Racer Support Educational Series - Developing Relationships For The Future

All of us here at Fasst Company are riders and racers just like you. In fact, many of us have been hired directly through the Fasst Company Racer Support Program, even our machinist. We’re not kidding when we emphasize the potential of relationships. The possibilities are endless.

We understand what it's like to be on both sides of a racer support partnership. Racer support should be mutually beneficial. But above all, these companies are running a business. The better they do, the more they can put back into the sport in terms of rider and event support for a more healthy industry. 

It doesn’t take a lot to maintain the relationship with the brand over a longer period of time. Send race reports a few times a year to keep in contact with your rep. Develop the relationships with everyone you can at that company. And if you want to go the extra mile, you could create in depth brand specific content on social media.

Race reports are a great way to keep the relationship warm and let the brand know what you’re up to. Each brand is a little different but usually quarterly race reports are enough. A quick recap of the races you’ve hit since the last update and how each of them went. Maybe even include a testimonial, a quick quote about how that brand's product benefited you. You can even discuss some of the training you’re doing to prepare for these events. Weekly race reports aren’t necessary, 3-4 updates throughout the year is plenty. Obviously your social media race recap serves as an informal race report but that shouldn’t replace formal race reports sent to sponsors by email. At least not yet!

Build relationships with the people behind the brand. Follow their personal social media pages to make the relationship more personal. You never know what pull they have on the business side. I’ve answered rider support calls, had a good conversation with a rider we support, followed them from my personal social pages to develop that relationship and never got a follow back. It seems minor and it is, but it still sends a message. If you’re wanting to grow with a company, build relationships with the people behind the brand. We’ve had riders send us calendars, coasters, etc. We have a local family that brings by chocolate. There’s a lot of creative ways to keep your relationship warm without asking for anything or spending an arm and a leg. 

If you’re wanting to go the extra mile, you can create in depth product specific content for your sponsors. Maybe a little skit that you have to film and edit, a giveaway, a testimonial, or something that you can share with the brand and they can share with their community. Get creative and have fun. It doesn’t have to be a regular thing, but it gives the brand something unique to share without having to dig or create it on their own, smaller brands will always appreciate that. A good example of this would be Atv GNCC XC1 racer Adam McGill (@adammcgill521).  Every couple weeks he’s posting a funny skit about one of his sponsors' products or doing a giveaway that promotes one of his sponsors. It gives the brands something to share and builds the fanbase for everyone. This isn’t mandatory, but if you’re passionate about a product or brand and want to be a part of it for years to come, it can’t hurt!

To quickly recap, a few of the best ways for you to develop the relationships for the future are through quarterly race reports, building relationships with the people behind the brand, and content creating. 

This brings our fourth and final installment in the Racer Support Blog Series to a close. We know it’s a lot to take in, and some of this may not apply to everyone, but if you follow a similar path to what laid out through this series, you’ll be landing better deals, making the most out of them, and keeping them for years to come. Remember, if you’re a young rider and you navigate the racer support realm with grace, you could end up working for one of your favorite brands. And before you know it you may be trying to help others navigate rider support.

If you have any questions email us at ridersupport@fasstco.com and we’ll get back to you. We encourage questions so don’t hesitate to reach out!

-The Fasst Family