Five ChatGPT Strategies Transforming Auto Dealerships
In the world of automotive retail, the most effective AI tools aren't always the ones from large vendors. Instead, savvy dealership operators are building their own solutions in real-time, leveraging platforms like ChatGPT to work smarter, not harder.
From optimizing new car orders to surfacing missed sales opportunities, here are five real-world use cases where dealers are using AI to drive their business forward.
1. Optimizing New Car Orders with Master Prompts
Andy Wright, Managing Partner at Vinart Dealerships, has developed a master prompt to analyze sales history against local market supply, helping to determine the most effective new car orders.
How it works: His system feeds ChatGPT three key data sources:
- The dealership's anonymized sales history
- Exports from the manufacturer's ordering system
- Current marketplace inventory within a specific radius
The prompt outlines his ordering goals and asks targeted questions like, "What configurations am I selling fastest?" and "What specs are oversupplied locally that I should avoid?" While still in the refinement stage, this framework aims to automate a typically time-consuming manual process.
The goal: Prevent ordering errors that lead to aging inventory while ensuring popular models remain in stock. This frees up management to focus on customers instead of spreadsheets.
2. Automating Custom Vehicle Descriptions
Michael Wood, general manager at Jaguar Land Rover Virginia Beach is using ChatGPT to create targeted vehicle descriptions by analyzing window stickers and writing for specific buyer demographics.
How it works: This workflow, created by digital director Ryan Montville, begins by downloading a digital window sticker. Then, the process unfolds:
- ChatGPT reads the vehicle's specifications and features.
- It identifies the target buyer for that specific make, model, and trim.
- Finally, it writes compelling descriptions designed to connect emotionally with that demographic.
The goal: Differentiate their Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs) with memorable descriptions that customers actually read, while simultaneously removing a time-consuming administrative task from staff.
Used Vehicle Description Prompt + Automation.pdf
3. Uncovering Insights from CRM and GA4 Data
Josh Detzel, regional marketing director at Hudson Automotive Group, uses ChatGPT to solve a common problem: general managers are often inundated with reports that offer no actionable insights. He uploads data from Google Analytics (GA4) and the dealership's CRM to pinpoint areas for improvement.
“As a marketer, I can drive all the traffic in the world and all the leads and all the opportunities in the world, but if they're not executing at the store level, it doesn't really matter,” he explained.
How it works: ChatGPT analyzes key metrics like website users, VDP views, internet leads, and closing percentages against industry benchmarks. It then identifies performance gaps and generates executive summaries with concrete recommendations for general managers.
The goal: Replace overwhelming data dumps with specific, actionable plans.
Dealership Performance Benchmark Prompt.pdf
4. Strategizing Used Vehicle Placement with Bespoke Workflows
Adam Gaedke, former COO for Van Horn Auto Group, built a custom GPT workflow that determines the optimal dealership placement for each used car across their 16 locations to ensure the fastest sales and highest profits.
How it works: Adam provides three data sources to the GPT:
- Five years of actual sales data from the DMS.
- Dealership performance history broken down by make, model, and trim.
- Seasonal trends and current inventory levels across all locations.
Now, when a vehicle is acquired, staff can input its specs and receive the top three placement recommendations.
The goal: Replace opinion-based inventory decisions with data-driven strategies that maximize velocity and gross profit across the entire network.
5. Enabling Real-Time Management Queries
Jarrod Kilway, VP of Digital Operations at Casa Auto Group, decided to go one step further and build a custom GPT that acts as a real-time query system for general managers.
How it works: Jarrod’s custom GPT connects to live data feeds from CRM systems, Google Analytics, and social media advertising channels. This allows it to handle everything from basic performance questions about conversion rates to complex strategic queries combining historical and current data.
The goal: Provide management with instant access to dealership performance data, eliminating the need to wait for periodic reports.
Building an effective custom GPT involves more than just prompts; it requires:
- Providing clear, step-by-step instructions.
- Refining prompts to ensure users can achieve their goals.
- Giving the model a consistent identity that aligns with the dealership's objectives.
A Dealer’s Guide to Building Effective Custom GPTs.pdf
The Dawn of Operator-Led AI
While none of these tools are perfect yet, they represent impressive and practical solutions built by operators who deeply understand their own business challenges. By feeding data that once lived in spreadsheets—or solely in the minds of sales managers—into machines that work 24/7, these dealers are gaining significant leverage. As more auto retailers discover the power of this approach, there will be no turning back.
