Where all the fun happens.
Dropping knowledge left and right. But mostly left.
2015 Chili Bowl Nationals Driver Twitter Handles
If you’re a sprint car racing fan, there’s no doubt that you’re tuning in to the Chili Bowl Nationals this week. Here is a list of Twitter handles for the 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals drivers based on the pre-entry list. They are arranged by car number, and bolded entries are updates or additions from the 2014 list.
GO – Kip Hughes – none
0 – Johnny Murdock – none
00 – Cole Custer – @colecuster00
0B – Billy Melton – none
0G – Glenn Styres – @GlennStyres
0K – Don O’Keefe Jr – @DOK_LOKENT
0T – Tyler Brehm – @TylerBrehm
05 – Brad Loyet – @LoyetMotorsport
05H – Justin Hendricks – none
05T – Gary Taylor – @garytaylorGT
05W – Kenny Wallace – @Kenny_Wallace
1 – Sammy Swindell – @1SAM91
1B Bobby Brewer – None
1JR – Stevie Sussex III –@Sussex45
1OU – AJ Burns – none
1P – Terry Nichols – none
1PW – Paul White – none
1ST – J.J. Yeley – @jjyeley1
1T – Tony Roney – none
1W – Mike Wheeler – none
2 Ryan Hall – none
2$ – Stuart (Stu) Snyder – @bbodfield
2A – C.J. Leary – @CJ_Leary_30
2B – Ryan Bernal – @bernal_ryan
2D – Steve Davis – none
2H – Robert Harr – none
2HH – Nathan Benson – none
2J – Ryan Leavitt – @RyanLeavitt22
2K – Kyle Jones – none
2M – Seth Motsinger – @sethmotsinger44
2ND – Jeb Sessums – none
2X – Charlie McDonald – none
3 – Shane Cottle – @shanecottle2e
3A – Chris Andrews – @chrisandrews16c
3C – Raven Culp – @CulpRacing3
3FF – Jake Blackhurst – @j_blackhurst25
3M – Mike Fulper – none
3N – Jake Neuman – none
3T – Tim Barber – none
4 – Caleb Armstrong – @Armstrong7c
4A – Chad Dyer – none
4C – Chadd Howell – none
4F – Chad Frewaldt – none
4J – Tim Crawley – @timcrawley88
4K – Josh Lakatos – none
4M – Ty Hulsey – @tyhulsey
4R – Ryan Greth – none
4X – Shawn Petersen – none
5 – Jerry Coons Jr – @JerryCoonsJr
5$ – Danny Smith – none
5B – Andee Beierle – @A_B_Racing41
5BL – Barry Lamb – none
5C – Colten Cottle – @Cottle5
5D – Zach Daum – @DaumMotorsports
5E – James Edens – @edens52
5F – Rik Forbes – none
5G – P.J. Gargiulo – none
5H – Tyson Hall – none
5T – Tom Everhart – none
5X – Justin Peck – @justin_peck5
D6 – Dakota Gains – @dakotagaines1
6 – Tom Harris – @tomharrisracing
6A – David Gough – @DavidGough6
6K – Ryan Foster – none
6M – Pat McVicker – none
6R – Lucas Schott – @lucasschott69
7 Shannon McQueen – @racechic37
7AB – Amber Balcaen – @amberbalcaen10
7B – Austin Brown – none
7C – Chance Morton – @morton_chance
7CG – Logan Jarrett – @loganjarrett29
7CH – Critter Malone – none
7D – Michelle Decker – @M_DeckerRacing7
7F – Claud Estes III – none
7J – Shawn Jackson – none
7JR – Robert Black – none
7K – Robby Parish – none
7M – Kevin Ramey – none
7R – Anton Julian – none
7RS – Scott Crystal – none
7S – Pat Schudy – none
7SS – Wade Seiler – @Wade_Seiler
7T – Tanner Berryhill – @tannerberryhill
7W – Kory Schudy – none
7X – Gage Walker – @Carlos_Walker33
R8 – Joey Moughan – @Jracer2m
8 – Alex Sewell – @Ajsewell73
8H – Harli White – @Harli17w
8J – Jonathan Beason – none
8K – Blake Hahn – @BlakeH52
8L – Austin Liggett – @austinliggett
8M – Kade Morton – @KadeMorton_8M
8R – Randi Pankratz – none
9$ – Kyle Clark – none
9D – Sean Dodenhoff – none
9E – Brody Roa – @BrodyRoa
