How AI Sales Assistants Are Changing Automotive Dealerships

Modern Marketing Engine podcast hosted by Bernie Borges

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If you haven’t heard of AI sales assistants, chances are you may have interacted with one and didn’t even know it. That’s especially true if you’ve purchased or leased a car in the last few years and made your contact with the dealership by digital means. Automotive dealerships are becoming increasingly more tech-savvy and AI sales assistants are one of the newest tools in the marketing plans of many dealerships. But while this week’s podcast conversation showcases the automotive industry as an example, it's not just about the automotive industry - it’s about how many industries around the world are increasingly deploying AI sales assistants.

On this episode of Modern Marketing Engine Bernie speaks with Micah Burgess, Vice President of Sales at Conversica, the only provider of sales conversion management software for marketing, inside sales, and customer service groups. In this conversation they speak about the current state of the automotive industry, the marketing pivots many dealerships are making, and how AI technology is one of the newest ways dealerships are handling incoming sales calls at scale and converting them to sales.

This episode is sponsored by Conversica, AI software for marketing and sales that fosters real conversations to discover the most qualified sales opportunities. Learn more at https://conversica.com An Old-School Industry Goes Modern

Automotive dealerships traditionally approach marketing and sales in tried and true ways. Newspaper inserts, television and radio spots, and even billboards are the mainstay in traditional automotive marketing. But many dealerships have recognized that the internet has changed everything and that there are major gains to be made as a result.

To take full advantage of the technologies available today, mindsets had to change. That mindset change is well underway. Auto dealers are thinking less like they are in the “car” business and more like they are in the business of business. That means they are thinking more about customers, customer experience, multiple touchpoints, and how to make the most of every opportunity. Data and technology are driving many of those decisions.

Is Your Organization Making The Most Of Every Opportunity?

The typical automotive dealership is doing business in a very competitive space. Not only are there multiple brand dealerships within a given metropolitan area, but there are also other automotive brands in the area. That being said, the typical buyer is not walking into the dealership as the first step of their buying journey. They research online, price their selected automobile online, and most will eventually contact the dealership that has the automobile of their choice through a digital channel as well.

This is one of the first touchpoints for dealerships, making the most of the opportunities automotive buyers give them through digital contact. When it comes to digital connections made through dealership websites or automotive comparison sites like Carfax or Cars.com, many of these dealerships are making use of AI sales assistants. Keep reading to learn more about how they work and listen to hear more details of how dealerships are putting them to use.

Could Your Team Handle Thousands Of Incoming Leads Per Week?

Volume and scale are two of the reasons businesses of all types need to make use of automation. With the ease of communication that digital technology provides comes massive opportunities that human beings simply can’t respond to efficiently.

As an example, Micah explains that many automotive dealerships receive thousands of incoming leads through their websites, comparison sites, social media, and more every single week. No sales team can adequately handle that volume of leads. That’s where AI technology makes a difference. An automated “sales assistant” can interact with the potential buyer conversationally, answering questions, providing information, and making connections.

“Speed To Lead” Is THE Deciding Factor In Getting The Sale Most Of The Time

In the digital economy, buyers only reach out to the dealership itself when they are already well along on their buying journey. They are a warm lead at that point, which makes it even more important for the sales team to respond to each lead quickly. But more importantly, the buyer has likely reached out to multiple dealerships at the same time which means the one to respond first is likely to get the sale. Micah refers to this dynamic as “speed to lead” and says that it is the dominant factor in determining which dealership gets the sale.

Is your industry similar? Do you need to put more focus on the timeliness with which you respond to leads when they come into your business? The difference between a quick response and a delayed response could be the difference between making the sale and losing it to a competitor. Listen to this episode to understand the impact of an AI sales assistant. It might be just what your business needs.

Featured on This Episode

• MIcah Burgess on LinkedIn
• Follow Micah on Twitter: @Mader44
• www.Conversica.com
• Conversica on Twitter: @MyConversica

Outline of This Episode

• [1:22] What Conversica does in the B2B marketing and sales industry
• [2:59] The shift in the automotive industry and how technology is driving it
• [4:52] Major shifts in how automotive business are running their operations day to day
• [7:10] Marketing approaches the automotive industry is using these days
• [11:01] The role conversational AI is playing in the automotive industry’s marketing
• [18:23] The impact of digital marketing on traditional marketing channels

Resources & People Mentioned This episode is sponsored by Conversica, AI software for marketing and sales that fosters real conversations to discover the most qualified sales opportunities. Learn more at https://conversica.com

• The Modern Selling Podcast with Vengreso CEO, Mario Martinez, Jr

Connect With Bernie and Modern Marketing Engine

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• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernieborges/
• https://twitter.com/bernieborges
• https://instagram.com/bernieborges
• https://Twitter.com/MMEnginePodcast

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