Digitalization in car dealerships is more than just an IT project—it is the key to efficiency, customer loyalty, and future viability. Frank Motejat, Managing Director of Autohaus Mothor, talks to Michael Grubert from matelso about day-to-day operations at a car dealership group with 330 employees, data, AI, humanity, and why now is the time to get started with digitalization.
Summary:
- Introduction to Frank Motejat and Autohaus Mothor
- What role does digitalization play in car dealerships?
- What obstacles are slowing down sales and digitization in car dealerships?
- How do you manage to digitally integrate marketing and sales in your car dealership?
- Despite all the digitalization in car dealerships, the human element remains central!
- What will change in the automotive trade over the next three to five years?
Frank, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. To start with, please introduce yourself briefly—who are you, what do you do, and why are you a car dealer?
Frank Motejat:
Yes, well, I’m 55 years old and have a classic GDR background. I did an apprenticeship in a trade – successfully, of course – and one day I found myself sitting in a high-rise building in Frankfurt am Main, painting the underground car park of the Bayerische Landesbank. That’s when I thought: this can’t be all there is. I wanted to make a change, so I became a car salesman. I then continued to develop – becoming sales manager, then managing director. Today, I own nine of our ten car dealerships, together with two other partners. We have around 330 employees.
My love of marketing is evident from the fact that I studied direct marketing in 1996 – at a time when no one knew that letters could be printed in a personalized format. We were among the first to do so. And digital marketing is still my passion today.
Digitalization in car dealerships: the foundation for long-term efficiency and growth
What role does digitalization play in car dealerships for you? Is it more of a “nice to have” or has it long been a must for car dealerships?
Frank Motejat:
Well, during my training, the most modern device was a fax machine – that says it all, really. But shortly after that, things really took off. I think digitization will eventually be as commonplace as listening to the radio. No one will ask how it actually works anymore. Digitization permeates everything – and what is happening now with AI will truly change the world. And we have to be part of it. It’s no longer an option.
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What obstacles are slowing down sales and digitization in car dealerships—especially when it comes to connecting dealer management systems (DMS) and CRM platforms?
Frank Motejat:
You’re touching on the most important issue in car dealerships. We currently have something of a Gordian knot: lots of data pools, lots of systems, lots of interfaces – but no uniform database. This leads to duplicate entries and errors. There are probably more DMS systems in Germany than anywhere else in the world. This leads to uncontrolled growth.
Those who manage to cut through this knot and establish a central database will be way ahead of the game. And that’s exactly where we’re currently failing in many areas when it comes to data-driven work – which will become increasingly important in the future.
“We have lots of systems and therefore lots of duplicate entries – and errors. Anyone who manages to break this cycle and really have a single database will be way ahead of the game.”
– Frank Motejat
Focusing on people and machines: digital customer proximity as a factor for success
How do you manage to digitally integrate marketing and sales in your car dealership—especially with CRM and lead management systems?
That’s a great topic, one that’s very close to my heart. As I said, I approached the manufacturer back in 1996 and asked if we could do data queries. At that time, Access was the best there was. The answer was, “If you wait for us, you’ll still be waiting in 15 years.” Since then, we’ve been collecting our own data – and that only works if everyone pulls together: the counter, accounting, scheduling, and, above all, sales.
The challenge is to bring colleagues from the analog age into the digital world and make them aware of the importance of data. Because only with clean data can you calculate probabilities and target customers specifically—for example, on the topic of electric mobility or second cars. This is becoming increasingly important because traditional advertising media such as newspapers are losing their impact
“The big challenge is getting people who are still living in the analog age to embrace digitalization. That’s the only way to target customers with specific information – for example, about electric mobility or second cars.”
– Frank Motejat
Despite all the digitalization in car dealerships, the human element remains central. How do you manage to keep customer contact personal?
Frank Motejat:
For me, these aren’t algorithms, but rhythms of humor. Bringing people, feelings, and algorithms together—that’s the art. I always say, “Aim for the heart and hit the wallet.” That only works with genuine commitment—and with salespeople who live and breathe it.
But that also has to be reflected in the overall marketing concept and in the remuneration. Our subheadline is: “Exceptionally personal.” That’s a deliberate play on words. And it means that warmth comes from data. If I don’t know my grandmother’s birthday, I can’t send her a bouquet of flowers – and then maybe her wallet will stay closed the next time she visits.
“For me, these aren’t algorithms, they’re humor rhythms. Warmth always comes from data—if I don’t know my grandmother’s birthday, I can’t send her a bouquet of flowers.”
– Frank Motejat
Let’s take a look into the future: What will change in the automotive industry over the next three to five years? What role will AI, digitalization, and automation play in this?
Frank Motejat:
Automation is a key issue for us. Why? Because employees are becoming increasingly difficult to find—and at the same time increasingly expensive. That’s why we need to automate as much as possible. This applies in particular to customer contact.
We can no longer rely solely on salespeople – even if they have the opportunity to follow up on a lead. If they don’t do it, I still have to ensure quality. And that can only be achieved through automated processes. AI plays a huge role here.
I helped out in our camper division two weeks ago. There wasn’t a single letter that I didn’t create using AI. This is hardly ever the case in car dealerships – everyone there needs to radically rethink their approach. I always compare it to a train that is just starting to move: at 3 km/h, you can still jump on. At 10 km/h, it gets difficult. And at 20 km/h, you’re out. If you get on now, you’ll soon be traveling at a comfortable speed. But you have to jump on.
“There wasn’t a single letter I didn’t write using AI. But this is hardly happening at the car dealership yet—everyone there needs to radically rethink their approach.”
– Frank Motejat
Thank you, Frank, for these exciting and honest insights into digitalization at car dealerships—and continued success on your journey!
The expert: Frank Motejat
Frank Motejat is managing partner of Autohaus Mothor GmbH in Brandenburg an der Havel, a group comprising 10 car dealerships and 330 employees. Within the group, Frank Motejat is primarily responsible for used cars and marketing. His expertise lies in sales, marketing concepts, and digitalization in the car dealership industry.
