The first of the dealership-exclusive workshops hosted by the Automotive Dealership Institute has proved a resounding success. The packed workshop was led by acclaimed dealership consultant and ADI professor Rebecca D. Chernek. Dr. Robert W. Serum, former Vice President of Academics and International Programs at Northwood University and recipient of the 2007 Automotive Education Excellence Award, was among those in attendance, along with his wife, Dr. Camella Serum. They were joined by the publisher of F&I Management and Technology Magazine and Special Finance Magazine, Mr. David Gesualdo. Other attendees included finance directors, finance managers, sales managers and general agents from across the country.
“The automotive industry is evolving so quickly, it’s more important than ever for dealers to employ the most up-to-date methods available,” says Mr. Gesualdo. “This means refreshing and updating the education of dealership personnel, from upper management to sales personnel on the floor.”
This workshop is the result of the recent professional alliance between ADI and Chernek Consulting, Inc., a nationally respected dealership consultation company. “It’s been a great experience working with Ms. Chernek and CCI,” says Alan Algan, Executive Director and CEO of ADI. “In fact, Becky facilitates all of ADI’s in-store dealership consulting.”
The first day concentrated on interdepartmental cooperation, especially the transition between the Sales and Finance Departments. Day Two focused on the customer interview process, when the Finance Manager establishes a rapport with the customer. On the third day, participants honed their menu presentation techniques, which can significantly increase their customer acceptance ratio.
“The goal,” says Ms. Chernek, “is to teach dealers to minimize liability while maximizing profits both in the front and back end.”
Throughout the entire workshop, the focus was training dealership personnel to create consistent, effective dealership operations. At the same time, there was a strong emphasis on ethically practicing these new techniques. “It was a real world atmosphere,” reports Finance Director Sandra Parks of Green’s Toyota in Lexington, Kentucky. “The interaction and exchange of viewpoints between Ms. Chernek and the attendees was incredibly valuable.”
Due to the overwhelming response, the Automotive Dealership Institute has announced the next dealership-exclusive workshop, Closing Tools & Increasing F&I Revenue, will take place May 20-22, 2008. Seating will be limited, so early registration is recommended. For more information, visit our Automotive Dealership Workshop resource.
It was announced today that Dealer Marketing Services, Inc. will provide its web-based system for integration into Automotive Dealership Institute’s Finance and Insurance Management program. Under this new agreement between ADI and Dealer Marketing Services, students enrolled in the F&I program will be trained on the use of ProMax Online’s special finance and leasing capabilities. This will enable ADI graduates to join the nationwide network of dealerships currently using ProMax Online.
Today, the Automotive Dealership Institute announced the formation of an exclusive partnership with Rebecca D. Chernek, President of Chernek Consulting, Inc. (CCI). Based in Cumming, Georgia, CCI enjoys nationwide recognition for offering the latest in F&I training, in-dealership consultations, high-energy workshops, and sales development services. Ms. Chernek herself is a renowned F&I workshop provider, and has taught at dealerships across the country. She served as a guest lecturer at ADI this week, and received a standing ovation from a packed class.
“I was very impressed at the depth of instruction Becky provided in such a short period,” says Keith Mason, current F&I student at the Automotive Dealership Institute. “She really prepared us to be superior in the menu-presentation aspect of F&I.”
Ms. Chernek has joined ADI’s faculty as an associate professor, and will offer special workshops at ADI throughout the year. She will also assist ADI graduates with job placement at her dealerships nationwide. ADI’s dealership clients, too, will be able to go to Ms. Chernek as a resource, especially for new hire orientation, ongoing certification, and continued training of employees.
RouteOne LLC announced today that the Automotive Dealership Institute (ADI) will include its web-based credit application management system as part of the core curriculum for students enrolled in ADI’s F&I Management Program. The Arizona-based management institution specializes in educating the next generation of F&I managers and service advisors.
RouteOne will be included as a permanent component of ADI’s F&I Management Program, as well as the printed version of ADI’s resource encyclopedia and the online program. Students will learn about the myriad of services provided by RouteOne, including its single point of access to captive and non-captive finance sources, credit bureau access, free dealer and financial performance reports, and integration with over 35 service providers, including F&I menu sellers, CRM systems, dealer management systems, credit bureau providers and leads providers.
This year’s F&I Conference offers an inaugural CSI certification workshop, presented by the Automotive Dealership Institute. Desire for this groundbreaking training proved insatiable; due to a far higher than projected response rate and overwhelming demand, F&I Conference officials and ADI were left scrambling to increase the number of available seats.
Despite this increased capacity, seating is still extremely limited for this certification. Excitement over this cutting-edge workshop is mounting, so attendees who wish to take part should register as soon as possible.