It's About More Than Sales

Relationship building is the most crucial part of our business. At AERIALSURVEY.com we have more than 50 years of combined experience in the geospatial industry through our CEO Pat McConnell and our newest hire, NingJun You. We also have onboard Lisa McConnell, who has 25 years of experience in sales and solutions consulting. Though we love making sales, that is not our first priority, says CEO Pat McConnell. “My first goal is not selling. My first goal is to listen to my client’s problem and help to solve it. That may mean that they buy from us, and it may not. But if we are able to help the client and build or strengthen a relationship, that’s what’s important.”

Pat McConnell started in the remote sensing industry in 1991 with space-borne remote sensing. He has been working with aerial remote sensing since 2007. His 30+ years of experience in this industry means he knows... well, he knows most of you reading this blog! And if not, he knows someone you know. Similarly, NingJun, who recently relocated from China to Ireland, has been building relationships across the APAC region for years, helping AERIALSURVEY.com build our global reach.

A good analogy for our company network is a bike wheel. Think of us as the hub. By connecting with one of us, you are connecting with aerial survey experts around the world. If you have a question or a problem, if we can’t answer it, we likely know someone else in our network who can.

During the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pat and Lisa have been able to maintain their network and further build relationships even if they cannot see the people in person. A large part of building this network has been going to industry-specific conferences such as GeoWeek/ILMF, MAPPS, and Intergeo. We look forward to expanding our presence at Intergeo next year. The purpose of these events through Pat’s eyes: “It’s not about selling. It’s about building relationships and taking a genuine interest in the lives of the people you are working with.” We do a lot of our work by email, but often we’ll pick up the phone and reach out to see how things are going with our clients. It helps us to keep a pulse on what’s important or challenging to our clients.

At AERIALSURVEY.com we are in a unique situation because we are seen as a neutral resource for people. We have no bias toward a particular manufacturer or technology.  Recently, a company reached out to us through our website asking for information about an airplane we had listed for sale. We provided the information, but also asked to have a meeting. Pat spent time talking with the company about their business and seeking to understand what they were hoping to achieve with their decision to purchase an aircraft. He suggested that while buying the plane would solve their problem eventually, the purchase would also introduce additional expenses and logistics challenges. He suggested that they partner with a company with the type of plane they needed and recommended several companies they could contact. As it turned out, that’s exactly what they did, they found a successful partnership, and we were happy to help facilitate that connection. While that connection did not create any immediate revenue for us, it did generate trust and build a new relationship.

Our philosophy is that our business is about people, not equipment. If we remember that, the sales will always come. Add your spoke to our wheel. If you are in need of unbiased advice or are looking to expand your network, reach out to us at AERIALSURVEY.com.