The path to purchasing a new car is known for being time-consuming and stressful. Online shopping is enhancing those experiences, with customers now accustomed to receiving tailored recommendations as they make purchases and expecting a more streamlined shopping experience. In the most recent CDK Global Friction Points Study, 61% of shoppers said they completed the process in two hours or less, an improvement from the previous year. For dealerships, meeting this demand is essential for survival and growth.
This is where artificial intelligence, particularly conversational AI, is rewriting the rules of automotive retail, making the customer journey a more dynamic, responsive experience.
What if personalization could begin even before a customer visits your website or steps onto your lot? This is the concept behind IntelliVoice, a solution offered in partnership between STELLA Automotive AI and Client Command. Using in-market conquest data, IntelliVoice proactively identifies potential buyers actively shopping for a vehicle and initiates a personalized, relevant conversation through AI-powered voice, text and email. Instead of waiting for leads to come to you, IntelliVoice empowers your dealership to start the personalized journey from the very first contact, turning potential prospects into booked appointments.
Understanding customer needs: moving beyond your CRM
For years, personalization has been limited by the data a dealership already has in its CRM system. While valuable, this data is inherently reactive, only telling you about customers who have already interacted with you. True growth lies in understanding the needs of customers you haven’t met yet.
This is where AI creates a monumental shift from reactive analysis to proactive prospecting. IntelliVoice is the engine of this new approach. It leverages Client Command’s Active Buyer Network, identifying potential buyers who are actively researching vehicles, visiting competitor websites or nearing the end of a lease with a rival brand.
Instead of just guessing what an existing customer might prefer, IntelliVoice predicts buying intent. By identifying these net-new opportunities, IntelliVoice allows dealerships to stop waiting for the phone to ring and start engaging the right customers before anyone else does.
AI-Driven Personalization Tools: The Modern Dealership’s Toolkit
To deliver a truly personalized experience, a dealership needs a comprehensive toolkit. This includes AI-powered tools that handle inbound inquiries. These tools ensure that no lead is missed and that every customer receives immediate, helpful assistance.
However, the most powerful strategies are proactive. IntelliVoice is the essential outreach tool in this modern toolkit. It transforms dealership outreach by combining its in-market conquest data with intelligent, automated campaigns across the channels customers actually use:
- AI-powered voice: Delivers natural, conversational voice messages that connect with customers without sounding robotic. STELLA can even communicate with bilingual customers in Spanish.
- Targeted SMS/text: Engages customers through direct, personalized text messages they are likely to read and respond to.
- Automated email: Nurtures prospects with timely, relevant email campaigns that guide them toward the next step.
Unlike traditional campaigns that chase cold leads, IntelliVoice intelligently engages high-intent prospects at the right time and through the right channel, dramatically increasing the odds of a positive response.
Enhancing the customer journey from the first step
A positive customer journey begins with a great first impression. IntelliVoice is designed to make that first touchpoint feel relevant and helpful, not intrusive. It also streamlines one of the most tedious parts of the process: scheduling. The AI makes it effortless for customers to book an appointment directly from the communication they receive. It eliminates the frustrating phone tag and back-and-forth emails, creating a frictionless path from initial interest to a confirmed test drive.
Bridging the digital and physical showroom
A personalized first contact is crucial, but the journey doesn’t end there. The true test of a dealership’s personalization strategy happens when a customer who engaged online walks through the physical doors. This is a moment of truth where many dealerships falter, creating a major point of friction.
According to CDK Global’s 2025 Friction Points Study, while 75% of shoppers who started their journey online said the salesperson acknowledged them and had their information, this highlights a critical expectation that one in four dealerships still fails to meet.
This is where the entire STELLA AI platform shines. When that customer arrives, your staff can create a truly continuous experience that builds immediate satisfaction and loyalty.
The overwhelming benefits of AI personalization
Adopting an AI-driven personalization strategy powered by IntelliVoice delivers clear, measurable results that impact every corner of the dealership.
- True net-new growth: By focusing on conquest data, it breaks beyond the limitations of your current customer base and actively wins customers from your direct competitors, delivering a powerful and immediate ROI.
- Enhanced staff productivity: Your BDC and sales staff can dedicate their time to high-value activities such as serving the booked appointments that walk through the door and building lasting customer relationships.
- Higher conversion rates and sales: By engaging the right customer with the right message at the perfect time, IntelliVoice delivers highly qualified, high-intent appointments. This results in a significantly higher conversion rate from appointment to sale and a direct, positive impact on your bottom line.
The shift to proactive acquisition
The future of automotive retail is proactive, not reactive. The dealerships that thrive will be those that stop waiting for customers to find them and instead use AI to intelligently and ethically find the customers who need them. Emerging technologies will only make this targeting more precise and the interactions more seamless. As customer expectations for instant, personalized service continue to grow, AI-driven platforms will become the foundational technology for any successful dealership.
From identifying net-new buyers with IntelliVoice to flawlessly handling inbound calls with a digital voice assistant, STELLA AI platform provides solutions to modernize your operations, enhance productivity and drive significant growth. Explore how STELLA AI can benefit your dealership. Schedule your demo today.