9P – Parker Price-Miller – @parker_pm9
9U – Doug McCune – @doug_mccune
10 – George White – none
10C – Dalton Camfield – none
10V – Richard VanderWeerd – none
11 – Justin Melton – none
11A – Andrew Felker – @AndrewFelker11a
11B – Josh Baughman – @Josh_Baughman17
11C – Chett Gehrke – @ChettGehke
11D – Dustin Hapka – @dustinhapka
11F – Floyd Alvis – none
11K – Gavin Harlien – @gavinharlien
11W – Brady Bacon – @BradyBacon
11X – Steve Newman – none
11XS – Donovan Peterson – @DonovanPeterson
12 – Chris Sheil – none
12A – Austin Archdale – @archdaleracing2
12C – Chris Stockham – @stockham44
12J – Jay Mounce – @12JMotorsports
12K – Chris Dyson – @ChrisDyson16
12S – Bryan Severs – none
13JR – Jock Thacker – none
13SR – John Ricketts – @Ricketts5R
14D – David McIntosh – @Blondie_Racing
14E – Eric Fenton – @ejokie72
14H – Harley Hollan – @Harley_14H
14N – Paul Nienhiser – @paul_nienhiser
14R – Jody Rosenboom – @JodyRosenboom
14S – Steve Schaberg – @StevenSchaberg
14W – Matt Westfall – @mtttw
15 – Tim Siner – @Siner_15
15B – Danny Burke – none
15D – Andrew Deal – @1TheRealDeal5d
15H – Sam Hafertepe Jr – @samhafertepejr
15B – Travis Herman – none
15W – Brandon Waelti – none
16 – Brandon Matus – @BrandonMatus_13
16C – David Camfield Jr – none
17 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr – @StenhouseJr
17C – Casey Shuman – @caseyshuman
17D – Alex DeCamp – none
17E – Blake Edwards – none
17J – Chase Johnson – @chasejohnson24
17K – Alex Schutte – @Schutte28
17KT – Ryan Ellis – @ryanellisracing
17M – Michael Koontz – @MichaelKoontz1
17N – Duke Nalon III – none
17RW – Dave Darland – @DaveDarland
17S – Dominic Scelzi – @DominicScelzi41
17T – Travis Scott – none
17W – Cole Wood – @wood17w
18 – Tony Bruce Jr – @tonybrucejr
18P – Payton Pierce – @paytonpierce18p
19 – Steven Drevicki – @SteveDrevicki
19B – Jake Bubak – @JakeBubak
19J – Jonathan Cornell – @teamtwentyeight
19L – Landon Hurst – @179shifter
19N – Nick O’Neal – none
19P – Robert Ballou – @robertballou81
19S – Patrick Stasa – none
19W – Matt Streeter – @streeter14jr
20 – Tadd Holliman – none
20S – Shon Deskins – none
20W – Chad Wilson – none
20X – Jimmy Harris – none
21 – Daryn Pittman – @DarynPittman
21D – Justin Dickerson – none
21H – Harlan Hulsey – none
21K – Cory Kruseman – @Kruser21k
21S – Joey Saldana – @JS71MRacing
22 – John Heydenreich – none
22AZ – Rick Shuman – none
22D – David Stephenson – none
22E – Mike Goodman – none
22Q – David Prickett – none
23 – Jimmy Light – @jimmylight23
23A – Hannah Adair – @hmadair23
24 – Tracy Hines – @Tracyhinesracin
24F – Hunter Fischer – @FischerRacing24
24T – Glenn Bratti – none
25B – Steve Buckwalter – @SteveBuckwalter
24X – Landon Simon – @LandonSimon24
25D – Dylan Peterson – @DylanPeterson25
25G – Dustin Golobic – @dustingolobic9j
25J – Matt Juhl – @JuhlRacing09
26 – Shane Golobic – @ShaneGolobic
27 – Alex Bright – @AlexBright77
27H – Curt Michael – @CurtMichael5g
27K – Kyle Keeler – @27keelerracing
27RW – Kyle O’Gara – @kyleogara
27T – Tucker Klaasmeyer – none
29S – Christian Kinnison – @LittleTexas82
31R – James Burke – none
31B – David Budres – @davidbudres
31E – Evan Sewell – @EvanSewell4669
31R – David Wheeler – none
32 – Cale Thomas – @CaleThomas91
32A – Garrett Aitken – @garacing32
32D – Danny Jennings – @dannyjenningz
