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Conversica > Case Studies > Revolutionizing Car Sales with AI: A Case Study on Stivers Ford Lincoln

Revolutionizing Car Sales with AI: A Case Study on Stivers Ford Lincoln

Technology Category

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Virtual Private Cloud
Sensors - Autonomous Driving Sensors

Applicable Industries

Automotive
Cement

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Smart Parking
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure

The Challenge

Stivers Ford Lincoln, a family-owned dealership in Montgomery, Alabama, was facing a significant challenge in improving sales and lead qualification. The dealership was struggling to boost sales during a period when consumers were cutting back on big-ticket purchases like cars. With a small inventory compared to mega-dealers, Stivers needed to work smarter, pursue leads more efficiently, and deliver a customer experience that would convert one-time buyers into lifetime customers. However, with an increasing number of car shoppers requesting quotes online, the Business Development Center (BDC) at Stivers found it challenging to manually capture and nurture these leads until the prospect was ready to speak with a salesperson. The old model of simply adding more people to the BDC was not working, leading to many dead deals.

About The Customer

Stivers Ford Lincoln is a family-owned and operated dealership based in Montgomery, Alabama. Despite having a smaller inventory compared to mega-dealers, the dealership has been serving communities in the Montgomery area and beyond. The dealership was looking to boost sales during a period when many consumers were cutting back on big-ticket purchases like cars. They were also struggling with the challenge of efficiently pursuing and nurturing leads, especially with the increasing number of car shoppers requesting quotes online. The dealership was keen on delivering a customer experience that would convert one-time buyers into lifetime customers.

The Solution

The solution came in the form of an AI Automated Sales Assistant named Eva, powered by Conversica. Eva was designed to respond to online queries from prospects using a casual, friendly approach. Her role was not to sell cars, but to convert queries into qualified leads by conversing through email with prospective customers over a series of days or weeks until they were ready to talk with a Stivers salesperson. Eva's AI technology allowed her to recognize what the prospect was looking for, answer questions, provide further information, gauge the prospect's interest, secure the best number and time for them to speak, and then pass them on to a member of the Stivers sales staff. Eva worked all day and all night, never got sick or distracted, and never had a problem staying motivated. This made it easy to justify the cost of deploying Conversica.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Conversica's AI Automated Sales Assistant, Eva, brought about significant operational results for Stivers Ford Lincoln. Eva's ability to work tirelessly, coupled with her friendly and casual approach, helped build a relationship with potential customers, which in turn led to increased sales. The AI assistant was so effective that the dealership had to train their receptionists on how to handle customers who wanted to meet Eva in person. Furthermore, Eva's role in nurturing leads for weeks helped the dealership capture sales from contacts initiated 30 to 45 days earlier, which would have potentially been lost without her. The dealership's sales team, despite being relatively inexperienced, was able to stay motivated and achieve success, thanks to the support from Eva.

Quantitative Benefit

37% increase in new car sales
39% increase in used car sales
12% sales increase in January 2016, when Ford dealerships nationwide suffered a decline in sales