About 20 years ago, the internet crashed into the car business.
Dealers resisted at first…“it’ll never last.”
It did…
Then came the shock waves…
Carfax. Simulcast auctions. VDPs instead of print. BDC departments. Valuation tools.
Every change followed the same pattern…
- Resistance.
- Mass adoption.
- Winners and losers.
We had a steady run since those changes became the new normal. And then came the once-in-a-lifetime supply/demand chaos…MSRP addendums, adjusted dealer profit, and everyone making buckets of money.
Now, things have normalized again. (sorta)
Just like always, step one of the customer’s buying process is…
“Go to Google.”
Only this time, the asteroid is different.
Recently, Google quietly released “AI Mode”.
If you don’t know: “AI Mode” doesn’t just show a list of links. It summarizes. It takes all the information it can find about a dealer, salesperson, or brand … and compresses it into a trust layer. Then it serves that summary as the “answer” to the shopper.
And it goes deep
Step one will soon be…
Visit Google AI Mode (or another LLM) → Go to the recommended dealership. The End.
Every other lead gen tool…OEM websites, VDPs, trade calculators, loan forms, display ads, reviews…loses any effectiveness in the blink of an eye.
This Newsletter is sponsored by Influence.vin
That’s the bad news.
The good news? The old first step starts with in-market clients. That’s only about 3% of your population.
Historically, dealers are built to fight over that 3%...and usually on price.
That leaves 97% of your local market untouched.
This Newsletter is sponsored by Vin Syndicate
The golden play?
- Start stacking clay now.
- Publish brand campaigns and consistent online positioning that the AI robots can form into clay statues of trust.
- When a potential or existing client does go in-market, the machine already trusts and recommends you.
It’ll be the equivalent of the warmest of warm referrals … and we all know how pleasant those deals are. (The kiln that bakes the clay.)
Truth Nuke? … the “BIGs” will soon dominate the unattended 3%. Amazon, Carvana, mega-groups. You can’t outspend them. But you can own the 97% near you.
Nurture > Conquest.
This is the asteroid moment for the car business.
Ignore it, and you’ll be invisible. (as in cease to exist)
Lean into it, and you can become the first choice before a buyer even knows they’re in market.
That’s not just survival. That’s sovereignty.
You still have time…
But not much.
PS – Want to see this in action?
Take it for a test drive
Copy and paste this into Google “AI Mode”
“Bob Manor Branding”
Watch what comes back. Then, inside the query, ask follow-ups like…
- ”What is his company Influence.vin?”
- ”Does he know what he’s talking about?”
- “Is it worthwhile?”
- “What should it cost?”
Play around with it.
Now… do the same with your name and dealership.
What shows up (or doesn’t) will tell you everything you need to know about where this is headed.
Stay Lit.
See You Next Tuesday
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
