FRENCHTOWN, N.J. — I was often told that if something is priced so low that it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not a high-quality item.
For the longest time, I didn’t understand that notion, thinking: “Well, if I can buy these knock-off shoes at a lower price, they’ll be just as good and still look cute.” Two weeks later, they’d be falling apart.
Thus, it is true … you get what you pay for.
This pertains to everything in life. It can be clothes, house, automobile, race car parts or businesses you hire.
There are a lot of qualified people working hard to make a living. There are a lot of people who have carved their way through long hours of tedious work and studying in order to put their knowledge back into the sport.
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We all know how hard it can be for race car drivers and teams to keep their heads above water. We understand how expensive this sport can be, so by no means do we expect them to be swimming in money when we offer our public relations services.
We offer our services at what we believe is a very reasonable price to at least help them get started, point them in the right direction and help them build their reputation.
It went very well the first year, the clients were more than satisfied with the assistance provided on their behalf.
But as you can imagine — and as in all businesses — other folks with less experience started shopping similar services to paying clients, and at a cheaper price.
The worst part is that it’s difficult to blame anyone in this scenario. If someone comes along and says they can offer their marketing and public relations services at a lower cost, you can’t blame them for wanting to save money and giving it a try.
But there is most certainly the risk that making such a change will hurt them in the long run. How do they know the person is qualified to write a press release or if they even have a valid email list? Have they been trained to know what to do in time of a crisis? Most importantly, can you trust them to do what you ask?
There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration when money is involved.
If you’re hiring someone that’s cheap, well, I’m sorry to tell you, but you may as well just throw in the towel. Call it quits. Take the helmet off and go sit in the stands.
Would you get into a cheap race car? A race car that has a bent clip, 1,600 laps on the engine and a fuel cell that leaks. Heck, but it was a good deal.
Most folks would not because the car wouldn’t be safe and it would be difficult to get your money’s worth out of it.
Let’s tie this all together with sponsorship. Every driver is looking for more and more sponsors. There are drivers and teams out there asking businesses for more than $10,000 to put a sponsor’s name on their short-track car.
Let’s say this sponsor has a choice between two drivers — two very similar drivers who have both busted their butts to get to where they are now. However, one doesn’t have a good reputation.
One driver crashes his way to the front every week and badmouths people, while the other driver understands the importance of his reputation and is very likable on and off the track.
The second driver has a hired PR person; the other driver has a young kid who manages several drivers’ profiles for free. Who do you think that sponsor will choose?
That’s a great question. How’s that driver’s online presence? Would he be valuable to that sponsor?
Would that sponsor want to associate their business with him?
Ding, ding, ding.
My money would be on the driver with the good reputation and the public relations professional. He understands that in this day and age you need to have a likable reputation and a good presence, not only at the track but online. He values his image and doesn’t want to leave it in the hands of someone inexperienced and unknowledgeable.
If you’re going to be spending your money, you’re going to want to look for someone who has put in the time and has gained the knowledge and resources necessary to broadcast the image you desire.
Ultimately, the more time, effort and money you put into your image, the more rewards you’ll receive in the long run. Otherwise, you get what you pay for.
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