Travel budgets are slim or non-existent these days. But true road warriors have honed their skills in orchestrating hyper-efficient business trips, whether they're conquering conferences or meetings. The key to getting the most out of face-to-face time is to plan ahead, minimize on-the-ground travel and maximize technology, experts say.
"With budgets tight and uncertain economic prospects, it's more important than ever for business travelers to show a significant return on their travel investments," says David A. Kelly, who writes About.com's business travel guide and jets frequently as head of technology research firm Upside Research. "Building a strong business relationship requires a human connection, and smart business trips start with up-front planning."
Connect through tech
Savvy travelers take advantage of the latest technology to make the most of precious time on the ground. Zachary Mannheimer, executive director of The Des Moines Social Club, a nonprofit arts and education center in Iowa, maximizes harried meetings with iPhone applications. For starters, he runs the smart phone's voice recording device to capture conversations that he replays at the end of the day—avoiding the time, mess and hassle of note-taking.
Mannheimer also uses the app Evernote to take pictures of business cards and store them via his phone in an online Rolodex. "I pair these cards with pictures of the person and the recorded conversation," he says. "Even at dinners and social events, I'm recording. You might call this Big Brother, but I call it smart business."
Business speaker and consultant Thea Lobell takes advantage of social networking tools to increase conference participation. She advises using the Twitter hashtag designated for the event to connect with other attendees, both by following their tweets and posting her own conference coverage.
Other tips include connecting with interesting speakers and attendees via LinkedIn and Facebook prior to the event to make an initial connection and become familiar with their photo to make it easier to spot them among the masses.
Meet up, follow up
Christine Harmel, head of The Interactive Resource, which does business development and networking on behalf of firms, takes advantage of conferences meet-and-greets, but warns, "I make sure not to get stuck in one place too long, circulating amongst the areas, and keeping a lookout for the people I'd like to meet," she says. "When you meet those people at a conference, that is not the time to get into a long conversation about how you can do business together. Meet them, be gracious, make yourself memorable, promise to follow up—and then do follow up." She contacts these people via LinkedIn within 24 hours, mentioning something memorable from their conversation.
When it comes to meetings, Sandra Krantz, president of corporate gift specialist Imaginar Gifts, staves off last-minute cancellations by providing the client with an emergency phone number. "There is nothing worse than traveling a long distance just to find out your host did not come in to work that day," Krantz says.
She also ships meeting materials ahead of time—no need to lug them through a crowded airport—and sends an agreed-upon agenda to all participants prior to the event. "This allows you to make adjustments in advance for the most productive meeting," she says.
Maximize socializing and down time
Meanwhile, Selena Cuffe, CEO of wine importer Heritage Link Brands, squeezes the most out of her visit by selecting a centrally located hotel and inviting clients and prospective partners to come to her—often in back-to-back meetings. She also sticks to get-togethers over coffee or drinks en lieu of lengthy meals, and minimizes luggage and time by packing outfits that transition from day to evening.
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Linsey Knerl, blogger for the personal finance site WiseBread and co-author of "10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget", believes in taking advantage of conference related social events—if done strategically. She suggests arriving early to increase your chances of engaging with many people in a sparse room, limiting alcoholic drinks to one per night and digging into quality conversation with new or important contacts instead of small talk with friends.
Then skedaddle early. "There will always be a group of people that carry a social event out through the night," she says. "Since very rarely does this kind of activity result in anything business-worthy, I leave when appropriate, using the late evening hours at my hotel room to catch up on work or get a very good night's sleep."
While it is wise to make the most of mealtime by scheduling meetings or joining new contacts for an in-depth conversation, leadership coach Camille Preston makes a stop at her local grocery before boarding the plane to help maximize down time. "Too often when we get busy, we eat in the hotels, which takes more time and money and drains our energy because it is typically crap food," she says. "I get laughed at going through security as I pull out grapefruit and broccoli."