Prelude texts your internet leads in 30 seconds — then hands off the warm conversation to your salesperson. No robots replacing humans. Just no more cold leads dying in silence.
Built-in CRM tools are generic, slow, and nobody configured them for your store. Your salespeople spend time on non-responders and get nothing back. That time could be spent with people ready to buy.
The first text, the follow-up, the "are you still interested?" — the stuff your team was doing manually with zero response rate.
The moment a customer responds, it's your salesperson's deal. They get the full conversation history and a warm handoff — not a cold intro.
No ripping out your CRM. No retraining your team. No customers wondering why they never talked to a real person. It just works in the background.
From the moment a lead submits to the moment your salesperson gets the warm handoff — here's exactly what happens.
Cars.com, AutoTrader, your dealer website, CarGurus — any source you choose. You control which sources get intercepted and which go straight to your CRM as-is.
AutomaticA personalized, conversational text goes out immediately — using the customer's name, the specific vehicle they asked about, and one qualifying question. Not a template. A real message.
AI poweredThe AI qualifies the lead — timeline, trade-in, financing preference — keeping the conversation warm until the customer is ready to take the next step.
AI poweredThe moment the customer replies, the system detects two-way contact and triggers the handoff. This is where AI stops and your team takes over.
Human takeoverYour salesperson receives an alert with the customer's name, vehicle interest, and the complete conversation transcript — already pushed into your CRM. They walk in knowing everything.
Your team closesThe platforms charging $2,000–$4,000/month are built for large groups who want to remove humans from the equation. We're built for stores that want to keep their people — just stop wasting their time.
| Feature | Podium / Impel | Virtual BDC | Prelude AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant SMS lead response | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 coverage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pushes to your CRM with transcript | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customized to your store | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Human handoff — not full AI BDC | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Your salespeople stay in the loop | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| No long-term contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Monthly cost | $1,500 – $4,000 | $1,000 – $2,500 | $799 |
No setup fees, no long-term contracts, no per-lead charges. One flat monthly rate — whether you get 50 leads or 500.