Business Travel: Top 8 Tips to make most of your time
Business trips can be very tough. You will be flying in and out of cities which may be unfamiliar. You will go from one meeting to the next. You will probably be going to countless lunches and dinners. Business travel though pays off and will translate to more opportunities and more profit. Making sure you make most of every tick of the clock while on air or on the ground is very essential.
Here are some tips for business travelers on how you can manage your time well:
Explore the full potentials of technology
New gadgets pop to the scene every month and they are there for a reason. Your iPhone for example is not just for music, or games, or for phone calls. It has iPhone Apps which can pretty much keep you tinkering during your downtime. Checkout Evernote which can help you manage business cards. Another useful tool will be Budget Tracker to keep your finances monitored while you are traveling. QuickNote Voice can record conversations so you will not forget a name or important details.
Take advantage of Social Networking
Businesses and individuals make use of LinkedIn or Facebook to tell the world about their products, services, and expertise. You can also use these social networking websites to get to know your clients, prospects, or colleagues before heading to your meeting. This way you are better prepared and can save some minutes of introductions. Once you get to the conference, you can give out your Twitter handle and update everyone.
Short Conversations work best
When we meet people during a conference or any event, we don’t share our life stories. Meet and greets are perfect to acquaint yourself with someone and just follow up with the chit chat after the event over great food or drinks. Remember your intros should be short and your pitches should be concise. Maximize visibility and talk to a group of people at the same time if possible.
Share your contact information
It can be bad luck when you go to a place just to find out that the person you are meeting with is out of town unexpectedly. Disappointments can be controlled if you can give them your mobile number or provide your contact details to their assistant who can notify you about sudden changes of schedules.
Be in Control
The to-do-list and meetings can be very overwhelming when on a business trip. You can somehow lessen the hassle and do some meetings at or near your hotel. Most hotels will have a conference room which you can use for a fee. You can also meet over coffee (Another tip: Coffee will be better than dinner since it can save you some money and precious minutes).
Get there early
Punctuality is the name of the game. Be at the conference venue early since the pre-event can buy you some precious minutes with guest speakers and other like-minded business people. The casual atmosphere will be great to expand your network by introducing yourself to guests and staff.
Leaver early
Leaving early after a conference is also a wise move. You can go back to your hotel room or somewhere else if you think the next conversation or social activity can swept you away from your goals. Save yourself some hours, some dollars, and some headaches.
Spend time for yourself
Frequent trips can be really strenuous. Make sure you spend time to exercise, eat healthy, and get some hours to sleep. Business trips can bring profit but you can only enjoy the fruits of your labor when you are in your best shape.