Automotive News Canada - June 2024 - 9

* JUNE 2024
9
Empathy, no pressure helps win over customers
F&I manager excels by
working hard to make
buyers feel at ease
By DOUG FIRBY
CALGARY CORRESPONDENT
WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING
finance and insurance products, Rachel
Fortier takes a " no-pressure, transparent
approach, " a strategy that has led to several
awards.
" People are afraid to
come into my office sometimes, "
said the Sherbrooke
Mitsubishi finance manager,
who has been at the Quebec
dealership for about a decade.
" I tell them, 'Don't worry, be happy.' We
have a lot of fun. "
for achieving the best performance in F&I
among the network of 97 dealerships.
SALES WITHOUT THE STRESS
Although Fortier said she was " very
green " in the beginning, she quickly
learned how to develop a rapport with customers.
BEST
PRACTICES
When a customer with a bad credit
rating is trying to purchase a vehicle,
for example, Fortier works to get a loan
approved. And she regularly contacts three
local insurance companies to help customers
find the most affordable coverage.
" That's a lot of work for me, " Fortier
said. " But I'm here to help them pay [for
their car] and get more. "
Going the extra mile for customers is
great for business, said Fortier, who has
been involved in automotive finance for
almost 20 years. And it has paid off in several
honours, including her greatest yet:
Mitsubishi Canada in April presented her
its highest award, the National Diamond,
SPOTLIGHT
The key to selling products is exerting
no pressure, she said. " I'm very transparent.
I offer [customers] products ... my clients
don't think I'm selling something. "
Fortier also walks the talk. For example,
she buys the extended service
contracts for her own vehicles.
Fortier has a lot of empathy
for customers with bad credit
ratings, she said, because she
once went through a personal
bankruptcy. Fortier offers free
advice to customers rebuilding their credit
rating.
About 65 per cent of buyers finance their
vehicle purchase at the dealership, Fortier
said. An additional 10 per cent lease their
vehicles and the rest pay cash.
Fortier typically deals with customers
at two points in the sales cycle. She meets
them to fill out the purchase credit application
and explains life and disability insurance,
total-loss insurance coverage, antirust
protection and the anti-theft tag system.
Creative
& Production Services, 100 Yonge St., 5th
File: 3267755 Scotia Scene Automotive PRINT_E Jan11
Colours: CMYK
Trim: 10.875 " x 7.375 "
Bleed: 0.125
Safety: N/A
Notes:
She does not discuss the extended-service
plans at that point, she said. " The
buyer is already tired. They've spent
maybe four hours on the sales floor with a
sales rep. "
Great customer service is an imperative
in the highly competitive market
in Sherbrooke, Fortier said. " If we don't
give them good service, somebody else
will. "
'THEY CALL ME AUNTIE RACHEL'
Sherbrooke Mitsubishi is one of three
dealerships owned by Équipe Précision
Auto, which also owns nearby Precision
Acura and Magog Ford. Fortier said she
trains new F&I managers at the other
dealerships and had to cover two dealerships
for six months when an F&I manager
was being replaced.
Fortier: " I tell everything to my clients.
... I would want people to do the same
for me. " SUPPLIED PHOTO
At the second point, she sees customers
when they return to the dealership
to close the sale and presents the service
plans. About half of her customers opt in,
she said.
Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
" I work really, really hard for that, "
Fortier said. Some customers with tight
budgets decline, but she gives them the
opportunity to call back later to purchase
the plans.
" They trust me. I tell everything to
my clients, " she said. " The deductibles, I
write them down, and I highlight them.
I would want people to do the same for
me. "
Workfront #: 3267755
Deadline: Dec, 2023
In Market: Dec, 2023
Designer: TR Prod: CL
Fortier is among rarified company at
Mitsubishi, said Kenji Harada, president
of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada.
" The group we celebrated at the Triple
Diamond Awards event represents the
best of the best in their fields, " Harada
said. " Over the past year, they exceeded
expectations and raised the bar for others. "
Fortier
said her success is a result of
a team effort that includes close collaboration
with the sales reps. " They are my
family, " she said. " They call me Auntie
Rachel. "
Maxime Beaucage, general manager
of Sherbrooke Mitsubishi, noted that
Fortier has won multiple awards during
her 10 years with the dealership. " We are
very proud of her, and we'll work together
to achieve it again next year, " he said.
" My trophy is very big and very
heavy, " Fortier said, " So I guess I'm
doing something right. " - ANC
AUTO DEALERS, GET READY TO
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Contact your local sales rep to learn more.
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Automotive News Canada - June 2024

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