Ten Ways to Make Life Easier for Road Warriors
Anyone who has ever spent a night away from home trying to close an important sale knows that business travel can sometimes be uncomfortable and unproductive. And it can be even more draining on sales professionals who spend half their life fighting jet lag.
Fortunately, a little common sense can help relieve the pain and help maintain sales productivity. Oftentimes attention to detail and a bit of forethought — securing enough corporate credit to cover last-minute emergencies, for example, or knowing whether you should bring a sport coat or a rain jacket — can make a big difference.
The following 10 tips can help you control costs, boost employee morale, and jumpstart your road warriors' sales power.
Go Wireless. Avoid adapter and wiring problems at old, under-equipped hotels by making sure your road warriors are outfitted with the latest in wireless technology. Pagers, cell phones and even wireless modems and organizers aren't cheap, but they go a long way toward keeping your remote sales force connected — no matter where they roam.
Online Travel Arrangements. Web-based travel agent sites like Microsoft Expedia and BizTravel.com, make booking flights, making hotel reservations and getting local destination information a breeze. Many sites will let you compare multiple itineraries to find the best deal. Plus, online travel sites are open 24/7, making it easy for your warriors to make their own last-minute arrangements without having to go through a central corporate travel agent who may not be in the office at 2 a.m. Just be sure to watch out for cancellation and alteration fees, which are not always clearly defined online.
Corporate Credit Cards. Making your employees front their own travel expenses can wreak havoc on your accounting and budget forecasts, not to mention drag down morale. Set up corporate accounts with American Express, Diner's Club and others to guarantee that your warriors don't bear the brunt of their travel expenses.
City Guides. Arm your road warriors with Web sites that give them information on not only where to fax and where to sleep but also where to catch a movie or entertain an important client. Sites like Sidewalk.com, keep visiting executives informed, productive and relaxed.
Airline Clubs. Some airports and most chain hotels offer data ports, fax machines and computer access, but they can be expensive and crowded. If you can't afford to make your road warriors completely wireless, at least invest in airline club memberships — they provide your sales force with easy access to high-end communications equipment in many airports.
Down Time. It may seem like a given, but even a road warrior needs time to get their head together after a nine-city jaunt around the country. Don't expect that big report on Tuesday if your knights don't make it home from battle until Saturday at 3 p.m.
Specialized Luggage. While everyone knows that if you want to avoid the baggage wait, you should stow your compact carry-on in the overhead, not everyone is aware of the best way to tote electronics. Certain styles of laptop bags can do everything from help disguise the fact that you've got a laptop — to help ward off thieves — to becoming a virtual desktop workspace. Check into these amenities, they will make your travelers' lives much easier.
Theft Deterrents. Losing laptops and portable office equipment to theft is regrettably common. Apart from the equipment cost, the lost data can be crippling to your organization. Try a battered carrying case to make it seem like a brand-new laptop is ancient and unworthy of theft. You can also find backpack-style computer cases that make it seem as though you're toting nothing more valuable than a Walkman. Many laptops now work with integrated cable-lock systems for security in hotel rooms and other locations. Finally, you can invest in alarms for your road warriors' electronics and sales essentials.
Rental Car Clubs. Rental cars are important out-of-town sales tools. And just like airline clubs that save time at check-in and provide access to timesaving perks, rental car clubs let your sales force avoid lines during peak times, skip paperwork and make reservations in advance.
Open-Door Policy. Always maintain direct lines of communication with your road warriors. Not only while they're on the road, but also when they're back in the office. If you have a deal with a specific hotel, but your sales people return from their stays bruised and sleepless, look for another agreement, fix the problem or find another hotel. Keep your traveling employees comfortable and they'll stay productive — and they'll stay with your company.