33 – Davey Ray – @DaveyRay33
33C – Chase Briscoe – @ChaseBriscoe5
33H – Cameron Hagin – @Racer35
35 – Billy Wease – @BillyWease12
35F – Michael Faccinto – @MichaelFaccinto
35L – Cody Ledger – @Ledger35L
35M – Matt Sherrell – none
35T – Tyler Robbins – @TRobb35
35W – Nate Wait – none
35X – Frank Flud – @81racing
35z – Zach Hampton – @Zach_Hampton
37 – Seth Bergman – @BergmanRacing
37F – Hunter Schuerenberg – @HunterPercent
37X – Tim Kent – none
38 – Justin Grant – @JustinGrant40
39 – Kevin Swindell – @KevinSwindell
39B – Spencer Bayston – @spencerbayston
P40 – Aaron Dromgoole – none
41 – Jason Johnson – @JasonJohnsonRac
41P – Austin Prock – @ProckRocket41
43 – Logan Arnold – none
44 – Don Droud Jr – @DonDroudJrRacin
44D – Philip Dietz – @philipdietz
45 – C.J. Johnson – none
45K – Chase Allen – none
45X – Johnny Herrera – @JohnnyHerrera2
47 – Danny Stratton – @D_Stratton2
47X – Tim McCreadie – @TimMccreadie
48 – Taylor Forbes – none
48J – James Miller – none
50 – Daniel Adler – none
51 – Jake Hagopian – @jakehagopian
51F – Mike Spencer – none
51J – R.J. Johnson – none
51M – Michael Curtis – none
51S – Steven Shebester – none
51X – Colby Copeland – @ColbyCopeland5v
52C – Isaac Chapple – @IsaacChapple52
53 – Aaron Schuck – @SchuckSpeed53
53H – Matt Harms – none
55 – Nick Knepper – @N_Knepper55
55D – Nick Drake – @_NickDrake
55S – Jerry McGehee – none
55T – Tony Everhart – none
56 – Levi Jones – @levijones20
56J – Isaac Schreurs – @its612
56L – Jack Hawley – none
56X – Mark Chisholm – @Thechizontour
57C – Chad Boespflug – @ChadBoespflug
57D – Daniel Robinson – none
57K – Kevin Studley – none
57M – Matt Mitchell – none
58X – Lance Bennett – none
59E – Dex Eaton – none
62 – Jacob Davis – none
62D – Rusty Dukes – none
62T – Taylor Simas – @TaylorSimas
63 – Bryan Clauson – @BryanClausonInc
63K – Chris Windom – @Chris_Windom
63NZ – Michael Pickens – @MPickensRacing
66 – Shane Cockrum – @ShaneCockrum14
67 – Tanner Thorson – @Tanner_Thorson
67K – Kevin Thomas Jr – @kevinthomasjr
67RW – Sarah Fisher – @SarahFisher
68 – Ronnie Gardner – @Ronnie_Gardner
68M – Tyler Edwards – @TEDWARDS98
68S – Matt Land – none
68W – Jake Swanson – @jakeswanson17
69 – A.J. Fike – @FikeAj
69X – Jeromy Hefler – none
70K – Kevin Olson – none
71 – Christopher Bell – @CBellRacing21
71.5 – Robert Bell – none
71K – Kyle Larson – @KyleLarsonRacin
71L – Damion Gardner – none
71T – Ricky Shelton – none
71X – Tyler Courtney – @TyCourtney23
73 – Jason McDougal – @Jasonmcdougal73
73D – David Gravel – @DavidGravel83
73T – Trey Marcham – @TreyMarcham32
74 – Jamie Speers – none
75 – Thomas Meseraull – @TMezdriftz
75L – Lee Dakus – none
75X – Travis Berryhill – @tbspeed11
76M – Adam Pearson – none
77 – John Klabunde – none
77B – Kenny Bowers – none
77K – Katlynn Leer – @leerkatlynn12k
78 – Nick Wean – none
78J – Tommy Kunsman – none
79J – Jacob Patton – @JacobPatton79
80 Josh Hawkins – @Hawk80Racing
81 – Ryan Beechler – @BeechlerRyan
81H – Heath Duinkerken – none
82 – Eric Johnson – none
82H – Mike Hess – @MHess51
83 – Shane Weeks – @st2racing_m
83G – Matt Gilbert – none
83H – Jonathan Halford – none
85 – Matt Johnson – @Mjons
85H – Shane Hollingsworth – none
86C – David Camfield – none
86S – Danny Smith – none
87C – Coby Hughes – @RiggsRacing
87F – Brian McClelland – none
