Help Telling the Story

So…you need help telling the story? That’s OK. Many people do, and I certainly appreciate being able to offer some advice. Below is a primer to telling the story. Just so we’re clear, these aren’t intended to be fill-in-the-blank questions. Despite the signage, showrooms, inventory mix, and advertising, every single dealership is different. It’s up to us to tell everybody how. Whichever direction you decide to take, here are some questions you can answer that might help craft the next legendary tale:

• Who founded the dealership, and when?
  • Unique qualities of the founder
    • Previous successes and/or failures
    • Interesting upbringing
      • Immigrant
      • Army brat
      • Obstacles/hardships
    • Strong ties to an OEM
  • Where there any unique circumstances at the time?
    • World War II
    • Baby Boom
    • Oil Crisis
    • Introduction of new manufacturers
    • Failing economy
• Where was the dealership founded?
  • Significance of the location
  • Family ties to the area
  • Original location or new location(s)
    • Major improvements and/or additions
    • Rationale for staying or moving
• What are the major milestones?
  • Sold first car
    • Sold first of subsequent brand’s car
  • First repeat customer
  • First OEM award
  • First VIP customer
  • First employee with 10 years of service
  • First million in revenue
  • Second-generation of family owner was born
  • Business changed hands
• How has the dealership impacted the community?
  • Clubs and/or fraternal orders
  • Religious organizations and/or charities
  • Sponsorships
    • 4H/FFA
    • Little league teams
    • Soccer teams
    • College sports
    • Professional teams
    • Olympics
• Who has pictures of the above events?

There are several more questions you could ask, however these should put you on the right path. If you need more ideas, there are several good resources for inspiration. Upon searching, Amazon lists 6,676 entries on “telling the story” in the business section alone. I’d do some searches on FastCompany and TED.com, first. Now go forth, and start telling!