“We are not here for the comfort of the F&I team, this is ALL about the guest.”
This is the 5th in a series of 6 articles that will outline the SPoC roadmap:
- Part 1: What is SPoC?
- Part 2: The Beach
- Part 3: Prework Part 1
- Part 4: Prework Part 2
- Part 5: Burn the Boats Part 1
- Part 6: Burn the Boats Part 2
Commitment: Time to burn the boats!!!
Welcome back to the roadmap to a successful Single Point of Contact selling philosophy. In this article, we are going to walk through the physical steps that establish SPoC. The planning and pre-work phases are complete, and now it is time to get to work on the details.
TRG recommends a 7-step execution process that will lead to the highest likelihood of success. Please note that I did not say the fastest, I said the process that will lead to the greatest, sustainable SPoC launch success. We are going to break this down into two parts for the purpose of time.
Below is an overview of these process steps that require customization for your specific location, staff, skill, and result of the pre-work that has been completed. Let’s get started.
PART 1
EXECUTION STEP 1: CLOSE THE F&I OFFICE
Step one is to physically close the F&I office, if not physically, physiologically lock the door and stop using the office for guests. This sounds fundamental, however closing this office to the team can be very difficult. There is a significant “Comfort Zone” associated with this office for the F&I producers and it is difficult to break the habit of sitting in the office.
Some of the pushback that you will hear when you shut the door on the office from your F&I team might be: The guest will be uncomfortable talking about their credit out on the floor. After 15 years of installing SPoC I can assure you that this is an unfounded concern. The guest is just fine discussing the purchase financials during the transaction and will be just fine in the event your team needs to complete a credit review. In a worst-case scenario simply find a place in the showroom that is discrete or away from the mainstream of business to have this discussion. The less than 2% of the guests that might want to move to a quieter spot away from the CEM’s workstation is hardly a reason to keep the office open.
Another pushback might be the F&I team saying, I am going to have to go back and forth after my interview. That is correct, we are not here for the comfort of the F&I team, this is ALL about the guest. The F&I team needs to make sure the interview is thorough, reducing the necessity to restructure a menu. Also, almost all dealerships today are on some sort of digital menu presentation, so there really is no argument.
It is important to note that change is difficult and uncomfortable for many people. When you consider the inherent personality of many on the F&I staff, this is a big deal and deserves patience, encouragement and understanding.
EXECUTION STEP 2: TRAIN THE DOCUMENT PROCESSORS
This is also the time to train the document processors. The F&I team should be heavily engaged in the training as well as your F&I product provider. Most states have training available for this position as well. Look into your local ADA for resources.
EXECUTION STEP 3: MOVE THE F&I TEAM MEMBERS TO THE SALES DESK
OK, so now that the office is closed, what do we do with the F&I Team? Bring them out to the sales desk. Have the F&I Team fully engaged in the sales activities. This team is skilled in transaction structure, credit assessment, lender selection, the interview process and menu presentations. You need them completely engaged and out on the showroom floor.
The advantages of being aware of what is going on in the showroom are endless. An additional new activity for the F&I Team is to complete “fly-bys” with all guests. A fly-by is an early intervention with the guest at the CEM’s workstation.
There are two types of fly-bys that the F&I Team can complete. The first is a simple greeting to the guest that welcomes the guest to the dealership, esteems the CEM as the only person that the guest will need to interact with (SPoC) and is a consummate professional, perhaps offering a refreshment and getting out. This is a fly-by, not a fly-in-sit-down-and-take over.
The second version of a “fly-by” takes place after the decision to purchase the vehicle. The F&I team member can stop by and either reintroduce themselves or introduce themselves for the first time as the person that will complete all the guest paperwork, answer any questions they may have and let the guest know that you will see them soon.
Guests sincerely appreciate the introductions and knowing in advance what the next steps are going to be. As simple as it sounds, letting the guest know – this is where we are, this is where we are going, and this is what is going to happen when we get there – is very comforting for the guest.
There’s a lot to digest, so we’ll finish up the remaining 4 steps to execution in our next article. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out to me via my contact info below.
Mike Anderson
The Rikess Group LLC
404-805-5009
For more information, visit our website at www.therikessgroup.com or Schedule a Consultation.