88 – Tyler Nelson – @TylerNelson88
88B – Terry Babb – none
88J – Jace VanderWeerd – none
88W – Chad Wheeler – @chadwheeler88
89 – Nick Bailey – none
91 – Jeff Stasa – @jstasa91
91K – Kevin Bayer – none
91T – Tyler Thomas – @TylerThomas91
91W – Mickey Walker – @larrybyrds
92 – Brenden Bright – @BrendanYeates
93 – Dustin Morgan – @DMRacing2
94 – Darren Kingston – none
95 – Jim Radney – @HyperRacing44
96 – Cody Brewer – none
97 – Rico Abreu – @Rico_Abreu
98 – Jarid Blondel – none
98D – Clint Boyles – @CBRacingg
99P – Dillon Welch – @dillon_welch
101 -Chuck McGillivray – none
313 – Mitchell Frewaldt – none
If I missed a Twitter account or a driver that registered late that needs to be added, please feel free to let me know in the comments section below. Like it? Like it below, and share with your friends.
How to Nip Controversy in the Bud (Plus Mob Justice.)
I came across a post the other day from the ultra-brilliant Seth Godin on mob justice and it got my gears turning – especially in light of the recent controversy in the sprint car world between two series’ and comments that were allegedly made to a reporter.
In this post from 2005, Godin lays out one of the side effects of media in which the readers can also comment back publicly:
1. Controversy is fun to write
2. Controversy is fun to read
3. Piling on is safe and fun
4. Undoing 1, 2 and 3 is no fun, hard work and easy to avoid.
Fueling controversy, he argues, is like ‘mob justice’ – when someone decides to “spread a rumor, a posse would appear, ask no questions, beat the crap out of you and move on.”
He continues:
“A friend of mine is now in a similar situation (and, as Arlo Guthrie famously said, “you may find yourself in a similar situation…”). And the question is, what should he do.
If he takes the time to point out to those bloggers that they’re wrong, that they’ve taken one data point and blown it out of proportion while ignoring the facts (and there are many facts that they’ve ignored) he’s just adding fuel to the fire. “Of course you’ll deny it,” they’ve said to him on the phone, “that just proves we’re right”.”
If you’re reading this and thinking, ‘Well that sucks!’ Then I’d have to agree with you and Seth. Because whether or not you said the thing or did the deed, you’ll be called a liar. There’s no difference in your defense when you’re being accused.
There is only your word.
Many people who are opposed to social media might say that social is the reason for this controversy. It fueled the fire.
But I would argue the opposite: an active social media presence could have nipped this controversy in the bud.
Building your character in a public place like social media gives you the opportunity to show people who you are long before there’s a controversy. It also gives you a platform, on which people already trust you – so important!, to get your message out.
Some people in our industry argue that social media will be the downfall of racing. Instead of combatting it, why not use it to let people get to know you, your team, your series, or your track before you need to tell them your very-important-message? Your competitors are.
By the time those without platforms catch up, it might not matter what’s truth and what’s just mob justice. And that sucks for them.
Xo.
