Training, not technology or tactics, continues to separate high-performing dealerships from the rest as retail automotive faces mounting pressure around transparency, compliance, and talent retention. As digital tools accelerate change, disciplined execution and culture remain the defining advantages.
On today’s episode of Training Camp, Joel Kansanback, president of Strategic Dealer Advisory, joins host Adam Marburger to examine how consistent training, evolving F&I practices, and practical use of AI are reshaping dealership performance. The conversation centers on why training must function as a daily operational discipline, how transparency drives higher product penetration, and where the next generation of F&I leadership and technology is headed.
Kansanback’s automotive career began in the early 1990s, when F&I operated in a far less regulated and far more aggressive environment. While the core responsibility of F&I has remained profitability, today’s reality demands a sharper focus on customer experience, compliance, and sustainable results. The modern F&I office is no longer judged solely on gross but on its ability to balance efficiency, trust, and consistency across every transaction.
This evolution places training at the center of dealership success. Strong operators may be able to drive results through the force of management alone, but most stores do not have unlimited talent pipelines or the time to constantly replace staff. Structured training supports lower turnover, higher CSI, and ethical profitability, all while reinforcing a culture where employees want to stay and grow. Kansanback emphasizes that training is not a one-time initiative but an ongoing operating requirement that touches every department.
"Training has to be at the core and one of the building blocks, particularly if you're trying to build a culture."
Repair warranty automation strengthens fixed operations by attaching lifetime-style coverage to customer-pay repairs. This strategy drives stronger service retention, boosts repair sales, and unlocks new reinsurance revenue streams. The approach addresses one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: improving fixed-ops profitability while giving customers a clear reason to return.
Artificial intelligence functions as a force multiplier for training and process improvement. Kansanback outlines how AI-powered tools enable realistic role play, objective performance scoring, and real-time feedback tied directly to dealership processes. Instead of guessing where performance gaps exist, dealers gain data-driven insight into what is actually happening in the F&I office, allowing training efforts to focus on the areas that matter most.
Transparency, he notes, is no longer optional. Consumers expect access to information on their terms, and attempts to withhold or delay details only increase resistance. Studies consistently show that customers who receive information earlier buy more products, provided the experience feels informative rather than adversarial. The future of F&I depends on meeting customers where they are, streamlining the process, and removing the perception of being sold.
Culture ultimately determines whether any strategy succeeds. Dealerships either have a culture by design or by default, and that culture affects hiring, accountability, and the ability to implement new systems. With the proper foundation, training, technology, and transparency, work together to produce repeatable results without sacrificing integrity.
High-performing dealerships rely on disciplined training, transparent processes, and a supportive culture to achieve consistent, sustainable results in both sales and fixed operations.
