EP 9:28 Why Podium’s Artificial Intelligence is the Ultimate Sales Assistant to Unlocking Record-breaking Sales

Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast

Join Sean V. Bradley as he delves into the transformative role of artificial intelligence in car dealerships with Chuck Schwan from Muscatell Subaru! In this episode, Chuck shares his insights on how AI, particularly through the use of Podium's AI solutions, is revolutionizing the automotive sales industry! He discusses his role in integrating third-party vendor applications and how AI serves as a vital tool to enhance customer engagement without replacing human jobs. Chuck redefines AI as a dependable assistant that never tires, offering consistent service around the clock!

Throughout the conversation, Chuck discusses the practical applications of AI in handling leads and improving customer communication at Muscatell Subaru. With a robust integration into their CRM system, AI proved instrumental in managing thousands of leads efficiently. Chuck emphasizes the benefits of AI, such as setting numerous successful appointments that converted into sales, and the importance of AI remaining professional and unfazed by rejection! By continuously learning and adapting, AI augments the sales team's efforts, addressing typical industry challenges like engagement and attrition, while ensuring no lead is left unattended!

From maximizing efficiency to overcoming common dealership challenges, this conversation is packed with insights that will inspire you to rethink how your dealership operates. Whether you're curious about the role of AI or looking for ways to streamline your sales process, this episode has something for you.

Key Takeaways

• AI Implementation: Learn how Muscatell Subaru integrates AI using Podium to manage leads, resulting in significantly increased customer engagement and sales.

• AI's Role in Dealerships: Discover how AI serves as a relentless tool that enhances customer service by handling repetitive tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on nurturing personal interactions.

• Transformational Results: Understand the profound impact AI has had on appointment setting and sales conversion rates at Muscatell Subaru, highlighting the promise of this technology.

• Managing Expectations: Chuck outlines the collaborative approach between AI and the sales team, ensuring a seamless customer experience and leveraging AI's ability to communicate at any time.

• Forward-Thinking Strategy: Gain insights into future integrations that might streamline dealership operations further, merging AI capabilities with existing platforms for more efficiency.

About Chuck Schwan

Chuck Schwan serves as the Internet Director at Muscatell Subaru, located in Moorhead, Minnesota. With a rich career in the automotive industry since 2009, Chuck began his journey selling Hondas, later transitioning to roles in parts and accessories, and then as an Internet Sales Manager. His diverse experience includes a year in finance at a powersports store before embracing his passion for Subaru. Under the leadership of Ward Muscatell, Chuck has been pivotal at Muscatell Subaru for nearly eight years, focusing on third-party vendor integrations and training AI to enhance dealership operations.

Resources:

Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership’s sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more!

Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry’s #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today!

Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.

The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By:

Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast.

Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential.

Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry’s top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!

Artificial Intelligence in Automotive Sales: Revolutionizing Engagement and Customer Experience

Key Takeaways

• AI as a tool for enhancement: Artificial intelligence is not here to replace jobs but to enhance efficiency and engagement in automotive sales.

• Improving customer engagement: AI has proven to significantly boost engagement rates, leading to more appointments and sales.

• Integration with existing systems: Tools like Podium integrate seamlessly with CRMs, making AI a powerful addition to the sales process.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative force in many industries, and automotive sales are no exception. From enhancing customer engagement to streamlining communication processes, AI offers a myriad of benefits that reshaping the dealership experience. In this article, we'll explore how AI is being integrated into automotive sales, focusing on dealer interactions, engagement improvement, and the seamless integration with existing tools like CRMs.

AI: An Indispensable Tool for Dealerships

AI has increasingly become an indispensable tool for dealerships, providing a consistent and seamless experience for both the dealerships and their customers. As Chuck Schwan, the BDC Manager at Muscatel Subaru, astutely points out, "AI is just a tool to generate engagement, and once we've got the engagement, then we just train it to hand off to our sales staff."

One of the most significant attributes of AI is its unwavering consistency. Unlike human sales representatives, AI never tires, never gets frustrated, and delivers the same quality of interaction every time. Schwan expresses this sentiment by highlighting, "It's the worker that never stops, that never gets frustrated. Someone can tell it to bleep off, and the next message is sunshine and roses."

Another impactful aspect of AI lies in its ability to handle mundane and repetitive tasks, freeing up human resources to focus on more complex interactions. Schwan emphasizes the value of AI in managing engagement tasks like sending out text messages and emails, noting, "It's really just another tool to take care of the crap part of the job that no one likes."

Revolutionizing Customer Engagement in Automotive Sales

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized customer engagement in automotive sales, offering unprecedented levels of interaction and personalization. Sean V. Bradley, host of the Millionaire Car Salesman podcast, underscores the transformative impact of AI, illustrating how it addresses a longstanding issue: "Emails connect at only two to four percent. But with AI, it scales accordingly. AI could deploy to all of those opportunities in real time."

The introduction of AI into the sales workflow not only boosts engagement rates but also enhances the customer experience by personalizing interactions. Schwan shares staggering results from using AI at his dealership: "Our first month of using Podium, Alicia set 64 appointments, 50 showed up, and 40 sold."

The success of AI in improving engagement rates is multifaceted. It ensures responses are timely and addresses customer queries with precision and clarity, which drastically reduces the lag time often experienced in traditional processes. Additionally, AI's adaptability allows it to work around the clock, reaching out to customers at their convenience, as Schwan describes, "She talks to them when they want to be talked to."

Seamless Integration with Existing Sales Tools

A significant advantage of integrating AI into the automotive sales ecosystem is its compatibility with existing sales tools, enhancing productivity and efficiency. For dealerships operating with established CRMs like VIN Solutions, AI technology such as Podium provides an invaluable bridge between modern AI capabilities and traditional CRM functionalities.

Schwan details how this integration benefits his dealership, explaining that AI interacts with CRM data to streamline follow-up and engagement: "It's an API back and forth. It'll write into the notes what's been said by the artificial intelligence." This seamless flow of information ensures that all communication, whether initiated by AI or a human, remains centralized and accessible, fostering a more cohesive customer interaction experience.

Moreover, Podium's customer support and adaptability set it apart in the crowded field of AI tools. Schwan appreciates Podium's willingness to tailor solutions to his dealership's specific needs, observing, "They always want to know not just what to change, but why I want to change. So, they're really trying to understand what Muscatel Subaru needs from the AI."

The integration of AI with CRMs not only optimizes the sales process but also minimizes resource redundancy by effectively aligning AI capabilities with existing processes. Schwan notes that while some redundancy may occur, AI predominantly takes on the heavy lifting in initial outreach, allowing his sales team to focus on personalized follow-ups and closing deals.

Dealerships looking to thrive in today's competitive landscape must recognize the value of AI as a catalyst for operational efficiency and enhanced customer interactions. By leveraging AI, dealerships can not only boost engagement and drive sales but also streamline communication processes.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the automotive sales landscape by enhancing engagement, personalizing customer interactions, and seamlessly integrating with existing CRM systems. Schwan's experience with AI at Muscatel Subaru exemplifies the transformative potential of this technology. AI is not a passing trend; it's a powerful tool that, when harnessed effectively, will continue to redefine the way dealerships connect with and serve their customers.