Avionics News January 2014 - 30

SALES AND SERVICE

Continued from page 28

most of the wiring originates. This is usually the expensive boxes in the center
stack, Smith said. Down payments average between one-third and one-half the
panel's cost, depending on the equipment
list. "We collect funds on a progressive
monthly billing" that covers the component costs as construction progresses.
A good custodian of customer funds,
the salesman keeps a spreadsheet that lists
every component, from cost, payment,
when it was ordered to when it arrived,
and its serial number. "What's here is
their property," he continued, and "we can
provide this information to them at any
time." Being proactive, the techs building
the panel will email its owner photos of it
at different steps of construction.
The finished panel is shipped to the

customer with complete wiring diagrams
and all the component manuals. The
sales team then provides phone support
to builders as they install and learn to use
the panel. This help ranges from buttonpush sequences on specific screens to
how-to basics for stripping wire and
crimping connector pins. "We've just
started producing a series of YouTube
videos that answer the most asked questions starting with how to read our wiring
diagram," Smith said. They will be online later this year.
Experimental or general aviation, once
the new systems are flying, Aerotronics continues to serve their customers'
needs. Most frequently, that's a database
update. Like any procedure infrequently
done, "it's easy to forget the steps," Vold
said, so "we'll guide customers through
the process over the phone, or we'll do it
for them here in Billings." q

Keeping whatÕs in front
of you

BRIGHT

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¥FMS / FMC Controllers
¥TCAS / ACAS / Mode S
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Millennium International
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30

avionics news

*

january

2014

Sales & Service

POINT OF COMMUNICATION
Continued from page 4

11. Entrepreneurship doesn't always
run in the family. More than half
(51.9 percent) of the respondents
were the first in their families to
launch a business.
12. The majority of respondents (75.4
percent) had worked as employees
at other companies for more than
six years before launching their
own companies.
Which of the above surprises you the
most about what entrepreneurs are like?
Does this inspire or describe you?
Many business schools are requiring
their MBA students to take a course in
entrepreneurship and now offer fields of
study on the topic. There is a lot to be
learned about developing a well-rounded
entrepreneurial company. I often question
whether true entrepreneurship is a learned
skill or a passion within the person. I believe
that due to the nature of an entrepreneur or
entrepreneurial company being fast paced
and sometimes chaotic, there is a common
frustration of finding balance between the
investment of money, time and energy
versus what they get in return. It is more
about defining the vision, people and
processes to gain traction.
One thing is for sure, in our industry the
small business owner and entrepreneurial
companies are not alone. Millions of small
businesses travel the same road or airspace
as you each and every day. Although
your business operates in its own unique
fashion, the cumulative impact of the small
business sector is enormous. So in closing,
keep up the good work. I personally give
thanks to the AEA for providing our small
businesses with guidance, support and the
tools to help us grow.
Happy New Year! q

JEANNE RAU-FLATTERY
Treasurer, AEA board of directors
Millennium International; Aero Express;
and Express Calibration Services
http://www.avionics411.com
Avionics News January 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News January 2014
