AI Assisted Research / Product Strategy
AI Assisted Research / Product Strategy
Improving Product Focus Through Dealer Insights
Improving Product Focus Through Dealer Insights
Improving Product Focus Through Dealer Insights
Client: International Motors
Client: International Motors
A research-led initiative translating dealer feedback into product recommendations for a sales platform already deep in development.
A research-led initiative translating dealer feedback into product recommendations for a sales platform already deep in development.
A research-led initiative translating dealer feedback into product recommendations for a sales platform already deep in development.
A research-led initiative translating dealer feedback into product recommendations for a sales platform already deep in development.
Overview
Overview
Overview
Overview
International Motors was developing a new dealer-facing sales platform for commercial truck, tractor, and bus dealerships across the United States. The product was intended to move dealers beyond a long-standing legacy system that had supported sales work for years, even as its age and complexity made the experience difficult to navigate.
International Motors was developing a new dealer-facing sales platform for commercial truck, tractor, and bus dealerships across the United States. The product was intended to move dealers beyond a long-standing legacy system that had supported sales work for years, even as its age and complexity made the experience difficult to navigate.
International Motors was developing a new dealer-facing sales platform for commercial truck, tractor, and bus dealerships across the United States. The product was intended to move dealers beyond a long-standing legacy system that had supported sales work for years, even as its age and complexity made the experience difficult to navigate.
By the time the study began, the new platform was already deep into development, with product decisions continuing to move forward. Dealer confidence was still forming. Early reactions showed that dealers would need more than a new platform to feel confident moving away from a familiar system. The experience still needed to prove its value in their daily work, and the research helped clarify what dealers actually needed before more product decisions were made.
By the time the study began, the new platform was already deep into development, with product decisions continuing to move forward. Dealer confidence was still forming. Early reactions showed that dealers would need more than a new platform to feel confident moving away from a familiar system. The experience still needed to prove its value in their daily work, and the research helped clarify what dealers actually needed before more product decisions were made.
By the time the study began, the new platform was already deep into development, with product decisions continuing to move forward. Dealer confidence was still forming. Early reactions showed that dealers would need more than a new platform to feel confident moving away from a familiar system. The experience still needed to prove its value in their daily work, and the research helped clarify what dealers actually needed before more product decisions were made.
The Why & How
The Why & How
The Why & How
The Why & How
Dealers sit at the center of the sales process.
Dealers sit at the center of the sales process.
Dealers sit at the center of the sales process.
If the platform was meant to reduce the time dealers spent managing desk work, the team needed to understand the larger sales reality surrounding that work. Closing a deal required more than creating a proposal. It depended on customer relationships, timing, product knowledge, follow-through, and the dealer’s ability to keep momentum moving across the sale.
If the platform was meant to reduce the time dealers spent managing desk work, the team needed to understand the larger sales reality surrounding that work. Closing a deal required more than creating a proposal. It depended on customer relationships, timing, product knowledge, follow-through, and the dealer’s ability to keep momentum moving across the sale.
If the platform was meant to reduce the time dealers spent managing desk work, the team needed to understand the larger sales reality surrounding that work. Closing a deal required more than creating a proposal. It depended on customer relationships, timing, product knowledge, follow-through, and the dealer’s ability to keep momentum moving across the sale.
The study was created to distinguish what was assumed from what dealers were experiencing before more product decisions continued forward. Continued development carried a real risk: more time, effort, and investment could be spent shaping a product that still needed to earn dealer trust.
The study was created to distinguish what was assumed from what dealers were experiencing before more product decisions continued forward. Continued development carried a real risk: more time, effort, and investment could be spent shaping a product that still needed to earn dealer trust.
The study was created to distinguish what was assumed from what dealers were experiencing before more product decisions continued forward. Continued development carried a real risk: more time, effort, and investment could be spent shaping a product that still needed to earn dealer trust.
The study was created to distinguish what was assumed from what dealers were experiencing before more product decisions continued forward. Continued development carried a real risk: more time, effort, and investment could be spent shaping a product that still needed to earn dealer trust.
The research created a necessary pause inside the momentum, helping the team reconnect the product effort to real dealer workflows before more decisions were made.
The research created a necessary pause inside the momentum, helping the team reconnect the product effort to real dealer workflows before more decisions were made.
The research created a necessary pause inside the momentum, helping the team reconnect the product effort to real dealer workflows before more decisions were made.
Synthesizing Hybrid Research
Synthesizing Hybrid Research
Synthesizing Hybrid Research
Synthesizing Hybrid Research
Each interview was intentionally structured the same way, making it possible to compare responses across dealers without reducing the study to a survey. The questions were designed to understand who dealers were, how they sold, where time was being spent, and which tools shaped the work around them.
Each interview was intentionally structured the same way, making it possible to compare responses across dealers without reducing the study to a survey. The questions were designed to understand who dealers were, how they sold, where time was being spent, and which tools shaped the work around them.
Each interview was intentionally structured the same way, making it possible to compare responses across dealers without reducing the study to a survey. The questions were designed to understand who dealers were, how they sold, where time was being spent, and which tools shaped the work around them.
After the interviews, AI was used as a synthesis partner to help move through the material more deliberately. It supported transcript review, quote extraction, early theme generation, and the development of a working codebook. From there, qualitative themes were compared against quantitative signals, helping connect what dealers said with measurable patterns around time, workflow, and sales pressure.
