FordDirect Partners With Podium to Deliver AI-Powered Conversations to Ford & Lincoln Retailers

Podium, a leader in AI-powered customer engagement tools, announced its AI BDC solution is now officially in program with FordDirect, making Podium’s industry-leading AI Employee—known to many dealers as Jerry—available to Ford dealers and Lincoln retailers nationwide with exclusive pricing. 

This planned integration connects Podium’s AI Employee directly with FordDirect’s Customer Journey Platform (CJP), empowering dealerships to deliver faster, more consistent, human-like customer conversations that boost sales, service bookings, and lead conversions. 

“With dealerships navigating staffing shortages, rising competition, and growing consumer demand for immediate responses, it’s critical to respond first, maximize every opportunity, and give employees the coverage they need to focus on closing on the floor. This partnership is about delivering an end-to-end communication platform that drives measurable results,” said Eric Rea, Co-Founder and CEO at Podium

Podium’s AI BDC delivers on all fronts without sacrificing that human touch— it responds to every lead instantly, in the dealership’s voice, personalized to your business, and trained on 10 years of automotive industry data. The result, more appointments, happier customers, and staff freed up to focus on other important parts of the job.

Proven results from 1,800 dealers using Podium AI

• 80% increase in after-hours appointments
• 10% boost in appointment show rates
• 70% reduction in lead response times
• 30% improvement in lead-to-sale conversions

“FordDirect is proud to expand our partnership with Podium to bring their AI-powered BDC solution into our nationwide network of Ford dealerships and Lincoln retailers,” said Dean Stoneley, CEO FordDirect.  “This partnership gives our dealers and retailers the ability to execute superior customer engagement, helping to deliver improved customer and dealer satisfaction.”

Ford and Lincoln dealers can learn more at: www.podium.com/forddirect