Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Special Finance Training & Dealership Consulting
Answers to common questions from dealership owners, GMs, GSMs, F&I managers, and special finance managers.
Special Finance Training
Who should attend special finance training?
Special finance training is most valuable for special finance managers, F&I managers, sales managers, and anyone involved in working subprime credit applications. Dealer principals and GMs who want to understand why deals are being declined also benefit from the perspective it provides.
Learn About Special Finance TrainingCan special finance training improve our dealership's approval rates?
Training helps teams identify approval opportunities they may currently be missing, through better lender selection, stronger deal structure, improved customer interviews, and smarter stipulation management. The goal is to help your team see more possibilities inside the applications you already have.
What is the difference between F&I training and special finance training?
F&I training typically focuses on product presentation, menu selling, and compliance. Special finance training focuses specifically on working subprime and non-prime credit: reading applications, structuring deals for approval, selecting the right lender, and managing the unique challenges of the special finance process.
Dealership Consulting
What information is needed before a dealership consultation?
The more context you can provide about your current situation, the more productive the initial conversation will be. It helps to know what types of credit you're working, which lenders you're currently using, where you feel the biggest gaps are, and what your current approval and delivery rates look like. That said, the consultation itself is designed to help identify what's happening. You don't need to have all the answers before we talk.
Book a ConsultationDo you work with independent dealerships?
Yes. Auto Finance Magician works with both independent and franchise dealerships. Independent dealers often face unique challenges around lender access and special finance process, and the consulting approach is adapted to the specific situation of each dealership.
Do you work with franchise dealerships?
Yes. Franchise dealerships often have strong lender relationships but may still have significant opportunities in deal structure, special finance process, and lender utilization. The consulting approach is tailored to the dealership's specific situation regardless of franchise or independent status.
Can you train an entire dealer group?
Yes. Auto Finance Magician works with dealer groups and multi-store operations. Engagements for dealer groups are customized around the group's specific needs, which may include multiple on-site visits, management-level strategy sessions, or group training programs.
Contact Us About Dealer GroupsThe Dealership Intensive
What happens during a Dealership Intensive?
The Dealership Intensive is a customized on-site engagement built around your specific dealership, team, deals, and opportunities. It typically includes live deal analysis using your actual applications, deal structure and lender strategy work, customer interview and process review, team development, and identification of missed opportunities. The focus areas are determined based on what your dealership needs most.
Learn About the Dealership IntensiveDo you provide on-site dealership training?
Yes. The Dealership Intensive is specifically designed as an on-site engagement. Working directly with your team, in your dealership, with your actual deals and applications is what makes it different from a generic training program.
Lender Strategy & Deal Structure
Can Auto Finance Magician help evaluate our lender mix?
Yes. Evaluating the dealership's current lender relationships, identifying gaps in lender coverage, and developing a stronger strategy around the credit profiles you actually see is a core part of what Auto Finance Magician does. The goal is to help you put the right opportunities in front of the right lending partners.
Learn About Lender StrategyCan you help with deals that have already been declined?
Yes. The Virtual Deal Review & Strategy Session is specifically designed to work through difficult deals, declined applications, and situations where the team believes an approval opportunity may have been missed. We look at deal structure, lender selection, and alternative approaches.
Learn About the Virtual Deal ReviewHow can better deal structure improve approvals?
Poor deal structure is one of the most common reasons approvable deals get declined. The vehicle, down payment, advance, LTV, and term need to align with what the lender's program allows for that specific credit profile. Structuring deals for the lender, not just for the customer's preference, is one of the highest-impact skills in special finance.
Read: How to Structure a Special Finance DealWorking With Auto Finance Magician
How is Auto Finance Magician different from other automotive training companies?
Auto Finance Magician is built on years of working inside dealerships, from the sales floor to the finance office to dealership leadership. The training and consulting aren't built on theory or a generic curriculum. They're built on real dealership experience working special finance from every angle: structuring deals, managing lender relationships, training teams, and launching dealerships from scratch.
About QuincyWhat is the first step to working with Auto Finance Magician?
The first step is a conversation about your dealership: what you're working with, where you feel the biggest gaps are, and what you're trying to improve. From there, we can identify the right level of support and the best way to engage. There's no obligation in that initial conversation.
Book a ConsultationStill Have Questions?
Let's Talk About Your Dealership.
Every dealership is different. The best way to figure out what your operation needs is a conversation about what's actually happening inside it.