As automotive retail becomes increasingly reliant on digital intent signals, TradePending has officially rebranded to Protomiq. During the latest Inside Automotive episode, Protomiq CEO Jorge DeCastro sat down with us to discuss how the company’s evolution from a single trade-in widget to an intelligence-driven platform helps dealers turn online customer signals into closed showroom deals.
While TradePending gained industry fame for its high-converting trade-in tool launched in 2014, DeCastro explained that the company’s capabilities expanded significantly over the years through strategic acquisitions and internal development.
“We're losing an opportunity to really be more to all of our dealer partners. And so while our Genesis is in trade, the reality is the business is about every high-intent experience that we can provide to our website providers and our dealer partners.”
Now serving over 5,000 dealerships across the U.S. and Canada, the rebranded Protomiq platform aggregates data across thousands of digital consumer touchpoints to help sales teams understand not just who is browsing, but when and how to act.
Decoding customer behavior
Central to Protomiq’s offerings are its targeted conversion modules, such as TradeIQ, OfferIQ, and PaymentsIQ. Rather than serving as standalone tools, these modules act as a combined intelligence layer that evaluates buyer history, credit profiles, and lifestyle indicators against vehicle pricing and estimated payments.
This unified approach helps dealers solve the crucial mystery of buyer intent and affordability:
- TradeIQ: Evaluates trade-in values alongside a customer’s propensity to complete a purchase post-valuation.
- PaymentsIQ: Analyzes customer income indicators and preferred payment thresholds to ensure shoppers explore realistic inventory.
- OfferIQ: Assesses consumer interest in selling vehicles outright into dealer inventory and tracks downstream purchase intent.
Navigating the closing window
According to DeCastro, although consumers take longer to research vehicles online because of search tools and AI, the operational standard remains remarkably tight once a hot lead engages. “Six days feels like the predominant North Star,” DeCastro emphasized, noting that sales teams need clear context to prevent leads from aging out once a customer establishes contact. Additionally, DeCastro pointed out that modern car shoppers aren’t “necessarily” looking to bypass the dealership altogether, but they’re seeking control and process clarity. By providing transparent, compliant pricing and trade numbers online, Protomiq builds trust and prepares the buyer to finalize the transaction in person.
Looking ahead, Protomiq plans to roll out its IQ data platform to Service Offers, its fixed operations marketing toolkit, in Q3. By applying intent data to the service drive, Protomiq aims to help dealers improve customer retention and seamlessly bridge the gap between service clients and potential vehicle sales.