Kristin
P.S. If you’re here reading this, I’m probably preaching to the (incredibly on-it) choir. Want to encourage your favorite track, series, racing business or teammate to see the value in a social presence beyond selfies? Feel free to hit the email button below to share this with them.
Before You Move on to 2015…Do This:
I have to say, I’m pretty excited to roll into 2015. In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten busy on goal-setting for the new year.
I’ve got a few projects up my sleeve for both racers and promoters, and I’m pumped to share those with you over the next few months.
But before that all happens, I want to take a moment to avoid one of the biggest mistakes that I make each year: not celebrating the goals I met from the previous year.
If you don’t recognize your past successes, you’re subconsciously telling yourself that you won’t celebrate future ones, either. How motivated do you think you’ll be, then, to achieve those goals if there’s nothing in it for you in the end?
You must celebrate your accomplishments to know what success looks (and feels) like.
Here are a few highlights from my 2014 – the good and the bad – and the lessons I learned:
- Growing the community. DirtyMouth became a real, live thing in 2014 and the response was amazing. There are so many people, from clients to friends, which I’m proud to be associated with – and a lot of those people came to me through this blog. From page views and social media statistics to subscribers, the numbers far exceeded my expectations. But there is still tons of room for growth.
Actually, that’s my main focus for 2015: continuing to grow and serve this community, to make a real impact on this sport. (So, if you find this or any other piece of content from DirtyMouth helpful, I encourage you to share it. Let’s make racing better together. )
- Doing the work. I had no idea at the beginning of 2014 that I’d have gotten to work on some of the projects I have. I was lucky enough to help produce the Dirt Classic Presented by Kasey Kahne, work on getting the word out on the Motorsports Safety Education Foundation, help more multiple clients more than double their sales over the course of the year and others make public relations and audience-building gains they never could have dreamed of.
The work is why I’m here – I want to contribute to this sport and those who are trying to grow and improve it. This blog, my social media presence, the public speaking I’ve been tapped for this year – it’s all so that I can do my kind of work with my kind of people. If you ever worry that getting the word out about yourself or your racing is unnecessary or too vain, you’re missing out on connecting with people who will love what you do and want to work with you.
I’ve learned that the hard way.
- Money. I had a mixed year in terms of income and savings. I fell slightly short of what I had hoped for in income, but I exceeded my savings goals so it wasn’t a net failure.
Taking a look back, I know that one of the reasons I didn’t hit my income goals is because I turned down a few contracts – some because I wasn’t in a good place and didn’t feel right committing to the work if I wasn’t truly excited about it, others because the work or client wasn’t the right fit. And that’s the right move for my brand, long-term instead of my short-term bottom line.
So does not hitting that number really matter? Kind of. Money has always been important to me – not because of fancy clothes or a big house. It means freedom to me. It means the ability to call my own shots and live the life I want.
But I got a surprise bonus lesson about freedom that changed how I think about money goals…
- Family. We made a big move at the end of this year– my husband Carl left the family business after 10 years to focus on his racing career. I can’t tell you how inspired I am by this change in both of our lives – as much as he enjoyed working with his family, it’s a six-day-a-week business that mostly operates in the summer. It just didn’t fit with our long-term racing goals.
I’m proud that we were able to figure out how to make this move financially, mentally and emotionally. Although we’re living on one income, he’s able to focus more on his dream – which is endlessly motivating for me, too.
Plus, it’s helped us create another new venture: a shock services business for Carl. In November, we purchased a Maxwell Industries shock dyno so that he can serve the shock services gap in our market. Like every other opportunity, we don’t know what this will look like in five or ten years, but it’s exciting to see him build something for himself.
I could write for days on all of the things I’ve learned, mistakes I’ve made and goals I knocked out of the park in 2014, but those are a few of the highlights. I hope it inspires you to take a look back.
Don’t just move on from the goals you’ve achieved, or haven’t. Celebrate. Figure out what helped you get there, or what kept you from it. Then apply that logic to setting your sights on 2015.
Thanks for being here in 2014. I’m so looking forward to 2015 with all of you! Happy New Year.
Xo.
Kristin
Offseason Got You Down? Beat the Funk.
