Blog



Five Ways to Prepare your Team for a Business Travel


Posted: 3rd January 2018 16:49

Whether you need to complete a project or secure another client, business trips are an important part of the operation of any organization. This implies that they should be taken seriously, and if your team is planning another one soon, then you need to learn how to get them ready for the journey.

Even with the confidence you have in your team, you want to make sure that they do their best and get the job done. That all starts with proper planning and preparation. Think of it as setting them up for success, and it needs to happen way before they leave the office.

Tips for preparing your team for a business trip

If you want to get the best from your team going on the business trip, you want to make sure they have an easy time wherever they are going. It’s up to you to cover every important factor, from their welfare to having the ability to arrive at the meeting on time. To help you get your team ready for success, we put together 5 ways to prepare them for business travel.

1. Transportation

Make a plan for your team to get from place to place.  Whether it’s an Uber or Subway, make sure your team has a plan to get where they need to go. While you are planning, you want to make sure that the options you pick are cost effective and efficient. If they are using a flight, get them tickets and figure out the means of transport they will use when they get to their destination. Rental companies have tons of vehicle options and sizes to suit your needs, so make sure your team can travel comfortably.

With transport, it is important to consider how they will be when they reach their destination. There is no point in letting them drive for more than 8 hours only to reach their destination tired and less than ecstatic, if you can catch my drift.

Utilizing your ability to take a short flight instead of long drives means your team can potentially fly in, present, and return home with the success story in the same day. 

2. Accommodation

After a long day of travel, the last thing your team expects is to search for a hotel themselves. Take matters into your own hands before they even leave for the airport by booking their hotel accomodations ahead of time. 
If your team is going to be gone for a few weeks or months, make sure they will be comfortable.  No one works well after weeks of sleeping on the pull out mattress. Remember, a good night sleep will contribute to their success. It’s up to you to find the right extended stay hotel for the team.

3. Insurance

Insurance coverage in the most important things you can get for your team when they travel. It will cover them and their equipment, so they are covered if the worst were to happen on their trip. There are plans for equipment, health, medical coverage, and canceled flight compensation, so make sure your team is covered. 
Don’t let their business trip turn into a horror story because of lost or stolen items, back your team up with a great insurance plan.

4. Relevant information

Relevant information like airport address, hotel address, and what airline you are flying with may sound obvious, but you would be amazed at the number of people that don't take it seriously. You need to ensure that your team knows where they are going and who to contact. Sending them off with a draft of directions is like asking someone to find a needle in a haystack. Provide them with the information they need, including the contact information of who they have to meet, the address of those meetings, and the times they need to be there.

Also, you want to make sure that your team is well connected to one another. Before they go, make them swap contact information. In a crisis, communication is key, and that’s not possible if no one can contact each other.

5. Team meeting

Before the team leaves, it is essential that they are updated on the goals of the mission and their duties as individuals. You are more likely to get better results if the entire team is on the same page. Let them in on everything they are expected of including the meetings they will have and the importance of the travel to the business. This would prepare them for the task at hand.

Conclusion

To sum it up, your team will perform better if the members know that you care about their welfare. These preparations tips will help you when preparing your team for the business travel to help you get the most out of the same.

How do you prepare your team for traveling on behalf of the company? Do you have any special tactics for ensuring your teams success? Share your preparation tactics in the comments below.