Mike James – From digging the hole to selling the whole

When Mike James, Leica Geosystems machine control sales specialist, walks into a customer’s office to discuss the latest technologies for excavators, dozers and pilers, he doesn’t come in with a background in measurement and surveying. He doesn’t talk about the intricacies of GNSS and positioning. James doesn’t sell from carefully crafted pitches or value statements.

詹姆斯从经验销售 - 他销售解决方案，因为他从现场的第一手使用中了解它们。

“I don’t think of myself really as a salesperson. When I’m talking to customers, I’m still the guy out there digging the holes, sharing my experiences,” explained James. “Lots of times, the customers think I’m a surveyor at first. When I start to tell them how I actually used the solutions, likeLeica iCON iRD3, and saw real savings, such as 32% less fuel consumption, then my credibility with them automatically increases, and I can show the whole picture of what this technology does.”

Raised with machines

From an early age, James heard the calling for a career in construction. Around heavy machinery from the time he could walk, he (literally) cut his teeth in and around mechanics shops.

”吻ds, we moved around quite a bit as my dad (Tommy) worked on open-cast coal mining jobs. He would take me on the sites, and I was fascinated by the big equipment,” reminisced James. “I always knew I wanted to be in civil engineering.”

With the family settling in the small village of Caldicot in South Wales, England, as a young teenager, James worked part-time with Tommy in the mechanic shop founded by his uncle, P.J. Gallagher, an Irish immigrant who returned from Canada to start the business. There, the young James grew up working on all sorts of machines and going on to study mechanical engineering in college.

进入劳动力后，詹姆斯发现了重型建筑行业的技术方面。他担任各种机械租赁（租用）企业的经理，他经历了多少承包商和其他沉重建筑专业人员可以从他长大的机械中受益于他所欣赏的机械的新创新。

“Working for well-known companies like Ambrose, Orford, McBurney and even in GE, I got to interact with many machine control solutions. When I saw how much it helped save resources and made sites safer, I knew this is where I wanted to be in the business,” remembered James. “Today, the heavy construction industry it at the start of its digitalisation journey and it’s a fast track. I’m seeing more customers used to traditional methods start to demand the technology that will connect their sites and help them reap the benefits of going digital across their business.”

在地面上的靴子在办公室的乐福鞋

In his last position before joining Leica Geosystems, James learned first-hand just how valuable these types of innovations are to the industry. Working on theHinkley Point Cnuclear plant in the U.K., James was first introduced to Leica Geosystems machine control solutions. As one of the largest construction projects in the world, Leica Geosystems solutions can be found throughout the site. James worked specifically with Leica iCON machine control solutions for excavators, dozers, compaction and drillers.

当詹姆斯公司在封闭地区办事处工作时，他被要求加入尼尔威廉姆斯的徕卡威廉姆斯，重型建筑业务发展经理被分配给Hinkley Point C项目。

“我遇到了迈克在Hinkley项目上工作，他的热情和激情是传染性的。当机会来让他加入我们的团队时，这是一个非常简单的决定，“威廉姆斯说。“我们有一个可靠的团队，我觉得唯一的领域我们需要额外的技能是重型工厂雇用的工作知识 - 一个占据U.K.市场的部门。快节奏的植物雇用世界采取了一定的个人，一个人希望始终满足客户需求，并超越让事情发生。迈克的风格和驱动器完美地拟合了我们的团队精神。

“他在这一部门内具有广泛的知识和联系，并在需要时呼吁这一点。迈克迅速学习了机器控制和更广泛的调查行业，他为团队带来了新的风格，对话和观点。他热衷于始终学习新技术，现在已经成为该地区机器控制的行业的声誉。“

Stepping out of his role as direct user of Leica Geosystems machine control solutions and stepping into an advocate for the technology was new but not difficult. Covering the south U.K. region, James is now responsible for adding value for customers, dealers and OEM partners with Leica Geosystems machine control solutions.

“I knew Leica Geosystems to be a progressive company from the technology I used on site at Hinkley Point C, and I knew I wanted to be a part of sharing those innovations from the start with my colleagues in the industry,” said James. “I go into every meeting with current and potential customers with the mindset of educating them on what this technology can do for them, how it can solve their pain points. Using my experience at Hinkley Point C, I can more easily establish trust with them, and that always makes the conversations easier.”

带回家的技术

When the younger and elder James get together to argue over which football club is better (Liverpool for James and Fulam for Tommy), the inevitable shop talk also comes around. After retiring twice from the industry, Tommy likes to not only reminisce but also talk today’s trends with James.

“I showed Dad the来自Conexpo的视频并解释了我们的客户现在可以从屏幕上的模型中计划工作，他无法围绕着没有参考点或档案，“詹姆斯解释道。

In his travels across the U.K. for work, James comes across many people who know Tommy. They remember fondly the heavy equipment operator, and they are impressed with the son who is now showing, not just telling, them how the work his father did for so many years can now be made more efficient, productive and safer with the latest innovations in machine control solutions.