2009 Seminar Agenda

Special Finance Institute
Presented by: Rob Hagen, SpecialFinanceCoach.com

DealerTrack
Presented by: Frank Armstrong, President, World Omni Financial Corporation; Kyle Birch, Executive Vice President, Dealer Services, AmeriCredit; Chris Freeland, Owner, Harbor Nissan; Adam Pope, VP and Director of Business Operational Support Services, Wachovia Dealer Services; and Frank Walker, Walker Ford

F&I and Special Finance Conference Begins

Opening Keynote

Presented by Mark O'Neil, Chairman and CEO, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc.

"2010 Industry Outlook"

With more than 20 years of automotive experience behind him, O'Neil will share his insights on where the industry is headed, and what it means to you!

Keynote Presentation:   An Industry "R" evolution
Presented by Tom Murray, President of Resource Automotive

The industry's "reset" button has been pushed. Learn more about the new automotive landscape and the opportunities it offers.

In today’s market, car buyers aren’t the only ones dealers are serving these days. In today’s new automotive finance landscape, the key to a dealership’s success is how well it caters to its newest customer – lenders. Moderated by Auto Scoop’s Adam Goldfein, the panel brings together five industry experts to discuss how dealers can navigate this new reality. Attendees will also gain insight on how to prepare a deal that not only meets the needs of customers, but lenders as well.

Moderator:  Adam Goldfein, Auto Scoop
Panelists: Gil VanOver, President, gvo3 and Associates; Robert Harkins, Industry Consultant & President, HH&O Consulting Group; Hugh Abernethy, Vice President, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc.; Terrence O'Loughlin, Director of Compliance, Reynolds and Reynolds

Judging F&I Providers & Reinsurance

In these challenging financial times, it is more important than ever that you have a partner with the financial stability to survive and deliver the quality service you and your customers expect and deserve. Knowing that you have a partner to administer your products now and down the road is a crucial part of judging F&I providers because products can have up to a seven–year lifespan. A provider must be financially stable in addition to having a strong insurance backing. In addition, the right partner has to have the right business philosophy and the most comprehensive products. It is crucial to know if your potential partners have a “we pay claims” or a “we deny claims” philosophy. It’s easy to see which one will positively affect your customer satisfaction. Another important aspect to customer satisfaction is the ability to provide products without an abundance of exclusions, which ultimately lead to dissatisfaction issues. We will also compare reinsurance and other profit-sharing opportunities during the session. 

Dave Duncan, Senior Vice President of Sales, Safe-Guard Products International, LLC

Six Principles for Success in the New Economy

Times have changed and you need a new strategy.  It’s possible for your dealership to thrive in today’s challenging economic environment.  But you can’t do it using yesterday’s strategies.  The days of banks buying deep, with routine over-advances and extended terms are over for now.   However, many dealerships are still operating as if they weren’t.  The result is a lot of frustration, missed car sales and low F&I profits. This workshop will lay down six principles that your dealership must follow to capture the sales and profits you want and deserve.

Presented by Glenn Roberts, National Training & Business Development Manager, Zurich Insurance

Today’s customers demand truthful and timely information.  They also demand a sales process that doesn’t have them moving from one department to another.  Unifying the front-end isn’t a new concept.  Industry experts have preached for years the importance of a seamless transition through the sales process, touting promises of increased profits and excellent CSI.  But what does a unified front-end mean?  This workshop will provide an actual roadmap to a “One Team-Dream Team”, as attendees will get action ideas that can be employed at all three stages of the purchase experience.

Presented by Rick McCormick, National Account Development Manager, Reahard & Associates 

Managing Compliance, Including Ads, Leads and Procedures and Still Making the Sale

 In these tough economic times, driving business into the showroom is more important than ever.  Many merchants invest significant resources in advertising their products in a manner designed to entice potential customers. It's a perfectly time-honored tradition, but you have to do it right. And the final arbiter of what is "right" is the Federal Trade Commission. This workshop will cover a host of compliance issues related to marketing to customers, as well as how to legally convert a lead into a sale.

