Just last week, I received phone calls from two separate dealers I’d purchased vehicles from over the past five years. Each of them offered to buy back my vehicle and sell me a new one. There was just one problem: I wasn’t ready to trade in my current vehicle. Actually, I wasn’t even considering it.

Neither of these dealers took the time to flip any kind of emotional switch with me before giving me a call. They didn’t base their message on where I was in my buyer’s journey — or whether I was ready to start my journey at all.

And for dealers to navigate today’s crowded advertising landscape and connect with buy-ready consumers, timing your messages is more important than ever.

Your consumers encounter an overwhelming amount of advertising every day. From tablets and smartphones to retargeting campaigns and streaming media, the average American is exposed to about 400 advertising messages per day. Assuming we get eight hours of sleep, that’s an ad every two and a half minutes. Today’s consumers have to filter through the noise to find the messages that are relevant to them. And there’s nothing more frustrating than receiving the wrong message at the wrong time.

So what does this mean for dealers trying to build successful certified pre-owned programs? How can you grab consumers’ attention at the right moment, and keep it all the way to the sale? Let’s look at the five steps of the typical buyer’s journey — and how you can win consumers over to CPO at every stage.

1. Awareness

Every buyer’s journey begins when the consumer becomes aware that they have a problem that needs to be solved. After all, if they don’t see a problem with their current vehicle, any messages about trading it in for a CPO vehicle will be irrelevant.

Though it’s tempting to think that the quality of your CPO program will win over consumers, awareness absolutely has to come first. If I’d actually thought about buying a new vehicle, imagine how much happier I would have been when two dealerships called me with an offer!

2.Catalytic Event

Awareness is important, but it’s not enough on its own. Some kind of trigger event must occur that causes a consumer to begin the shopping process. These triggers span a wide variety of events, from accidents to an expanding family or major repairs. Whatever the cause, the catalytic event is highly emotional and moves the consumer from being aware of a problem to actively pursuing a change.

Certain catalytic events are more closely related to CPO sales than others. Lease payoffs and major repairs are strong indicators that a consumer might be ready to trade in their current car for a CPO vehicle.

Keep an eye on your database for consumers experiencing these changes. It’ll be worth your while — on both the sourcing and sales sides of the house!

3. Consideration

Once a consumer knows a change is needed, they’re ready to start researching and considering their options. Because customers are more likely to view CPO favorably the more they know about it, introducing CPO during this research stage will give you a big advantage. But how can you make sure you’re advertising your program effectively?

First of all, don’t neglect the internet. The buyer’s journey takes place both online and off, but most automotive buyers rely on the internet to shop — 79 percent, as of 2014.

Moreover, three-quarters of those consumers used a third-party site, while only half used dealership websites, search engines or OEM websites. To broaden the reach of your CPO message, advertise on these third-party sites — and meet in-market consumers where they are!

Data mining your CRM is another way to target the right buyers at the right time. Knowing which customers have vehicles coming off lease, prospecting your service bays, and searching for vehicles undergoing high-cost repairs are just a few ways to identify prime CPO candidates. I promise that using this data will produce better results than the calls I received: “We’d like to buy your car, so give us a call.”

4. Evaluation

After a customer has taken the lay of the land, they must narrow down their list of potential vehicles from the consideration stage. As they zero in on the right vehicles for their needs, consumers will compare models, consider multiple dealerships, and read online reviews about your dealership and your vehicles. Now’s the time to put your dealership’s best foot forward.

When deciding between various dealerships, consumers consider much more than price. CPO is a major differentiator, as is the option to research financing and warranty products ahead of time. Trust, safety and security are high priorities on today’s consumers' minds!  Leverage your advantage and tell them about it.  If you can give consumers the information they want when they want it, you’ll set yourself apart from the competition.

5. Purchase Event

The interactions immediately before, during and after purchase are arguably the most exciting stage of the buyer’s journey — and according to Autotrader studies, they’re also the most frustrating. Most buyers express dissatisfaction with the typical length of the sales process, and only 22 percent report that their vehicle purchase process was never frustrating.

To close the sale and encourage repeat business, you need to consider timing in a different way: respecting your customers’ time. Shortening the transaction process, reducing the back-and-forth of negotiation, and smoothing consumers' interactions with the F&I office will create a positive experience that increases consumer satisfaction and retention.

There’s never been a better time for dealers to consider CPO.

CPO vehicles are breaking sales records year after year. They turn faster than their non-certified counterparts. Safety-conscious consumers are willing to pay more for CPO — both upfront and in the F&I office. But although CPO offers dealers an enormous opportunity, your program will only be as good as your timing, your process and communicating the tremendous value they get from it.

You owe it to your consumers to give them a better experience than a badly timed, non-targeted sales call. Shout your available CPO options from the rooftops — and make sure the right consumers are listening!

Rob Christman is the fixed operations director of sales at Cox Automotive.