[BC] Just for fun - a little serious too.

[Jason R.]

I would have to base my comments on how long and how well I know the guy
(gal).

  If they're given to being rather flat and beancounter-ish...
I'd have a good idea of about what the costs would be if we DON'T proceed
along my proposed path before I ever said anything more to them.  Give them
some useful alternatives.  Just like building a bid, I try to give 3, and
hope they go for the mid-price answer.

  I include the time required to implement the invevitable 'Plan B' should
whatever piece of equipment (person, whatever) fail... the time to build
that 'Plan B'... training, inefficiency, different sound... not a list of
excuses, a list of considerations.  Influencing factors.

  Basically, whether we ''buy new" or "fix right"... or "fix el-cheapo" we
will STILL spend the same amount, in total, if you include ALL the costs.
Reliability, sound, etc. are all big tools, too.

  and if it's NEW equipment... we need to do some big conversations with the
mfg...

After a couple of reasonably correct and straightforward answers over a
number of months... where you do indeed have your act together... the
attitude coming at you seems to loosen up a bit.  Probably 'cause he figured
out you aren't just blowing money for nothing...

Jason