning, and performance evaluation.

VAN Benchmarks

Conclusion

Acquiring vehicles from private sellers isn’t just about quantity, it’s about process. A structured, data-driven approach with clear targets and persistent follow-up can dramatically improve acquisition results. The evidence is clear: those who follow through consistently are the ones who acquire more vehicles.