What a difference a year makes for Waterford, Penn.-based Mac Tools distributor Timothy Johnson.
It was just about 12 months ago, toward the end of the summer of 2013, that Johnson got his start in the business of selling tools.
Being a mobile tool distributor had long been an appealing career path for Johnson. Technicians always need tools and are always buying them, he says. As a result, Johnson was drawn toward a job where he is able to satisfy their demands for the latest and greatest products. He felt if he went about it the right way, selling tools offered long-term job security and was an enjoyable way to make a living.
“And with a little help from my grandfather, financially, I was able to start it eight months after I graduated college,” says Johnson, who studied diesel technology at Ohio Technical College in Cleveland.
Now established in the business and entering his second year, Johnson is acutely aware of his development during his first few months on the job. He says he is better at purchasing tools, just “buying low and selling high.” Customer service is also an area where Johnson says he has improved with time.
“You are working with (your customers) every week,” says Johnson. “So you just have that camaraderie with them when you are going into the shop all the time. Just taking care of the customer and doing what they need. It definitely helps keep me around and keep the money flowing. As long as you give them what they need, they’re going to keep buying tools.”
Johnson has also realized the importance of being confident and assertive with customers, and it’s something he feels was critical to his early success as a mobile tool distributor.
“Don’t be afraid to go after the sale,” he says. “You never know what anyone is going to need, so it never hurts to ask.”
Looking ahead five or 10 years, Johnson expects he and his business to evolve to continually meet the demands and expectations of his customers. One goal Johnson has set for the future is to purchase a second truck and secure a second route, at least once his first truck is paid off.
“You have to evolve,” he says. “If you are only going to take things one way, you are never going to get any better.”
With a year of experience behind him, Johnson says the biggest piece of advice he can offer a new start is to believe in himself or herself and continue to work hard at getting better.
“Don’t be scared to get into it,” he says. “Take the risk, take the chance. If you work hard, it’ll pay off in the end.”