Showings are where deals are won or lost, and where confidentiality is most at risk.
Before any showing. NDA signed and stored. Buyer pre-qualification (proof of funds or lender letter). Defined scope: what they'll see, when, and with whom. Customers should never know the route is for sale until close.
The first ride-along. Pick a typical Wednesday, not your best day. Drive 12–15 stops, not the whole route, fatigue produces bad questions and bad answers. Pre-brief any customers you'll see in person ("a colleague is shadowing me today"), never "this is the buyer."
What the buyer is really evaluating. Your competence (do you handle problems calmly?), your relationships (do customers wave?), the equipment (clean truck, organized chemicals?), and the systems (do you check the CRM as you go, or is it all in your head?). Sloppy ride-alongs lower offers more than weak books do.
What to disclose, what not to. Disclose every material fact: lost accounts in the last 12 months, chronic problem pools, customer disputes, equipment issues. Hiding things is the #1 way deals blow up in diligence, and the #1 way you get sued post-close. Don't volunteer trade secrets, supplier discounts, or your exact margin until under LOI.
Multiple buyer protocol. If you're showing to several buyers, set the same calendar week for all ride-alongs and announce the LOI deadline up front. This creates legitimate urgency without manufactured pressure.