I like to scour the SAAB classifieds, whether it is for parts, wheels, whole cars or some unusual piece of sculpture that someone made out of parts. It’s all a great diversion for me, a diversion I dedicate just 15 minutes a day towards…uh, maybe 20 minutes.
While I like to do this, I am surprised, daily, at the depth of the narrative used to describe the products and cars that are offered for sale. These good sellers tell me everything about their product. They even separate it into, “the good”, “the bad” and “the unknown.”
Most narratives begin with the listing of the model of the car, year of the car, condition of the car and price. The seller will then go into the history of the car; who owned it before he did; what geographical area did the car “live;” what repairs were or were not made to it; whether the car was ever in an accident; whether the engine or transmission have been replaced; whether the car has a “tune” on it (a horsepower and torque upgrade) done by one of several well-known “tuners;’ or has a bigger turbo been added…and on and on.
Their passion and love for their car is unmistakable. Their words seem to spill out easily.
Oh, I suspect that other car enthusiasts describe their cars with the same love and passion as SAAB owners, although I would like to think that SAAB owners are, well, different.
After all we are keeping a brand alive whose death we neither accept nor recognize. Ask us why and we just shake our heads and walk away saying, “I can’t really explain it.”
As I go about my business of consulting, coaching and speaking with proprietors all over the country about initializing, implementing and completing projects as well as asking them to donate to BVL, I am all too aware of the rush to “FECize” their bowling center.
I know of many successful proprietors who have jumped on this, who have added to the initiators of this trend and created new variations of the trendy FEC or BEC model making it better, more exciting, more attractive and more appealing to today’s family looking to “gulp” their leisure activities as fast as possible.
Thus the appeal of the one stop shop for consumers to GET MORE FUN and MAKE MORE MEMORIES makes all the sense in the world.
I get it.
But I wonder about one thing. Do these proprietors have the same passion for their FEC as they did when they first opened their very own “bowling alley?”
I hope they remember that feeling. I hope they remember that passion. I hope they have it for their new FEC.
Maybe then they’ll even buy a SAAB
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