Looks, condition and price are the three key features to focus on when sculpting the perfect classified ad. Stuart Milne, deputy editor of Autotrader is the man in the know: ‘Don’t waste time and money paying to say how good a rider you are. The details – mileage, service history and modifications – and attractive, and competitive price is the key.” People want to know that your bike is the best possible example they‘ll find. Write a list of all the good things about your bike, categorise them in order of importance and stick to the facts – this isn’t a personal ad.
“One common mistake is giving potential buyers a glaringly obvious bargaining tool, like worn tyres,” explains Milne. “At best this gives the buyer the power to knock you down on price. At worst they’ll just go elsewhere. Finally, don’t rely on anyone else to check your spelling. Once you’ve written the ad, read it through a couple of times and then get a mate to check it over for mistakes. This stuff matters.”
