Thoughtful Thursdays – On the road again

For those who manage a territory that covers a lot of geography, travel is part of the job.  It mat involve a lot of driving or flying or both. It can also be exhausting and costly to your business if you do not manage it well.

Today’s sales thought is about ways to successfully manage your sales travel.

The further out you can pan your trips, the better. Establishing a travel schedule that enables you to be in places on a regular basis will also make it easier to set up appointments with your customers as they learn to expect when you are coming.

If weather can present a problem at certain times of the year, arrange your schedule to avoid those situations. When I used to travel to the east coast of Canada it would be in the Spring, Summer and Fall, avoiding the winter months. This was fine with my customers as well.

Air travel is expensive. By planning and booking air travel in advance you may save enough to make another trip. When ever possible don’t take a long trip to see only one customer. Fill your days and make the most of your selling time visiting as many customers and prospects as you can. Stay another day if you have to. It is much better than making another trip or missing the opportunity to visit a customer.

Maintain your eating and exercise habits as much as possible. On short trips, if you are crossing many time zones, try to stay on your local time if possible. Longer trips will allow you adjust to the time differences.

I also found it beneficial to stay in the same hotels. Many offer perks to their regular customers. Take time to enjoy the local fare and explore some of the sights while you are away from home.

Allow ample time to get to and from the airport. No one needs the stress of being late for a flight.

Not many careers offer the opporutnity to see your country or other countries as part of the job, so take advantage and enjoy while you are taking care of your customers.

Good selling,
Richard

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