Total Seal’s new head of business development values the personal connection with customers and plans to expand into new markets via old-fashioned relationship building.

Scott Diehl joined Total Seal Piston Rings in October 2022 after many years with Joe Gibbs Racing and its specialty lubricants business, Driven Racing Oil. On the racing side, he had worked on the #20 car with driver Tony Stewart. While at Driven, he worked with Lake Speed Jr., who joined Total Seal at the end of 2019 as vice president of sales and marketing.

Diehl’s mission is to expand the manufacturer’s reach in both performance and motorsports, as well as in other industries. The company, which invented the Gapless piston ring more than 50 years ago, sees potential wherever piston engines are used. 

Speaking to PRI about his goals at Total Seal, Diehl emphasized his focus on relationships, which drive his business approach.

PRI: How did your previous experience with Joe Gibbs Racing and Driven Racing Oil prepare you for the new position at Total Seal?

Diehl: I worked on the racing side before moving to the lubricants side of the business. I saw everything from the development phase through competing with the products—engine oils, gear oils, etc. I worked with Lake Speed for 10 years. So, I bring that history with me.

PRI: Total Seal’s slogan is, “If it takes a piston ring, we can build it,” which suggests a broad view of the company’s business. Where do you see opportunities for growth? 

Diehl: Most of our business has been performance-engine related and racing, so that’s not an untapped market. But we have opportunity in the diesel world. We’re already doing some, but there’s potential for more. There are others we can pursue. Lots of industries need piston rings, such as compressors and generators. 

PRI: What are your near- and long-term goals in this position?

Diehl: The long-term goal is to grow business in the industries we’re involved in, and new ones. Near-term, I want to further enhance relationships with existing customers. With engine builders, I’m a big believer in face-to-face. I don’t think relationships can be built or nurtured over the phone or through email. 

Our sales team has a lot of direct contact with our engine builders. I’d say they talk to half of them monthly. But I know we have a lot who buy our products through distributors, so we don’t get to talk to them much. I want to make sure they know how much we appreciate and value their business and that we make sure they’re up to speed on our new stuff.

While I was traveling in Wisconsin to see customers, some builders were telling me, “This is great. We don’t see manufacturers anymore.” So, I know they appreciate the person-to-person approach.

PRI: What’s the biggest challenge facing your business, or race parts manufacturers in general, and how is Total Seal working through it? 

Diehl: As an industry, we’re all still in some state of recovering from the pandemic and getting plenty of inventory on the shelves. Like most, we had raw material issues for a while. Most of those are solved. We’re in a strong place, close to what I’d call ‘pre-pandemic’ levels and ready for the new season. We’re hearing from engine builders that we’re doing a good job, but that’s not to say we can’t do even better.

PRI: What is one mistake you’ve learned from? It could be yours or someone else’s. 

Diehl: This is kind of a general statement. When you’re in the sales world, it’s imperative to spend more time listening and less time talking. If we listen long enough, the customers will tell us all we need to know. But if we’re talking too much, we can’t listen. We all need to work on listening skills.

PRI: If you could have a conversation with anyone in racing, living or passed, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Diehl: That’s a tough one. I’ve had the good fortune to meet a lot of great and interesting people, like Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. I guess I’d like to sit down over coffee with Robert Yates. He was a true engine builder who did a lot of good for the sport and the transitioning in the NASCAR world where I come from. I’d love to talk to him about the early days and learn from his experiences.

PRI: Excluding your cellphone/tablet/computer, what’s one thing you can’t live without? Why? 

Diehl: Relationships—I use that word a lot. These are critical to building business and keeping it. As good as we think we are, we’re always going to make mistakes or have issues. If we have a strong enough relationship with a customer, we’ll be able to get through those.

SCOTT DIEHL

TITLE: Head of Business Development

ORGANIZATION: Total Seal

HOMETOWN: Fenton, Michigan

FAST FACT: Michigan-born Diehl said, “I’m a huge outdoors guy. And I love, love, love snowmobiling. I’m happiest where it’s snowing and cold. I’ve spent a lot of time in Wisconsin and upstate New York, but my favorite place is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”