On the latest episode of Driving Solutions, we’re joined by Chase Abbott, Senior Vice President of Sales at Cox Automotive, who sounds the alarm on a major disconnect in automotive retail: while more than 90% of dealers are aware of actionable consumer behavior data, fewer than 20% are actually using it. Abbott breaks down why this gap persists and how dealers can leverage better data and AI-powered tools to enhance customer experiences and close more deals.
Abbott attributes the gap between awareness and adoption to a few key factors. Some dealers are simply lagging in technology adoption, while others have had negative experiences with outdated or irrelevant data in the past. One of the biggest culprits is latency; by the time a lead is acted on, the customer may have changed vehicle preferences, leading to mismatched follow-ups and missed opportunities.
“Time kills deals.”
He illustrated the issue with a real-life example: a customer who submitted a lead for a sedan might now be shopping for an SUV, but if the dealership’s follow-up is still targeting the original vehicle, they risk alienating the buyer. Poor ownership data also disrupts retention efforts. For example, Abbott recalled how, after multiple purchases from the same dealership, staff still mistakenly addressed him by his wife’s name.
To address these challenges, Abbott suggests that businesses utilize first-party data and predictive insights from reliable sources, such as Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and Dealer.com. All of these sources integrate seamlessly into Cox Automotive’s Insolution CRM. One standout feature is Deal Pulse, which combines lead data with actual financial preferences (trade-in value, APR, payment ranges) gathered from a buyer’s entire online journey.
Another powerful platform, AMP (Automotive Marketing Platform), utilizes “if-this-then-that” automation to scale personalized communications based on daily customer behavior, enabling dealers to stay timely and relevant without manual effort. Abbott also noted the role of generative AI in helping salespeople write more effective emails faster, which enables more meaningful interactions at scale.
Looking forward, Abbott urged dealers to ask pointed questions about their vendor stacks: What data sources are they using? Is the data timely and relevant? Are AI tools helping drive real business or just lightening the load?
