We had finally made it. The cover of Auto Dealers Magazine had a photo of my brother and me with our backs to each other. The headline: Estranged twin brothers build the most successful dealership east of the Mississippi.

How did we get so successful? Our marketing plan was based upon our "supposed" estrangement. The customers loved it. Let me explain.

It had all started out innocently. We had inherited the business from our dad. We owned two GM dealerships across from each other. Our business was stagnant everyone was buying foreign cars. Harry, with his ego, suggested we start using TV in a big way to gain market share. However, we needed to differentiate ourselves from all the other guys screaming that they offered the best deals. Well Harry came up with this idea of having us fighting with each other like when we were kids, but this time fighting over customers.

At first it was just fun. Our commercials would show us running across Erie Boulevard trying to snarl each others customers or have me cutting the phone lines into Harry's office so that he could not make any sales calls.

Our revenues skyrocketed. We were grossing more then any other dealership in the East. And then over time, fiction became reality. We needed to maintain our TV personas not only in the office but in our daily lives too.

We stopped sitting next to each other in church. We went to moms for dinner on different nights. When we needed to meet face to face, it was absurd; we put on wigs (different colors) and sun glasses and would meet at a Starbucks fifty miles away.

We were too successful to change. The city had agreed to put in traffic light and cross walk for customers who were running back and forth. Our accountant could be seen running across the highway with his arms full of computer print outs as he would update us each separately on our sales.

I started getting tired of the routine. I had grandkids that I wanted to spoil. And sometimes I wasn't sure if the animosity was real or pretend. I did know for sure that I wanted out. I put my half of the business up for sale, but there were no buyers. I offered it to Harry but he was willing to pay me bubkis (Yiddish for basically "nothin"). And every potential buyer realized that the success of the business was tied into our estranged relationship.

How was I going to get out? I could try finding two other twin brothers and offering them the business. I thought Harry might agree to sell his half too if he got the right price.

I hired a business broker to sell our business. The scoundrel wanted an extra 3% because of the demands we had placed on him. Even after I agreed, he could not come up with any serious buyers. I finally found my own expert. He was an advisor to family run businesses. He specialized in siblings as co-owners, and would you believe it, his market niche was twins. (Of course, he was based in Twinsburg, Ohio.)

Could our kids take over the business? He asked. Well I did have twin girls and Harry twin boys. Imagine if they took over the business then it could grow into four dealerships that did not talk to each other.

We had an extended family meeting in Twinsburg. It was the only place that we would not be conspicuous. The kids were actually interested. The ideas started flying, perhaps dealerships that focused on environmentally correct cars. No, the boys wanted to focus on trucks and hummers for the macho market. The discussion got heated. They were screaming at each other.

They stormed out not talking to each other. This was great. My brother and I got up and shook hands. Our family business would continue for another generation.

Both sets of twins stepped back in. "Hey dad(s), we think for this to really work we shouldn't talk to our parents either. Sorry, but business is business."

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