Tackling the Skeptics

We have all heard it before: customers who walk through the door to F&I and immediately state that they won’t be purchasing any products, they believe they are all a scam or have no value, and they don’t even want to hear it — all before the F&I manager can get out more than “hello”. These F&I skeptics have likely either had a bad experience with an F&I product in the past, or they know someone who did, and it has closed their minds to even the possibility of finding value in what we offer.

An Automotive News piece recently had dealership representatives weigh in on how they deal with the skeptics. In the article they all agree, that getting F&I into the sales process early is one of the best ways to combat this type of blanket objection.

Instead of waiting until the salesperson has completed negotiations, the dealer representatives suggest that another approach is for F&I to get out there early. Some dealerships have structures that make this difficult, but it’s worth considering introducing yourself before any price is mentioned, so you can start to build that rapport that is so critical to making the F&I process go smoothly later.

While it is still likely that the “F&I skeptic” will have more objections, if you have already started to build a friendly relationship with them, they are going to be less likely to shut you down completely right from the start. This early conversation also gives you insights regarding their priorities and needs, which are your opening to talk about the products and how they could protect their family, car value or whatever benefit of F&I products is most important to them.

Dealing with a skeptical customer also requires a different approach to the presentation. Props, in particular, are one way to help make the products and the coverages more “real” to the skeptic. Instead of just an abstract concept, props enable us to make the product tangible and touchable, and from there it becomes much easier for a customer to understand how it could impact them directly.

It is also worth focusing on the factory warranty — both what is and isn’t covered. This way, you make it clear where the gaps are, and then you have another opening to illustrate how F&I can help close those gaps.

There are some customers who simply don’t want to hear it, but building a foundation with the customer early helps improve the odds of securing their business, and at the very least improves the customer’s receptivity to your message. It comes down to several factors, including approaching F&I products the right way, building your relationship early, using props, and applying a softer-sell technique of focusing on what the factory warranty doesn’t cover. Use these methods the next time you run into a wary customer, and you have a strong chance of turning skeptics into F&I believers.

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