The one thing the car business has on this industry is that it understands the position of the business manager and appreciates how important that person is to the dealership. In the powersports business, we’re still learning.

Of the hundreds of F&I workshops we’ve conducted, my anecdotal research tells me about half of all powersports dealerships have salespeople who also fill the F&I role; the other half have standalone business managers. And once a dealership makes the leap to a standalone business manager, they almost never go back. Why? They do dramatically better when there is a professional focused on the business.

This department is terribly important to a dealership. The business office can yield dealers hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars in profit. You read that right: profit, not revenue. There are, however, several things dealers need to keep in mind about this position. First and foremost, clerks don’t work.

In essence, your business manager is responsible for financing vehicle sales as well as any ancillary products and services. In addition, they help protect the customers’ families and financing as it relates to their purchase.

Could we add other items? Yep. Protecting the dealership’s interests and detailed follow-up items could be added ad nauseam. But the previously mentioned duties is the core role of the position. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the skills and abilities that every business manager needs to be successful.

Selling the Abstract

Instantiation is the act of making an abstract concept more concrete, and that’s exactly what a F&I manager does on a daily basis. See, selling a vehicle service contract is nothing like selling a motorcycle. The former is intangible, which requires a different kind of sales ability — one that not everyone possesses.

Here are some examples of how instantiation can be achieved both visually and verbally:

• Drawing “coverage visuals.”

• Using a hard copy menu in conjunction with product brochures.

• Showing hard copy testimonial letters from customers.

• Using third-party articles supporting your position.

• Using powerful adjectives such as important coverage and crucial information.

• Providing real-world examples such as, “A recent customer of ours drove his newly purchased motorcycle five miles before hitting a pothole that caused a flat. His tire-and-wheel protection covered all of his out-of-pocket expenses.”

• Using metaphors such as, “The service contract is the heart and soul of your protection” or “Given the current unemployment numbers, there has been an explosion of interest in our debt-protection program.”

• Work in similes. I know it’s hard to remember when you’re in the middle of your presentation, but here’s a tip: Using words such as “like” and “as” causes a natural smile. Look in the mirror and see for yourself.

• Using analogies, such as “When you have our ‘ultimate’ protection program, you’re as secure as gold bullion in Fort Knox.”

• Practice the rule of three, and by that I mean having three levels of saying something. “A customer was happy he was covered.” You can also use “elated” and “ecstatic.” More options will lend flexibility and effectiveness to your communications.

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Complex Organizational Skills

At any given time, a business manager will have sales responsibilities, managerial tasks, administrative duties and emotional issues (when you deal with money, people respond differently). Here are a few ways to get organized:

• Being fiercely ordered: This can be done by having organized physical file folders (of course, all of those files containing your customers’ nonpublic information should be kept under lock and key), well-sequenced computer files and a clean desk (some say they can work without having an organized workspace, but I don’t buy it).

• Mental compartmentalization and focus: There are times when you may have customer situations hanging over your head, such as someone turning down your offer, or a customer who gets upset because he or she didn’t get approved or didn’t get the dollar amount he or she wanted. It takes a certain kind of mental toughness to put those situations in a box and concentrate on the customer or the project in front of you, but that’s what you need to do in this position.

• Handle tasks, questions and inquiries NOW. One of the biggest challenges for business managers to remain organized is having unfinished jobs. That’s why the best time to do something is immediately.

For instance, the best moment to complete your F&I log is the moment the customer leaves, because the deal is fresh in your memory. Ever wait and try to enter 17 log entries on Tuesday morning? Can you say “drama?”

The same is true when handling e-mails. In fact, I recently instituted a clean inbox policy by which I check my e-mail three times a day. The objective is to not allow messages to accumulate in my inbox. And let me tell you, my clients are amazed at my response rate. I also feel much lighter.

Developing Interpersonal Skills

One of the most important aspects of a business manager’s job is to be able to read people and get along with others. Salespeople may have weeks or months to get to know a customer. A business manager has minutes.

There are several ways to improve interpersonal skills, such as reading a customer by listening to his or her language. Is he or she visual, using words like “look” and “see?” Is he or she using words like “me” or “I?” This could indicate he or she is interested in themselves. Or does the customer use plural pronouns like “us” or “we?”

Another way to improve this skill set is through the use of appropriate humor. Most people like to laugh and have fun — especially when purchasing a motorcycle. So be light, have fun and use appropriate humor. Besides, some psychologists suggest a lack of a sense of humor is a sign of a personality disorder. So be funny and you’ll make more money.

The one thing to remember when using humor is you don’t want to break out into a Henny Youngman routine (For you kids, feel free to run a Google search). You also don’t want to tell offensive or inappropriate jokes. However, demonstrating a quick wit and a lighthearted approach can help make the business office fun and enjoyable.

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Protecting the Dealership

It is an oft-stated fact that the average business office executes more contracts in a month than the average law office. There are more than a few places where business managers can find quality information regarding regulatory compliance, so I won’t belabor those points here. But if your business manager thinks Gramm-Leach and Bliley are an acoustic music group, you may want to reconsider who you put in the spot.

Conducting Self Analysis

Sometimes people are just naturals at what they do. However, it is possible for a business manager to be effective in his or her job without knowing how or why. The problem with this is he or she often can’t progress to higher levels. That’s why you want someone who is conscious of his or her competency. Here are five areas where business managers can objectively analyze themselves:

• Process knowledge: You know your sales process and progression.

• Product knowledge: You can name five benefits to the customer.

• Competitive knowledge: You know your competition and your advantages.

• Objection responses: You can rebuff the most common objections.

• Financial knowledge: You know something about personal finance.

The Enlightened Ones

Far too often, people in this business think the business manager is just a clerk. But recently we heard some talk that gives us hope for the future.

At a recent Harley-Davidson Motor Co. meeting for dealers, we conducted a workshop for dealer principals called, “Managing the Business Manager.” During the meeting, two dealer principals commented about the importance of their business managers. One exclaimed: “He’s one of the highest paid people in the dealership.” Another announced, “Last year our business manager made more than me! And I couldn’t be happier.”

These guys get it. Clerks don’t work in the business office. And as J.C. Penny once said, “Show me a stock clerk with goals and I’ll show you a person who will make history. Show me a person without goals and I’ll show you … a stock clerk.” I couldn’t have said it any better.

5 Things Business Managers Are Not

There are several ways to incorrectly describe the business manager position. Below are five that come to mind:

1. A junior helper for the sales staff. In some dealerships, the sales department treats the business manager as nothing more than someone to clean up the not-so-glamorous details.

2. Someone to just do the DMV and titling stuff. No doubt about it, tags and titles are important. But at the same time, the business office is responsible for much, much more.

3. The person who does the computer work. Computers are endemic to all professional positions. Data entry is not.

4. Phone person for lender and insurance company follow-up. Does a business manager do phone follow-ups? Sure. Is this the entire scope of the position? No way.

5. A job for the dealer principal’s niece or nephew. We’ve met many talented and capable family members who were great for the spot, but we’ve also come across more than a few who weren’t.

Mark Rodgers is an award-winning author, speaker and consultant. He’s published more than 100 articles and delivered more than 1,500 workshops in the powersports business. He also served as a consultant with Harley-Davidson Financial Services since 1998. He can be reached at mark.rodgers@bobit.com.