Pub. 5 2015 Issue 2

18 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com T he car business can be a tough business to work in. You work very long hours, weekends and most holidays. This might be part of the reason why it is sometimes difficult for an F&I manager to maintain a positive attitude to both their internal and external customers. Being a great F&I Manager can be extremely difficult. You are responsible for ensuring all the paperwork is filled out and signed correctly, in a compliant manner, as well as generating significant income for the dealership. The majority of finance managers treat their external customers well but sometimes struggle to treat their internal customers (sales people) with the same positive attitude. The most successful finance manager’s realize that their in- ternal customers have a lot to do with their success. It is always important to remember that without that salesperson’s car deal, you have nothing. It’s not the sales person’s fault that their cus- tomer has the means to pay cash for the vehicle they are purchas- ing. They are normally really excited to be selling a car and you should also be excited they are selling a car because it gives you the opportunity to do your job. Remember, not all car deals are going to be cash. A salesperson that gets treated with respect and a positive attitude by their finance manager is much more likely to endorse and steer their customer toward purchasing the products you offer. Do you remember when you first started selling cars, your finance manager HATED cash deals and you felt guilty and al- most scared when you sold a car and the customer said they were going to pay cash. You dreaded handing him the deal and you were always ready for the grunt and roll of the eyes that came from him when he realized that you had just handed him a cash deal. Why does it have to be like that? Be thankful and positive about every deal that comes across your desk. They are giving you an opportunity and for the great finance managers, that’s all you need. It doesn’t matter how the customer is paying for the car, have a positive attitude and build value in your product offerings. With a positive attitude, sales- people are much more likely to want to introduce you to their customers and you should be able to accomplish 100% customer T.O. Customers are subconsciously feeding off of your energy. If you are emitting positive energy, they’ll sense that and you are much more likely to sell them products. Rock Star F&I Manager • Congratulate sales person on selling a vehicle • Immediately leave your desk to go and congratulate customer • Constantly communicate with customer regarding time expectations • Work hard to get the best call for both the customer and dealership • Hold weekly sales meetings to discuss the finance department Average F&I Manager • Complain that it’s another cash deal • Stay in your office complaining about the paperwork • Yell at the sales person for trying to rush you • Use a call that benefits you personally • Let the sales managers hold all the meetings Remember, you are all in this together. You should all be striving towards the same goal - providing an exceptional cus- tomer buying experience and generating profit for the dealership. A positive attitude will certainly help you get closer to achieving this goal. Don’t ask what your salespeople can do for you; ask what you can do for your salespeople.  For more information, please contact Francis Fagan with Automotive Development group at 312-608-4979 or ffagan@adgtoday.com. Francis is the Regional Training Director for Illinois and Indiana. At Automotive Development Group we put the emphasis on training. Visit our website for our training calendar and to meet our nationally renowned trainers. www. AutomotiveDevelopmentGroup.com BY MARK TIMPERLEY CONSULTANT’S CORNER