Few of us look forward to the offseason. Ask anyone in racing in the middle of June if they’d like to stand in the middle of an empty race track or stay home on a Friday night, and they’ll certainly tell you politely what they think of that.
But once it’s here, it’s nice to take a break. For about a week. Until you start going a little stir crazy.
What you do in the offseason can set the tone for what you do the rest of the year. It’s the foundation of your season.
Here are a few ways to beat the funk and get your offseason on-track:
Start with winter maintenance. You’ve probably already gotten to work on your winter maintenance, so this one is a given. If you’re a racer, that might mean stripping your car down to the chassis, doing regular upkeep or building a new one from the ground up. If you’re a promoter, that might mean assessing your facilities and starting winter projects like reinforcing and painting grandstands and improving bathrooms.
Go deeper. Now is probably the only time of the year for in-depth assessment and building instead of maintaining. You can go much deeper than usual with components that change over the season, like setups, tires, shocks and engines. Have your shocks dyno’d. Check your electrical and fluid systems. Have your engine tuned. Make sure you know what you have before you move forward.
Gather data. Everything you’ve measured this season – from fan attendance to setup information – take the time to catalog it. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities to improve in 2015. That might mean focusing on your strengths and only racing on high-banked half-miles or working on your weaknesses and growing your market share in the youth demographic.
Get proactive. Can you believe I’ve waited this long to talk about marketing?! THE SELF CONTROL. Most sponsorship deals are done, or at least started, in the offseason. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise. So if you’re looking to build your marketing program, now’s the time to start. (Need some help to get the ball rolling? Check out our on-demand workshops on Creating and Valuing the Perfect Sponsorship Offerings and Crafting an Effective Sponsorship Proposal.)
What you might not realize, though, is now is also a great time to build the rest of your off-track program out to support it. If your social media channels and website aren’t up to snuff, you can build those in the off-season, too.
Many race fans are just as active now, looking for the smallest tidbit of information to get them through the offseason. This give you the opportunity to build a following quickly by being one of the few drivers, manufacturers or tracks that are putting out information consistently.
Being proactive goes far beyond sponsorship and growing your audience. You can apply this to every part of your program, from researching new technology to improving your own skills.
I hope this gives you a few ideas for how to get ahead for next year now, when you’ve got the time to dedicate to building a successful program and growing.
What are you focusing on improving this offseason? Share it in the comments, or shoot me an email. I’m working on reaching more people and creating more free content, so if you know anyone who could benefit from any of these posts, please feel free to share the site with them.
xo.
Kristin
Pricing: Pick a Strategy and Tweak As You Grow
From sponsorship packages to specialty services and ticket costs, pricing is a topic that you could talk about all day long. It’s one of the most common questions I get.
The thing is, you’d almost never be right or wrong. That’s what makes it hard.
If you’re wondering how to price things when you’re just starting out, you have two choices: high prices or low prices. If that seems too straightforward to you, you’re a smart cookie and that’s why I like you.
But you’ll still have to pick a strategy and build off that. Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of each one:
Low Pricing Means:
- You’ll have to get to your ‘number’ by volume, but your tickets, or sponsorship packages, might be easier and faster to sell.
- However, you’ll have to work with more customers to get your number, and that requires juggling – not a bad thing, but also not everyone’s strong suit.
- Lower investments require less commitment and perceived risk from your customer. But with less commitment comes, well, less commitment. You’ll likely have higher turnover.
- You’re associated with lesser value, and you’ll be able to provide less value. That’s not to say that you’re less valuable, but you may not be able to afford to provide a completely satisfying service for your customer.
High Pricing Means:
- It generally takes longer to nurture a higher-paying customer or sponsor than it does a lower-paying one. They need more information, more trust and more value.
- On the other hand, higher-paying customers tend to be more loyal and committed – they generally stay with you longer. They trust you, they’ve invested in you and your program, and they see a long-term relationship.
- While the relationships take longer to build, you’ll need less of them to reach your goal.
- With higher pricing comes the opportunity to provide a better service – you can afford to reinvest a portion of the investment back into the customer experience. That goes a long way in building a long-term relationship.
- Once you’re associated with a high value, it becomes easier to maintain that expectation.
