They Just Figured Out Instagram. Now AI Is About to Leave Them Behind.
They Told Me We Should Start an Instagram. I Was Already Building the Future.
As a salesman I’ll never forget the day a salesperson walked into my office and said, “Hey, the dealer should probably start posting on Instagram.”
It was circa 2014. We were moving 130 cars a month as a team. Gross was strong. Most of the industry still thought “digital retail” meant having a decent website.
Meanwhile, we were already deep into paid search strategy, publishing SEO-rich content, automating follow-up workflows, team magazine and building a branded YouTube presence — and yes, consistently posting across social, including Facebook and Instagram.
That moment didn’t frustrate me — it clarified something:
We weren’t behind. We were building the future. Quietly. On purpose.
And most of the industry? Still waking up to the shift.
It’s here. And it’s about to expose every weak process in your store.
Dealers Were Late to Social. Most Still Are.
Let’s be honest:
Most rooftops didn’t start taking social seriously until COVID forced them to.
Even now, the majority of stores are posting generic OEM graphics, shaky walkarounds, or nothing at all.
Here’s the data:
63% of consumers say a dealership’s social presence influences their trust.
81% of Gen Z car buyers won’t trust a business that isn’t active online.
Less than 40% of franchise dealerships have dedicated social media staff or strategy.
(Source: Cox Automotive, Automotive Social Trends 2024)
We didn’t adapt.
We reacted — years late.
And somehow, we’re making the same mistake again with AI.
AI Is Already Changing the Game — Quietly, Quickly, Permanently
While some dealers are still wondering if ChatGPT is “worth looking into,” here’s what’s already happening:
Stores are using AI to respond to leads in under 10 seconds — with dynamic pricing, trade offers, and vehicle recommendations personalized to the buyer’s browsing behavior.
Smart desking tools are auto-structuring payments based on credit tiers, incentives, and inventory age — in real time.
Inventory managers are using machine learning to predict which vehicles will age past 45 days, and what to price them at to move.
Dealer groups are deploying AI video scripts, AI ad creatives, and even AI-powered sales coaching tools that listen to calls and flag missed opportunities.
AI assistants are writing service follow-ups, appointment reminders, and even CSI rebuttal responses — with tone matching and sentiment analysis.
And this isn’t “coming soon.”
It’s already happening — today — in stores just like yours.
But There’s a Catch: 92% Still Feel Uneasy About AI in Front of the Customer
That’s not a fear of tech.
That’s a fear of losing what makes us human.
I get it. So do customers.This is where leadership matters.
Because not all AI is created equal.
And not all AI belongs in front of your customer.
If you're not vetting the tools, if you're not tuning them for accuracy, brand voice, and integration — you're not using AI. You're just plugging holes.
Here’s What’s Different This Time
You had time to catch up with social.
AI isn’t giving you that luxury.
Because AI learns faster than your team ever will. It compounds. It scales. It doesn’t call in sick. And it doesn’t wait for leadership buy-in to outperform your current system.
This is not a “let’s wait and see” moment.
This is either:
Get ahead and train your team to use it,
orWake up next year and realize the store across town is converting faster, marketing smarter, holding more gross, and spending less doing it.
What’s Coming Next Will Break the Gap Wide Open
Within 18 months, you’ll see:
AI-assisted desking tools replacing most of the back-and-forth between sales and F&I
AI voice handling early-stage lead calls, booking appointments better than your humans
OEMs using AI to monitor dealer behavior — and reward stores that execute faster
Group operators launching AI-based performance scoring for every salesperson and manager in the organization
This isn’t about cutting people.
It’s about cutting waste.
And if you’re running a store the same way you did in 2018, you won’t survive 2026.
The Wake-Up Call for Every GM and Dealer Principal
If you’re a GM, ask yourself this:
Who in your store is currently trained on AI tools?
How are you integrating AI into lead response, pricing, service, or F&I?
Are you tracking response speed vs. your competitors?
Are you testing or piloting anything beyond your CRM and DMS?
If the answer is no — you’re losing right now. You just don’t know it yet.
Final Thought: The Industry Has Moved. Have You?
I know what AI can do — because I use it every day.
It powers how I write, how I train, how I plan inventory, and how I coach managers.
It saves hours. It reduces errors. It holds people accountable.
And it sharpens everything we’re already good at.
That’s the real point:
AI won’t replace your people. But it will replace your process — if it’s broken.
So if social media was your first “Oh sh*t” moment…
This is the second.
And this one won’t wait.