NSD Rx Plan

The customer just purchased a new car. The negotiations were tight. Both the customer and the salesperson are convinced that they got the right end of the stick. However, just as one hair-raising transaction ends, another begins. After scribbling their name across the sales contract, the customer is led into the F&I office.

This room has always been significantly important to the dealership. When every dealership on the block is selling the vehicle for the same rock-bottom price, there is not much room for profit. A tire and wheel, roadside assistance, or even a lease wear and tear F&I product, could mean hefty profits for a dealership wading through steep competition.

Once we have acknowledged the pertinence of F&I salesmanship, we must be prepared with the sharpest strategies to ensure the sale. Menu selling is one of the most effective tools of automotive F&I products.

As a customer thumbs through a menu at a restaurant, perusing all the scrumptious delicatessens, a customer in the F&I office is more likely to make a purchase, upon viewing all products in a similar fashion. The menu could either be physical, like the one at Pizza Hut, or digital (we’ll cover that more a bit later).

For the layman, the menu is a page with four or five columns, each displaying different sorts of coverage. At the bottom of the page will be the total amount for that column of coverage. As the consumer views the columns from left to right, the columns will contain less coverage and be less expensive. However, the difference in prices over the length of the auto mortgage, say 72 months, is miniscule, compelling customers to just pay the extra few dollars for the most expensive package.

x
The F&I menu came about because years ago, some F&I departments would just automatically insert things like extended warranties into the vehicle purchase agreement. Years later, when that customer noticed they had been paying for something that they never agreed to, a messy lawsuit would commence.

Now, thanks to the F&I menu, the customer must carefully inspect every F&I product. Plus, they must sign something stating that they have declined the coverage. Might take a few extra minutes, but at least the customer does not have to worry about being slipped such products.

The F&I salesperson will usually convey the cost of the product as to the increase it will cause in their monthly payment. “Only $3 extra a month!” Such a tactic might cause the customer to wonder what the total damage would be. After a little finagling, when the F&I salesperson reveals the ultimate cost of the product, the customer can use shop this figure around nearby dealerships. Thus, the F&I salesperson needs to be familiar with the costs of like products at competitive dealerships.

Make Your F&I Menu Digital

F&I menus have been proven to be effective. However, once that menu goes digital, F&I sales go through the roof. For starters, a digital F&I menu gives control to the customer. A digital menu will prevent the F&I salesperson from wasting time determining which products the customer wants. By pressing just a few buttons, the customer can create a perfect bundle of the products that they want and need.

A digital menu could be analyzed before the customer ever steps foot in the dealership. Therefore, it is important that the dealership is familiar with the cost of like products at competitive dealerships. Instead of just flipping through an old pamphlet, by digitizing the F&I products, the experience becomes interactive and enjoyable.

Some dealerships may figure that a digital menu could replace an F&I salesperson. This could be a big mistake. While customers are perusing the digital menu, without an F&I salesperson to ask questions. A good F&I salesperson will allow the consumer to review every product available but will guide them during the journey.

Join the NSD Network

Corporate office hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Telephone: 1-800-338-2680

Email: sales@nsdmc.com