Last week, Servicing Solutions attended the NAF Association’s 27th Annual Non-Prime Auto Financing Conference in Plano, TX. Our Chief Revenue Officer, Andrew Coffey, joined hundreds of other members of the auto finance community to network, share best practices, and discuss potential partnership opportunities.
Aside from the necessary mingling, the attendees had their calendars packed with a robust agenda consisting of breakout sessions and panels led by industry experts. On Thursday, Andrew and a few of his peers led a thoughtful discussion on improving your collections and recovery cycle. For those interested in taking some of their networking to the links, the NAF Association hosted a golf outing on Wednesday morning at The Clubs of Prestonwood on their Hills Course. Not quite up for 18 holes, but still interested in getting some swings in? Don’t worry, NAF had you covered with a BBQ social at Topgolf DFW that same night. The conference was held at the beautiful Renaissance Dallas, where most participants stayed, and NAF provided a complimentary shuttle service for offsite events.
With the corporate world taking major strides to return to post-pandemic normalcy, recent conferences like these have served as a reminder of the actual impact they can make on businesses. In auto financing, especially, in-person networking is essential. At Servicing Solutions, we place a heavy emphasis on building relationships with our partners, which requires spending time to really get to know each other.
Andrew Coffey, has been a member of the financial services community for over 20 years. Andrew’s experience in the space is diverse; he has spent most of his career in operations and customer experience, giving him a keen sense of how to approach building relationships as our head of sales. He values connection and quality above all else, an advantage when it comes to navigating some of the dense sales cycles that we face in primary loan servicing, backup loan servicing, and business process outsourcing. Andrew is consultative, communicative, and accommodating throughout his process; he makes it clear that you are creating a lasting partnership with Servicing Solutions when you decide to work with us.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Andrew earlier this week to talk about his experience at the NAF annual conference, what it’s like attending events like these today, and how he stays on top of his game while traveling for work.
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Adrian Frattini: So we did a lot of work in preparation for NAF. We made handouts, researched potential attendees, and got ready for your panel. What expectations did you have going into the event?
Andrew Coffey: We did. It was great to feel prepared and have something informative and tangible to share with people at [NAF]. I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity to meet and reconnect with as many people as possible, so it was necessary to put time into learning some things about them beforehand. Events like these that are a bit more niche always create a lot of unique opportunities to collaborate and network, so I certainly had high expectations. They were definitely met.
AF: The agenda was teeming with valuable content. Was there anything in particular that stood out?
AC: Oh, there was so much. NAF did a great job setting the guests up to learn a lot, and I’m not just saying that because I was on one of the panels. Eric Johnson from [Hudson Cook, LLP], which is like, an industry icon, hosted a discussion called Latest in Legal. He and the panelists went through some pressing topics related to compliance and regulations that were worth paying attention to. I picked a few things up that will be helpful for future use. It’s beneficial to hear some of my peers’ challenges and how they are overcoming them, especially related to compliance, because that helps me better anticipate things we may not have already encountered. [Compliance] is always tough to keep a pulse on because regulations are so nuanced. I am proud that we work hard [at Servicing Solutions] to stay informed, and conferences like these are paramount to that effort.
AF: I heard the discussion you participated in went really well. How do you think you did?
AC: Man, I was a little nervous.
AF: I didn’t say that.
AC: You didn’t have to. I had never done something like that before, so I was stepping a bit outside of my comfort zone. I didn’t want my nerves to interfere with the message.
AF: It sounds like they did not.
AC: I think it went well. It was an excellent conversation and another great opportunity to learn from people living and breathing the same air I am every day who know what they’re talking about. I was honored to be part of it. The host, Jan [Stieger (RMAI)], was also fantastic. Everyone at [NAF] was really accommodating in the days leading up to the event in, giving us insight into the topics we’d be covering so you and I could come up with a plan. I definitely think that helped calm my nerves a bit because I was confident in the effort I put into my preparation.
AF: A major win overall. Any other highlights?
AC: The week as a whole was a win, in my opinion. I got to visit the folks in our Irving HQ, my old stomping ground, which is always a pleasure. I lived there for over six years, so whenever I am back in town, it feels like home. Amy Martin from [Standard & Poor’s] did a presentation on auto loan [Asset-Backed Securities] trends on Friday that was incredibly informative and a nice way to end the conference. Also, I went out to dinner at Del Frisco’s hosted by TransUnion, which you can never really go wrong with.
AF: Classy. Did you go for the T-Bone?
AC: I do like a good porterhouse. I kept it simple with filet mignon, though. I was honestly a little disappointed the burger wasn’t on the menu. In any case, it was another great opportunity to network with my peers.
AF: Del Frisco’s does make a good burger. Attending conferences, in general, can take a lot out of people, let alone those they are actively participating in. You had almost a full day and a half of sessions between the beginning of the conference and your panel. Aside from a good steak, what else helps you stay sharp for these events?
AC: Steak helps, and I think it honestly is as rudimentary as something like that. Staying hydrated. Getting a good night’s sleep. Basic survival, really. I planned my daily travel to and from the venue ahead of time so I was never rushing or running behind. That allowed me to take as much in as possible without getting too distracted by logistics in the moment.
AF: It seems like this was a successful conference. Is there anything else you would like to share before we wrap up?
AC: I want to thank the NAF staff for organizing a great event. They did such a good job creating an intimate environment for us. It led to a lot of meaningful connections, and I think everyone learned at least something. I know I did.
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Reach out to sales@servicingsolutions.com to start a conversation with Andrew today.