Our data has shown that when more listings are in more places, everyone wins. Allow me to explain.
How Heavy Equipment Sales Used to Be
For those who have been in the heavy equipment or commercial vehicle sales industry for several decades (maybe back before either of the Bush administrations), you may remember that the sales process was much different than it is today.
Many decades ago, if someone wanted to buy, say, a semi-truck or a front-end loader, their options were fairly straightforward—if not limited. They’d either run their finger over local newspaper classifieds or a “for sale” catalog publication over their morning coffee. After circling what piqued their interest in pen or brown mug rings, they’d dial the number on the ad and then go kick some tires on the dealer lot or maybe a farm down the lane.
Then the internet exploded and the industry changed.
The Internet’s Role in the Long-Distance Equipment Market
As the internet became more readily available and easily accessible, sellers of heavy equipment and commercial vehicles took note. Instead of simply advertising to Jim Bob down the road, they could digitally open their lot gates to the entire state, country, or even the world—all thanks to the power of the internet.
Marketplace listing services (much like yours truly) also noticed the shift to cyberspace and were quick to help dealerships navigate the digital landscape of listing inventory for sale as well as helping manage correspondence with prospective buyers via digital tools.
Since then, a question regarding online heavy equipment marketplaces has hung in the air: “Which one should I use?”
For many dealerships and some marketplaces, this question is answered with yet another question: “Why use just one?”
The Perks of Cross-listing Your Inventory Online
While marketplace loyalty exists, most folks these days prefer to shop around. According to one report from Statista, at least 55% of buyers take to search engines like Google before buying—either to research what they are buying or to find the best seller.
So, what does this mean for sellers? That there is a benefit to listing your inventory items for sale on multiple online marketplaces—otherwise known as “cross listing.”
Cross listing (also known as “cross posting” at times) in the context of listing items online for sale, greatly increases the visibility of sales inventory because it isn’t tied to a single marketplace. Just like someone may search both eBay and Amazon for a new Casio watch, they may also search Auto Trader and Cars.com for a quality used Chevy Tahoe. The same goes for a Peterbilt, Caterpillar, or Bobcat.
“But you run an online marketplace. Why would you bring up cross listing?”
It’s true, My Little Salesman is a print and online commercial and heavy equipment marketplace—one with some dealership customers that list exclusively with us. But we understand many see benefits in listing their inventory across several marketplace services. We know some marketplaces feel that cross listing may fracture a customer’s loyalty to their particular marketplace. But we don’t see it that way. Why? Because our own data has told us otherwise.
We wouldn’t be making such recommendations out of thin air. Maintaining a robust online marketplace and our cutting-edge dealer management system (Dealership Drive) has given us unique access to a wealth of data about buyer and seller behavior. Such data tells us that cross listing actually benefits listing clients by attracting buyers from a wider pool of industries, specific needs, and pain points—many of which may not have otherwise been exposed to such listings if they had remained siloed in a single marketplace.
Our goal is not to hold dealer equipment listings hostage or be the exclusive gateway to customer communication, but rather to help dealerships achieve the visibility and tools they need to thrive. To do that, we have to admit the benefits of cross-listing and provide a system for them that makes doing so a piece of cake.
It’s a pretty simple concept—when your clients win, you win. We hope you feel the same way.
Yours Truly,
Jason Pierce
President of My Little Salesman
