April 3, 2025
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Sales
Daniel Jokka

Shortage of Digital Sales Talent: The Challenge for Dealerships and the Role of AI

Shortage of Digital Sales Talent: The Challenge for Dealerships and the Role of AI

The automotive industry in Mexico and Latin America faces a dual challenge: a shortage of human talent with digital sales and marketing skills, and high employee turnover in dealerships, which impacts operational efficiency.

This scenario makes it difficult to maintain an effective digital presence at a time when consumers demand omnichannel and personalized service around the clock. In fact, 71% of consumers expect dealerships to offer a personalized experience and want immediate, 24/7 access to information to compare options and make informed purchasing decisions [1].

In response, artificial intelligence (AI) tools—such as Biky and Keybe.ai—are emerging to automate digital sales and address the lack of qualified personnel.

Below, we explore the digital talent gap in Mexico versus the broader region, the impact of turnover in dealerships, the technical workings of AI solutions, automation trends through 2030, and insights from industry experts.

Digital Talent Shortage: Mexico vs. Latin America

Mexico and Latin America face a significant gap in digital professionals. According to ManpowerGroup, 71% of companies in Latin America reported a talent shortage in 2023, meaning 7 out of 10 employers struggle to find candidates with the necessary skills [2]. Mexico aligns with this trend, with around 69% of Mexican employers facing difficulties filling job vacancies that year [2]. This percentage places Mexico near the regional average, though below countries like Brazil (80%) and Argentina (78%), which lead the region in talent shortages [2].

The digital skills gap is particularly evident in sales and marketing roles within technology-driven environments. In highly digitalized industries such as automotive, the shortage of talent can be even greater. For instance, in Mexico, 80% of automotive companies report difficulties filling positions—one of the highest levels across sectors [3].

Within these companies, the hardest positions to fill are precisely in sales and marketing, along with technical areas like IT and data analytics [3]. This highlights a significant gap in digital talent focused on commercialization.

Various studies quantify this shortage. A Huawei/IDC report estimates that Latin America will need 2.5 million additional digital professionals over the next five years due to the rapid growth in technological demand outpacing supply [4]. Similarly, PageGroup has noted a nearly 50% deficit in professionals specializing in digital transformation across the region [5].

In summary, Mexico shares with its Latin American neighbors a labor market where the demand for digital skills—such as digital marketing, e-commerce, CRM, and data analytics—far exceeds the availability of qualified professionals.

This shortage directly impacts automotive dealerships, which now require personnel capable of managing digital tools, handling online leads, and providing customer service across multiple channels. If dealerships fail to attract this talent, they risk falling behind in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Shortage of Digital Sales Talent: The Challenge for Dealerships and the Role of AI

Impact of High Employee Turnover in Dealerships

In addition to the talent shortage, dealerships face another internal challenge: high employee turnover, particularly in sales roles. This phenomenon, often considered “normal” in the industry, carries hidden but significant costs. When a sales advisor or marketing executive leaves the dealership, the company loses: established customer relationships, accumulated knowledge of products and services, and the investment made in their training [6]. All these intangible assets walk out the door along with the employee.

The negative effects of high turnover in an automotive dealership include:

According to a dealership management specialist, “high employee turnover generates a significant cost for dealerships,” impacting both profitability and internal morale [6]. Beyond the tangible costs, there are also intangible ones: the loss of company culture and process knowledge, as well as the impact on the internal value proposition—many employees leave due to leadership issues or unmet expectations [7].

For dealerships operating with tight margins, these costs directly affect commercial efficiency. Every new salesperson needs time to familiarize themselves with the vehicle catalog, financing policies, CRM systems, and more. This adaptation period is time during which sales may suffer. Therefore, retaining trained personnel is crucial; and when that fails, automating tasks and centralizing information become key strategies to mitigate the impact [6].

As a result, many dealerships are now turning to automation and AI as a way to reduce dependence on high turnover cycles, ensuring continuity in customer service despite staff changes.

