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Get Your Attitude Right
I’ve hard more than one inspirational speaker say that performance is 90%
attitude and 10% skill. One of the first things that struck me about Mike
Kertscher was attitude. It didn’t take more than a few minutes of
conversation to realize that Mike had a winning attitude. There’s more to
attitude than just a belief you will be in victory lane. It is enthusiasm,
determination, humility, perserverance and confidence all wrapped into a
single package.
Enthusiasm
Mike possesses enthusiasm that is contagious. You don’t have to be around
him for long to realize that he has a genuine love for racing. Mike’s
enthusiasm is evident not only in the smile that crosses his face when
talking about his own racing effort, but also in his willingness to help
other racers. There have been several occasions where we have drawn upon
Mike’s experience for help on our own racing effort or even for one of our
customers. Mike’s help is never half-hearted. When you request help from
Mike you can be sure that he is going to through all of his resources at the
problem. Why is enthusiasm so important—because others are watching and
talking. You never know who will be in a position to help you or influence
a decision in your favor.
Create Interest
It goes without saying-unless someone is interested in something or some
person, they are probably not going to get involved. So if you are looking
for help, be it a sponsorship, a car owner, a helping hand at the track or
even a fan—you need to do your best to create a little interest in
yourself. The good news is there are several inexpensive ways to get this
done.
Word of Mouth
One of the cheapest, easiest ways to create interest in your racing effort
is to tell others about it. I’m not talking about boasting or bragging, but
tactfully telling others what you are up to. I’ll admit I was always a
little on the shy side and often missed out on opportunities because I
didn’t open my mouth and tell other what I was involved in. You never know
what doors it will open. We can probably all think of a situation where we
said, “How did he/she get that ride?” In many cases the opportunity
presented itself because they were not afraid to talk. At the very worst,
you can be sure that the next time the person is viewing results from a race
you were in they’ll look twice to see where you finished. Over time they
might even turn into a follower a fan or someone who ends up helping you
out.
Create a Written Report
Another nice idea is to write a race report or press release that can be
easily mailed, e-mailed or faxed out to interested parties. If you are not
a talker, this is an unobtrusive way of telling others how you are doing and
generating some additional interest. I know that Mike Kertscher
periodically faxes press releases to our shop. We always enjoy reading
them. The latest one announced his position on the Mock/Osborne Racing
Team. It accomplished its goal. I now check the results every week to see
how Mike made out the previous weekend.
Create a Website
Here’s another one of those things that might appear tougher on the surface
than it really is. Today there are several programs and on-line resources
for creating your own website. This is an excellent opportunity to tell
others about yourself and your racing effort. I can tell you that any time
I see a driver advertise a website address I visit. Its good to put some
personal information and pictures on your site. It helps to get people more
involved. The more I know about someone off the track the better the chance
I will take an interest in them on the track. This is another area where
Mike Kertscher has done a nice job. Check his site out at
www.mskracing.com. Although Mike’s site is professionally done, I have
seen several do-it yourself sites that get the job done.
Don’t Overlook the
Importance of Relationships
As you work all of the angles in your attempt to draw interest in your
effort, don’t overlook the importance of relationships. As I’ve watched
Mike Kertscher doing all of the right things from a marketing perspective, I
have also noticed that he knows the importance of genuine relationships.
Although you know that he has launched a calculated marketing campaign, you
never feel like just a number or a means to an end when he contacts you.
This is not something that you can fake, the only way to do this is to
relax and enjoy the folks you meet along the way. If they end-up helping
you out at some point great, if not you’ve made another friend. | 
