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F&I
F & I training with instructor using a whiteboard and someone taking ntes
December 16, 2022
F&I Training Needs a Reboot

Dealers are starting to see that the best and most direct training is right under their noses. Senior managers and Directors are often the best teachers.

F&I
Person having an incident with a leased car
December 9, 2022
How to Build the Perfect Lease Protection Package (and Why Now is the Perfect Time to Offer It)

There is a strategy that more dealers are starting to embrace and it requires viewing the lease deal from a different and more creative perspective.

F&I
Why Preloaded Ancillaries Can Help Buyers Dealing with Higher Payments
November 25, 2022
Why Preloaded Ancillaries Can Help Buyers Dealing with Higher Payments

In light of the latest moves from the FTC regarding F&I products and what is or is not looked at as a ‘beneficial’ product to sell, dealerships may have to polish their sales skills a bit to make sure customers see the value in every ancillary product you offer.

F&I
November 18, 2022
How to Fix Common Problems in Your F&I Department (Do It Now While Times Are Good)

When times are good as they are now in the market, this is the best time for F&I directors to take the pulse of the department

F&I
User shopping online
November 11, 2022
Introducing F&I Products Early Is Key Online for Better PVR

Introducing F&I products through online channels like social media can encourage buyers to make an informed decision faster

F&I
Mechanic working on vehicle repairs
November 4, 2022
How to Use Vehicle History to Sell More VSC and PPM

The vehicle history report is a great tool to sell VSC because it gives the buyer advanced insights on the real condition of the vehicle

F&I
Auto financing solutions offered by dealerships
October 28, 2022
How Adding More Finance Sources Helps Buyers Now More Than Ever

For car buyers that have challenged credit that fall into ‘near prime’ or subprime, rising rates present a bigger problem. For those dealerships trying to help buyers at a different level, it’s important to have a deep variety of lenders who can help.

F&I
Corporate training participants and instructor
October 21, 2022
3 Immediate Benefits to Cross-Training Sales and F&I

There are two departments that are equally dependent on each other for their success at dealerships and the argument could be made (as it will here…hint-hint) that the opportunity for cross-training between them is critical now more than ever.

F&I
A teenager in a red shirt and khakis sitting cross legged with a headache working on a laptop
October 14, 2022
Gen Z’s Biggest Complaint About the Dealership Experience (and it’s not what you may think)

Research into how the largest demographic cohort views car purchasing is revealing some interesting things and uncovering new opportunities for dealerships to pivot and alter their process to keep these buyers coming into their stores rather than lean into buying and financing entirely online.

Tire and Wheel
Navy electric car with a plug connected to it's charging port
October 7, 2022
2 Reasons Why Selling More EV’s Should Increase Tire & Wheel Sales

As more states set mandates of selling only new EV’s within certain timeframes and manufacturers announce their own plans to make most if not all of their lines EV within the next 5-10 years, the effect it will have on the products F&I sales cannot be ignored.

Powertrain Warranty
A man is handed his car key fob through an open car window.
September 30, 2022
3 Reasons Why a Lifetime Powertrain Warranty Should Be Standard on Every Sale

One way to make sure your used car inventory is as appealing as possible is to offer a lifetime powertrain warranty. And if you offer it as a preload, even better. Your Customers Want It…So Why Not?

F&I
A smiling wood block is moved forward over a sad black in the background. A blurred light blue button down is in the background with a hand moving the smiling block forward
September 16, 2022
5 Reasons to Switch F&I Providers…and Jump to truWarranty

If your dealership is looking to change F&I providers or see where there are some opportunities for faster growth, we’re ready to tell you 5 things that make truWarranty different from the competition and why they matter.

F&I
A row of wood blocks with icons of a lightbulb on each one. One in the middle is in full color, light bulb is bright yellow indicating an idea. The background is a dark chalkboard.
September 9, 2022
Higher Car Cost Means Getting Creative with the F&I Menu

With low used car inventory comes some opportunities for a more creative approach to help buyers with the overall higher cost of buying F&I products on the back of a higher payment.

F&I
White paper plane loop in circle formation, while a red paper plane trails off to the right on its own path.
September 2, 2022
A Changing F&I Office for A Changed World

As COVID has changed many things about our everyday lives from how we shop to whether or not we work from home or in the office, how an F&I manager goes about their duties has changed, too. Why? Because your buyer has changed.

