Over the past few years I’ve been watching something shift beneath the surface of the car business, marketing, and discovery.
Dealers still think the game is attention first.
Traffic. Clicks. Leads. Conversions. Optimization.
But that is no longer where the real game begins.
Today, discovery is increasingly AI-mediated. And when a machine sits between a human and their decision, the sequence changes.
It now looks more like this:
Intent → Trust → Selection → Recommendation → Attention
Not everyone even reaches the attention stage anymore.
The machine filters first.
It decides
- Who is credible
- Who is coherent
- Who is safe to surface
- Who deserves to be seen
Only after that does a human ever arrive at your website, your funnel, your dealership or your offer.
Most dealers are still optimizing the last step…faster load times, better PPC bids, sharper Google Business profiles…while quietly disappearing from the first four.
This Newsletter is sponsored by Influence.vin
Built, Not Bought
In the car business there’s an old saying:
Built, not bought
And it applies perfectly here.
Almost everything being sold right now lives downstream:
- Tracking tools
- AI dashboards
- Faster websites
- Citation monitors
- Conversion optimization
- “AI visibility” add-ons
These can help after you are selected.
But selection itself cannot be installed.
You don’t install credibility.
You don’t install identity.
You don’t install trust.
You don’t install narrative coherence.
Those are constructed slowly through consistent frequency over time.
Which is why:
- Early ROI is unclear
- Metrics feel fuzzy
- Progress feels invisible
- The middle period feels like no man’s land
Weak operators abandon the build here.
Strong operators compound quietly… until one day they appear everywhere at once.
And from the outside, it looks like luck.
It isn’t.
It was built.
The Hard Truth
A widening gap is forming:
Old SEO is weakening.
Paid attention is less reliable.
AI discovery is rising.
But trust construction still takes time.
That in-between stretch … where results are not yet visible … is where most businesses panic and revert to tactics.
They keep buying tools.
But what they actually lack… is foundation.
Because if you are not selected upstream, there is no downstream to optimize.
No attention → No funnel → No metrics → No recovery.
The latest “Game Changing” tool won’t help when that game is no longer being played.
Get Access DealerInsider.vin
The Shift
The future will not belong to those who chase attention anymore.
It will belong to those who become selectable.
That is built through:
- Clear identity
- Coherent signal
- Durable narrative
- Demonstrated experience
- Consistent transmission over time
Built, not bought.
And once built, it compounds in ways tools never can.
Still waters run deep.
Stay lit,
Bob
About Bob Manor
Bob Manor is the founder of South Ontario Auto Remarketing , Can-Am Dealer Services , and co-founder of Auto Auction Review . He’s also the creator of Influence.vin , a branding and communication studio built for the car business. With over 30 years in the automotive world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and identity-driven brand strategy. He’s a regular contributor to well-known automotive publications and uses his platforms to help industry pros re-align with who they are, not just what they do
Disclaimer:
These are my own observations and interpretations, based on lived experience inside this industry.
This is not financial, legal, or professional advice ... it is pattern recognition, shared for awareness and strategic consideration only
