Artificial intelligence has spent a lot of time in the news as of late. From cars that drive themselves along predetermined routes to personal assistants like Alexa, AI plays a role in so many of our lives – and it can help boost your dealership’s efficiency, too. Here are some of the ways in which AI has already entered the vertical space and some tips for using it to your advantage.
Improving Vehicle Turnover Rates
As a dealership, you must stick to a very strict schedule when it comes to vehicle markdowns if you don’t want them to stay on your lot past their prime. Unfortunately, even though this strategy is being used by dealerships around the world, it is by far the most expensive way to boost demand for vehicles. Instead, you can utilize various tools that analyze tremendous amounts of data from across the globe. These AI-backed tools can predict how long it will take to sell a car on your lot before you even stock it, which can go a long way toward keeping your profits and your turnover rate high.
Marketing to the Right People at the Right Times
AI can also help you uncover some consistencies in your databases that could very well improve your marketing ROI a great deal. For example, AI can find which customers haven’t purchased from you in 36 months – the average length of time a new car buyer waits between purchases – so you can reach out to them and attempt to keep them loyal to your dealership. AI can also help you figure out what people are looking for on your website, then send them emails or other in-app communications that capture their interest at just the right time and place to bring them back in.
Personalize Your Customers’ Experiences
Buying a car is a big deal for many people. In fact, it’s the second largest purchase most consumers ever make witht their homes being the largest. As such, for many consumers, it’s all about the shopping experience. If you can capture what individual online shoppers are viewing with AI, you can then customize their view list with the makes and models that match their previous searches, thus compelling them even further to make a purchase. Of course, these customers can search for other options, as well, but showing them what they want to see using AI is always a good idea.
Track Communications
When your dealership services cars, they likely ask customers to sign contracts of agreement that they will pay for the parts and labor upon completion of the requested service. AI can make this entire process more efficient by automating much of that process and delivering customers information to approve via video and text. Once the customer does approve, that information is at your fingertips, which can help make the entire transaction that much more efficient.
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As AI continues to disrupt the car dealership vertical, those who choose to take advantage of AI will reap the rewards of improved efficiency, stronger marketing efforts, and much much more.