How Do AI Tools Like Biky and Keybe.ai Work?

In response to the shortage of qualified personnel, AI-powered solutions aim to fill the gap by automating parts of the sales and customer service process. Biky—introduced as “the first AI-powered sales agent”—and the Keybe.ai platform offer virtual sales agents that operate 24/7. Unlike traditional chatbots with rigid responses, these AI-driven commercial assistants have “personalities” and advanced natural conversation capabilities [8].

Key Technical Features of These Tools:

For example, these AI agents can answer frequently asked questions but can also handle an entire sales conversation—from identifying customer needs and recommending models based on preferences to scheduling a test drive. They follow an adaptable script that mimics an experienced salesperson.

This ensures that no lead arriving outside regular business hours goes unanswered. According to its creators, this continuous availability can triple sales conversions by capturing opportunities that would otherwise be lost during off-hours [9].

This means that when interacting with a customer, they can both register a lead automatically in the dealership’s CRM and retrieve information in real-time—for example, checking the availability of a specific model, quoting a used car based on its license plate, or accessing a customer’s history for a more personalized experience.

By connecting with the entire digital ecosystem, AI ensures seamless coordination with the sales team—for instance, assigning or notifying the right salesperson when a qualified lead is generated.

Similarly, Biky “analyzes dealership operations and growth data,” generating reports on key metrics such as the number of leads handled, conversion rates by channel, and response times. Through machine learning, the system learns from each interaction, refining its responses and conversational flows. For example, it can identify frequently asked questions or common objections and proactively adjust scripts to address them.

This data-driven intelligence also enables personalized recommendations—AI can suggest accessories or financial services to customers based on their profiles by analyzing customer data and purchase history [8].

As a Keybe executive states, the goal is to ensure that salespeople “don’t waste so much time on operational tasks and instead focus on closing deals,” dedicating their efforts to the critical stages of sales while AI filters and qualifies prospects [9].

And all of this happens “without losing the human touch your customers love,” as the AI has been trained to communicate warmly and empathetically [8]. This last point is crucial—far from being a rigid chatbot, Biky introduces itself with a name and personality (Biky Montes), even featuring an avatar to build trust. Some customers have engaged so much that they’ve sent poems and even offers to meet Biky, forgetting they’re interacting with AI [9]—a testament to how well the virtual experience has been humanized.

Looking ahead, the automation of digital sales and marketing will only accelerate through 2030, both globally and in Latin America. The convergence of more powerful AI, digitally native consumers, and the business need for efficiency points to several key trends:

This strong investment (approximately 18% CAGR) reflects the massive adoption of automation tools, AI, data analytics, and e-commerce before the decade ends. Dealerships will be no exception: to remain competitive, they will have to allocate increasing budgets to online sales platforms, smart CRMs, and omnichannel integrations.

Buyers will expect a seamless transition between chat inquiries, online configurators, video calls with advisors, and in-person visits. Chatbots and voicebots will act as digital gatekeepers, filtering and guiding customers through the sales funnel, identifying needs, and providing automated follow-ups deep into the process [1].

Customers will demand personalized guidance throughout their buying journey, regardless of the medium. As Florencia Gioria (CEO of a digital automotive platform) states, “The dealership of the future is shifting towards online sales… New buyers want information instantly… to compare and make better decisions,” and AI is key to delivering that personalized immediacy [1].

In fact, 57% of professionals worldwide believe AI will free up employees’ time for more creative or fulfilling tasks [12]. In line with this, IDC analysts suggest that Latin American companies should further promote AI and cloud-based machine learning automation, so that “essential human labor” can be reassigned to creative work, increasing business productivity and resilience [3].

By 2030, it is highly likely that dealerships will have hybrid teams: AI virtual agents handling initial contact and lead nurturing, while specialized human advisors step in for deal closures and complex consultations.

