Monday, June 27, 2022
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Sunday, May 22, 2022
Monday, April 25, 2022
Hunter Swift with STELLA Automotive Wins Kain 2022 Vendor Shark Tank Award
The 17th Kain Automotive Client and Friends Workshop, held in Lexington, Kentucky had its annual Vendor Shark Tank Awards. Seven new technologies were nominated and evaluated by industry experts prior to the event. Three were invited to make a pitch to the dealers onsite. Each candidate featured in the Shark Tank, sponsored by The Presidio Group, received seven minutes to demonstrate their product’s capabilities. Audience members then voted on which product was the most innovative for their dealerships. Vice President of STELLA Automotive, Hunter Swift's pitch won the 2022 Vendor Shark Tank Award.
Monday, April 11, 2022
Friday, March 25, 2022
OK, Automotive, It’s Time To Start Talking About AI (via AutoSuccess)
AI can empower your teams by handling the most basic items that can require a lot of an employee’s time.
By Hunter Swift
What Is AI, Really? We use this to describe all kinds of technology these days — predictive analytics, dynamic chat, digital assistance and bots. But true Artificial Intelligence (AI), as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “the theory and development of computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages.” Given that definition, does your dealership’s technology actually offer you an AI service? Does your automated phone menu respond to customers’ questions? Does it even sound natural? Does it recognize vocal tone or inflections that can provide indicators of a customer’s frustration? Are there long pauses between when a customer responds and when the automated menu proceeds to the next question? A chatbot, an automated menu, round robin phone system or an automated interactive voice response system is not real AI. Why Does AI Matter for Automotive? The overall goal for using AI within retail automotive dealerships is to improve productivity. Today, AI can empower your teams by handling the most basic items — service scheduling, for example — that can require a lot of an employee’s time. It allows employees to focus their skills on more complicated issues, while also providing a consistent, fast and easy experience for the dealership’s vehicle owners. Current tools that may be referred to as “AI” really don’t help ease the workload on dealership staff; they often are just used as a backup when staff members are busy. This is compounded by the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to find, hire, train and manage automotive BDC personnel. But the obstacles don’t stop there. If your dealership is lucky enough to find and hire great employees, inbound appointment phone calls can take up to 80% of an agent’s time in the store. This prevents BDC employees from being able to focus on revenue-generating outbound calls, not to mention true customer complaints, and leaves phone systems flooded with thousands of after-hours and overflowing voicemails. Automotive customers are bombarded with poor dealership experiences. Outdated IVRs contain inconsistent steps and extensive call waiting times. It’s not uncommon for customers to sit on the phone for over a minute before speaking to a live person. The traditional phone directory assumes that customers know exactly whom they’re trying to reach, while the automated phone tree offers a limited number of options. If the customer’s need doesn’t fit nicely into one of the preset options, that customer gets bounced around in an endless loop. And this is just the beginning. As these AI tools mature, they will be able to handle more processes to empower and enable your teams. We will rely on AI for processing information the same way we became dependent on internet search engines to help us get answers and the same way our grandfathers and grandmothers embraced the telephone. What’s the Next Step? Do your research and identify where AI can improve your business. One of the biggest pain points is in phone handling and staffing. While there is absolutely no replacement for talented, well-trained and effective employees, we all know that we would prefer that these talented people handle important jobs. Artificial intelligence tools can provide the knowledge and skills to allow that to happen. Using artificial intelligence to relieve your employees of mundane tasks, such as appointment setting, in favor of larger ones is vital in order for your dealership to flourish. Hunter Swift is the vice president of product of STELLA Automotive AI, an intelligent digital assistant for the automotive industry that handles inbound calls, answers questions and books appointments. Orginal Link: https://www.autosuccessonline.com/ai-for-automotive/
By Hunter Swift
