Promoting yourself promotes your business

If you were going on a job interview, your main focus would be to promote yourself and your skills to the person conducting the interview. Owning a mobile tool business requires you to promote not only yourself, but also your business. They may seem like they are the same, but promoting yourself allows your business promotions to grow. You may be self-employed, but instead of having one or two bosses, you have a couple hundred people deciding if you'll be successful as their tool dealer. Yes, you can still lose your job. The firing process just takes a lot longer.

Taking care of your customers 

One of the unique features of the mobile tool business is the fact that you see the same customers week after week. Promoting a weekly service business is completely different than a traditional business where you're constantly looking to expand your customer base. In fact, one of the biggest challenges for most is simply getting to every shop, every customer, every week. To be successful, you need to capture as much of the customer base as possible in your route.

I always used the analogy of a tool route customer base being similar to the fish in an aquarium. You have a finite number of “fish” you can take care of in a week in your aquarium. The customers you fail to care for become the fish that
you'll find floating at the top of your aquarium. They're dead to you. Pretty soon, the other fish notice the fish floating on the top of the water and become wary of dealing with you, too.

It's so very important that while you're driving away, the entire shop is talking about what you've done for them. The last thing you want is for your customers to talk about what you did to them. Obviously, when customers feel that you haven't taken care of them, they stop dealing with you.

Your business is you, not a brand

“I've never conducted business with the logo on the side of a tool truck. I've only bought my tools from the person inside the truck.”

Over 20 years ago, I was having a discussion with a customer explaining my reasoning for changing flags in my established route. I will never forget that conversation. Until then, it never really occurred to me that my success had been based on the quality of my service and not the logo I had on the side of my truck. I had guys tell me, "As long as you continue the same level of service, we'll support you."

Later that week, the new president of the tool company I was leaving called me. He wanted to warn me that I was making a big mistake and, “Without our brand, I'd never be successful.” That president didn't stay in the tool business, but I did.

Present your best self 

Promoting yourself starts before you leave the house in the morning. You wouldn't leave the house for a job interview in jeans and a t-shirt. You'd want to present your best self. The same is true of how you present yourself to your customers. You are a professional tool dealer; you need to dress like one. It should go without saying that you need to arrive in a clean (inside and outside) and well-organized tool truck. The impact of promoting your business can only happen when you've successfully promoted yourself. You might have a fabulous promotion for the tools you sell, but it won't have the same impact if you haven't established yourself as an honest, reliable dealer that customers can always count on.

Engage your customers 

There are so many more venues for customers to buy tools from now than when I started in 1998. Because of that, the need to promote your business has never been more important. The most successful dealers are those who routinely run a series of different contests throughout the year. It not only drives sales but can also have a huge impact on collections.

Social media is another great tool. Many dealers use that to market unadvertised promos, used toolboxes, etc. I know one dealer who even has his own app that his customers can use to view all his current specials.

I discovered the most impressive idea in the September 2025 edition of Professional Distributor. Cornwell dealer Eddie Neugebauer runs a Christmas contest in which he uses a new Cornwell tool cart as the prize. To enter, his customers must donate a bicycle. Neugebauer was able to give away 33 bikes in the first year, 88 in the second, and 230 this past year. He also sponsors a number of other events throughout the year to help the people in his community. Neugebauer has not only promoted himself and his business but has also benefited his community. I don't know how he finds the time, but I applaud him.

There's a famous quote from Benjamin Franklin, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one to lose it.” Not only words to live by in life, but also with your interactions with each and every customer. The best way to promote yourself is to focus on the positive impact of exceptional customer service.