How to get a buyer's paperwork in without chasing it.

Most chasing happens because the first request was vague, or because a missing item only came up on the day the buyer expected to drive away. Work out the list early, and ask for each item at the point it becomes useful.

• Driver's license: ask for it as soon as the buyer is serious about a car, before you write up numbers.
• Proof of insurance: the buyer usually needs the car chosen to arrange it, so ask once the deal is agreed and before delivery.
• Proof of income or residence: only when a lender asks for it. Ask your lender what they want to see, then ask the buyer for exactly that.
• Trade-in title and payoff details: if the buyer owns the trade-in outright, ask for the title. If they still owe money on it, ask for the lender's name and account number so you can get the payoff amount.

Your list may be longer or shorter than this one. Your lender, your accountant or your lawyer can tell you what you need in your situation, and this guide is not legal advice.

A buyer who gets five separate requests over three days will get one wrong or skip one. Send one message that lists everything you need, says what each item is for and tells them how to send it.

• Name each item plainly: write "insurance card or declarations page for the new car" instead of "insurance info".
• Say what is optional: if an item is only needed when a lender asks, say so, so the buyer is not hunting for something they do not need.
• Say when you need it: give a day if the delivery date depends on it, and tell the buyer that sending some now and the rest later is fine.
• Give one person to contact: your name and a number, so questions do not go to the front desk.

This is an example only. The names and the car are invented, so replace them with your own and cut any item you do not need.

Example only. Made-up details for illustration.

Hi Dana, here is what I need to finish your deal on the
2018 Accord. You can send each item from your phone with
the link below. Some now and the rest later is fine.

  1. Driver's license (front and back)
  2. Proof of insurance for the new car
  3. Proof of income (only if your lender asks for it)
  4. Your trade-in's title, or the lender's name and
     account number if you still owe money on it

Link: [your upload link]
Questions: call me at [your number]. I'm [your name].

Send it by email, with the link in it, as soon as the buyer agrees to the deal.

Asking a buyer to drive in with documents costs them an afternoon, and some will put it off. Most buyers can photograph a license and an insurance card in a minute.

• Use a private link: a link only that buyer has, rather than a shared inbox address, keeps their documents away from everyone else's mail.
• Ask for a flat, well-lit photo: the whole document in the frame, not cut off at the edge, with nothing covering the numbers.
• Avoid ordinary email attachments if you can: they sit in personal inboxes, are easy to forward and are hard to find again later.
• Keep a paper option: some buyers prefer to hand things over in person, and that should still work.

A file that has arrived is not the same as a file that is usable. Look at each one the day it comes in, while the buyer is still paying attention.

• Can you read it? Blurry, dark or cropped photos need to be sent again.
• Is it the right document? It should be the whole page, for the right person and the right car.
• Is it current? Look at dates on insurance cards and on any proof of income.
• Does it match the deal? The name and the VIN or lender details should agree with what you have on the deal.

If something is wrong, tell the buyer right away what is wrong and what to send instead. Mention only the item that needs fixing.

A document that lives in a phone gallery, a personal inbox or a folder named "scans" is a document someone will lose. File each item against the deal, or at least the stock number, the day it arrives.

Use the same names every time, such as the stock number, the buyer's last name and the type of document. Note on the deal which items you have and which you are still waiting for, so anyone on your team can see where it stands without asking you.

Keep a buyer's documents away from places that many people can see. Ask who really needs access to them, and give it only to them.

Buyers hand you sensitive documents, and keeping them forever is a risk of its own. A copy you do not need is one less thing that can be lost or exposed.

• Ask how long to keep each kind: your accountant or your lawyer can tell you what applies to your dealership. Retention is not something to guess.
• Write the answer down: a short note your team can find, with each kind of document and how long you keep it.
• Clear out loose copies: photos in a phone, downloads in a folder and printouts on a desk should go once the copy on the deal is complete.
• Shred or delete properly: paper goes through a shredder, and files are deleted from every place they were saved, not just the one you were looking at.

In Motorvar, you list the documents you need and the buyer gets a private upload link they can use on their phone. Each file lands on the matching item in the deal's checklist.

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