Transforming Automotive Conquest with AutoPilot

The automotive landscape is flooded with inventory, showing a 46% increase year-over-year. This surge makes it harder than ever for dealerships to stand out. As a result, traditional customer acquisition strategies are falling short. The untargeted "spray and pray" method used to reach potential buyers is ineffective. It’s costly and fails to connect with the 70% of consumers wanting a seamless omnichannel experience.

The Problem at Hand

But what if this problem could be addressed at its root? What if you could combine best-in-class technology to create a solution that’s seamless and effortless for dealers?

This question led to a collaboration between STELLA Automotive AI CEO Rich Sands and Client Command® CEO Jonathan Lucenay. Their innovation is known as AutoPilot, an AI-powered conquest solution that emerged from a shared frustration with the status quo in the automotive industry.

The Importance of Industry Synergy

“It’s incredibly frustrating in this industry that different players, vendors in the space don't play well in the sandbox together,” Lucenay remarked. “If you put [the right tech] together, it can create that old buzzword synergy ... that one plus one equals three.”

The Approach of AutoPilot

This partnership redefines automotive conquest by addressing the industry's most pressing challenges head-on.

Step 1: Identifying the Invisible Shopper

The first hurdle is recognizing shoppers who are currently in the market but remain unknown to your dealership. Enter Client Command’s Active Shopper Network®.

"We have indexed over 60 billion pages of data. We see almost every auto shopper in the United States in real time when they begin shopping," Lucenay commented. “This holds true even if they haven't visited your website and they're not in your DMS or CRM.”

This is not solely about demographics. Utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP), the system analyzes actual browsing behaviors. “It examines consumer behavior in a privacy-compliant way to determine what they're shopping for, their intensity, and their motivations,” Lucenay explained.

This process converts anonymous website traffic into rich profiles of qualified buyers, setting them up for the next step.

Step 2: Personalized, Proactive Conversations

Once a high-intent shopper is identified, STELLA’s conversational AI springs into action. This is no ordinary chatbot.

“The foundation of STELLA is that it is a real-time AI conversational platform,” Sands noted. “Conversations primarily revolve around listening. We excel in understanding customer intent, tone, and inflection. Our aim is to ensure that these interactions feel personalized and genuine, as if you're conversing with a human being.”

The engagement happens on the customer's terms, via their preferred communication channel. Catering to a customer’s chosen method is crucial, as 83% of initial dealership interactions occur through live phone calls. “We strive for a frictionless customer experience,” Sands said. “When a consumer calls, emails, or texts a dealership, we're ensuring that they are met on the right channel.”

Step 3: Conversion and Measurable Success

The final step is converting insightful conversations into booked appointments and effective handoffs. AutoPilot removes friction points that obstruct conversions, including voicemails, holds, and transfers.

If a live agent is required, the transition is seamless.

“We utilize state-of-the-art whisper technology,” Sands clarified. “This enables our AI agent to brief the live human agent so that the guest doesn't have to repeat themselves.”

Results That Speak Volumes

The results from the pilot program are impressive. “In just 27 days, we brought in 12 new vehicle sales and 127 new service appointments," Sands stated. “We truly exceeded expectations, and after a nearly two-month run, those figures doubled.”

Why AutoPilot Stands Out

Artificial intelligence buzzwords are all around, with many solutions declaring themselves to be the optimal AI for car sales or service. What's unique about AutoPilot is its relevance. It doesn’t simply spam your entire customer database with cold outreach.

As Lucenay puts it: “Many leading companies in the industry are just dredging through every customer you've ever had, leading to people asking, ‘How do I get off this list?’ However, if they happen to call when they are discussing a product they’re actively looking for, our response is entirely different. It's like, ‘Yes, can you please help me?’”

This represents a fundamental shift, moving away from disruptive marketing towards helpful, timely engagement.

The distinction lies in its “rifle approach instead of a shotgun,” which subsequently grants smaller dealers a “secret weapon” to compete with larger groups. It empowers larger groups to reallocate vast ad budgets toward their bottom line.

Focus on What Matters

AutoPilot is tailored for dealers who excel at selling and servicing cars. It allows businesses to concentrate on their core strengths while an integrated, powerful engine attracts qualified, ready-to-buy customers to their doors.

Conclusion

Are you ready to witness how AutoPilot can revolutionize your conquest strategy?

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