IT Leadership Manual: Roadmap to Becoming a Trusted Business Partner

CHAPTER 9

How Good Are You at Sales?

The interesting thing about racing is it is not just about your ability as a driver, it is also about your ability to sell yourself to sponsors. That is the thing that has bothered me most throughout my racing career. I've seen many good drivers leave the sport because of a lack of funding. The sport of racing is all about money, and you must gain sponsorship and support to succeed. The most successful drivers recognize this early on and adjust their personalities to become as much salespeople as drivers. I remember an extremely successful driver, who is now one of the top professionals in the world, telling me the difference between him and another friend of mine he raced early in his career was that he had the ability to sell himself and my friend did not. He told me professional racing is all about selling yourself to bring business to your sponsors. Drivers looking to go pro who didn't grow up rich need to understand this lesson and quickly begin selling themselves Young drivers never seem to realize this until they have a few years of experience and want to move to the next level. At that point, if they don't have family or other financial support, they realize they need to find a way to pay for their careers on their own. This is when you see the difference between those who have a passion for racing and those who do not. The young drivers who were successful in racing were able to develop that skill and sell themselves to potential sponsors: ...