Libsyn Directory

Voice AI Is Exploding in Automotive: The New Era with Rich Sands, CEO of Stella

Release Date: 11/18/2025

Smarter Inventory Decisions with LotGPT Explained by Lance Schafer

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Meet Lot GPT: Dealer AI, Done Right Ever wonder what happens when automotive tech veterans build an AI just for dealers? Meet Lance Schafer, GM of Product and Tech at Lotlinx and the brains behind Lot GPT. This isn’t your everyday chatbot. Lot GPT analyzes inventory, predicts which cars will sell and when, optimizes vehicle pages, and even drafts follow-up messages. All using 12 years of dealer data and insights from 28,000 dealerships. The catch? It’s invite-only for now. Why? Because Lotlinx is taking their time to deliver tools dealers actually want, test them...

Built in the Dealership: The Real Story Behind MyKaarma with Ujj Nath,Co-Founder

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Ujj Nath, Co-Founder & CEO of MyKaarma walks us through the messy, glorious work of building dealer software. The late nights, the dealer-floor immersion, the hard lessons learned from Toyota’s Genchi Genbutsu, and the relentless grind that turns a consulting gig into a product powering billions in payments. We dig into real dealer stories (Norm Reeves, Volkswagen, Mercedes), early product wins (text + call on one local number, mobile checkout), brutal setbacks, and how staying “in the trenches” shaped a product that dealers actually use. If you build training from being on the store...

From Working at Enterprise to AI Pioneer: Nick Cossette on Revolutionizing Auto Sales & Service!

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Get inspired by Nick Cossette, co-founder and Head of Growth & Operations at Matador AI, as he shares his journey from working at Enterprise Rent-a-Car to creating one of automotive’s leading AI tools. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Nick reveals how Matador AI is revolutionizing dealership sales, BDC follow-ups, and customer engagement. From SMS automation to human-like AI conversations and now even voice AI, learn how Nick and his team are reshaping the way dealers connect with customers and drive results. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of...

Managers Mini-Series: How Leaders Teach Objection Handling That Sticks— Episode 4

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Part 4 of Jen Suzuki’s 4-part mini-series gives managers a simple, repeatable structure for teaching one of the most stressful skills in sales: handling customer objections. In this episode, Jen breaks down how to coach your team through pushback without pressure — using a calm, confident, 4-step framework: Acknowledge → Reframe → Offer → Close the Gap. You’ll learn exactly how to teach the structure in minutes, demonstrate both strong and weak examples, and set up fast role-plays that build confidence instead of anxiety. Jen also shares practical ways to evaluate tone, body...

Managers Mini-Series: Explain Value Better by Coaching for Service Approvals— Episode 3

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Part 3 of Jen Suzuki’s 4-part manager mini-series goes deep into one of the most profitable coaching skills in the dealership: teaching teams how to gain more service approvals using her formula called Job–Risk–Reward (JRR). Jen breaks down exactly how to train advisors, salespeople, and BDC agents to explain value simply, clearly, and with confidence — without scripts. You’ll learn how to teach the formula in minutes, demonstrate it live, then drive real application with team exercises, role-play, and even spicy contests that make learning stick. From wipers and brake pads to...

Managers Mini-Series: Lead Strong by Coaching Your Team to Dominate the First 3 Minutes— Episode 2

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Part 2 of Jen Suzuki’s 4-part mini-series for dealership leaders drills into the single most important window of any customer interaction — the first three minutes. In this episode Jen teaches managers how to coach teams to win fast: a sharp greeting, purposeful value, and immediate engagement. Learn a compact, repeatable coaching routine (teach → demo → apply) with real scripts for calls, showroom greetings, and walk-ins, plus quick contests and pairing exercises to lock behavior in. This episode is built for GMs, BDC leads, service managers and anyone who needs fast, high-impact...

Managers Mini-Series: Level Up Daily with Fast Coaching for Dealership Managers — Episode 1

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

Part 1 of Jen Suzuki’s 4-part mini-series for dealership leaders: a fast, repeatable coaching framework to level up your team one short session at a time. In this episode Jen breaks down a 10–15 minute training format she uses in-store and at NADA Academy — how to open sharp, teach one skill in 60–90 seconds, demonstrate it under 3 minutes, then put reps into quick application with immediate feedback. No boring slides, no long lectures — just focused micro-coaching that builds skill, accountability, and energy. Perfect for GMs, service managers, BDC leads and anyone who wants a...

How Elite Dealers Are Pulling Ahead: Bill Camastro on AI, People, and Performance!

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Jen sits down with Bill Camastro, dealer partner at Gold Coast Cadillac and Jersey, to explore the intersection of technology, AI, and human connection in modern dealerships. Bill shares hard-earned lessons from growing up in the Bronx to running a top-rated Cadillac brand, and how he leverages AI—not to replace his team, but to make them 50% more effective. From digital innovation to hands-on leadership, guest experience, and real-world strategies for scaling performance, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for dealers,...

How to Build a Team That Loves Working With You (Not For You) with Clint Pulver!

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

What makes people stay… and what makes them walk out the door? In this episode, Jen sits down with Clint Pulver — Emmy Award–winning speaker, author, and creator of the “Undercover Millennial” movement — for a raw, energy-packed conversation about leadership that actually inspires people to perform at their highest level. Clint has interviewed over 10,000 employees across the country, gathering real, unfiltered feedback about what teams love, what they fear, and why they stay committed. And the patterns he reveals apply directly to every dealership, every department, every leader....

Inside CDK’s Data: What’s Really Holding Service Departments Back With Kim Saylor!

Dealer Talk With Jen Suzuki

What’s really happening inside dealership service departments? In this episode, Jen sits down with Kim Saylor, Senior Director of Fixed Ops Product Marketing at CDK Global, to break down the real shifts, disruptions, and opportunities shaping fixed ops today. Kim brings big data, real research, and boots-on-the-ground insights from dealerships across the country — and she’s not sugarcoating anything. Together, Jen and Kim dive into: Why customer trust is still the #1 weak link—and how the best service departments are fixing it How AI scheduling and communication tools are actually...

More Episodes

Wake up — it’s here. Conversational AI has officially arrived in automotive, and it’s transforming dealership operations faster than anyone expected. In this episode, Jen sits down with one of the true OGs of voice AI, Rich Sands, CEO of Stella Automotive AI, to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes as dealerships adopt AI in service and sales.

https://stellaautomotive.com

Rich shares the evolution of Stella—from early hurdles to the all-new rebuilt platform—and opens up about the human side of AI: the integration challenges, the mistakes, the breakthroughs, and the massive shift in customer adoption. You’ll hear real data on engagement, booking speed, and why some callers now prefer Stella over a human.

Jen and Rich break down:

Why voice AI is accelerating dealership operations on both the service and sales sides
How customer behavior toward AI has radically changed in just two years
What “the new Stella” actually means (zero latency, deep integrations, powerful customization)
The ROI dealers are seeing—and why AI is now outperforming humans in call handling and appointment booking
The must-do steps for dealers deploying voice AI (yes, the greeting matters more than you think)
How data, context, and personalization are creating a new wave of VIP-level customer experience

If you want real talk about scaling voice AI in a dealership—without the vendor pitch—this episode is your roadmap. It’s tactical. It’s honest. And it’ll prepare you for the next big operational shift already hitting stores nationwide.

Check Out Our Sponsors!

Matador.ai, AI That Fully Automates Sales & Service Conversations For Dealerships.

LotLinx.com is a VIN Management Platform that enables precision automotive retailing via /AI/ technologies that improves dealership profitability.

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