NEW YORK — Assurant announced its Assurant Resource Automotive business has expanded its career development program by launching new advanced training courses for experienced F&I employees.

Building on its longstanding Financial Service Manager 101 class, Assurant is now offering FSM 202 as a next-level course that teaches leadership skills, sales and growth strategies, and best practices for creating better alignment within the dealership. Assurant also will begin offering an FSM 303 course in 2020 as a premier career enhancement track for F&I directors and above.

“Assurant saw a need in the industry to provide continuous improvement opportunities throughout a person’s F&I career in the dealership,” said Dave Worrall, senior director of global training and development in Assurant Global Automotive. “We believe in the merits of continuing education and created this advanced series to help dealers increase production and improve performance at all levels while retaining their best employees.” 

The three-day FSM 202 course will launch on July 16 at Assurant’s training facility in Chicago, with subsequent classes scheduled quarterly. Assurant also is making the course available onsite at dealerships. FSM 202 is only open to those who previously have completed Assurant’s FSM 101 course. Topics are set to include compliance, advanced deal structuring, F&I and sales alignment, objection-handling, conducting effective sales meetings, and evaluating credit and lender relations, all according to the announcement.