What is that special something that makes your business stand apart? When you put the key in the door of your retail store, turn it, and walk inside, what do you think about or feel about your business that no one else does? When you first took on the challenge of running your retail business, what drove you to look past all obstacles towards your vision of success?
Whatever it is, whatever gets you out of bed in the morning, whatever pushes you to continue pursuing excellence for your business, that is the thing that truly sets you apart from the competition. The level of passion behind your business is immediately clear to both your employees and your customers; the level of care you put into running your business your way.
You’ve put a lot of effort into making your retail business a representation of you, so why should your consumer finance program be any different? Why would you devote so much time to delivering on your unique plan and then implement a consumer finance plan that is bog-standard for the industry? What you need is not a dime-a-dozen consumer finance offering. If you’re going to go that route, it won’t be worth the time and effort you put into running your finance program.
No, if you’re going to go in on consumer finance, you should go all in and make the most of it. You should build a consumer finance program that takes your business’s unique attributes into account, and, when you’re ready to really take things to the next level and put a lot more revenue in your pocket, you should look for a solution that’s as unique as your business, and flexible enough to meet your needs.
We’ll explain how.
Building a Unique Consumer Finance Program
When it comes to building a consumer finance program from the ground up, it’s important to remember that your finance program is really just an extension of your business. It’s not an all-new business endeavor; it’s a supplement to your existing business processes and an enhancement of your value proposition.
That’s why seamlessly implementing your consumer finance program as part of your overall business offerings – and, indeed as part of your sales pitch – is so important. Your customers should not see it as this weird offer that comes out of left field; it should be a totally natural part of your pitch. As an example, consider the following two hypothetical pitches:
Pitch 1
“By the way, I don’t know if this is something you would be interested in, but we do have these financing options. Totally optional, but we can look at it if you want. There is a bit of paperwork involved, but that is an option for you to consider.”
Pitch 2
“Have you thought about financing? It’s a great option, and a lot of our customers do it. It offers a lot of flexibility on your purchase. Applying is a super simple process, and I’d be happy to walk you through it every step of the way.”
See the difference? The first pitch is sheepish, almost embarrassed to even ask about it. This pitch is made from the mindset that only customers who can’t afford a certain product or service are interested in financing options. It is a weak position to try and make a sale from, that’s for sure.
The second pitch is proactive and helpful. It establishes that financing is a good thing, a positive thing, and something a lot of customers take advantage of. It’s not an inconvenience, it’s not some kind of sketchy option tucked away in a drawer, it’s another valid option for making a purchase.
That’s how you want to work financing into your existing sales pitch and value proposition: with confidence, clarity, and customer focus. If you drill it into your team, it will shine through to your customers, and bring in additional revenue.
Taking Your Consumer Finance Program to the Next Level
Here’s where the rubber hits the road. If you’re going to say that applying for financing is simple and convenient, you have to be able to deliver on that. You must ensure that your application process is smooth and easy, without a bunch of duplicate data entry when applying to multiple lenders.
That’s where FormPiper brings the magic. Just as your business delivers a unique value to your customers, FormPiper delivers one-of-a-kind value to your business, as a complete consumer finance automation solution. FormPiper eliminates duplicate data entry by allowing you to transmit application data to multiple forms with a press of a button, delivers business-critical data through a convenient reporting dashboard, and offers managed or self-managed services to meet your business’s specific needs.
In so many ways, FormPiper is truly a major upgrade for any consumer finance program. So, once you’ve established a consumer finance program that is as special as your retail business, give it an even bigger boost with FormPiper, and enjoy happier customers and employees and more revenue in your pocket.
