Aviation Aftermarket 101: Quotes

This is an introduction to a series of articles that aim to increase professionalism in the aviation aftermarket. These pearls of wisdom are not to be found in text books – until I publish my own. Because…if you want something done right, do it yourself. There’s your first lesson right there, boyo.

Using the tools of the modern LinkedIn poster (who really wasn’t using them anyway), I have examined a mountain of evidence and constructed a system full of startling revelations that will elucidate you (pause here to let Google illuminate the meaning of this fifty-center for you) on how to best quote the sale of aircraft parts.

Your opportunity, should you care to exploit it, is to learn the subtle inner workings of the most brilliant minds of the generation (including moi), to acquaint yourself with the tricks and foibles of the aviation aftermarket, and maybe even learn the secret handshake.

Before I become mayor of that well-populated city known as “Gross Exaggeration”, I should gently deflate your hopes and dreams. For today is not the day when you will learn the ultimate lesson on how to get rich quick by selling aircraft parts for fun and profit. Today, Bunky, is but the start of a marathon.

So take a deep breath. Close your mouth and open your mind. We are embarking on a long haul through How To Do It, and this is the first chapter of several related to “Quoting”.

In order to achieve your own self-respect and the undying admiration of all those around you, you need to learn how to write your own quotes. I’ll repeat this for those of you who missed this morning’s Adderall: you need to learn how to write your own quotes from the ground up. Or, as my wise mother told me, “Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe.”

That’s a great quote, but the quotes that I am referring to are quotes to sell aircraft parts.

You can quote the easy way or the hard way – which do you prefer? The easy way, right? Well, before you answer, keep in mind that the easy way is usually a combination of lazy and not-too-bright. Dude, I’m being diplomatic here, and that takes effort.

If the easy way is your style, consider yourself instructed to go back to your regularly scheduled program: Fantasy Island. And soon you will get kicked off the island, because the fact is that quoting is hard work. Easy money is oft-times hard. You must put all your ducks in a row before you participate in the hunt – otherwise you are wasting your ammo. And don’t hate on my metaphors.

Here’s how quoting is too-often done, and why it is usually ineffective:

You show up to work in the AM and see a dozen or a hundred RFQs in your IN box. Not a problem; you’ve got a fresh cuppa and you’re good to go. Sure enough, first in your list you will get a group email from an un-named buyer, with naught but a number in the subject line and the text reading, “Please quote the above part number.” Red flags, right there. What you are seeing is minimal effort from a low-level person tasked with performing low-level market research. Peons do this; decision makers do not do this.

This is lazy research, the parallel to lazy quoting. It’s a sure sign of someone who wants something from you (market information) that will almost never result in a P.O. with your name on it (remember, you are dealing with a peon, not a decision maker). Don’t get me going on this research method unless you want to see my crabby side.

The easy way to quote, as taught by the inept, is to look at the computer, see the last price that someone else already entered, and copy it. Duh! This is the preferred method of people who don’t even know what a work ethic is. You can see these people often, but not at 5:01 PM, as they have already rushed out the door.

Any nitwit can regurgitate the same answer time and time again. Eventually such a dunderhead may find right answer, for even a stopped clock is right twice a day. And, of course, an infinite number of monkeys pounding on an infinite number of typewriters will eventually write the U.S. Tax Code. But that is not fast enough for aviation.

The lazy method is ineffective because it does not get you the best price for your product. 

The lazy method does not unearth hidden opportunities.

The lazy method does not teach you anything.

The lazy method does not leave a trail of breadcrumbs for your co-worker to follow tomorrow.

The lazy method does not build your confidence or professionalism.

On the bright side...

The lazy method gives you many opportunities to check your Facebook.

The lazy method includes cigarette breaks.

The lazy method gets you out the door by 5:01.

Let me take a selfie!

Another advantage of simply copying the previous quote is the ability to possess soft, fat, flabby fingers. Worry not! By the time I’m done with you, you will have boney fingers, because you will work your fingers to the bone.

Do you want to know more? Sorry, I cannot possibly explain all the intricacies that go into intelligent, informed quoting in a single LinkedIn post. I’m hardly scratching the surface of this iceberg.

I’m keeping it short because time is limited, attention spans are short, and look at that cute cat video.

Those of you with properly calibrated time machines can jump into the future and pick up a copy of my best-selling, yet-to-be-published book How To Do It on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The rest of you will have to wait patiently until my next post in this series.

Listen to me, Grasshopper, and you shall learn what you should know before opening your big fat mouth and showing your hand to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who is knocking on your door.

Stay tuned, my friend, until next time. If you have any questions that just can’t wait, write them on the back of a ten-dollar bill and send them to me. I’ll be sure to get back to you promptly.

Next time you’ll get One. Little. Tip. To help you find the real end user.

Deuces!