About
A dealer’s take on the biggest shift in car shopping since the internet.
DIY Digital Sales is written from inside the business — by a GM who watched the floor change, and decided to help other dealers get ahead of it instead of behind it.
Why this site exists
I’ve spent more than 25 years in automotive retail. I started on the sales floor, did a stretch in fixed ops on purpose, and worked my way up to general manager. In that time I’ve watched the customer’s path change more than once — from newspaper ads to third-party listings to “near me” search. Each shift rewarded the dealers who saw it early and punished the ones who waited.
We’re in the middle of the next one, and it’s the biggest yet. Shoppers are starting their search by asking an AI — ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude — “where should I buy a used SUV near me,” “is this dealership any good,” “who has the best service department in town.” The AI answers with a short list of names. If your store is on it, you get a better-qualified up than any lead source you’re paying for. If it isn’t, you never get the at-bat.
What DIY Digital Sales does
This started years ago as a DIY blog for salespeople building a personal brand. The mission hasn’t really changed — help automotive people sell more by being findable — but the front door has. So the focus has: today, DIY Digital Sales is a plain-English resource for dealers on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — getting found, described, and recommended by AI search.
Everything here is written to be used, not admired. No jargon for its own sake, no theory you can’t act on by Monday. And I practice what I publish: this site is built the same way I tell dealers to build theirs — structured so AI can actually understand it. It’s the proof of concept.
Everything here comes from inside a real store, not a conference stage.
If your BDC manager can’t use it tomorrow, it doesn’t belong here.
I’ll tell you what I’d actually do, and why — not “it depends.”
Claims get sourced. Tactics get tested against the showroom.
The tool behind the writing
Reading about AI visibility is one thing; seeing your own score is another. That’s why I built AEO Whisperer — a tool that checks how ChatGPT, Claude, and Google describe and recommend your dealership, pulls your real Google Reviews and Maps data, and shows how you stack up against the other stores in your market. The guides here teach the how; AEO Whisperer shows you the where you stand. Start with a free check whenever you’re ready.
See what AI says about your store
Free AI Visibility Check — your score across the major AI engines, plus a look at your local competition.
Run your free AI Visibility Check →DIY Digital Sales is an independent resource. Mike also builds AEO Whisperer; guides on this site may link to it.