Solution Provider
John Sternal
  • Boca Raton, FL
  • United States
  • Merit Mile
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John Sternal posted a blog post

New Survey From Nation Safe Drivers Finds Automotive Businesses Want New Revenue Partnerships but Lack a Clear Path to Execute

More than 80% of respondents are interested in partnering with businesses in adjacent industries to create new revenue opportunities, but many lack a clear path to execute  BOCA RATON, Fla. — Nation Safe Drivers (NSD), the leading provider of white label roadside assistance and F&I solutions, today announced the findings from a new survey it conducted to examine how…See More
Oct 15
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John Sternal posted blog posts
1 more…
Sep 30
John Sternal posted a blog post

How Dealerships Are Still Challenged Capturing and Saving Consumer Driver's Licenses Today

For decades, the driver's license check at a dealership meant a photocopy dropped into a deal jacket or a salesperson snapping a photo on a personal phone. Most of the industry conversation about this process has focused on fraud, on the fake IDs slipping past the front desk. That conversation matters, but it skips the step that comes first. Before a dealership can worry about whether a license is real, it must solve a more basic problem: how the license is captured in the first place, and what…See More
Jul 23
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John Sternal posted a blog post

NEWS: AIADA Welcomes Protective Asset Protection as Official Vehicle Service Contract Sponsor

AIADA Welcomes Protective Asset Protection as Official Vehicle Service Contract SponsorSponsorship Delivers Expanded F&I Solutions to America’s International Nameplate Dealers July 8, 2026 (KIRKLAND, WA) The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today announced a new sponsorship agreement with Protective Asset Protection, naming Protective as the official vehicle service contract (VSC) provider sponsor for AIADA. The sponsorship connects Protective’s industry-leading…See More
Jul 9
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John Sternal posted a blog post

The Invisible Tax on Dealership Advertising

For years, automotive retail has approached digital advertising as a volume game. The prevailing assumption has been that more traffic, more impressions and more leads naturally translate into more sales.However, as inventory costs rise, margins tighten and consumer demand fluctuates across segments, many dealers are discovering a difficult reality: not every vehicle on the lot needs the same level of marketing support.  In many dealerships, marketing dollars are still distributed broadly…See More
Jul 1
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Auto Finance Digital Adoption Trends Reflect A Market Navigating Operational Pressure

The first quarter of 2026 continued to reflect a challenging operating environment for auto lenders and their dealer partners. New vehicle sales declined during the quarter as affordability pressures remained, loan terms continued to rise, and lenders managed operational efficiency alongside changing borrower patterns.Vehicle sales transaction data and digital adoption trends from the most recent Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index point to a changing market in the early part of 2026.…See More
Jun 15
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John Sternal posted blog posts
4 more…
Jun 9
John Sternal posted a blog post

LAUNCHER.SOLUTIONS Integrates with CarletonDocs® to Provide Lenders Enhanced Document Compliance

Jacksonville, Fla: LAUNCHER.SOLUTIONS (Launcher), a technology provider of loan origination technology for automotive and consumer lenders, announced today a strategic product integration between its appTRAKER™ Loan Origination System (LOS) and CarletonDocs® from Carleton, Inc.’s compliant document generation platform.By incorporating CarletonDocs® into the appTRAKER™ platform, Launcher further strengthens its comprehensive loan origination ecosystem, providing lenders with a seamless process…See More
Mar 23
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Vehicle Management Systems Moves Out of "Stealth Mode" to Scale Disruptive AI Platform With New Web Presence

New website reflects the company’s evolution into a disruptive, AI-first platform built for modern vehicle and fleet operations Jackson, Wyo. – Vehicle Management Systems (VMS), an AI-first vehicle and fleet middleware platform serving both fleet and auto retail environments today announced the launch of its new website marking a key milestone as the company steps out from behind the scenes and accelerates engagement across the automotive and fleet industries. The…See More
Feb 3
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx To Unveil “Revive,” a New Lead Re-Engagement Solution at NADA 2026

Dealers will get an up-close look at how Revive helps sales teams re-engage closed-lost shoppers when they return to the market, transforming missed opportunities into renewed sales conversations DETROIT (January 29, 2026) — Lotlinx,  the auto industry’s first and only VIN Performance platform built to help dealers maximize profitability, announced today the launch of Lotlinx Revive, a new solution designed to help…See More
Jan 29
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx Appoints Randy Kobat as Chief Commercial Officer

Veteran Automotive Executive to Lead Sales, Marketing, and Client Success as Lotlinx Enters Next Phase of Growth  DETROIT (January 14, 2026) – Lotlinx, the auto industry’s first and only VIN Performance platform built to help dealers maximize profitability, announced today the appointment of Randy Kobat as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Kobat brings decades of…See More
Jan 17
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John Sternal posted a blog post

