Dealers and smaller lenders can enable stronger sales using prospecting, communication and upselling with the help of generative AI.
Dealers and lenders can use AI to implement those strategies, Christopher Johanneson, former chief digital officer and executive vice president at Mitsubishi HC Capital America, said during a panel discussion last week at Equipment Finance Connect 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
Technology executives speaking at the summit suggested sales and customer experience can be boosted by using AI in three ways:
1. Prospecting
Prospecting can be improved by using data — such as vehicle registrations, payment schedules and industry trends — to predict when a customer might be ready to buy. This helps dealers and lenders reach the right people at the right time and grow their sales, Johanneson said.
“From a prospecting perspective, there’s a lot of data that exists within, whether it’s a lender or whether it’s within a dealer, and you can supplement that with industry data,” he said. “By looking at buy cycles, you increase your share of wallet and get in a buy cycle that you may not be familiar with.”
2. Communication
Clear, consistent communication is critical, Johanneson said. CRM tools such as Microsoft Dynamics or Salesforce allow dealers and lenders to send automated, personalized messages that reflect customer interests and behaviors, increasing the chances that customers will respond.
“Communication is obviously critical, and so is consistency and what’s being communicated so that it doesn’t look different. … The more personalized it is, the more likelihood that you’re going to get that customer to have some sort of a call to action, whatever that might be,” he said.
3. Upselling
Upselling, especially through a dealership’s service department, also remains a major opportunity. By using data from service contracts, warranties and parts purchases, businesses can create offers that encourage customers to return for service, boosting revenue and loyalty.
In addition, sales teams can get upselling training via AI, Daryn Lecy, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Oakmont Capital, said during the panel.
“There will continue to be tools for the sales standpoint, from the sales front to develop as extra sales training coach or coaching opportunity that can help overcome objectives,” he said. “There’s comprehensive support there that a sales team could get.”
Sales teams can also benefit from tools that help with training and objection handling. One tool in development allows sales staff to enter expected objections and get tips on how to respond, even surfacing objections they hadn’t thought of. These tools help not only for individual sales but could shape broader business strategies and policies, Lecy said.
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