The F&I Prophet-George Angus-has something to say Handling a Bad Month For some reason, it seems like every couple of years, an anomaly occurs where F&I professionals, all over the country, hit a period of tough deals. Cash deals, capped deals, and overly sales resistant customers seem to come out of the woodwork. Over the years, I have learned that these periods are a fact of our business. Occasionally, through no fault of the F&I manager, there will be a run of tough deals, (many times compounded by a period of slow sales), that transcends every geographical market in the country. And I have never heard an explanation of how these temporary dips can occur over so much of the country at the same time. If we could figure out when these phenomena were going to happen, we could take our vacations at that time and miss the aggravation. However, the real problem with these periods is that they can drive F&I managers crazy and make them start changing things that shouldn't be changed. But it’s important not to panic or overreact and start changing what has made you successful in the past. Remember it’s temporary. It isn't caused by you. It will pass. In many ways, how we handle those inevitable tough periods is a measure of our professionalism. Top F&I veterans have learned to relax and ride it out and accept that there’s really not much you can do about it. One of the unique features of the F&I job is that we have to be self-motivated and self-directed. The key is to make sure we are fresh, positive, and ready when the next customer comes through that door. Control your head. You’ve all heard of the Serenity Prayer. It was first offered in the early 1940’s by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and has been used as a guiding principle for many recovery groups and become part of the accepted wisdom of society over the years. It goes something like this: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. There’s a message in that for F&I professionals so read on. 10
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