F&I
An image of a silver laptop with black keys next to an open notebook with handwritten notes inside. A person in a blue jacket interacts with the trackpad on the laptop.
August 26, 2022
Buyer Education in F&I Starts Online - Tell More, Sell More

Two of the larger generations of car buyers are more immersed than ever with online everything. Delivery, shopping, social media, and yes, car buying. Millennials and Gen Z research everything to not only find the best deal but to make sure they know what they are walking into when buying from their local dealer.

F&I
An image of a light bulb on a chalk board with thought bubbles from the light bulb, in chalk
August 19, 2022
How F&I Can Get Ahead of the New FTC Rule Changes Now & Be Better For It

When looking at the spirit of the new proposed rules, there are ways F&I in particular can steel themselves against this and be able to stay out of the FTC crosshairs.

F&I
A person signing a car contract with a person across from them handing over car keys
August 12, 2022
Should You Offer a Subprime/Second Chance F&I Bundle?

Subprime buyers are always a tough sell in F&I. Banks and OE captives usually have a mountain of requirements or stips needed to get approval and even at that, LTV’s are watched carefully so they don’t buy more car than they can afford. While it can mean higher buy rates for F&I (which is nice for reserve), it can be a headache for approvals.

F&I
Chalkboard with Win Win and a handshake displayed in chalk
August 5, 2022
You Can Still Make a Solid Profit with Fixed F&I Pricing. Here’s Why…

A fixed price for F&I products is a better and more trustworthy approach for all customers yet it has not been widely adopted. Why? What are the benefits to offering set pricing and how can it reduce the friction between F&I and the buyer? Let’s take a look….

Finance
Credit Union card being held by person in a suit
June 24, 2022
Credit Union Auto Lending Rises - 3 Ways to Compete in F&I

‍While the buyer who comes in with their credit union draft check is the bane of the F&I office, it’s never a lost cause. F&I may not have captive incentives anymore but that doesn’t mean there are no tried and true strategies that can help compete with credit unions.

F&I
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging words on wood block. The Belonging block is being pushed by a hand.
June 17, 2022
Better DEI in F&I Starts with a Common Sense Approach

Given the staffing challenges in the dealership environment, how do you bring more diverse applicants back into the dealership environment, particularly in F&I? And are there better ways to attract more women and minorities to apply? At a time when businesses are focusing more resources and attention on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) for their employees, dealerships should, too. It’s more than just hiring people from diverse backgrounds…at its core it’s about looking at the entire organization and making it a welcoming place where everyone’s potential is encouraged, and everyone’s voice is heard.

Bundle
A drawn red circle labeled Comfort Zone with a person outside of it, on a path of upward trajectory. A real person in the background is using a marker to draw the image
June 10, 2022
Bloated F&I Menu? Save Time, Close More with These 5 Product Bundles

F&I is undergoing a bit of a transformation in ‘22. With a challenging selling environment and two years out from the pandemic, the old way of doing a deal has had to shift to something more creative and more reflective of the way buyers want to buy a car. For F&I, that means stepping outside of the decades-long comfort zone of high pressure sales tactics, payment stuffing, and bloated menus.

F&I
Mostly empty dealership lot with a single white car
June 3, 2022
4 Ways to Leverage Low Inventory Environment for Better F&I

Headlines are rather bleak these days with most automotive analysts saying that low inventory could linger into next year. So while it may look like there is no way to uncover anything positive about this situation, that may not be the case…especially in F&I.

F&I
A frustrated person with their head on the desk, working on paperwork on their computer
May 27, 2022
Helping Buyers with Realistic Payment Expectations Starts Early, Not Later

The last few years have arguably been the most challenging that both dealers and car shoppers have ever faced. Inventory in short or non-existent supply, rising interest rate in response to 40 year-high inflation, and now both new and used car prices seeing unprecedented increases.

VSC
Auto dashboard viewing the speedometer gauges
May 20, 2022
Why Your Dealership Should Be Offering High Mileage VSC Now…

Here are some reasons why offering a high mileage VSC could be one of the easiest menu items to present to your customers and why the market has made this shift…

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