How to reach Diesel Motorsports enthusiasts???

I get asked this all the time at the industry meetings during the winter months. Yes, our enthusiasts and fans are in rural counties all across the country.

What is left for conventional advertising in order to reach the rural counties?

Rural newspapers in small towns are dead or gone, newsstand magazines circulations has dropped every year with social media taken their place and radio is replaced by bluetooth personal music. So what is left, the forums are dead and numbers have dropped.

Social media through FB, Instagram, and twitter seems to be the most efficient way to reach the diesel market using electronics. The best way is grass roots events like DIESEL Motorsports and some of the State diesel groups we designate as affiliate events.

The state pulling groups hold multiple events from June 1st to the end of September in many small towns at city and county fairs wanting sled pulls. People in the industry have no idea how popular the sport is in the rural towns, they are shocked when I tell them there is a pull almost everyday of the week in every state from Missouri over to New York!

DIESEL Motorsports has in the past 10 years held diesel events in every part of the country, North, South, East and West. The past years we have focused on where the sport is highly concentrated since it cost a lot of money to hold an event along with the travel.

We get quite a few calls from people who want to hold an event, DIESEL Motorsports tries to help any way we can to educate them on the expenses and liability for holding an event. It can be daunting when you evaluate all aspects of holding an event.

When it comes to reaching the right people for diesel, we change and upgrade every season in order to properly reach the diesel crowd. Over 1/3 of our budget goes to reaching the right people for our events!

If you want to know how to reach the market, give us a call or email!

What is best for your truck? Performance parts, wheels/tires, oil/fluids, interior accessories, and which brand of truck??? DIESEL Motorsports . . .

I get a lot of people wanting to know what is best for their trucks? I see a lot of questions on FB and forums what someone should do for their truck?

It can be very confusing for any novice diesel truck owner, there are a lot of people who claim to know what is best! And they are the first to tell you all about it!

Remember a couple of crucial elements, how do you drive your truck and what do you want your truck to do for you?

I have seen may trucks outfitted with similar products and have seen them all get repaired or not because of how they are driven. If you drive like a old man then you would make a normal diesel truck last a very long time. If you drive like a bat out of hell or like the kid who can break any toy then you will need repairs often.

What is best for your truck is what is best for the way you drive your truck. I drive moderately but I was always the kid who broke toys and drive vehicles hard. So I keep my modifications on my diesel truck simple but powerful and always overbuild. It looks like a plain old truck but can gettyup and go when I want it to and stop it when I want.

Every one is different and for those who are good with electronics and pushes their truck there is a great amount of what can be done to their truck. Many companies offer all levels of what is best for your truck. Some are really innovative at what they provide and do for the diesel performance market, but then again some are very careless. 

If you read it on the internet it must be true - right? I think we have all seen that scenario play out many times. Talk to the actual brick and motor shops who work on these vehicles on a daily basis. They know what will work with how you drive your truck.

I tried 20" wheels and tires and went back to 18" with my older truck. It just rode better with smaller tires and wheels plus adding newer shocks and Ride-Rite airbags made all the difference in the world.

It's different for everyone and their different trucks, I have seen Dodges, Dmaxs and Fords I like just as much as mine. It depends on what YOU like and how you use it.

Of course I try and use our sponsor's products because almost all of them are built in the USA! Jobs for every truck owner provided by our very own sponsors. Our sponsors contribute to the sport and deserve to have their products used because they are giving back to the sport!

It's only fair right? Do what is best for you and your truck . . .  bottom line!

How to sell more at your diesel shop - part II - planograms!?

What is a planogram in a retail or shop environment?

It's a small display of your most popular products that the customers can view or see at your shop or office while discussing what to do with their truck! Usually a easy 4 x 8 foot section of pegboard or wire mesh works best!

It doesn't take much space and it showcases what you like to install and provide services. DIESEL Motorsports has installed a few of these at auto stores featuring our sponsor's products. Many of the manufacturers will supply the parts or boxes if they know it is a display in your store or shop.

If your WD does not offer this service you can do it yourself!

You can go to your local lumber/hardware outlet or store to purchase the pegboard or wire mesh sheet(s). They usually have the hanging hardware to go with the pegboard or wiremesh panels for hanging your products or parts. 

For those near a major city most have retail warehouses where you can buy the displays for any size wall along with the hardware.

Lay the sheet or area out on your floor and start to think what you would display. Start by going to your inventory or what you sell the most to your customers. Make a list of 10-20 products from that list and start collecting either the parts or the boxes they come in for display. Like I stated many of the warehouses or manufacturers will help if you ask. 

Once you have collected the items start with the bigger heavier items at the bottom. Many of the stores sell shelves that can attach to the sheets which makes for a great bottom. Leaving a couple inches between each item start placing the biggest to the smallest near the top. It's just like putting together a puzzle!

If you want to feature a couple of items make the space for them larger and place some small advertising signs around the item. These can be made on your computer using thicker paper or mount with spray glue on cardboard, then zip tie or velcro to the wall board.

The idea is to show the parts that customers would want on their trucks with you installing them! Seeing is believing and a customers always like looking at the product before they purchase. You can even use cleaned up units that no longer work as long as they look good. 

Show the chemicals and oil you sell to your customers and service their vehicles, people always like to know what is being used and what is available for their trucks. 

Many times it opens to conversations based on the 1st article on how to sell better at your shop which in turn leads to sales and profits!

Planograms - easy to make and always leads to sales!

PS - if any diesel shop needs help in laying out the planogram you can contact myself for some help!