One thing I’ve learned from talking with mobile tool distributors is just how much goes into a sale before a tool ever changes hands.

Knowing your inventory is important, but knowing your customers is just as important. After visiting the same shops week after week, you start to learn what each technician works on, what they already have in their toolbox, what they’ve had their eye on, and what problems they keep running into. All of that plays a role in what you bring onto the truck and how you sell it.

In several of our interviews, distributors talk about remembering a conversation they had with a customer weeks earlier and bringing in a tool they thought could help. They talk about knowing which customers want to see every new product and which ones would rather hear about something only when it makes sense for the work they’re doing.

Those may seem like small things, but they’re a big part of what separates the mobile tool business from so many other ways technicians can buy tools today.

There are plenty of places to purchase a wrench, diagnostic tool, impact, or piece of shop equipment. Having someone show up at the shop each week who can answer questions, demonstrate a product, recommend the right option, and help after the purchase is a different experience.

It also means that sometimes the best sale isn’t the biggest sale.

A customer might not need the most expensive option on the truck. They might need something completely different from what they originally came looking for. Being able to have that conversation and steer them toward what makes the most sense for their work can go a long way toward earning their trust and their business the next time they need something.

The same conversations can help you make decisions about your route. If several technicians are asking about the same type of tool or talking about the same repair challenge, that’s information worth paying attention to. Your customers can be one of your best indicators of what you should be stocking, what you should learn more about, and what might be worth demonstrating during an upcoming stop.

A lot has changed about the way technicians shop for tools, and they certainly have more options than ever before. The mobile tool dealer still offers something those other options can’t always provide: a person who knows the customer standing in front of them.

As you make your way through this month’s issue, I hope you find a few ideas, products, or pieces of advice that you can bring with you on your route. Sometimes the most valuable thing you bring into a shop isn’t another new tool; it’s knowing which one your customer actually needs!