What Is AI, Really? We use this to describe all kinds of technology these days — predictive analytics, dynamic chat, digital assistance and bots. But true Artificial Intelligence (AI), as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “the theory and development of computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages.” Given that definition, does your dealership’s technology actually offer you an AI service? Does your automated phone menu respond to customers’ questions? Does it even sound natural? Does it recognize vocal tone or inflections that can provide indicators of a customer’s frustration? Are there long pauses between when a customer responds and when the automated menu proceeds to the next question? A chatbot, an automated menu, round robin phone system or an automated interactive voice response system is not real AI. Why Does AI Matter for Automotive? The overall goal for using AI within retail automotive dealerships is to improve productivity. Today, AI can empower your teams by handling the most basic items — service scheduling, for example — that can require a lot of an employee’s time. It allows employees to focus their skills on more complicated issues, while also providing a consistent, fast and easy experience for the dealership’s vehicle owners. Current tools that may be referred to as “AI” really don’t help ease the workload on dealership staff; they often are just used as a backup when staff members are busy. This is compounded by the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to find, hire, train and manage automotive BDC personnel. But the obstacles don’t stop there. If your dealership is lucky enough to find and hire great employees, inbound appointment phone calls can take up to 80% of an agent’s time in the store. This prevents BDC employees from being able to focus on revenue-generating outbound calls, not to mention true customer complaints, and leaves phone systems flooded with thousands of after-hours and overflowing voicemails. Automotive customers are bombarded with poor dealership experiences. Outdated IVRs contain inconsistent steps and extensive call waiting times. It’s not uncommon for customers to sit on the phone for over a minute before speaking to a live person. The traditional phone directory assumes that customers know exactly whom they’re trying to reach, while the automated phone tree offers a limited number of options. If the customer’s need doesn’t fit nicely into one of the preset options, that customer gets bounced around in an endless loop. And this is just the beginning. As these AI tools mature, they will be able to handle more processes to empower and enable your teams. We will rely on AI for processing information the same way we became dependent on internet search engines to help us get answers and the same way our grandfathers and grandmothers embraced the telephone. What’s the Next Step? Do your research and identify where AI can improve your business. One of the biggest pain points is in phone handling and staffing. While there is absolutely no replacement for talented, well-trained and effective employees, we all know that we would prefer that these talented people handle important jobs. Artificial intelligence tools can provide the knowledge and skills to allow that to happen. Using artificial intelligence to relieve your employees of mundane tasks, such as appointment setting, in favor of larger ones is vital in order for your dealership to flourish. Hunter Swift is the vice president of product of STELLA Automotive AI, an intelligent digital assistant for the automotive industry that handles inbound calls, answers questions and books appointments. Orginal Link: https://www.autosuccessonline.com/ai-for-automotive/
Friday, February 25, 2022
Changing Your CRM and Finding Success:
Changing your CRM is never easy but here are some reason why it might be worth it. Changing your CRM allows your management to evaluate their current CRM and its processes. It's a sign to your sales staff that the dealer is investing into their success. It gets everyone on the same level and allows management to focus on training (both on the CRM and sales processes). A new CRM usually has new tools that help salespeople be more efficient, generate new opportunities and improve tracking. It's also a great time to enforce new rules, "every up in system" "you have to do your tasks", and allows management to be more in part of coaching, goals and accountability.
Once you decide to make the change here are some tips to help you be successful.
1. Upper Management needs to be involved. Salespeople and management have to know its use is required and must be enforced to keep them accountable.
2. Dedicate time for your staff to learn new CRM. They have to attend training. No stepping out to take a call or work a deal. Make sure sales reps pass some sort of certification before they can go back on the floor.
3. Continue with on-going CRM training. Spend time each week focusing on learning different parts of the tool.
4. Its is super important that every up gets put into the CRM. Every time an up doesn't get put into the CRM is effects ROI, Reporting and future follow up.
5. Replace the stock email templates with your own. If a competitor near you is using the same CRM, the customer will most likely receive the same emails from both dealers. The stock templates also look very automated, make them look like the salesperson sent them.
6. Make sure you turn on as much automation as possible. One of the most valuable features of the CRM is its ability to create automated marketing campaigns based on data. Every person in CRM should be enrolled in some type of campaign.
7. Managers need to make sure they are setting goals with the salespeople, going over their metrics and coaching them to help them be successful.
8. Make sure you are aware of all of the add-ons you got with your CRM and that they are turned on and using them.
9. Identify CRM "Power Users" in-store right away. Help them to become champions of the tool. They can become leaders and trainers in store for fellow employees and new hire. Invest in their training, send to company for additional training, certification, user summits, and trade shows.
10. Make sure to evaluate your CRM every 6 months, that its doing what you signed up for it to do. Avoid falling back into old process.
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