Yes, travelling is an essential part of a sales professional. It’s important because to build trust which is the most important factor for a customer to buy from you, you have to meet them in person. While video calls are great, there’s nothing that can outdo the connection a face to face conversation or meeting has.
But travel and fine dining is not just the glamorous part of sales that lures in the best talent, it is a test of the survival of the fittest. You need to juggle time zones, be up to date on your documentation, keep abreast of the best money saving apps for hotels and flights and keep yourself mentally fighting fit because the focus is always sales. This job entails a large amount of domestic and international travel that makes sales people frequent flyer veterans. Now that the world is moving on from the pandemic and travel is on the rise again, I wanted to share a few helpful tips with you to make your own routines more organized and less stressful.
1. Visa and passport check
While in most cases, your company will take care of it, but the onus is on you to ensure you are not hassled by something you overlooked. If you have an international trip, the first thing to do is check if you will be eligible for a visa on arrival or will you have to go to that country’s government website to apply for a visa that fits your category of travel. It is a good idea to renew your passport much ahead of its expiry date so you are ready to fly asap.
2. Train and bus tickets
It is a good idea to book your train and bus tickets for intercity travel much ahead of time. It will take a lot of pressure off your shoulders to have a set itinerary in place so you are able to focus on other unforeseen situations that may arise or have mind space to organize and revise for the meeting and arrive in warrior mode.
3. Airline loyalty programs
Airline loyalty programs are something you must enroll in to enjoy free lounges, save on airport meals or just get some peace and quiet as you power through background admin work to manage your trip details. The perks range from upgrades from economy class to business class to increase in the amount of hand carry luggage allowed. The leg space and free wifi are also some great perks too that you wouldn’t want to miss.
4. Food and Wellness
I cannot stress enough on the importance of making good food choices every time to appear well rested and energetic even after long hauls. Include these foods in your meals as much as you can to keep yourself paced and hydrated through the day:
- Fish – Salmon or Tuna or other cold water varieties of fish make excellent lean protein meals with high amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. Apart from reducing risk of Cardiovascular disease, they also reduce blood pressure.
- Grilled Vegetables – Fibre along with adequate liquid intake moves easily through your digestive tract and helps it function properly.
- Greek Yogurt and probiotic drinks- Gut health can directly affect your overall health and to maintain a healthy digestive system, it is important to choose snacks with lower sugar content so you can conquer the stomach acids.
- Water is King- as Christian Ronaldo reminded the world, choose water over soda or caffeine every single time.
5. Keeping fit on the move
Apart from food, it is important to get some sort of exercise during the day which is not just mental. Choosing the stairs, avoiding the moving walkways and power walking between destinations are just some things that will boost your heart rate without soaking your linen suit.
6. Packing your Travel Bag
Another item that needs to be second nature to road warriors is packing battle armour. In the medieval days, soldiers had to travel miles on foot wearing heavy suits of armour and carrying long swords in leather scabbards. Luckily, we have mastered the art of travelling light and these are my secret weapons:
- A ready to go toiletries travel bag with all your essentials – dental hygiene kit, comb, trimmer, cologne etc.
- Antacid / paracetamol or aspirin
- A fully charged phone power bank
- Extra clothes for any eventualities
- Laptop / charger / other electronic devices
- A good quality luggage with enough pockets and wheels
It is important to have quality briefcases or bags, so you avoid the hassle of broken wheels, zips or torn seams. As important as travelling light is, always be sure to have a checklist ready so you can perform a quick inspection to see you have all the important paperwork, gifts or personal items in its proper places before you jet off.
7. Power Dressing
How do you achieve an effortlessly well dressed look without breaking the bank? There are some travel essentials that do not fail to impress every time, such as:
White dress shirt: A well-ironed white shirt can be dressed up or dressed down, transitioning your look from day to night without too much effort. You can wear it with denims for a laid back relaxed look or with thick woollen suits for winter or linen suits for summer. You can carry similar looking white shirts for a long trip instead of having to pack multiple shirts and trying to mix and match everyday.
Sports Jackets / Blazers: These jackets or coats that can be worn on a variety of denims and trousers for multiple occasions. You can be ready for afternoon lunch or a night out, just by pairing the blazer with a bow tie or an open necked shirt.
Colour schemes: It is important to contrast a light coloured shirt with dark trousers and vice versa. Also important to see that the belt and shoes are not too horribly mismatched. Fashion faux pas are not high priority but go a long way in terms of giving confidence and helping you put your best foot forward and creating lasting impressions.
8. Don’t overlook Mental Health
Being on the road for long periods of time can cause depression, a feeling of alienation or plain old loneliness. One may feel that he/she is missing out on family time or milestones while they are away. While you cannot help missing out on recitals or soccer practices, you can always keep in touch by carving out some time to talk to all your friends and family for a few minutes. Taking time out for spiritual routine, hitting the hotel gym or just following along some breathing exercises can help you decompress on the go and get better sleep. If your itinerary allows you some time to yourself, treat yourself to local sights and put your tourist hat on. Travel can be for business and pleasure if you are willing to walk out of your comfort zone in a strange city and be ready to take in the local culture. Just going to the park across the hotel or talking to a stranger via Google translate can offer refreshing perspectives and create value from unexpected free time.
Once you have a routine down, you can fall back on your process and make your travel more efficient. Whether it is learning to take your calls from anywhere, scheduling your to-do list on your home-screen, mastering all the tech that helps you save time like downloading rental car apps and check-ins, all of which can help you focus on your job much better. Travel pressure will take a back seat once you have charted the course from the time you leave your house/office to when you get back. Therefore taking charge of all things that you are in control of, will help you better plan your travel, leaving you with enough time and energy for the real purpose of your travel.