(Note: Like every other interaction you have with your audience, your image and persona should match your pricing, and vice versa.)
So how do you decide when you’re just starting out, or moving from one level to the next?
Ask yourself: Are you comfortable with getting more in-depth and building your customer or sponsor base over a longer period of time, with fewer people? Or are you willing to work with a higher volume of people for less money individually?
I’d encourage you not to get too tripped up by pricing. A price doesn’t come with a wedding ring; you don’t have to keep it forever.
The great thing about racing is that we’re constantly getting a fresh start.
Each event or season is new for us, and it’s an opportunity to assess where we are and where we want to be. If you can’t get off the ground without a customer, you might consider lower pricing. Or if you’re new to the business, you’ll need to start at the low end, too.
But each time you start fresh, whether that’s a new customer or a new season, you can refresh your pricing. Each time you master a task and learn how to provide more value, you can bump your price up a bit for the next opportunity.
Since you’re not the type to stop improving, you’re prices shouldn’t either.
Xo,
Kristin
P.S. I’m in Indy at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show right now and I’ve gotten to sit down with some of the DirtyMouth community. It’s been so wonderful meeting smart, passionate people who are looking to grow our sport. I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with you!
It’s Trade Show Season! Make the Most of Your Trip
For most dirt track and asphalt racers, the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show next week will be one of the biggest business events of the off-season. And if you’re a racing promoter, you might already be in Reno for the RPM Promoter’s Workshops – another great industry event.
I’ll be attending PRI next week in a few capacities – as a buyer and as a rep for a few of my industry clients. My newest client will also be there, debuting a major initiative that’ll benefit the entire industry. I’m excited to be able to share that news soon!
I’ll also be meeting with a few new potential clients to see if we’re a good fit and what that relationship might look like going forward. This year’s show will be different from those in the past, when I’ve had a looser strategy.
And that’s what I want to touch on today – setting a game plan and making it happen.
Whether you’re headed to a trade show, networking event or team holiday party, it’s important to make the most of your opportunities. I wrote an article last year on five ways to get the most out of your trip or event, and it’s definitely worth reading again.
It touches on:
- Saving your sanity by avoiding shiny object syndrome.
- Taking notes using my (simple) system – so you’ll be able to actually use them later.
- Skipping (most) presentations. You can’t replicate the opportunity to meet new people and strengthen existing relationships in person.
- Making a plan and sticking to it, while still allowing for spur-of-the-moment opportunities.
- Preparing information about yourself, and identifying who will be open to receiving it.
- And listening. It’s so important to connect with people on a genuine level instead of just spitting your elevator speech at them.
All of these points are really important for making the most of an event, but one thing I suggest you start on now is planning your show. Here’s how:
- I don’t recommend putting together a tight calendar, but I do want you to make a list of the people or companies you’d like to connect with (circle their booths on your PRI map or jot them in the margins if they’re not exhibitors). This is a great tool for keeping you on track overall but not locking you into any intricate schedule.
- Identify two or three goals for the show. Do you want to learn more about engine tuning or identify the best material for your rear ends? Are you looking to connect with track owners to promote your show or sanctioning body? Do you want to set the stage for potential sponsors? You should have a few, very specific things you want to learn about over those two to three days and focus solely on them.
If you’re a racer or sanctioning body, you might think that ‘asking people for sponsorship’ is the only goal that belongs on that list. But you’d be dead wrong. Most real deals aren’t made on a trade show floor. Connections are.
Spend your time creating connections with the people you’ve identified above. Show them who you are as a racer, promoter, team or company in person – for many of us that’s a rare opportunity. Tell a little bit of your story and be genuine.
Hard selling doesn’t have a place here anymore, in my opinion. It turns people off, in the worst way. You certainly don’t want your potential sponsor or customer to cringe when they see your number pop up in the future.
When that phone rings, you want them to answer that call with a smile. And that’s starts with how you present you.
Xo,
Kristin
P.S. I’ll be in town Wednesday through Saturday. Leave a comment below, hit me up on Twitter at @kswartzlander or shoot me an email at Kristin@dirtymouthcommunications.com if you want to setup a meeting or just say hello. I’d love to see you there!
Connect!