Pat Ryan is known as the father of F&I because he set up the first finance and insurance office in a dealership — and then founded a training company, Pat Ryan & Associates.
F&I and training go hand in hand. Many F&I professionals maintain strong bonds with their first trainers. Rookie F&I staffers look to trainers to show them how to overcome customer objections.
Trainers, along with vendors, play a key role in helping dealerships stay compliant, by tracking changes in federal and state regulations and incorporating those changes into their training exercises.
But training is in flux as it grapples with new questions. In an era of online universities and digital vehicle sales, can training be done via the Internet instead of in a classroom? Are word tracks less effective when the goal is to sell to each consumer's needs? How effective can training be amid high industry turnover?
This section takes a close look at the state of F&I training — where it's been and where it's going. If you're involved in F&I, this is your world. Class is now in session.
