Consumers who shop for certified pre-owned vehicles may have unique needs in a vehicle that are different from those of shoppers looking for a new or non-certified used vehicle.

So as part of our annual “Best CPO Dealers in the United States” special edition this winter, we reached out to top dealerships — Lincoln stores, in this case — and asked them about best techniques they use to market to and reach this niche audience.

Here is what a couple had to say for this year's feature: 

“Our dealership has always invested heavily into reconditioning used vehicles, which has allowed our sales staff to confidently sell. Our pre-owned vehicles have been ‘certified’ for years; the Lincoln CPO program has allowed us to offer an increased value to our customers with the extended warranty,” said Rick Jacobs Jr., general manager of South Hills Lincoln.

“In the words of our pre-owned manager Dan Bonomi, ‘Cheaper is only a price. Value is priceless.’ This philosophy must be established within the dealership to maintain CPO sales,” he continued.

South Hills Lincoln, located in Pittsburgh, sold 225 CPO vehicles in 2014, according to the automaker, and ranked ninth among all Lincoln stores nationally.

“A large portion of our CPO business is by word-of-mouth, because we stand behind our pre-owned vehicles. All of the necessary service work is completed prior to the vehicles going on the lot, to make them ‘like new.’ No excuses are needed when everything is done prior to the customer seeing the vehicle,” Jacobs told Auto Remarketing. 

Over at Bayway Lincoln —  a Houston dealership that moved 376 CPO units and ranked fourth nationally among Lincoln stores — Nathan Dawson offered a few marketing strategies, as well.

“The best ways we have discovered to market is by utilizing the advertising tools provided by the manufacturer, maximizing CPO exposure with third-party vendors and having all departments recognize CPO vehicles as a third brand between new and traditional used-vehicle sales,” Dawson said.

“At ground zero, our service advisers create value in a CPO for potential clients and renew vehicle confidence to customers bringing in their CPO vehicle for service by reminding them of the peace-of-mind they get from owning a CPO vehicle,” he added. “We also maintain a vast selection of CPO vehicles with several option package to provide the customer variety, like they would have within our new-car department.” 

Editor's Note: Staff Writer Sarah Rubenoff contributed to this report.