The first time I saw the band Devo was on “Saturday Night Live.” It was sometime in the 1980s, and they were mesmerizing with their robotic moves, conical hats, darkened goggles and heavily synthesized music. Then there was that chant: “Are we not men? We are Devo! D-E-V-O. We are Devo!”
I’ve recently noticed a trend taking hold in F&I offices. Some of our industry’s F&I schools are turning out pre-programmed menu zombies who mindlessly recite memorized scripts devoid of inflection, empathy or personality. Look, I’m a huge advocate of the menu, but what I find lacking in many of today’s F&I managers is the ability to shift gears and deviate from the script.
Selling F&I involves a relaxed, empathetic conversation. It’s not a stiff, rehearsed, lecture-like presentation. But when I visit dealerships and observe F&I presentations, I can almost always tell what school produced these guys and gals.
And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen presentations go down in flames because the manager presenting the menu as if he or she was reading from a script. I can almost hear the words, “Are we not men? We are Devo!”
Read the whole article here on F&I Showroom.
