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Quickly write down the names of a dozen people you know. Now circle the ones you respect. I don’t mean people you treat with respect. We should treat everyone respectfully. That’s common courtesy, not really respect. By “respect,” I mean people you esteem or admire.

Chances are you didn’t circle every name on your list; most people will only circle a few names. That’s because there’s a big difference between knowing someone and respecting them. As a mobile tool dealer, you come into contact with a lot of people every day. But respect is something reserved for only a few very special people—usually those who have proven their integrity by their actions.

What do I mean by integrity?

In ethics, integrity means your actions are consistent with your core values and principles. It’s about character and honesty. I find it interesting that in engineering the word “integrity” refers to how an object performs under stress. Oddly, in both cases, I think integrity is about how something or someone performs under pressure.

When I think of integrity, I think of movie icon John Wayne. I don’t know much about Wayne’s personal life and I’ve seen very few of his movies, but in my mind, his image as a rugged hero is underscored by a strong sense of integrity. In his last movie, “The Shootist,” one line defines that image of integrity: “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”

What’s all that got to do with selling? Everything.

As a tool dealer, you have a truckload of inventory and a catalog full of tools. But your most important asset is you. You need to take stock in yourself. Do your customers respect you? Do they see you as a person of integrity? Do they see your primary purpose as to help them or to help yourself?