Automobile Dealer Magazine

Selling Structure for F&I Managers

by David Lewis

I have always been amazed at the amount of attention given to developing structured sales presentations for the selling of the car versus developing structure for selling the F&I products. When a salesperson slides into a selling slump, the common response by a sales manager is, "You have to return to the basic selling steps." That is the meet and greet, inventory walk, selection, etc.

Every month in our F&I workshops we ask F&I Managers to state what they have been taught in the past as the basic selling steps for selling service contracts. Almost every time, we see a blank stare of confusion, and most of these business managers have had previous training. If the everyday salesperson needs basic structure in their presentation, doesn't it make sense that someone responsible for much more potential profit should have structure as well. You F&I Managers need structured steps that keep them on track with a clear direction.

Do your F&I Managers use a structured presentation? To find out, ask your F&I Managers if they would change their presentations based on certain customer criteria as conveyed to them by the salesperson. If your F&I Managers change their presentations based on what the salesperson tells them about the customer, then no structure exists.

Once structured presentation and structure in how to overcome an objection are presented to F&I Managers, productivity increases. Structure can be obtained through a training program or can very easily be developed in-house by the dealership. Have your F&I Managers write out or record their presentations, then as a group, have all of your managers review the presentation and create selling steps that apply. Make certain that the steps are in an order that makes common sense.

For example:

• Step 1 - Explain factory warranty
• Step 2 - Explain what the factory does not cover
• Step 3 - Introduce term of extended coverages
• Step 4 - Explain coverages
• Step 5 - Explain what is not covered
• Step 6 - Explain price
• Step 7 - Ask for sale

Obviously the same method of structure applies to overcoming objections. Most salespeople utilize a pressure style of overcoming objections--- when the customer objects they try to force more information at them as to why they should purchase their product or service. Again, record some responses to some of the common F&I objections and listen. Then create a set of steps of how to respond.

What is presented in each step is not as important as you might think. For example, as a new car salesperson, I might use a different approach for my "meet and greet" than other salespersons, but if both methods take the customer to the next step, the "inventory walk," then we both have accomplished our goal. Structure is just like a morning routine, everybody has a different one, but we all have one and follow it regularly.

Finally, by getting involved with your F&I Managers you are demonstrating to them your commitment to increasing F&I productivity. Always remember, teamwork and support is a crucial ingredient to success!

David Lewis is President of David Lewis & Associates, an independent F&I training and consulting firm.