In summary, automated digital sales will be a cornerstone of the automotive sector in the coming years. Early adopters of these trends will gain competitive advantages: the ability to handle a much larger volume of prospects, access to rich data for refining commercial strategies, and higher customer satisfaction due to faster and more accurate service. AI in sales will transition from a novelty to an expected standard by 2030—much like e-commerce, which went from being optional to essential in the past decade.

Shortage of Digital Sales Talent: The Challenge for Dealerships and the Role of AI

Voices from the Industry: Expert Perspectives and Testimonials

The transition toward automation and AI in dealerships has both enthusiastic advocates and those who proceed with caution. Below, we highlight key opinions from automotive industry leaders and AI providers on this transformation:

However, he acknowledges that “there is still some resistance, due to fear of the unknown,” especially among more traditional organizations [1]. For this reason, ACARA is working on training and outreach to demystify AI and other technologies, helping dealerships adopt them with confidence.

He refers to how their AI doesn’t just passively wait for customer inquiries but takes the initiative at key moments. For example, it can send a personalized birthday greeting to a client or remind them when their car reaches a certain age to offer a renewal option [9].

Dani Jokka, co-founder of Keybe, emphasizes the vision behind Biky: “Biky helps you multiply your sales… If you were selling a thousand products or services, with Biky, you could reach four thousand” [9].

Jokka points out that thanks to increasingly empathetic AI, multiple car brands are boosting their conversion rates—and at scale, this could even improve the economies of the countries where they operate [9]. In other words, they see AI adoption in sales not just as a business solution but as a regional competitiveness factor. Their declared goal is to make Biky/Keybe an indispensable ally for thousands of dealerships in Mexico, the U.S., and Latin America.

Her words highlight the practical benefits: AI ensures customers are attended to at all times, allowing the business to stay “awake” even outside working hours. Another user, Mario A. López, director of a company using SmartChat, shares how his virtual assistant asks key questions with great human warmth, properly segments prospects, and saves him time on lead qualification—allowing him to focus on high-value customers. “Great investment!” he concludes about the decision to adopt this AI.

These cases demonstrate that when properly implemented, AI can seamlessly integrate into the sales team, boosting productivity without compromising the human touch in customer interactions.

Overall, the consensus is that AI adoption in dealerships is not just a passing trend but a strategic response to real challenges (such as staff shortages and high turnover rates) and new market opportunities. Experts advise dealership managers to stay informed and take the leap. As one automotive leader put it, “The biggest challenge is training and the time dedicated to integrating technology into the industry,” which is why starting this process as soon as possible is crucial [1].

It is evident that those who have integrated solutions like Biky or Keybe into their operations are already experiencing improvements in sales, cost savings, and higher customer satisfaction, paving the way for other dealerships to follow suit.

The shortage of specialized digital sales talent in Mexico and Latin America presents a significant obstacle for automotive dealerships, further exacerbated by frequent staff turnover. However, the same technology driving market transformation also provides tools to mitigate these challenges. Conversational AI and marketing automation are becoming essential allies for dealerships looking to maintain competitiveness in the digital era. Adopting solutions like Biky or Keybe.ai allows a dealership to virtually multiply its sales force, ensuring consistent, data-driven customer service at a lower cost than indefinitely expanding the human team [9].

Of course, successful implementation requires a shift in mindset and proper training: technology is only as effective as the strategy behind it. Ultimately, investing in AI is not about replacing people but amplifying their reach. While AI handles repetitive tasks and initial customer interactions, human talent can focus on closing complex deals and building long-term customer relationships [13].

By seamlessly integrating AI into their processes, dealerships can overcome talent shortages and high turnover, creating a more efficient, resilient, and customer-centric business model. The message to industry managers is clear: get informed, test these solutions, and stay ahead of a future that is already taking shape. As Keybe’s campaign asks, “Are you ready to take the leap into the future and hire your first AI-powered sales representative?” [13].

The pieces are on the table—making the right decision will determine who leads the automotive sales industry in the next decade.

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