The Uptime Imperative: How AI is Transforming the Dealership Service Lane into a Proactive Profit Center

For decades, the dealership service model has been largely reactive: a vehicle breaks down, the customer brings it in, and the dealership service team performs the repair. This break/fix mentality has been a stable, but ultimately limited revenue model. However, the combination of today’s advanced vehicle telematics and cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now fundamentally changing this dynamic, promising to transform the service department from a reactive repair center into a…See More
Nov 17, 2025
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx Introduces LotGPT, the Industry’s First Dealer-Facing AI Advisor

The only chatbot built exclusively for dealers – powered by the industry’s largest dataset of VIN and shopper data, it delivers real-time VIN-level intelligence, market insights, and merchandising optimization to improve profitability.  DETROIT — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s first and only VIN Performance platform built to help dealers maximize profitability, today announced the launch of LotGPT, a first-of-its-kind AI…See More
Oct 29, 2025
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John Sternal posted a blog post

The Precision Trap: Why Lease Payment Accuracy Is the Highest Stake in Auto

The automotive market in 2025 has been characterized by elevated vehicle prices and consequently, a steadily growing reliance on leasing to manage consumer payments. For lenders and dealers, this trend elevates the stakes attached to a single, crucial figure: the lease payment. While sales professionals have long known that leasing is a product focused almost entirely on the basis of the payment—it’s 100% about the payment, not the price—the industry is now waking up to the critical reality…See More
Oct 20, 2025
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Beyond the Lot: Proactive Strategies to Combat Hidden Inventory Risk

The rhythm of an auto dealership is a constant, energetic hum. Sales teams work the showroom floor, service bays are filled, and the F&I department finalizes deals. But in the midst of this controlled chaos, a silent threat lurks in the back lot: hidden inventory risk. For too long, dealers have operated with a critical blind spot, relying on lagging indicators like rising days on lot or unexpected markdowns to signal a problem. By the time a vehicle shows up on a stale inventory report,…See More
Sep 10, 2025
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John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx Q2 Quarterly Vincensus Report Highlights Affordability-Driven Surge for Hybrids and ICE, Market Headwinds for EVs

Digital modernization and proactive inventory management remain key as aged inventory and rising prices challenge profitability, with Lotlinx customers outperforming market benchmarks  DETROIT (July 22, 2025) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s first and only VIN Performance platform built to help dealers maximize profitability, announced today its Q2 2025 Quarterly Vincensus Report, the most comprehensive quarterly inventory report in the industry. Leveraging over…See More
Jul 22, 2025
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Vendor Partner
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Merit Mile
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Director
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http://meritmile.com
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Google
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John Sternal's Blog


Solution Provider

New Survey From Nation Safe Drivers Finds Automotive Businesses Want New Revenue Partnerships but Lack a Clear Path to Execute

Posted on October 15, 2026 at 2:22pm 0 Comments

More than 80% of respondents are interested in partnering with businesses in adjacent industries to create new revenue opportunities, but many lack a clear path to execute …
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Solution Provider

The Four Session Threshold: A New Way to Identify Which Vehicles Are at Risk

Posted on September 21, 2026 at 2:50pm 0 Comments

Over the past three months, new-vehicle day supply has climbed from roughly 59 days at the close of Q2 to about 72 in late August, while new inventory grew from 2.76 to 2.92 million units, and the instinct has been to treat that as simply more cars to sell. But the more useful question is not how many vehicles are on the lot. It is how many of those vehicles are actually being seen by shoppers before they become the next round of markdowns. 

The…

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Solution Provider

Wolters Kluwer Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index: Digital Adoption Broadens Across the Auto Finance Ecosystem in Q2

Posted on July 29, 2026 at 1:28pm 0 Comments

Wolters Kluwer Auto Finance Digital Transformation Index: Digital Adoption Broadens Across the Auto Finance Ecosystem in Q2

 

eContracting volume rises 7 percent quarter-over-quarter as growth spreads across captives, fintech lenders, and dealer connectivity networks; digital securitization volume climbs 61 percent year-over-year on expanding credit union participation.

 

NEW YORK – July 30, 2026 – Wolters Kluwer…

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Solution Provider

Why So Many Automotive Service Relationships Break Down and What It Actually Takes to Rebuild Them

Posted on July 24, 2026 at 10:53am 0 Comments

In the automotive industry, trust rarely disappears overnight. 

A dealer signs a new F&I administrator. An agency partners with a service provider. A fleet operator awards a roadside contract. The kickoff meetings go well, expectations are high, and everyone believes they've found the right long-term partner. 

Then something changes. 

A customer receives conflicting answers about a…

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