The recreational industry slows down in the winter, but as a recreational lender, you gain a valuable resource: time. Use this season to help your dealer partners refine the buying and financing experience, while positioning your institution as a preferred lending partner once demand peaks again in spring.
Here are a few practical ways you can use the off-season to deepen your relationships with both dealers and buyers.
Collaborate With Dealers
During high-volume periods, dealer-lender interactions often focus on speed and approvals. In the off-season, shift the conversation from transactions to collaboration. You can:
Check in with dealer partners to discuss any bottlenecks that slow funding on either side
Ensure dealer teams understand your credit guidelines and documentation requirements, especially any new elements they should be familiar with
Encourage them to adopt digital tools that speed up submission, contracting, and funding
Provide insights on approval trends, common stipulations, or buyer behaviors you’re seeing across your dealer network
These actions show dealers you’re invested in their success beyond individual deals and that you value a seamless, positive experience throughout the lending process.
Employee development and education often gets sidelined during busy seasons to prioritize business operations and deals. Use the slow season to revisit or establish training guidelines and topics, both for your staff and your dealer partners. Consider offering:
Virtual training sessions on your lending programs, recent policy updates, or new tools and workflows
Quick reference guides for common deal scenarios
One-on-one training for new F&I managers or sales staff
Providing educational resources improves deal quality and positions your institution as a knowledgeable, supportive guide dealers want to work with.
Indirect lending practices often keep you from engaging directly with buyers early in their journey, but you can still contribute to a positive experience in a few key areas:
Find ways to improve turnaround times for approvals and funding
Provide clear loan terms and communication throughout the decision-making process
Ensure dealers have access to up-to-date, comprehensive loan documentation so deals are done right the first time
Customers expect quick and automated service, so it’s vital your lending processes allow dealers to deliver faster closings and fewer follow-ups.
During the off-season, lay a solid foundation for stronger relationships and experiences for your dealer partners and their buyers. When demand returns, dealers will trust you to support their deal submissions.