Stay Connected on Business Trips

Some tips on how to manage the busy-ness of traveling as a speaker.

Speakers tend to travel a lot and there are some things which we can all do to help make the strain on our resources much lighter.  Here are some great tips from Francis Rios, as featured in Beyond Borders in this month’s Speaker Magazine.

Stay Connected on Business Trips

After 2,000 miles, two flights, 10 hours and two taxis, the speaker arrived at her destination: Guayaquil, Ecuador. She traveled back and forth from her home to the client’s location for two months to conduct eight-hour seminars four times a week, followed by client meetings and dinners and time spent scoping the local market for prospective business and dealing with clients at home. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?

Staying connected during trips is vital. There are projects due upon return, meetings to coordinate, client crises that can’t wait until the end of the trip and, of course, attending to personal matters.

The Improvised office

In today’s global workplace, the wonders of technology can keep you connected to home base even when you’re on the other side of the world. “The world is now flat. A speaker can be anywhere in the world and be connected 24/7, thanks to the advances in technology. This means that speakers should set their eyes on the international market,” says Joachim de Posada.

You can improvise an office wherever you are. Many professionals operate their business from their Smartphone but, if you need to sit at a desk to type, turn to your laptop. Know where all of your Internet locations are available, such as in your hotel room, clients’ offices, coffee shops, airports, etc.

Your phone really is a smart, valuable, multi-functional tool because you can text, email, search the web, and keep track of your social networks all in one place. You can check your inbox, delete the junk and focus on what is important, so you won’t be so overwhelmed when you finally have time to sit down at the computer. 

Home office support gives you the strength to go on when exhaustion takes over. Make video calls to your staff via Skype for a fraction of the cost. Skype enables you to meet with potential and existing clients face-to-face via a computer monitor. You also can use Skype to say “goodnight” your spouse or partner and kids at home. 

If you prefer to travel light, iCloud is a high-tech alternative for storing your important paperwork.  It synchs your documents and calendars with iPad, iPhone and other devices, and it is a reliable and effective back up for all of your communications.

These high-tech suggestions are great, but human contact remains the most effective communication mode. When you’re on the road, try to meet as many people as you can. By establishing relationships with people around the world, you will have friends everywhere you go and you can reach out to them for help if you’re in a jam in unfamiliar territory.

Keep Your Team in The Know

Here are some common-senses travel tips for newbies that even seasoned travelers will appreciate reviewing:
• Keep projects at home running smoothly by delegating tasks to your team so you can focus on business when you’re in another city or on another continent.
• Make your staff privy to your schedule and provide information regarding your whereabouts and how to reach you.
• Keep clients informed when you depart for your trip to their location and when you return to home base.
• Take advantage of traveling to a new destination where you can research opportunities to add to your existing client base.

Frances Rios is the author of The Glue Factor: How to make your message stick to you audience.  Through her firm, Frances Rios Communications she offers services in the public speaking arena, public relations and crisis management for an array of international companies.  Her experience includes many years as a top executive and spokesperson for Fortune 500 companies in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Speaker Magazine: NSA’s official award-winning publication, is published 10 times annually in print and digital formats. Speaker provides members and non-members with the latest marketing and branding strategies, legislative updates, tips on running a speaking business more efficiently, and innovative ideas from top professionals worldwide. Articles are contributed by working speakers, who generously share their knowledge from the trenches of their speaking businesses.