Talking to People Who Don't Speak Drone: The Communication Gap That Loses More Jobs Than Bad Flying

You know what an orthomosaic is. You understand the difference between a DEM and a DSM. You can explain GSD and why it matters for the deliverables you're producing.

Your client doesn't know any of that. And honestly? They don't want to. What they want is pictures from above that help them make decisions. Or a map that shows them something they couldn't see from the ground. Or data that makes their report more credible.

The gap between what you do and what they understand is where more business is lost than on any flight. Operators who can bridge that gap build careers. Operators who can't end up frustrated, wondering why their technically excellent work doesn't lead to repeat clients.

Let's talk about how to actually communicate with people who don't speak drone.

Stop Selling Technology. Start Solving Problems.

Most operators, when asked what they do, start talking about their equipment. "I fly a DJI M30T with an RTK module, so I can capture survey-grade data with centimetre accuracy, and I process in Pix4D to generate point clouds, orthomosaics, and digital surface models." To someone outside our industry, that sounds like noise. Impressive noise, maybe, but noise.

What they heard: "I have an expensive drone and complicated software."

What they wanted to hear: "I can help you see your site in ways you can't from the ground, and give you data you can actually use."

The first version is about you. The second version is about them. Guess which one leads to work?

When someone asks what you do, try this instead: "I help [type of client] understand [thing they care about] by collecting [simple description of data] from above. For example, [concrete example relevant to them]."

For a construction project manager: "I help construction teams track site progress and catch problems early by capturing high-resolution aerial imagery every week. You end up with a visual record of exactly how the site looked at each stage."

For an environmental consultant: "I help environmental teams document site conditions by collecting detailed aerial data that can be analyzed for vegetation health, erosion patterns, or habitat mapping."

For a property owner: "I can give you a detailed aerial view of your property that shows things like drainage patterns, vegetation boundaries, or roof condition—stuff that's hard to see from the ground."

No jargon. No equipment specs. Just a clear statement of who you help and how you help them.

Translating Deliverables Into Value. Here's a conversation that happens constantly:

Client: "I need drone photos of my site."

Operator: "Okay, do you want standard aerial photography, or do you need a full photogrammetric survey with orthomosaic and DSM outputs?"

Client: "...I need drone photos of my site."

The client doesn't know what an orthomosaic is. They don't know why they might want one. They just know they need some kind of aerial view of something, and you're the expert who's supposed to help them figure out what that means. Your job is not to quiz them on technical terminology. Your job is to understand their actual needs and recommend the right solution.

Try this approach: "Tell me what you're trying to accomplish. What decision are you trying to make, or what problem are you trying to solve?" Then listen. Really listen. The answer will tell you what they actually need.

"I need to show my investors what the site looks like." → They need nice-looking photos and maybe a video. This is media production, not data collection.

"I need to measure how much dirt we've moved." → They need volumetric analysis. This is survey work.

"I need to monitor how the vegetation is recovering after the disturbance." → They need consistent, repeatable imagery that can be compared over time. Maybe multispectral.

"I need to document the condition of the property for an insurance claim." → They need detailed, dated photography with clear coverage of specific features.

"I need to find where the erosion is worst so we can prioritize remediation." → They need analytical data, maybe a DEM showing elevation changes, or repeat imagery showing progression.

Once you understand the need, you can translate your technical capability into their language:

"Based on what you're describing, I'd recommend [plain language description of deliverable]. This will give you [what they actually get] and allow you to [what they can do with it]. Does that sound like what you need?"

Now you're having a conversation about their problem, not about your equipment.

The Scope Discovery Conversation. Most scope misalignments happen because operators don't ask enough questions upfront. They hear "aerial photos of my property" and quote a price without understanding what that actually means to the client.

Here are the questions that prevent misalignment:

What is the purpose of this project? Understanding why they want it tells you what quality level matters.

Who will use these deliverables, and how? An engineer using data for design work has different needs than a marketing person making a brochure.

What decisions will be made based on this data? High-stakes decisions need higher precision. Low-stakes decisions might be fine with a quick flight.