After the interviews, AI was used as a synthesis partner to help move through the material more deliberately. It supported transcript review, quote extraction, early theme generation, and the development of a working codebook. From there, qualitative themes were compared against quantitative signals, helping connect what dealers said with measurable patterns around time, workflow, and sales pressure.
After the interviews, AI was used as a synthesis partner to help move through the material more deliberately. It supported transcript review, quote extraction, early theme generation, and the development of a working codebook. From there, qualitative themes were compared against quantitative signals, helping connect what dealers said with measurable patterns around time, workflow, and sales pressure.
After the interviews, AI was used as a synthesis partner to help move through the material more deliberately. It supported transcript review, quote extraction, early theme generation, and the development of a working codebook. From there, qualitative themes were compared against quantitative signals, helping connect what dealers said with measurable patterns around time, workflow, and sales pressure.
The process continued through scoring and prioritization, using AI to pressure-test emerging patterns while human judgment shaped the meaning behind them. The work required ongoing review: deciding where AI needed correction or refinement, which patterns carried product significance, and how the findings should be translated into recommendations the product team could actually use.
The process continued through scoring and prioritization, using AI to pressure-test emerging patterns while human judgment shaped the meaning behind them. The work required ongoing review: deciding where AI needed correction or refinement, which patterns carried product significance, and how the findings should be translated into recommendations the product team could actually use.
The process continued through scoring and prioritization, using AI to pressure-test emerging patterns while human judgment shaped the meaning behind them. The work required ongoing review: deciding where AI needed correction or refinement, which patterns carried product significance, and how the findings should be translated into recommendations the product team could actually use.
The final synthesis connected interview context, coded themes, scoring, and prioritization into executive-ready materials. The goal was to make the research useful for product decisions, not simply to document what dealers said.
The final synthesis connected interview context, coded themes, scoring, and prioritization into executive-ready materials. The goal was to make the research useful for product decisions, not simply to document what dealers said.
The final synthesis connected interview context, coded themes, scoring, and prioritization into executive-ready materials. The goal was to make the research useful for product decisions, not simply to document what dealers said.
The final synthesis connected interview context, coded themes, scoring, and prioritization into executive-ready materials. The goal was to make the research useful for product decisions, not simply to document what dealers said.
…qualitative themes were compared against quantitative signals
helping connect what dealers said with measurable patterns.
Themes
Themes
Themes
Themes
The synthesis pointed to a larger issue around time. Dealers were spending too much of it on the administrative work required to get a quote ready for the customer.
The synthesis pointed to a larger issue around time. Dealers were spending too much of it on the administrative work required to get a quote ready for the customer.
The synthesis pointed to a larger issue around time. Dealers were spending too much of it on the administrative work required to get a quote ready for the customer.
Getting a quote ready often required dealers to move through layers of complexity and coordination before anything could move forward. Every added dependency pulled attention away from the relationship-building work that actually drives sales.
Getting a quote ready often required dealers to move through layers of complexity and coordination before anything could move forward. Every added dependency pulled attention away from the relationship-building work that actually drives sales.
Getting a quote ready often required dealers to move through layers of complexity and coordination before anything could move forward. Every added dependency pulled attention away from the relationship-building work that actually drives sales.
Those patterns signaled where the platform could create greater value. The opportunity was to reduce the drag around sales work, so dealers could spend more time with customers and move deals forward with greater confidence.
Those patterns signaled where the platform could create greater value. The opportunity was to reduce the drag around sales work, so dealers could spend more time with customers and move deals forward with greater confidence.
Those patterns signaled where the platform could create greater value. The opportunity was to reduce the drag around sales work, so dealers could spend more time with customers and move deals forward with greater confidence.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
The final recommendations gave the team a research-backed foundation for evaluating what needed attention before more decisions were implemented.
Recommendations
Recommendations
Recommendations
Recommendations
The synthesis was translated into an executive-ready set of recommendations, organized around the patterns most likely to affect dealer trust, sales efficiency, and adoption.
The synthesis was translated into an executive-ready set of recommendations, organized around the patterns most likely to affect dealer trust, sales efficiency, and adoption.
The synthesis was translated into an executive-ready set of recommendations, organized around the patterns most likely to affect dealer trust, sales efficiency, and adoption.
Rather than presenting dealer feedback as a collection of individual requests, the recommendations connected recurring patterns to the product decisions ahead. They helped clarify how the platform could reduce unnecessary effort while giving dealers more support around the complexity and stakes of the sales process.
Rather than presenting dealer feedback as a collection of individual requests, the recommendations connected recurring patterns to the product decisions ahead. They helped clarify how the platform could reduce unnecessary effort while giving dealers more support around the complexity and stakes of the sales process.
Rather than presenting dealer feedback as a collection of individual requests, the recommendations connected recurring patterns to the product decisions ahead. They helped clarify how the platform could reduce unnecessary effort while giving dealers more support around the complexity and stakes of the sales process.
Every idea begins with a point.
Every idea begins
with a point.
Every idea begins with a point.
Every idea begins with a point.
Every idea begins with a point.
Let’s shape what comes next.
Let’s shape what comes next.
Let’s shape what comes next.
Let’s shape what comes next.
Let’s shape what comes next.
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©️ 2026 Sacred Dot Studios LLC. All rights reserved.
Design by discipline. Strategy by responsibility.
©️ 2026 Sacred Dot Studios LLC. All rights reserved.
Design by discipline. Strategy by responsibility.