For small businesses and service-based enterprises, capturing leads is only half the battle—responding quickly and converting those leads into real revenue is where many fall short. When customers expect replies within minutes (not hours) and want interactions that feel personal, responsive, and reliable, traditional staffing models often struggle to keep up. That’s where an AI-first platform like Podium becomes a game-changer.
Podium
Podium is an AI-powered lead conversion and communication platform trusted by over 100,000 local businesses. Built to streamline customer interactions and increase revenue, Podium transforms the way companies capture, respond to, and nurture leads across web chat, text, social media, phone, and more.
Unlike generic CRM or chatbot tools, Podium is trained on over 10 years of industry-specific data and comes ready to serve the unique communication needs of industries such as automotive, home services, retail, and wellness. Their flagship AI Employee acts like a tireless sales assistant, responding instantly to leads, setting appointments, following up, collecting reviews, and even converting repeat customers—all from one consolidated inbox.
Podium helps businesses convert more, communicate better, and grow faster. Their AI Employee reduces median response times by 72%, increases engagement by 24%, and has been shown to raise lead close rates by as much as 2x, without adding new headcount.
Features That Set Podium Apart
Here’s what you can expect from the Podium platform:
AI Concierge: Automatically manages lead inquiries across webchat, SMS, and social platforms with personalized, human-like responses—24/7.
AI Employee: A complete sales and service assistant trained to your offerings, policies, and brand tone. It boosts close rates and handles lead qualification without oversight.
AI Marketer: Nurtures repeat business with intelligent follow-up messaging, reminders, and upsell offers at the right moment in the customer lifecycle.
AI Reputation Specialist: Requests reviews automatically post-sale, monitors new feedback, and even replies on your behalf to boost visibility on Google and Facebook.
AI Salesperson: Responds to inquiries in under a minute, dramatically improving the chances of closing a deal. Some businesses report a 30% revenue increase just by reducing response time.
AI Scheduler: Books appointments or estimates directly into tools like ServiceTitan, streamlining workflows from conversation to calendar.
Automations: Trigger messages, updates, and follow-ups based on customer actions or time-based rules.
Inbox: View and manage every communication—SMS, chat, voicemail, reviews, and social messages—in one streamlined interface.
Integrations: Seamlessly connect with platforms like ServiceTitan, CRMs, web chat tools, and reputation management systems.
Mobile App: Communicate, book, and close deals on the go with Podium’s full-featured iOS and Android apps.
Payments: Send and collect payments via text for frictionless billing right from a conversation.
Surveys: Capture customer sentiment post-purchase and uncover insights that improve service and retention.
Text Marketing: Launch promotional campaigns or flash sales via SMS and drive conversions from your contact list.
Whether you’re running a plumbing business or a premium auto dealership, Podium offers the scalability and smarts to handle lead conversion at scale without losing the personal touch. And thanks to its unified inbox and AI-first automation, you’ll never miss another customer opportunity again.
Ready to Accelerate Sales with AI?
Getting started with Podium is simple:
Book a demo tailored to your industry.
Configure your AI Employee with the help of Podium’s onboarding team—customizing responses, service info, scheduling preferences, and integrations.
Launch live on your site with Podium Chat, SMS, and review tools in one unified dashboard.
Track performance using Podium’s insights, inbox analytics, and ROI tools.
Podium AI has 2x’d our lead response and lead closing rates.
Ben Johnson, Internet and Marketing Director, Stuart Powell Ford Mazda
Grow your business and stop missing leads—Podium turns conversations into conversions, 24/7.
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Originally Published on Martech Zone: Podium: Supercharge Customer Conversations with AI That Closes the Deal