Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends. – Walt Disney

An excellent customer experience is critical to your success because it helps convert a standard customer into a loyal one. Customers today are the drivers of the process. They have power that enables them to demand what they want, and if not provided, they will just say no and move on! The challenge is to find out what customers want and need, then ensure that they get it! Here are the four pillars of a great customer experience.

Make It Personal - Great teaching is not about the teacher. Great coaching is not about the coach. And a great process in the F&I office is not about the F&I professional. It’s about the customer! If the focus is on understanding the customer, asking questions to explore what he or she needs, and listening more than talking, the customer becomes the focus. And that is exactly what customers want! A customer-focused process is filled with open-ended questions that lead to the customer sharing and talking. If the questions we ask are the same tired ones heard before, customers will simply shut us out and demand we hurry up. To be seen as genuinely interested in them and different than what they have experienced before, ask new and different questions:

• Which technology features are you most looking forward to using on this vehicle?

• How many networks do you have in your house? (There are 20 networks on the average vehicle.)

• If you could describe this economy in one word, what would that word be?

Be genuine in your interest. You cannot fake genuineness! Authenticity leads to open and insightful conversations. Insincerity leads to short answers and closed minds. We must move our focus from “closing” to gaining openness in the conversation. Make the customer the center of the discussion. Because it is all about the customer and their needs, not ours!

Trust is the Currency of Todays’ Customer! Everything rises and falls based on the level of trust built with each customer. We do not need to focus on how to create more profit; we should concentrate on how to build more trust! Customers depend on what they can see and what is backed up with visible proof. So provide it!

According to a Dell Education website, “An average driver needs 1.4 seconds to apply a vehicle’s brakes in an emergency, the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) needs less than 0.1 seconds. That 1.3-second improvement can save 180 feet of stopping distance at 56 MPH." That translates into the computers on a vehicle responding 140 times faster than human reaction. It’s not just that we have more computers in a vehicle today – it’s that they are much faster and more comprehensive in what they do!

Sharing proven data provides credibility. Unsourced verbal information builds suspicion. As trust increases, customers are more comfortable accepting the benefits of coverage.

Empathy Turns the Table on the Process! Empathy is defined as the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and perspective of another. Simply, it is “walking a mile in their shoes.” Customers cannot be expected to understand us; however, they will be compelled when they feel like we understand them! Without empathy, our intent is on saying the right things at the right time. More impact is gained from a process that eagerly seeks to understand the customer. What the customer has to say is much more important than what we have to say. We must move from making presentations to having conversations. Meaningful conversations always have a rhythm.

Everything in life that is successful works in cadence. Time, the universe, our heart, and even the oceans all work on tempo. If they get out of rhythm, chaos is the result. If our conversation with a customer becomes one-sided in place of an ebb and flow in which everyone is learning and trust and comfort are being built, our process becomes chaotic.

Empathy demands that we focus on listening to what the customer has to say. You don't need to be a psychic to understand what your customers want or need. You just need to listen to them. If you don’t listen, you might end up addressing the wrong problem or miss the real situation completely. When acceptance levels are lower than expected it could be the inability to sell value. In all probability, the process hasn’t been differentiated enough with unique, personalized information to address their needs. You miss the mark, and you miss the sale! Connection is much more powerful than closing. And helping will outperform selling every time. Listen up! Customers have everything you need to know if you listen intentionally and listen to learn.

Personalized Solutions Are What They Want! Customers are not interested in buying products or what may have worked for others. They ask, ‘Why do I need this product?’ We must answer with credible information learned earlier through our trust-building and listening process. Many resort to pressuring the customer and pushing them to buy. However, the more a customer feels pressured to buy, the greater the resistance. As sales pressure falls, so does resistance.

Most customers are looking for a great ownership experience, not just a great buying experience. The packages we offer grant customers a sense of control and stability throughout their vehicle ownership. The more we fashion our effort to overcome any customer objections with this concept, the more they will buy. It’s all about needs-fulfillment. They simply will not buy things they feel they don’t need. Our role is to help them assess their needs and match those with the products that will fill the need. “You told me earlier” are the most powerful words you can share. Now we are taking information customers provide and showing them why, in their cases, the products could be crucial for a great ownership experience.

The four pillars of an excellent customer experience must be installed intentionally. If any of these are wanting, the F&I process lacks stability. When this consultative approach is utilized, the natural abilities that most all possess can be used to move customers to secure the coverages they need. A great process brings needs and abilities to the surface. Everybody wins!

Rick McCormick is national account development manager for Reahard & Associates.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was authored and edited according to F&I and Showroom editorial standards and style. Opinions expressed may not reflect that of the publication.