Moderator: Robert Harkins, Industry Consultant & President, HH&O Consulting Group
Panelists: Michael Benoit, Partner, Hudson Cook, LLP; Ronnie McKee, Compliance Officer (Ret), IRS; Denny Long, Senior Vice President, Dealer Marketing Services

(Exhibit Hall)

With challenges continuing to mount and answers slow to come, panel executives from today’s leading solution providers will share their insights on how dealers and lenders can manage through the chaos. The discussion will include advice for managing and forecasting F&I-related losses, as well as recommendations for building a firm foundation for uncovering new sales and revenue streams.

Moderator: Marguerite Watanabe, President, Connections Insights, LLC
Panelists: Peter Turek, Automotive Vice President, TransUnion; Lewis Kuhl, Esq., Pathman Lewis; Melinda Zabritski, Director of Automotive Credit for Experian; Pete Biscardi, President, NAC; Charlie Robinson, Executive Vice President of National Sales, Resource Automotive; David Engelman, President, Smart Payment Plan

The Future For Service Contracts (& AfterMarket Products); at the Desk, the F&I Office; and in the Service Lane

To understand why today's economic recession has created a nice opportunity for service-contract sales, one only needs to put on the shoes of today's skittish customer. Let's face it; consumers are keeping their vehicles longer than ever before. But with approximately 249 million vehicles on the road today, one has to wonder if these vehicle owners have money set aside for any unforeseen repairs. This workshop will explore how the desk and F&I can work together to ensure customers can reap the benefits of this key product, as well as others. It will also explore how dealers can transform their service lane into a profit-generating machine.

Moderator: Sandi Dixon, Manager of Employee Sales and Dealer Retail Sales Training, GMAC
Panelists: Alan Miller, Sr. Vice President of Sales, CNA National Warranty Corp; Patrick DeMarco, President, Ristken Software Services; Tim Blochowiak, Division Vice President, Protective; Rod Heasley, National Sales Director, AutoSave; Ash Bauer, Executive Vice President, Resource Dealer Group; Jeff Jagoe, IAS

Although it may seem like your credit-challenged customers are locked out of the credit markets, they're not.  However, the ability to get financing will come down in large part to the processes your special-finance department has in place. Learn from the Special Finance Coach about how to properly back customers into finance-appropriate vehicles, as well as tricks for structuring an approvable deal. Attendees will also learn how to work with credit buyers, as well as how to cultivate future sales.

Presented by Rob Hagen, SpecialFinanceCoach.com

Sponsored Lunch and Keynote Presentation:  "Fighting Fraud with the Red Flags Rule:  Practical Guidance for Business"

Presented by Manas Mohapatra, Attorney, Federal Trade Commission Division of Privacy and Identity Protection

Join Manas Mohapatra for a special "Lunch with the Federal Trade Commission," and get answers to all your questions regarding the federal government's newest weapon against identity theft--the Red Flags Rule.

Connecting Leads and Inventory with F&I

In this session learn how technology can enhance the relationship between inventory and F&I. Best practices will be shared explaining how you can use inventory management tools to drive more leads and increase F&I profit by enhancing current processes and identifying core vehicles--vehicles that repeatedly sell faster, for higher gross.

Presenter: Mike Waterman, Director, Sales and Inventory Optimization, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc

Sometimes we need to give a customer who is on the fence, a gentle nudge toward a positive buying decision.  A close is exactly what its name implies… it’s the last thing we’re going to do.  Because once we use a close, the customer knows we want him to buy the product.  This workshop will focus on the six keys to using closing questions that always get a “yes,” three product closes that really work, and reveal the absolute best close of all time, for any product.

Presented by Ron Reahard, President, Reahard & Associates, Inc.

Workshop: "Using and Leveraging Your Credit Platform"

Credit platforms revolutionized the F&I industry, connecting dealers to more finance sources than ever before.  But what does the future hold for these key F&I tools? Bringing together representatives from two longtime providers, as well as a new entrant to the industry, the panel will provide an insider's view of current lender activity.  Attendees will also gain a better understanding of how to maximize the use of these platforms, as well as learn how these lender portals are paving the way to the future for the automotive finance industry.

Moderator: Brent West, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, FairFunding
Panelists: Justin Oesterle, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Strategic Alliances, RouteOne; Robert Granados, Vice President & General Manager, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc.; Marty Zwolan, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Open Dealer Exchange