How to Pitch Drone Solutions to Leadership
The coronavirus pandemic placed a strain on many businesses.
With a projected 5.2% reduction of global GDP in 2020, most everyone has felt the economic impact of the virus.
Some industries, such as tourism, will lose trillions of dollars in revenue, and millions of jobs worldwide. Other sectors might feel less of an impact, but they’re still taking the time to decrease spending as a precautionary measure.
Regardless of how severe the pandemic’s impact has been on your business, you have likely seen a decrease in expenditures. It’s human nature to be averse to change in times of uncertainty.
That response is, at times, unfortunate, particularly in the business world. That’s because, during times like these, exploring new technology may be most advantageous for the future.
Perhaps, before the pandemic, you read about drone solutions for commercial applications, and the many potential benefits the technology could offer your business or organization.
Maybe you’d like to explore adding drones solutions to your company, but you’re sure how to sell the idea to your leadership team. Decreased company spending may even have you concerned about discussing adoption of UAVs into the organization.
Of course, that’s perfectly normal. And, with proper preparation, you can overcome it.
Let’s discuss a few considerations on how to take advantage of the current economic conditions to successfully pitch bringing drones into your organization.
Drone Solutions Implementation: Making it Pitch Perfect
Investing in new technology can be a tough sell in any economic environment.
When looking to convince your supervisor to consider UAV technology, it is essential to present your findings in a manner that shows your understanding of the topic.
Remember, drone consultancy firms are a fantastic resource when researching drone applications and putting your case together for UAV integration.
Organize Your Presentation
First, make sure to properly organize your presentation.
Drones are proven, useful tools in a wide range of industries, so there’s plenty of available information. Make sure you understand the different types of drone hardware, payloads, and training needed to operate each platform. And, make sure you’re comfortable with explaining which ones are best suited for your specific use cases.
To ensure that you have an expert perspective, it’s best practice to speak with a drone consultancy firm, as consultants add in-depth knowledge based on experience designed to make your presentation a success.
Get the facts together on drone capabilities, as well as their limitations. Design your presentation so that the facts speak for themselves.
A well-organized brief will hold your audience’s attention and make it much easier for you to present your case.
Create a Unique Business Case
Next, show you understand how UAV technology applies to your specific business.
For example, drones are excellent tools in precision agriculture, discussing multispectral imagery may not be helpful if your primary business is in construction. Identify and present use cases from within your sector.
Also, you’ll need to identify specific benefits relevant to your company’s needs. Consider which of the many advantages drones provide will be most important to your supervisor, then break it down in a way he/she will understand.
Start Small and Build as Needed
While you may envision a fleet of UAVs and teams of pilots joining your organization, your supervisor perspective may see that as too much too soon.
Often, a trial program is the best way to generate buy-in from leadership.
Look to propose drone solutions designed to capture low-hanging fruit, such as improving safety by keeping people out of harm’s way. Small gains during a trial period are easy to transfer into more comprehensive programs at a later time.
And, of Course, ROI
Perhaps to best selling point from a supervisor’s perspective is the return on investment (ROI).
In most cases, ROI calculates what the company needs to invest in drone technology and how long it will take to see a return. This financial calculation is pretty straightforward, but it should not be the only way you discuss ROI.
Investing in new UAV technology can, of course, produce a financial return. But, other returns are worth discussing with upper management as well.
UAVs have given many industries improved safety ratings, eliminated redundancies, enhanced security, and provided customers with better products or services than realized through traditional methods.
Bringing It All Together
Drones solutions have been successfully proven across a wide range of use cases.
With a little research, and even some assistance from UAV consulting firms, you can successfully pitch exploring drone usage in your organization.
Creating an organized, factually supported brief with a focus on ROI is the best approach for briefing supervisors on the benefits of UAVs.
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David Daly - Contributing Author
David Daly, is an award-winning photographer/writer and licensed (FAA) Commercial sUAS pilot. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, David is a former Marine Corps officer with a BS in Oceanography and has earned his MBA from the University of Redlands. David has worked for Fortune 100 companies and has a background in aerospace, construction, military/defense, real estate, and technology.
