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Planning out the trip is the most important aspect as leaving details up to chance can result in catastrophe. The following are ways that technology can help an employee become the obvious first choice when embarking on an international business trip.
Being picked to represent the company on an international business trip means the company trusts your skills to build rapport with current clients. The ability to close a sale with a potential client also has to be present as many companies have meetings set up with both current and potential clients.
Employees that are sent on these meetings and always seem to close a deal or get a client to increase their budget will be top of the list when a meeting comes up. Not only can this be a great way to add excitement to your job but it can also help climb the corporate ladder quite quickly. Planning out the trip is the most important aspect as leaving details up to chance can result in catastrophe. The following are ways that technology can help an employee become the obvious first choice when embarking on an international business trip.
There are going to be other sales prospects in most major cities like that of London or Toronto for most industries. Reaching out to sales prospects that might have gone cold can be a great way to close a deal that otherwise would have been dead. Meeting in person at times allows an employee to build rapport or even show the passion that they have for a particular product/service.
Filling up your schedule is imperative as sales is a numbers game so closing one or two additional sales gives the company an immense ROI for the money invested in the trip. Current clients that are in the destination city can also be met with in order to build more rapport and possibly be upsold on their current contract.
The best part of a business trip is being able to explore a new city while having meals provided by the company. A central location should make it easy to get to the most important meetings as well as be in a place where it will be easy to unwind. Planning out activities or attractions that you would like to visit can be the perfect opportunity to fill time between meetings. Being able to talk about the city with the individuals in the meeting can be a way to find common ground. Even asking for restaurant recommendations can be a great idea. Taking clients out to dinner meetings can be a good way to build personal rapport with current clients. This tactic can be used to convince a sales prospect to choose your company over a competitor as they simply liked you better personally.
Being able to stay on top of work that would be done in the office while abroad is the perfect way to impress management. Set an agenda for each day where you will be getting work done whether it is on the plane or while enjoying a glass of wine in your room to end the day. There is going to be downtime where you are too tired to explore so take this time to clear your emails or do anything else you would do on an average day. At times, a company can be hesitant to send a top producer on business trips as they do not want to lose out on their productivity. Do not give your company any reason to keep you in the office instead of closing deals worldwide.
An international phone plan needs to be purchased or activated at least a few days before your trip. Buying a phone overseas can be risky as the technology might not be equivalent to the phones that are available domestically. Radio PCB design is becoming more prevalent throughout the world as many pieces of technology are going wireless. Investing in a GPS is also going to be imperative as you do not want to get lost due to your US provider not having service randomly which does happen in certain locations. You will also want to be in contact with clients if they need to change the meeting time last minute. Do not underestimate how much you use your phone especially for directions when you are in a new location.
Business trips can be extremely fun and add spice to your job if it is otherwise mundane. Being able to travel the world to exotic or historic international destinations on the company’s dime is just an additional benefit. Leave no other choice for these trips by going above and beyond each time you are sent abroad for business. This could eventually be leveraged into a management position at a new international location that is opening up. Execute and work hard as a business trip should not be time to sit back and relax for the duration of your time abroad.
