Select your contact list

This is the most important lesson in the course. Pick the right list and you’re set. Pick the wrong list and AI works hard for nothing.

What to expect across pools

Across a Private Sale event, expect 20–25% engagement — about 10% book an appointment directly, another 10–15% ask for a call or quote (warm responses that need a human to close).

That engagement rate holds across pools. What varies is the quality of each pool’s deals — past customers tend to trade UP and produce bigger gross; lost recent leads close faster; dormant CRM is found money. Use the pool mix to balance volume with deal value.

The 4 contact pools that work

1. Lost recent leads (0–90 days, never bought)

Customers who came in, expressed interest, and didn’t close. Your reps gave up after 1–2 follow-ups. AI works them with 3–5 personalized outreaches. Your gold pool — fastest closers.

Filter: “Lead source = web/phone-up, last activity 0-90 days ago, status = lost or no-response.”

2. Past customers (3+ years out)

Customers who bought 3+ years ago. Their lease is up or their loan is paid down. Diablo prompts AI to lead with a trade-in question. Slightly lower volume but bigger deals — they trade UP.

Filter: “Customers, last purchase 36+ months ago, no recent service.”

3. Service customers (recent service, no recent purchase)

People who service their car at your dealership but haven’t bought from you in 5+ years. AI leads with “since you’re in for service” framing. They walk in for service anyway — lower friction.

Filter: “Service-only contacts, last service 0-180 days ago, no purchase 60+ months.”

4. Dormant CRM (24+ months no contact)

The “dead pile” — leads your reps wrote off years ago. This is where the 5x reactivation stat lives. Anything you book is found money.

Filter: “Last touch 24+ months ago, no purchase, sub-status = dead/cold.”

How to assemble your list

Open Contact Selection in the Private Sale setup wizard.

For most dealers, Standard tier (500 contacts) splits like:

• 200 from Lost recent (#1)
• 150 from Past customers (#2)
• 100 from Service customers (#3)
• 50 from Dormant (#4)

This balance produces broad coverage with the highest-converting pools weighted highest.

What to avoid

❌ Active leads in the last 14 days — your reps are working them. Don’t double-team.

❌ Customers who bought less than 3 years ago — too soon. They’ll think you’re spammy.

❌ Anyone marked Do Not Contact — Diablo respects this automatically, but worth saying out loud.

❌ Lists from outside your dealership — purchased lists, partner lists. These convert poorly and burn sender reputation.

Save your list

Diablo shows the count and a preview of 5 random contacts. Verify the count matches your tier (e.g., 500 for Standard).

Save and move to lesson 3 — configuring the agent and launching.