Outsell founder and chief executive officer Mike Wethington says that as markets begin to reopen, customers will seek special offers and online options.

“Dealerships who are adept at engaging their customers with relevant AI-driven messages will have an edge in capturing the business that’s still out there, along with the pent up demand,” Wethington said in a news release.

Outsell, which offers a virtual customer engagement platform for the automotive industry, has launched new packages that use artificial intelligence and automation to help increase auto dealers’ sales and service revenue at reduced contract costs, including promotion of online channels.

The packages, Wethington said, help dealers “consolidate virtual customer engagement on a single, cost-efficient platform that covers the entire individual lifecycle of each and every consumer, is fully automated with on-demand capabilities and is truly driven by artificial intelligence.”

Working continuously in the background, Outsell provides automated, personalized, virtual customer engagement 24 hours per day. The company says that with its virtual customer engagement platform, dealers can create lasting relationships with sales and service customers by using consistent, relevant, AI-driven communications to keep in front of them.

The company describes the platform as “an extension of a dealer’s marketing team.” It can work on autopilot and help customize and control communications that target specific consumers.

Outsell says it helps dealers by pinpointing active in-market shoppers and providing a scored list that identifies opportunities before customers buy elsewhere.

Outsell’s new packages include:

— Standard: The standard package helps a dealer get started with automated virtual customer engagement. It includes tools and templates for individualized email and direct mail, and it also features in-market buyer detection.

— Essentials: This package adds “social” as another channel for engagement. Outsell said that provides “a true omnichannel experience.” It also brings additional targeted campaigns for direct mail and email.

— Enhanced: The Enhanced package adds sales and service conquest capabilities and enhancements across all channels and various additional campaigns.

Results for Outsell’s packaged solutions are guaranteed, and they are tied to a dealer’s linked sales and repair orders.

Outsell says it conducted a multi-year study with RXA and Experian showing that AI-driven consumer lifecycle marketing leads to a 23% increase in repeat sales, a 31% increase in service visits and a $427 increase in individual customer value.

“This is a time when technology can provide dealers with an enormous edge,” Wethington said. “And Outsell’s new packages make this technology accessible to many more dealers across the United States.”