Episode 35: Jacob Soares

Promoting GM Protection Sales

"GM Protection and GMF are constantly iterating trying to find new and better ways to help our dealership.”

During Victorville Chevrolet's transformation into a SoCal F&I powerhouse, Jacob teamed up with his GMF Reps to make the most out of every GM Protection product at his disposal. GM Protection helped Jacob and his staff evaluate weak areas of their F&I strategy to boost their dealership's service contract penetration from 50% to 80% and finance gross per copy from $1,600 to $3,000 in just a few years.

After years of working with GM Protection, he’s enjoyed consistent product rollouts and enhancements that benefit his selling strategy and bottom line: "GM Protection says, 'Our dealers need this product; how are we going to find a way to get it to them?' And those are products that bring your customers back into the store to see you again."

What you can do: Don't let this revenue-generating opportunity go to waste. Team up with your GMF team to learn about GM Protection's suite of products.

Training for F&I Success

"They’re here on a weekly basis training our guys, and that’s a big reason why we’re in the top 1% of GM dealers for F&I gross per copy.”

When Jacob wanted to boost Victorville Chevrolet’s F&I sales, he leaned on GMF to provide his staff with the tools they need to succeed. Jacob utilized GM Protection products to create a service and retention pipeline: “Those are products that bring your customers back into the store to see you again.”

But expanding his dealership’s F&I product lineup was only a small part of the process; he had to ensure his team had the necessary know-how to sell GM Protection products to customers. As an enrolled dealer, Jacob tapped free Strategic Development Management (SDM) training to help one of his struggling Finance Managers top the sales charts: “That just shows the importance of training and refocusing on the basics.”

What you can do: Have a new hire or just need a refresher on F&I sales tips and tricks? Enroll in SDM Training and unlock the true potential of your dealership’s F&I sales team.

Keeping Fleet Sales Trucking

"We grew our Fleet business from selling zero cars in 2019-2021 to now selling 70-80 cars per month in 2024.”

“Victorville Chevrolet is in a big, big truck market,” Jacob tells us, but a Chevrolet Silverado or Colorado doesn't just sell itself. Jacob and his team worked diligently with GMF to solidify their status as “the number one heavy-duty dealer in the state of California” by 2023, consulting with GMF’s commercial team to corner the fleet market and outperform some of the biggest names in SoCal.

Linking up with GMF allowed Jacob and his staff to capitalize on incremental sales, thanks to expanded fleet lines of credit and bringing commercial customers back to the dealership and into new vehicles on a consistent basis: "I can't tell you how much retail business it brings in having those commercial relationships."

What you can do: Master the art of business financing. Talk to your GMF Rep to discuss how you can beef up your dealership's commercial sales game.