Publishing a print advertisement and expecting someone to act on it doesn’t convert prospects to sales leads like it once did. Today, we are surrounded by digital content that tracks our likes, dislikes, and interests—all in an effort to sell us a product or influence our opinions.

Having the ability to digitally bookmark our favourite products, and find and connect with new people instantly, creates serious competition for sales people who prefer the traditional face-to-face approach. With the availability of these virtual interactions, do real-life one-to-one first impressions even stand a chance?

“Absolutely,” says thirty-five-year veteran Ron Venner, senior engineer in the Antenna Systems Division of CPI Communications & Power Industries (formerly ASC Signal). “With so many options for sourcing products and services available at our fingertips, I still believe there is something more potent than any search result, ad, or cold call—it’s a relationship built on trust. I am an engineer who manages a team of engineers, and trust is built into our products and our people, and it is what we look for in our partners—this is something no online search can find.”

CPI designs and builds antennas and communications systems for the military, aerospace, and telecom industries. Its products are vital communication gateways designed with redundant fail-safes that are made to withstand the elements and hostile environments.

In October 2016, CPI was awarded a contract to build multiple air traffic control radars—antennas that continually rotate, sending and receiving signals. Venner was tasked with sourcing a vendor that could supply and support the gear reducers needed to power the pedestal rotors. According to Venner, “The plan was to test and compare the durability, reliability, and seamless integration of two different brands of gear reducers. My first thought, even before the product, was sourcing a company and a representative I could trust—and Konrad was top of mind. I had dealt with Konrad many years ago while he was working with a different drive systems company. At that time, we had been experiencing performance issues with the gear reducers, which eventually led to a face-to-face meeting with Konrad and his employer.
What left me with a favourable impression of Konrad was how he conducted himself in this meeting. He came to the table with solutions, not additional problems. He upheld a neutral position—not taking sides; instead, he addressed the issues head-on, like a true professional. His demeanor painted a picture of someone who is genuine, fair, and trustworthy.

Based on my experiences with Konrad, my team and I felt that he would be the ideal choice to present a drive solution for this new project. I was genuinely eager to reconnect and explore the possibility of working with Konrad and SEW-Eurodrive.”

Upon completion of the endurance, performance, and quality testing phases, CPI concluded that SEW-Eurodrive possessed the solutions and level of support to meet its needs, and CPI continues to work with Konrad and SEW-Eurodrive on future endeavours.