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Winning a contract.

Does the size of our drone, helps to win a contract? Is bigger equivalent to better?
Size doesn't matter.

While it "Shouldn't Matter" it does to some. When I do demonstrations or meet with a new client I don't bring my Phantom or Mavic out at all. I bring along the Yuneec H520 HexaCopter with interchangeable cameras and a big honking Transmitter with multiple antennae. I honestly believe it's more "impressive" to uneducated clients that are used to seeing Phantoms and now Mavics. When I'm proposing Big $$ I bring the Bigger aircraft.
 
This topic is pretty interesting. I started in this business 5yrs ago with a Mavic Pro. My first client was Harmony Development, and during 2 seasons I was mapping, with the Mavics. I had join the Mavic forum at the time,researching as well asking questions in regards to working in construction, most of the answers was GET a bigger drone, because of this and that... Now that I look back, size is irrelevant, but it is how we present our work, as a salesmen that we are, with only have our saliva as our capital in pitching our services to our clients.

Once a upon a time, I pitched my business to a gent and the rest was history... I was flying in one of the largest estate in South Hampton, the property is owned by the owner of the NY Jets. He wanted photos and videos for his media team, he could of hired someone from the East Coast, but it is the sale pitch that is important. Here's the snippets to that faithful day. This contract paved way to other contracts, I guess my message is for the young operators that's getting into this business. Do not let size, and the amount of a drone deter you from getting what you want, at times size is an extension to one's ego, and also at times "it is all show, but no go" HUSTLE is key, becasue there are so many job opportunities out there, and all you have to do is block the noise and get it done.

 
Umm, you may want to check your dates. The Mavic Pro was released in Sept. 2016. :)

That video was created 2017.... I was generalizing. I had the Mavic Pro, 2yrs prior the release date. I started with a Matrix that did not want to fly, and a Phantom. I was with DJI 2014-2016. ;) as a beta tester. And ohhh.. Please don’t let pullout creds [emoji23]
 
My first map was done in AutoCad, and I’m still stuck using autocad (recap Pro now) than using an app. Yup. 5yrs. DD was not as reliable then, and 3DR with Sony camera, was a hit vs. DJI.
 
I had the Mavic Pro, 2yrs prior the release date. I started with a Matrix that did not want to fly, and a Phantom. I was with DJI 2014-2016. ;) as a beta tester. And ohhh.. Please don’t let pullout creds
emoji23.png

Not to detract from the subject of your thread, but I doubt very much if DJI had anyone beta testing the Mavic 2 years before it's release in Sept. 2016. If so, it must have been bad if it took 2 years to fine tune...Pretty long for dji's cycles.

You could not have been flying commercially in the US legally in 2014 in any event.

The rest about AutoCad and Drone Deploy; I have no idea what your point is??
 
Not to detract from the subject of your thread, but I doubt very much if DJI had anyone beta testing the Mavic 2 years before it's release in Sept. 2016. If so, it must have been bad if it took 2 years to fine tune...Pretty long for dji's cycles.

Sure...

You could not have been flying commercially in the US legally in 2014 in any event.

There was no set FAA regulations. If we take further back, wedding photographers were having a blast.

The rest about AutoCad and Drone Deploy; I have no idea what your point is??

Aren't we doing timeline of events?
 
I was just commenting on your comment on the Mavic Pro. Nothing more. If I said I went to the moon in 1959, you may find that hard to believe too ! :)
 
I was just commenting on your comment on the Mavic Pro. Nothing more. If I said I went to the moon in 1959, you may find that hard to believe too ! :)

I would believe you. There’s a great saying “We can fool people at one time, but we can’t fool people all the time” and in this day n’ age, it ain’t true of it’s not on Instagram... [emoji23]
 
The legality of commercial multirotor operations was in dispute between 2013 and 2015 as the FAA had little in the way of legal authority to own it. They rattled sabers a lot but until the 333 process came about the cinema/commercials groups were hard at it. Those were the people that pushed the 333 concept to begin with as a means to protect and continue existing operations. Many others were dealing with various corporate interests quietly in the background.

As for bigger being better, I don’t believe that to be true anymore as the type of work establishes what needs to be used. Size is not as important as delivered product. Set up time has a large influence. Professionalism matters. A well designed and documented safety program is highly influential as insurers/safety departments pretty much run the way ops go these days.

Size matters to some degree, ain’t nobody going to hire you using a Blade Nano but capability has been increasing in smaller sized systems, although some things will continue to require systems carrying 40-100mpxl or LIDAR type payloads. None of the <600mm systems can lift them.
 
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This is great advice for newbies like me. Thanks for including it.

In our field, we at times make judgment calls based on size and price as well as think that the bigger the drone the bigger the contract, when we do so, we forget the art of a sale, and that is selling our services. If we treat our toys as a mere tools, we become more profitable, regardless of what we drone we fly. In business, we hustle and grind.
 
While it "Shouldn't Matter" it does to some. When I do demonstrations or meet with a new client I don't bring my Phantom or Mavic out at all. I bring along the Yuneec H520 HexaCopter with interchangeable cameras and a big honking Transmitter with multiple antennae. I honestly believe it's more "impressive" to uneducated clients that are used to seeing Phantoms and now Mavics. When I'm proposing Big $$ I bring the Bigger aircraft.
Very similar in our retail store. Everybody comes in to buy something on the smaller side, but gravitate over to an M600 and ask all kinds of questions. They instantly think it will take much better photos - even though that aircraft does not have its camera built in!

Agreed on the hustle comment too - you can talk about and sell your aerial services without having to tell them what you fly in many cases.

Great questions and good feedback!
 
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