Have you had drone work done before? If yes: "What did you like about it? What did you wish was different?" If no: "Let me explain what you can expect."

What's your timeline? Rush jobs are priced differently. But also, timeline tells you about their priorities.

What's your budget range? Some operators avoid this question, but it's useful. If their budget is $500 and you're about to quote $5,000, you need to know that now.

What does success look like for this project? This is the big one. If you can get them to articulate what success looks like, you know exactly what to deliver.

Presenting your proposal once you've scoped the work, you need to present your proposal. Here's where a lot of operators go wrong: they send a quote that lists technical line items no client understands.

Instead of:

• 50 hectare orthomosaic @ 2.5 cm GSD

• DSM generation

• Point cloud output (LAS format)

• Ground control survey (6 GCPs)

• Processing and QC

Try:

• Detailed aerial map of your 50-hectare site, precise enough to see individual plants and small features

• Elevation model showing the exact shape of your terrain, useful for drainage analysis and grading planning

• 3D dataset compatible with engineering software for further analysis

• Survey-grade accuracy throughout, ensuring measurements are reliable for planning purposes

• Professional processing with quality review to ensure everything is correct before delivery

Same deliverables. Completely different communication.

Better yet, include a brief explanation of what they'll receive and what they can do with it:

"You'll receive a detailed aerial map that you can view in any standard image viewer or GIS software. This map can be used to measure areas, distances, and features on your site. You'll also receive an elevation model that shows the exact height of the terrain at every point, which your engineers can use for drainage design and grading calculations. All data will be delivered in formats compatible with [their stated software or workflow]."

Now the client knows what they're getting and why it's valuable to them.

Handling the Price Conversation - "That's more than I expected."

You'll hear this. Here's how not to respond:

Bad: "Well, that's what it costs." (Defensive, adversarial)

Bad: "I could do it cheaper if you want lower quality." (Undermines your own work)

Bad: Immediately dropping your price. (Trains clients to negotiate hard)

Better: "I understand. Help me understand what you were expecting, and let's see if we can align the scope with your budget."

This opens a conversation. Maybe they thought it would be a 15-minute job and it's actually a full day. Maybe they don't need the elevation model you quoted. Maybe they need to see examples of your work to understand why your price is reasonable.

When justifying your price, talk about value, not costs:

Not: "I have expensive equipment and software subscriptions, so..."

Instead: "This price reflects the precision required for your engineers to actually rely on this data. Lower-cost alternatives often don't have the accuracy needed for [their specific application], which means rework or uncertainty later. I'd rather make sure you get data you can trust the first time."

Sometimes the budget genuinely doesn't match the scope. That's okay. You can offer to reduce scope, defer some deliverables, or refer them to someone whose services better fit their budget. Not every project is right for every operator.

After the Job: Communicating Your Deliverables

You've done the work. Now you need to deliver it in a way the client can actually use.

Don't just upload files to a folder and send a link. Include a delivery document that explains:

What's included: List every file with a plain-language description.

How to use it: Brief instructions for opening, viewing, or importing the files into their workflow.

What it shows: Highlight anything notable in the data—things you observed, areas of particular interest, anything relevant to their original need.

What to do if they have questions: Your contact info and availability.

This takes 15 minutes to write, and it's the difference between a client who feels professionally served and one who feels like they received a confusing pile of files.

The Long Game: Building Repeat Relationships

The operators who build sustainable careers aren't the ones with the best equipment or the lowest prices. They're the ones clients call back because they were easy to work with, communicated clearly, and delivered what was promised. Every interaction is a chance to demonstrate that you understand their world, not just your own. When you talk about their problem instead of your technology, when you explain things in their language instead of yours, when you deliver files with context instead of confusion, you become the operator they recommend to colleagues.

That reputation is worth more than any flight.

Aeria Solutions is a full-spectrum remote sensing company based in Canada. We've built our business on translating complex technical capabilities into clear client value—and we train operators to do the same through our Training Hub resources.