Remote F&I is no longer just a workaround. For dealers selling cars to out-of-state buyers or customers who simply prefer to close from home, it is becoming a standard part of the process.
On this episode of F&I Today, Paul Brown, Vice President of Ascent Dealer Services, says most dealerships aren’t ready to take their F&I operation remote. It’s not a technology issue, he says, it’s the lack of a repeatable process built around it.
What stores get wrong about remote F&I
Brown points to two symptoms he sees repeatedly:
- The first is stores treating remote deals as second-tier. Managers prep the file and get on a call with no structured process behind it.
- The second is the handoff language sales uses to close out the deal.
However, Brown refers to both as a failed process. The goal, he asserts, is to make the remote closing feel as close to an in-person experience as possible. Which, he alludes, does not happen without a process designed specifically for it.
For example, he says, the old model, like printing paperwork, sending it to be notarized, and shipping the car, produces zero swing. It’s not that remote deals have to be bad, he confirms. It’s that stores are not building the process that makes them good. He also believes that the finance office’s remote problem is a communication problem, not a technology problem.
“Rapport and value building is not harder on video. Rapport and value building is harder when communication is lazy,” Brown said. Though the goal is to replicate the in-person experience as closely as possible. He believes customers are more likely to follow a process if one is in place.
A remote process that works
According to Brown, a structured remote process works because the psychology behind in-person F&I does not disappear on video. It just requires more setup.
The first principle, he asserts, is social presence. When a customer feels a real, attentive professional is with them through the screen, they tend to make decisions the same way they would sitting across a desk. Brown says the customer’s home environment actually creates an advantage. For instance, a customer at their kitchen table or home office feels safe, less pressured, and easier to reach.
“So much of what we do in F&I is taking the customer and gently moving them out of their own way so that they can see the benefit of the products and how they let them have a better ownership experience,” Brown said.
Brown also believes that being fully prepared demonstrates respect, which in turn garners attention. Eye contact matters too. Camera placement can quietly undermine trust if the manager appears to be looking past or above the customer. Brown says stores need to invest in equipment that creates true eye-to-eye contact.
Moreover, Brown says that personality adaptation works the same way on video as it does in person. He breaks it down such as:
- Direct buyers want brevity.
- Analytical buyers want structure.
- Amiable buyers want reassurance.
- Expressive buyers want energy and vision.
Setting up the video call
When sales notifies F&I of a remote delivery, the finance manager should call the customer right away. That call is not the closing, Brown says, but rather it’s to set up the closing.
Therefore, Brown offers a sample opening for that call, such as:
"Modern F&I is not about selling harder. It's about helping customers own smarter. The dealers who win will be the ones who coach the process, protect customer trust, reduce friction, and turn talent into repeatable performance."
“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Customer, this is Paul Brown from ABC Motors. I’m one of the business managers here, and I’m going to be taking care of your closing. What I need to do today is gather a little bit more information from you and set a time for a 25-minute Zoom call to complete your transaction.”
Brown says managers should explain how remote closing works, not ask whether they want to do a Zoom call. A customer who is asked will usually say no, Brown contends.
Once the call is scheduled, send the customer digital brochures and product videos to review beforehand. Brown says 67% of customers say they would be more likely to buy F&I products if they’ve had time to review them. Sending the materials before the call also changes how you handle objections. A customer who has reviewed the products comes with logic-based questions rather than reflex resistance.
“I’m okay with a customer formulating an objection ahead of time because that’s one that’s probably rooted in some sort of logic rather than just a reflex objection where the customer is saying no,” Brown said.
Brown says the remote F&I opportunity is the same as any other deal. It just requires the same discipline dealers apply everywhere else in the store.
