“Just when you think you have done enough to impress, do more. There’s someone standing in line behind you ready to step up and take your place.”
This interview is with Janine K Iannarelli the founder and CEO of Par Avion Ltd. She brings us along on her journey of how her aircraft brokerage firm sells the most luxurious private jets.
What is your company and what is its main goal?
Par Avion is a boutique international aircraft brokerage firm specializing in the sale of business jets valued upwards of $65,000,000. Our goal is to deliver to buyers and sellers of business aircraft unparalleled service in terms of identifying, selecting, cultivating and closing a transaction of these highly complex, technical assets.
We pride ourselves on offering a very hands on approach to a transaction and actively manage customer relationships thereby resulting in a high retention rate.
When did you start your business and why?
Par Avion was founded in 1997. After thirteen years with an aircraft dealership, I personally was ready to move on to a new challenge and among the choices available to me, starting my own company was the most appealing.
I had a vision of delivering a very bespoke service that offered complete transparency and objectivity when it came to conducting an aircraft transaction on my Clients’ behalf.
What makes you different from your competition?
What sets Par Avion apart is that we offer a level of service and commitment to the client that is for the most part unheard of today simply because the economics do not support it. Given that our industry faces declining demand and subsequently diminished earnings, one-way brokers have cut back is to not be so hands-on or present at such events as the pre-purchase evaluation of the aircraft.
Traveling to the inspection facilities consumes time and money and so this is an area that many have cut back on and prefer to run the deal from their desktop. Quite frankly, that is not in the best interests of the client. We are a turn-key, full service brokerage and I am very involved in all components of the transaction. It has earned Par Avion the reputation of being thorough, pro-active and effective.
What marketing channels do you use for your growth?
The vast majority of our marketing efforts is conducted online whether it is via email delivery services or aircraft for sale portals. Of course our web site plays a major role in staying connected with the market and delivering up to date information on our available inventory.
Our new site just debuted and one of the key objectives in revamping it was to make sure it was completely mobile device friendly. That being said, I am still a bit old school and use direct mail quite effectively.
What are you expected to grow in terms of revenue in the next 12 months?
As I hope to add a salesperson to the team in the coming months my expectations are to increase sales by at least 50% if not double it. While you can have great expectations, especially with a seasoned salesperson, we are still subject to the whims of the global economy and our Clients.
Par Avion has the history, the experience and all the resources necessary to weather any market environment, but I still count a bit on Lady Luck!
