Outsell

Outsell operates as a customer engagement platform provider focused on the automotive industry. The company was established in 2004 by serial entrepreneur Mike Wethington, who utilized funds from the sale of a previous tech business to launch the venture. Wethington has a background in building high-growth businesses across various sectors, including automotive, financial services, and technology, and also serves as a managing partner at the venture capital firm SynetVentures.

The firm's core business revolves around a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning, and first-party data to automate and optimize customer outreach for automotive dealerships and manufacturers. The platform analyzes millions of data points and real-time consumer behavior to deliver personalized communications through various channels such as email, SMS, direct mail, and social media. This allows dealers to engage with potential and existing customers at the most opportune moments in their buying lifecycle. The business model is primarily subscription-based, offering access to its platform which integrates with dealership CRM and DMS systems. Outsell serves a client base of over 1,500 dealers representing major automotive brands.

Outsell's platform is designed to consolidate and clean a dealership's first-party data, creating a unified view for each customer. It features tools for buyer detection, creating detailed consumer profiles that track vehicle information, service history, and shopping behavior. The platform can identify when a customer is in-market for a new vehicle or requires service, and then automates targeted communications. A key feature is its Customer Value scoring, which predicts the future sales and service gross profit of existing customers, enabling dealers to focus on their most valuable clients. In July 2024, Outsell was acquired by Impel, a leader in AI-powered customer lifecycle management, in a deal valued at over $100 million, combining the two entities to create an end-to-end AI sales and marketing automation platform for the global automotive industry.

Keywords: automotive marketing, customer engagement platform, dealership software, AI marketing, first-party data, customer lifecycle management, SaaS, marketing automation, automotive retail, lead generation, customer retention, predictive marketing, personalized communications, Mike Wethington, automotive data analytics, dealer technology, sales automation, service marketing, omnichannel marketing, Impel