1/8/07
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PILOT PROJECT
In a life not so long ago, before I turned my journalistic endeavors nearly exclusively toward drag racing, I toiled for nearly six years as the editor of a trade magazine for airline pilots published by a membership-driven company that specialized in providing advice to pilot job seekers.
Essentially, the magazine was the nice, shiny thing each pilot member got in the mail each month to justify their investment—whether using the company’s services or not. And those services were really quite extensive, including many other highly targeted publications; live phone counselors available during business hours (all of whom were current airline pilots); one-on-one, taped “mock” interviews conducted at the Atlanta office; and several pilot hiring seminars and job fairs conducted nationwide each year.
Okay, so what does that have to do with drag racing, you ask.
Well, it recently struck me that the job search of a hopeful pilot candidate is not all that different from that of a sponsorship-seeking racer. Both are operating in a highly specialized field where the demand (pilots/racers) far outweighs the supply (airlines/sponsors), making it a decidedly uphill battle for a pilot or racer to convince an airline or sponsor that they’re going to be an asset to the company.
And I have to say, the complaints of pilots still seeking employment are remarkably similar to those of racers who bemoan a lack of sponsorship: there’s just not enough opportunities out there; I’ve tried everything already; the system’s tilted against the little guy; what’s wrong with me!? There’s also a common envy from certain members of both
groups toward those who already have what they desire, though they typically put on a brave face and express congratulations when one of their own finally breaks through with a winning deal.
Accordingly, with minor tweaks, much of the advice offered to job-searching pilots may also benefit sponsorship-seeking racers.
If there was one thing my former employer stressed more than anything else it was preparation. For pilots it begins with training to acquire the correct licenses and ratings for the job; for racers it means already having a team in place and ready to hit the track. In other words, just as an airline (at least in the U.S.) isn’t going to take a person off the street and turn them into a pilot, a racer shouldn’t expect a sponsor to be willing to buy the car and effectively create the team, at least not at the grassroots level.
Preparation for pilots also meant applying only to appropriate air carriers after considering hiring criteria versus personal qualifications. For racers, it means knowing who you’re targeting as a potential sponsor—and why. That may sound self evident, but it means approaching only those companies for which a sponsorship agreement might make sense for both parties. If you’re strictly a one-track bracket bomber it makes little sense to send proposals to Fortune 500 companies. Likewise, a national touring pro probably shouldn’t waste time courting the folks down at the local diner.
Potential sponsor suitability depends on several factors—most importantly on whether the company you’re approaching can actually afford your proposal—but before sending anything out, look at how and where a company’s advertising dollars are already being spent. Then realistically consider how sponsoring your team might tie in with that current marketing plan and customize any proposal to reflect those thoughts. For both pilots and racers a scoped rifle is a better tool than a shotgun when it comes to targeting a benefactor.
