Artificial Intelligence isnāt just for tech giants or science fiction anymoreāitās here transforming industries, including retail automotive.
During his presentation at the NADA Show this year, Sean Toussi (CEO and co-founder of Glo3D.com) broke down the rapidly evolving role of AI in car dealerships and how leaders can leverage it to stay ahead in a competitive market.
Hereās a look at the key takeaways.
Tech Adoption: From Generations to a Blink
It took humanity eight generations to get 500M people to use electric refrigerators (because lukewarm milk was apparently fine for a while). ChatGPT, on the other hand, hit the same milestone in just two months. Two months.
The point? Technology isnāt just evolvingāitās sprinting. And dealerships donāt have the luxury of sitting back and waiting 200 years to adopt it.
Whatās AI Already Doing for Dealerships?
Spoiler alert: a lot. AI isnāt just a buzzword; itās a toolkit, and itās already putting in work across the industry. Hereās how:
1. Merchandising
If your car photos still look like something from a classifieds ad, AI can help. Benefits include:
Consistency and Speed: Need 100 car photos edited yesterday? AIās got you. Plus, AI-powered background removals make every car photo look sharp.
Damage Detection: No need to play āspot the dentā manually anymore.
Video Tours: Automated walk-arounds so polished you might consider hiring the AI as your videographer.
Think of it as a full-time merchandiser who doesnāt need sleep.
2. Marketing and Sales
Marketing used to be throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. AI has the wall (and the spaghetti) figured out:
Hyper-Personalization: AI knows when and where to nudge customers with offers they actually care about, often using their social media behavior to predict whatās next.
Social Media Magic: Posts, captions, and scheduling? Automated.
AI Sales Coaches: Your team gets prepped with tools that simulate real-world selling scenarios.
Customer Engagement: AI helps you check in after the sale, keeping communication goal-oriented and smart.
Itās marketing, but with all the guesswork stripped out.
3. Customer Service
AIās customer service game is strong:
Always-On Support: Whether itās 2 p.m. or 2 a.m., AI is ready with consistent, helpful answers.
Predictive Help: AI anticipates customer needs, like suggesting service deals or upgrades before they even think to ask.
Itās like having a customer service rep who never calls out sick.
4. Dealership Management
AI isnāt just for the front lines, itās running the back office, too.
Lead Handling: AI qualifies and routes leads faster than your team can grab their coffee.
Predictive Analytics: Trends, patterns, and actionable insightsāserved up before you even knew you needed them.
Streamlining Everything: From HR to compliance to training, AI keeps operations smooth without the āput out this fireā energy.
Basically, itās the Swiss Army knife your managers didnāt know they needed.
Whatās Next for AI?
Sean didnāt just stop at what AI is doing now, he gave us a sneak peek at whatās coming next:
XR Visuals and Virtual Reality
Soon, your customers will be able to put on VR glasses at home and take a virtual test drive. Theyāll be able to explore every feature, choose their trim, and customize their options without ever stepping foot into the dealership.
AI-Powered Personal Assistants
From scheduling follow-ups to handling tedious admin tasks, AI assistants will take multitasking to new heights. Think executive-level help, minus the small talk.
The Takeaway: Be Ready or Be Left Behind
AI isnāt a shiny toy, itās a workhorse. Itās already helping dealerships sell smarter, market better, and run tighter operations. The future isnāt slowing down, and the dealerships that lean into this tech revolution are the ones that will stay ahead.
