Going on the road for business is not as common as it once was. There are still roles where a person might have to travel across their sales territory or visit clients within a drivable distance. Ensuring these trips go well can lead to you climbing the corporate ladder quickly. Forming relationships with large clients will have your employer quite hesitant to let you go due to fear the business relationship will end. Going on the road is used by too many professionals to party when having a clear mind and energy can make all of the difference. The following are tips to help you make sure your business road trip goes as well as it can.
Car Maintenance
The last thing that you want is your car to break down in the middle of nowhere. Most people have a mechanic that they trust and do not want to be forced to use another one. Before a long road trip taking your car in to have the fluids and oil changed if necessary is recommended. Taking a look at the tread on the tires is also important as a blowout on the highway can be fatal. Coolant is also important as an engine that is overheating during a hot day can lead to compounding problems.
Setting your car up for the trip is a completely different manner. You will likely want to bring food and drinks as spending money on the road is a great way to eat in to your income.
Make Calls During the Trip
Most professionals that travel for work extensively are in some sort of sales or account management. Making calls during the drive can easily be done with a Bluetooth device. You might be able to get through most of a day’s work during your drive. You might also find that this helps pass the time as listening to the same playlist can get old if you are constantly on the road. You can also practice your pitch during this time if you are going to a sales prospect to sell certain services/products. Practicing the pitch and responding to potential questions will allow you to seem in control even if a very direct question is asked.
Make Plans for Your Downtime
There is going to be downtime on a business trip where you can truly enjoy yourself. This could entail simply staying in your hotel and ordering food. Certain cities have far more to offer than others which is something to keep in mind. Research activities you are interested in as the local area likely will have something that spurs your interest. Sitting at the hotel bar night after night gets old, you want to wake up refreshed for once during a lengthy road trip.
Killing it on a road trip for work can turn you into the point person when it comes time to pitch potentially business changing deals. Being an employee that is relied on heavily tends to come with generous monetary rewards.
