F&I Menu Training - How To Present In 2025

The automotive retail world is changing fast—customers are walking into dealerships more informed, less patient, and digitally equipped. As an F&I Manager, your ability to deliver a sharp, tailored, and compliant menu presentation can be the difference between a missed opportunity and a record-setting PVR.

At Product Prep, we train top-performing F&I Managers to lead with confidence using modern menu techniques grounded in psychology, compliance, and practicality. Industry expert Gerry Gould has redefined how F&I professionals should be presenting menus in 2025, blending digital tools with timeless communication tactics to build trust, increase product acceptance, and drive dealership growth.

This article lays out the step-by-step guide to mastering the F&I menu this year. Whether you’re an F&I veteran or a newly promoted Sales Manager, these strategies are built to help you win—fast.

Key Takeaways:

• Early engagement is no longer optional—it’s essential: The sooner you enter the deal, the more control you have over the outcome. Waiting until paperwork time? You’re too late.
• Verifying information is your secret weapon: Don’t rely on assumptions or rushed handoffs. Asking the right questions early avoids compliance issues and supports a clean, confident close.
• Personalization is strategic—not chaotic: Your presentation script should stay consistent. What changes is how you guide customers based on real, relevant facts.
• Short, telling presentations win in the digital age: Attention spans are shrinking. Menu presentations need to be short, impactful, and tailored to the way buyers absorb information in 2025.

What is F&I Menu Training and Why is it Essential in 2025?

F&I menu training isn’t about learning to “pitch” more products. It’s about mastering how to guide informed, digitally native customers toward wise, protective decisions—all while protecting dealership compliance and growing profit per vehicle retailed (PVR).

In 2025, F&I training must evolve to reflect:

• The customer’s online-first journey.

• Instant access to competitor information.

• Low tolerance for wasted time or sales pressure.

• Higher expectations for transparency and clarity.

Training with Product Prep empowers F&I professionals with structured processes, digital presentation tactics, and compliant, conversational scripts that customers trust. These aren't just theory-based lessons—they’re based on in-the-trenches success from trainers like Gerry Gould, who has worked with dealerships coast to coast to help drive real results.

How to Transform Menu Presentations with Modern F&I Training

Step 1 – Engage Early: Get to the Customer Fast and Furious

You can’t afford to be the last one in the deal anymore. As Gerry Gould emphasizes, "If you're not involved in the deal by the time the customer shows up, you’ve already lost momentum, and probably some gross.”

Action Tip: F&I Managers should have CRM access to monitor deal flow in real time. This allows proactive outreach, early introductions, and better deal preparation.

When F&I is looped in late, mistakes follow—wrong names, incorrect vehicle info, incomplete paperwork. Worse yet, the customer feels like just another box to check. Early engagement flips the script and builds rapport long before the presentation starts.

Real-World Insight: One Product Prep Live participant reported a 17% increase in product penetration after implementing early customer outreach within their CRM.

Step 2 – Ask, Don’t Assume: Verify, Gather, Then Present

Think you know the customer? You don’t—until you ask.

It’s not just about “How many miles a year will you drive?” It’s about learning how they use their vehicle, how long they plan to keep it, and what their current insurance deductibles reveal about their risk tolerance.

This information isn't just for show—it guides what you emphasize in your menu presentation. For example:

• A customer with a low deductible is risk-averse—service contracts and tire-and-wheel protection become highly relevant.

• A long-term owner planning to drive 18K miles a year needs high-mileage VSC options.

• A short-term lease customer may benefit from excess wear-and-tear coverage or prepaid maintenance.

Pro Tip: Use a consistent interview script and verify every detail. Inaccuracies cost time and credibility.

Step 3 – Build a Word Track That Works in 2025

Product Prep teaches F&I managers to maintain a consistent structure, no matter the customer. Why? Because consistency reduces mental fatigue and improves confidence.

But what makes a great word track in 2025?

✅ It’s short
✅ It’s benefit-driven
✅ It avoids technical jargon
✅ It flows like a conversation

Here’s Gerry Gould’s proven menu intro:

“Mr. Jones, you’re taking delivery of the vehicle at the figures you agreed to. That may not be the best option for you. My job is simply to show you the options available to enhance your ownership experience. May I?”

From there, he introduces each product using simple phrasing like:

“It pays for this... it pays for that... it pays for this...”

No scare tactics. No pressure. Just clarity and logic.

Step 4 – Use Technology to Your Advantage

In 2025, paper menus are fading—and for good reason.

Customers trust what they can see and interact with. Digital menus on tablets or screens allow F&I managers to:

• Guide the conversation visually.

• Let the customer “shop” their options (Amazon-style).

• Provide dynamic payment calculations as they add/remove items.

Tip: Even if you’re required to provide a printed menu for compliance, consider presenting on a screen first, then printing after decisions are made.

Step 5 – Master the Close: The Free No + The Final Ask

The close isn’t a moment—it’s the result of every step that came before. But the most overlooked part of the close is what Gould calls “the Free No.”

After your presentation, ask:

“Do you have any questions about the options I just shared?”

This disarms the customer’s knee-jerk “No.” If they do ask a question, it often leads to a purchase. If not, follow with:

“Then which option works best for you?”

Expect resistance. Most customers say no at first. But Product Prep training shows how to handle that objection—gracefully, persistently, and professionally. In fact, Gould shares that if you follow the structure and ask confidently, 30% of customers will choose at least one product—even after saying no.

FAQs

1. What’s the ideal length of a menu presentation in 2025?

3 to 5 minutes. Anything longer loses attention and trust. Keep it short, structured, and benefit-focused..

2.  Can this system work for lease, finance, and cash deals?

Yes. Your structure remains the same—the only thing that changes is the relevance of the products based on the type of deal and the customer’s driving habits.

3. What if I’m a Sales Manager transitioning into F&I?

Perfect. Many of our students come from sales and use Product Prep to bridge the gap quickly. You’ll learn process, compliance, and presentation—step by step.

4. What if a customer resists going through the menu?

Use a transition line like: “In the next three minutes, I’ll show you how to enhance your ownership experience—may I?” When presented this way, most customers agree to proceed.

5. Does this training help with compliance too?

Absolutely. Our process aligns with FTC guidelines and dealership compliance practices. Training includes disclosure best practices and documentation tips.

Conclusion

In today’s market, a sloppy menu presentation costs more than a missed sale—it hurts your brand, your CSI score, and your credibility. In 2025, the bar is higher. Customers are faster, smarter, and more selective.

Mastering the menu is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s the backbone of every successful F&I strategy.

At Product Prep, we don’t teach theory. We teach execution. And with Gerry Gould’s proven framework, digital menu strategies, and structured closing methods, you’ll walk into every deal with the confidence to lead—and the skills to close.

By the way, you’re invited to check out our world-class F&I training program where the average F&I Manager increases their PVR by over 30% in the first month. You’ll have access to 100+ hours of training videos personalized to your weaknesses. Plus, you get exclusive access to see Gerry Gould LIVE twice per month to ensure you continue to grow your skillset and income. Come join a community of the top F&I Managers in the country and the #1 F&I Training in the world. For $149 you can pay that off with one extra deal we’ll personally teach you in the first week of training.