Automotive News Webinar Recap: Is AI in Dealerships Just Hype or a Game Changer?

This month, DriveCentric teamed up with Automotive News to host a powerful webinar: "AI in Dealerships: Is It Just Hype or a Game Changer?" The answer? Game changer—with real-world dealer proof to back it up. Hosted by Emma Hancock of Automotive News, the session featured DriveCentric's own Steve Roessler and three progressive dealer partners: Levi Walker (GM, Billion Auto), Anastasia Roberts (Marketing Manager, Bulldog Kia), and Randall Mims(BDC Director, Clemens Auto Group).

The focus: Augmented Intelligence Marketing (AIM)—our approach to integrating AI directly within the CRM to clean data, streamline engagement, and create authentic two-way conversations that drive real results.

Levi Walker: Data Cleansing & Two-Way Conversations

Levi Walker opened up about the early skepticism around AI reaching out to customers. His initial concern? AI wouldn’t communicate as effectively as his sales team. But what started with hesitation evolved into opportunity. Levi shared how AIM not only cleaned up outdated data (like vehicle ownership) but also set the stage for better, more meaningful conversations. Today, his sales team prefers AIM leads over fresh ones—because those leads already have two-way dialogue underway.

Levi emphasized the power of using CRM the right way. By putting all communication in the CRM (rather than relying on personal phones), AIM was able to re-engage a customer four years later with a relevant, personal message—and the sales team was sold. Business rules? Out. AIM now handles tasks like birthday and anniversary messages better than humans, freeing his team to focus on what actually moves the needle.

“AIM could replace a BDC rep or two—but more importantly, it allows us to sell more with fewer people. The goal is 16, 18, maybe even 20 cars per person. And AIM is what makes that possible.”

Anastasia Roberts: Human-Level AI That Customers Appreciate

Anastasia brought a marketing perspective and years of AI experience to the table. After using other AI tools, she found most solutions felt impersonal and robotic. What made AIM different was its ability to read past conversations, engage in context, and even recognize real-world conditions like weather.

She shared a personal story—as a customer in her own CRM, she received a message from AIM’s assistant "Olivia" that referenced the sunny weather after two weeks of rain. It was a lightbulb moment. The message felt so human, she almost forgot it wasn’t.

"We've had 450 replies and over 690 hours of AI work in 30 days. That’s the equivalent of two full-time reps."

Instead of eliminating jobs, Anastasia and her team repurposed BDC staff into new roles, allowing AI to handle the heavy lifting. The result? More opportunities, more engagement, and the best February sales month in store history.

Randall Mims: Turning Cold Data into Warm Opportunities

Randall brought it home with the story of how AIM campaigns helped Clemens Auto Group unlock dormant leads and turn them into deals. His first AIM campaign—a February "sweet deal"—was built in minutes, targeted customers they hadn’t spoken to in years, and returned a $7,000 ROI on a single customer.

Randall compared AIM blasts to traditional email or text campaigns, which often feel generic and flat. AIM, by contrast, pulls from the full customer profile to personalize outreach and spark authentic dialogue.

"You're sitting on a goldmine of data. AIM dives into it and starts serving up new leads you didn’t even know were there."

Final Thoughts: Real Dealers. Real Results.

Across the board, the message was clear: AIM is not about replacing people—it’s about empowering them. Whether it’s eliminating low-impact tasks, improving response quality, or creating proactive engagement, AIM helps dealers do more with less.

If you missed the webinar or want to share it with your team, click here to watch it on demand.

Curious how AIM could work in your dealership? Click here to set up a demo.

Drive smarter. Engage better. Sell more. That’s the power of AIM.