NEW YORK -

Before the coronavirus pandemic, a significant portion of dealership training happened in a classroom or face-to-face setting. While the crisis put a halt on that particular education delivery, Dave Worrall certainly does not want improvement of store personnel to become stagnant — especially in the valuable F&I department.

The senior director of global training and development at Assurant Global Automotive recently joined Nick Zulovich for an episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast to discuss how automotive education is changing and how dealerships can keep their employees equipped with the skills they need to meet the needs of today’s vehicle buyer.

To listen to this episode, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page. 

Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play. 

Coinciding with Worrall joining the podcast, Assurant also announced that it is now offering free two-hour online webinars designed to help financial service managers (FSMs) and sales managers improve deal yields and connect with customers. These new courses are offered through Assurant’s Performance Institute, its F&I training platform.

“Now more than ever, dealers can’t afford to leave dollars on the table. Profitability begins and ends with your F&I and sales teams,” Worrall said in a news release. “We want to help dealers navigate through this period of uncertainty and take their F&I and sales department to the next level.

“Assurant is thrilled to offer a virtual learning experience that will help improve dealers’ financial performance and allow for the convenience of distance learning,” he continued.

This development marks the first time that the Assurant Performance Institute is offering complimentary training workshops to those who aren’t yet clients. Participants in the U.S. can register for two webinar training sessions; one focused on essential skills for a successful FSM and the other on proper deal structure and desking for sales managers.

A brief description of the webinars is listed below:

1. Essential Skills for a successful FSM

Assurant said participants can get actionable tips for increasing profit and attachment rates and learn how to improve primary sales skills while staying current with industry best practices.

Webinar topics include:

• Principles of selling

• FSM responsibilities

• Importance of the interview

• Structure of menu presentation

• Objection handling

2. proper deal structure and desking for sales managers

Assurant indicated participants can develop a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of a successfully constructed deal to reduce transaction times, provide a better customer experience, and create the path maximizing front and backend yield at your dealership.

Webinar topics include: 

• Building value at the front of the deal

• Assisting customers based on their needs and budget

• Constructing a deal for both the customer and the dealership

“As cost control becomes a critical priority for dealers across the country, we wanted to ensure that we continued to honor our promise to dealers to provide them with customizable and innovative solutions that will help them grow their business,” Worrall said. “We are offering our training free of charge for the first time so dealers can take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn how to improve and maximize opportunities from market-leading instructors.”

Additional information and registration for Assurant’s webinars are available on this website.