How to Market your Diesel business or shop?

I get asked about marketing or advertising for a diesel business or shop all of the time. First let's talk about the difference of marketing and advertising.

Marketing is the gathering of information surrounding your business, the products, the competition, the customers, and compiling this information to evaluate. You then take that information and devise a business plan for your business or shop.

Advertising is what you do with the information you gathered and reaching out to the customers that you seek that want your product or services.

I come across this process many years ago and it is quite simple but it does work. Seven easy steps to success in any business if you choose to work smart and hard at it everyday.

Seven keys to a successful business:

1. Focus on solutions for customers

2. Seek out ideal customers you enjoy being around

3. Be yourself - genuine

4. Brand your business every time - truck, invoices, envelopes, FB, internet, decals to customers, etc.

5. Articulate/explain what you do for customers

6. KISS (keep it simple selling) process, remember #1 over and over and over!

7. Self promotion - ask friends, family, FB, internet, shows, anyone who will listen, tell them your story!

Now repeat steps 1-7 everyday you get up and go to the shop or business. Being persistent or vigilant should be number 8 but that's another blog!

Yes, having your own business is hard work, who told you it would be easy!

Everyone is excited . . . DIESEL Motorsports!

As a date gets closer for a big event it's fun to hear the people get excited for the event. You get a feeling of satisfaction that what you have worked on for months is starting to come together and you start seeing some results.

The fans who come and watch does not know how many hours of preparation and how many people who have worked previous hours to make the event happen. They shouldn't know but many get the same feeling if they have ever planned a big event like a wedding. You work all of those hours preparing for it and in just a few hours it's over!

The same feeling goes into an event . . . the arranging of so many people, equipment, grounds, advertising and activities - it takes so many man hours!

I now ask for a year to plan for one of these new events, it takes that long to prep for a successful event.

There are some companies who do one big event per year and know how much they put into those events. DIESEL Motorsports does 8 shows out of 12 months and future plans are a show a month.

Some are bigger than others but they all plan on being big after a few years of promotion, planning and preparation. DIESEL Motorsports usually plans on about 15-20 additional personnel at the larger shows to make sure we can man each activity at the event.

As you get closer it's fun to watch as the fans and competitors start calling and emailing about the event. It gives us a feeling of satisfaction and even more when they start coming through the gates to have fun during the day.

Even our personnel loves the sport, yes they are doing a job but they do it to promote the sport. Most own their own diesel truck and work the shows because they enjoy the trucks and the people associated with the trucks.

You tend to hang with people who like what you like! DIESEL Motorsports is a lifestyle because of that very thing I just mentioned!

What Classes are running - sled pulling DIESEL Motorsports?

DIESEL Motorsports did change the classes for pulling this year. The classes needed some new splits between the lower classes. A new 2.5 Class is one step above Workstock and one step below the now popular 2.6 Class.

The 2.6 Class's trucks got too powerful and there has been some changes in that class to make them more of a trailered truck class.

When DIESEL Motorsports started no other organizations would let our trucks run in with them during the county fair season and the tractor circuit pretty much did not want the trucks taking their shows.

When the crowds wanted more diesel trucks because of the popularity of the trucks at DIESEL Motorsports shows the tractor pulling organizations who wanted more income started to let them in to the events. Now everyone wants the diesel sled pulling trucks into their county and private shows.

This actually gave us some competition for the shows but it really helped us since we could not keep up  with the county fair request for shows. DIESEL Motorsports turned a lot of the fairs over to local clubs and organizations while we decided to concentrate on larger regional shows that are designed to sanction strictly "DIESEL ONLY" shows which separates us from the county fair shows.

The tractor organizations mix in gasser classes of both tractors and trucks along with now popular diesel trucks. Again this actually helps DIESEL Motorsports since these same trucks run with us and need diesel parts from our sponsors. It just helps us expand the sport and sells more parts not only for the sponsors but the local diesel shops, which provides many of the competing trucks.

Sled Pulling Classes:

Work Stock
This is by all standards is a stock truck with OEM turbo, engine components and suspension. Stock appearing turbochargers, 1" minimum compression travel on rear suspension, water injection prohibited, and hanging weights prohibited on these stock trucks.

This is a good class to try your truck in pulling with minimal outlay, if you can pull a 5,000 lb trailer with your truck you can compete in this class. The sled's settings are set for lighter weights and travel time so the street trucks can pull for a good show.

2.5 Class

This class is still designed for the street truck with differences of you can have hanging weights with restrictions(see rules), the inducer bore on the compressor housing may be no larger than 2.500" and driveshaft loops are needed both front and back.

This class was designed so some of the 2.6 street trucks could drop back down and compete without trailering their truck in to events. This new class gives the intermediate puller a chance to win some money and have fun competing.

2.6 Class

Single turbo, 2.6 inch maximum inducer bore, turbocharger bushings prohibited, water injection prohibited, bolt in, removable solid rear suspension bars permitted, receiver style hitch required, hanging weights permitted and hood stacks allowed. 

This class used to be a street truck class and because the advancement of the sport these trucks now exceed 900 HP and have to be trailered to events. It's one of the most powerful classes across the country in sled pulling.

3.0 Class

Single turbo, 3.0 inch maximum inducer bore, turbocharger bushings permitted, water injection prohibited, bolt in, removable solid rear suspension bars permitted, receiver style hitch required, drive shaft u-joint shields required, hanging weights permitted.

This is a class where professional pullers trailer their trucks to each event and compete for the appoints, money and fame. These trucks are powerful and put on quite a show for the spectators. 

Super Street

Unlimited Single Turbos, 3.2-inch max turbo in twin configuration permitted, open driveline permitted,  and DOT tires required. This class was made for the now popular twin turbo configuration which is more popular for pulling in the Western part of the country. DIESEL Motorsports is the only sanctioning body who accepts twins for competitive pulling.

Modified

Unlimited turbocharger, open driveline, open tire, 7600 pound maximum weight and cut tires are allowed for these high powered trucks. These trucks are few but powerful and they are usually around 2000 hp or more.

Semi

Street legal licensed semis but they are still powerful and a delight to see at some shows. This class is for those on-road truck drivers who want to compete with the truck they drive everyday.

To make sure your truck(s) are legal for competition make sure to download our rules for free on our web site - www.DIESELmotorsports.US.

That should cover all of our diesel truck classes and each class requires 8 trucks up to SuperStreet then 4 trucks are required for a class. When there are not enough trucks we will combine like classes when notified by our own SFI techs.

DIESEL Motorsports have been set by experts in the industry with a fair set of rules across the country. You will not find us favoring a diesel shop's products or manufacturer. The rules are made to be fair for everyone and many times we do not match with private shows or events because DIESEL Motorsports is for everyone to compete on an even basis.