Since the first chariot driver crossed the finish line ahead of his nearest Colosseum competitor, race fans have been trying to capture the same winning formulas for their own vehicles. Experts call it the “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” adage and, as with any lucrative marketing technique, they have the numbers to back up its success.
When the Big Three American vehicle manufacturers had factory-backed race teams, there was significant influence tied to a brand’s Sunday on-track performance to its Monday dealer sales performance. Even today, product manufacturers of all types want desperately to be associated with winning so they spend untold amounts on sponsorships, badging and team support.
From the Roman teenagers looking for similar wheels as their hero Scorpus, to drag racing fans seeking the same energy drink consumed by drag racer Brittany Force or the iconic #3 Mr. Goodwrench jackets worn by Dale Earnhardt, to anything associated with Max Verstappen following an F1 victory, we want to be associated with and be like our racing heroes.
But, as easy as it can be to cheer for a driver, real victory is not acheived alone.
Whether they are climbing Pike’s Peak’s 12-1/2-mile, 156-turn Race to The Clouds in less than 8 minutes; holding on during a sub 4-second Funny Car pass at the NHRA Arizona Nationals; winning the LMP2 Class at the IMSA WeatherTech 24 Hours of Daytona by .016 second after 754 laps; or sitting still and doing nothing for 1.88 seconds while the Red Bull F1 racing pulls off a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it four-tire pitstop, winning drivers acknowledge that they can’t do their jobs without an amazing team.
“As a business owner, it won’t necessarily be to your benefit to have a group of superstars who have trouble working together.“
As a business owner, it’s crucial to your success that you have the right people in place to do whatever job rolls into your shop – at least the jobs you have determined to be appropriate for your continued growth. But, it won’t necessarily be to your benefit to have a group of individual superstars who have trouble working together.
To switch our analogies from motorsports to basketball, if you’re a supporter of a winner (I’d highly recommend jumping on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ bandwagon this season), you recognize how the team develops together. Superstars become mentors; role players step up in crucial moments to make critical game-saving defensive stops and amazing game-winning shots.
Contrast that with the NBA All-Star Game, in which the most amazing players from EACH team are thrown together for one game, in which everyone trys to out-highlight each other. Sure, it’s fun to watch for an hour, but over the course of a season (I’m looking at you, 2004 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team), dream work does not necessarily make the team work.
Our management articles this month give you some practical, applicable advice on how to build your team, starting with yourself. Our technical content provides training intended to help your service advisors and technicians master real-world situations. Winning tomorrow starts with playing together today.
