Driving Ideas To Work
Business ideas come from many directions. Just as there is no one road to drive to work, there is no single source of ideas to drive business that works. Dealers are constantly looking for new points of view that will drive home the value of F&I products and services for their customers. Dealerships will often tag a local agency as a resource for product knowledge and engage a national educator for process improvements. It is critical that the ideas from both sources lead to cohesive, cooperative implementation.
F&I producers need to know that they can test new ideas without putting their jobs in jeopardy. They need to be able to set aside the fear of failure that impedes progress. A learning environment should promote the free exchange of ideas and allow room for participants to try something different to improve production, raise CSI, and increase
”F&I producers need to know that they can test new ideas without putting their jobs in jeopardy.”
customer retention. No finance manager’s job should be at risk when new ideas are put into action, as long as the ideas reflect ethical business practices and adhere to professional standards.
If better ideas drive business to change for the better, we need to know how to shift gears to make it work. Gearing up for change takes practice. And practice should be fearless. The responsibility for eliminating some of the fear associated with change is shared among three parties:
• Local agents who provide product support
• National educators who teach presentation process
• Dealers who seek and secure product and process expertise for their financial center personnel
Educators and agents must work in tandem to ensure that F&I managers can use the most effective F&I process to incorporate the best F&I products into the customer’s buying experience. And dealers must lead the collaborative effort. With an open road to learning, financial center managers can fearlessly take the wheel and drive the best ideas to better business results.
Dealer Marketing Magazine, March 2006, p. 33