Practice "Intentional Selling"



In most dealerships, the primary reason the F&I Manager positionexists is to sell additional products and generate additional revenue.The selling portion of the F&I presentation is no place for"winging it". We don't need word tracks. What we do need is intentionalquestions that we ask customers to identify their particular needs. Aquestion such as, "What brought you in to buy a car today" will alwaysgive us information that is useful in the selling process.

When reviewing the trade-in Odometer Statement, we can ask "Did you buythis car new or used?" If it was bought used, ask "How many miles didit have on it when you bought it?" You just discovered how many milesthe customer typically drives each year without asking that all toocommon resistance-building question, "How many miles do you drive eachyear?" That question tells a customer he is being set up for a sale!Intentional selling requires that you develop 30 questions you willintentionally ask every customer. There are three things we should dowith intentional questions; uWrite 'em, vLearn 'em, wUse 'em!

An effective F&I presentation should also include intentionalstatements. Intentional statements that are effective in movingcustomers to a positive buying decision include:" "Many times the lowest payment is not the best payment."" "The Bank knows you can afford the $350 payment, because they havealready approved you for that payment."" "Wouldn't it be great if the 3 years / 36,000 miles factory warrantycoverage was the 3 years /36,000 miles of your choice?"

A perfect example is the way many F&I managers still try and sellVehicle Service Agreements. For most customers, the primary motivationto buy a VSA is no longer the concern of an engine or transmissionfailure. In fact, they often will state that vehicles are better builtnow than ever. And they are right! In the past, we attempted to createfear that every vehicle will have a bad transmission or engine sooneror later.

Many service contract companies even have laminated marketing pieces to use in the to show the customer how much an engine or transmission repair willcost. Stop using it! Stop it right now! The power train components ofvehicles today are much more reliable than in previous years, andcustomers know it. That's why many manufacturers now cover the powertrain for up to 100,000 miles. Instead of trying to ignore that fact,agree with the customer. "We don't expect problems with the majorcomponents on your vehicle. While it can and does happen, it is muchless likely than before." That's an intentional statement you shoulduse!

Then continue, "We have also added more computer technology each yearand it has greatly improved the quality of our vehicles performance.The computers warn us of problems much earlier than before and someadjustments the computer even makes on its own! Unfortunately,computers fail, and when they do, we can't fix them. We simply replacethem. If your Engine Control Module fails on your new Impala it willcost $1055 to replace." (You would know the exact cost, since you haveintentionally trained and learned the cost of parts on the cars yousell and the cost of replacing them.)

Now you can make an intentional statement "That's why even a minorrepair can be a major expense." This statement is powerful in movingthe customer to buy the solution to that problem- a Vehicle ServiceContract. There are three things we should also do with intentionalstatements: uWrite 'em, vLearn 'em, wUse 'em!

Provide "Intentional Service"The F&I process should be Purpose Driven not Profit Driven. Thepurpose should be to serve the customer, not sell the customer. AProfit Driven will be filled with a desire to sell, and the customer will recognize it right away and resistance will build immediately.

If the customer feels we are trying to help them, they will listen towhat we have to say, and the likelihood of selling products willincrease exponentially. Intentionally providing customer service thatwill "Wow" them will make customers feel comfortable and like us.Customers only buy from people that they like and feel comfortable with!

Money follows service wherever it goes! The more committed we are toserving customers the more money we will make. The ultimate test isproviding the customer with information that enables them to make awise and informed choice as to what is best for them. Selling customersthe products they need, instead of what makes us the most money, is theepitome of intentional service.

I have never met an F&I professional who consistently produces at ahigh level that is not intentional in how he or she prepares for andleads customers through the F&I process. Set goals, prepareintentional questions and statements to ask every customer. Be a"Risk-Taker" and start your journey down the intentional path and getready to see record months ahead!