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Complimentary Analysis

PERFORM

097 – Seven Key Factors When Choosing a Hotel for Business Travel

 

Three primary drivers that factor into your hotel selection:

  1. You’re budget-driven – Just like me on my 1st trip, you make your decision on how much you’re allotted to spend on a hotel or a trip. Your loyalty is to the best deal that keeps you in budget for your trip. This method is solely for the benefit of the company and often can wear a business traveler down and even out of business travel.
    • Budget Tip for Budget-Driven – Do your homework. Every part of the country and depending on key cities are just flat out more expensive. Leverage booking sites to compare.
  2. You’re chain-driven – You’re a “Marriott guy” or a “Hilton girl” and the only variation is which hotel within your mothership chain. You’ll drive further just to stay at your favorite hotel chain. This is the largest category with seasoned road warriors. For example, you may find a preferred chain during your budget-driven days and now you can finally commit to the chain.
    • Chain Tip for Chain-Driven. – If and when you change companies, let them know your preferred chain and even preferred hotels within that chain.
  3. You’re rewards-driven – You just want the benefits as quickly as you can that you can use for you, significant other, and/or family.  If you have your family travel with you or you take a lot of trips, you may convert to this option over time. How is rewards-driven different than chain-driven? Well, you may be loyal to a chain, but the difference is in the loyalty is not to a chain but to a credit card or site that you actually see the rewards and doesn’t limit you.
    • Loyalty Tip for Rewards-Driven – www.Hotels.com honors you with a free night with every 10 nights, not hotel stays.

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.

The other key factors in choosing business travel hotels:

  1. Hotel Location – This is all about convenience. Maybe this limits your drive time and/or gives you more access to attendees.
  2. Hotel Amenities – what’s at the actual hotel matters more to you and there are four amenities that enhance your hotel stay:
    • Restaurant- Often, it’s just nice to have a restaurant right on site that is part of the hotel whether they serve a hot breakfast or offer lunch and dinner, the convenience cannot be beat especially if you’re tired or short on time.
      • Restaurant Pro Tip -Check out the menu for the restaurant right away to not only save you time but also help you avoid making a reactive poor food choice.
    • Bar- Sometimes if you’re with a co-worker or team, this is very convenient to meet before dinner or a nightcap but… it’s also often just TOO convenient and can be an enabler and sleep-stealer. Know thyself.
      • Bar Pro Tip -Always apply the 1:1 drink to water ratio and end one drink earlier than planned and have your last drink be a glass of water to limit the alcohol effecting your sleep. Also, put a glass of water or water bottle on your bed stand to have available in the middle of the night.
    • Fitness Center- Having a good workout option while on the road is an absolute must especially if you implement energy habit one: MOVE. It’s amazing what even 20 focused and intense minutes of movement can do for your body and even your mind.
      • Fitness Center Pro Tip –  Visit your fitness center before you even go to your room or right after you check in to your room to know exactly what options you have available to you for your workouts during your stay.
    • Kitchen- If you travel a ton for work, having the option to prepare your own meal and relax in your own room or even in the commonplace patio, is a rare gift.
      • Kitchen Pro Tip -If you’re focusing in energy habit two: FUEL, stay at as many hotels with kitchens to control your food options. I did this for a month and lost over ten pounds. Heavy decision for me!

Challenges:

  • You’re limited by your company and it’s not your preference. This is especially true for companies who are cost-focused. The key is making the best of your options and when it starts to wear on you, it may be time to move on.
  • You start with a certain hotel chain and feel committed or stuck.  This is the “sunken costs fallacy” where you invest so much in something, it becomes a point of no return.

 

You’ve got this!

References

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.

Written by Bryan Buckley · Categorized: Embrace Better, ERW Podcast, PERFORM

Seven Mistakes New Business Travelers Do Wrong and How to Avoid Them

Becoming a new business traveler is exciting. It’s like finally getting your license and starting your car up by yourself and going for a drive all by yourself for the first time. #NewfoundFreedom

But business travel has these secret handshakes that seemingly everyone else knows but nobody chose to show you as the new guy or new girl on the road.

As a result, so many business travelers make certain mistakes over and over that can and should be avoided. If only someone cared enough to pull the road warrior rookie aside to show these needed and simple handshake moves. And that’s the exact reason for this article.

I’m here to “help a brotha and a sista out” and give you that chance to succeed quicker and more effectively.

There’s nothing wrong with being a Rookie Road Warrior; we all started there at some point. So, let’s get the rookie green color off right now and get you up to speed.

Seven Mistakes New Business Travelers Do Wrong and How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1 – Not signing up for TSA PreCheck

Before you even step foot in an airport, the first thing you should do is get your TSA PreCheck knocked out and ready.

Why? Time. Unless you prefer to wait with “the commoners” who travel once a year for vacation or an occasional trip, you want to be in the TSA PreCheck lane.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the following:

  • Whipping my belt off feeling like I’m undressing in public
  • Walking on dirty floors with my socks
  • Having to pull my electronics out of my bag

With TSA PreCheck none of the above will apply to you.
It also reduces traveler friction which is anything that causes added stress within a business travel day whether self-induced or part of the joy of business travel.

I remember one time hitting unexpected traffic to the airport and was in the busyness vortex of hurry/worry/scurry. I walked into the airport in San Diego and the normal security line looked like the line for a new Disneyland ride.

If I had to stand in that line, I was sunk. But I walked right up to TSA and was at my gate ten minutes later. Whew! After a long week of travel, I just wanted to get home.

These situations happen often and TSA PreCheck will save you over and over.
You can learn about TSA Precheck here

Quick Tip: If you travel across the US borders, (north eh to Oh Canada or south, no Espanol to Mexico) consider Global Entry. You can look into that here.

Mistake #2 – Not getting your passport now

You may be getting or currently have a region for your role at the moment, so why even bother right now with getting a passport? Here are a few reasons:

1. You never know when you may be asked to cross the border or the water

Early on, I had landed a good size contract and was asked if I could do Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver in two weeks. If I didn’t have my passport, I would’ve missed this great opportunity (along with three hockey games!). But I was given the advice to get my passport right away and all was good.

2. It’s another valid proof of identification

One time I had misplaced my wallet and I was having a road warrior freakout session (C’mon now, you know you’ve had your fair share too!) and I was getting my money’s worth out of the session. I hadn’t gone through security yet and was short on time due to Chicago traffic on my way to the airport. I calmed down instantly when I remembered one thing: I had my passport with me. I breezed through security (TSA PreCheck avoiding mistake #1), went to my gate, and realized I did have it in my bag after all.

Moral of the story: it’s better to have it and not need it than wish you had it and don’t.

Get your passport process going right now so you have it when you really need it.

Quick Tip: Don’t leave your passport at home but always carry it with you in case you need it for another proof of identification.

Mistake #3 – Not using a packing list

When you first start traveling, it’s a challenge to know what you even need to bring let alone forget items that you know you’ll need. It’s guesswork at best.

Early on, I would forget random things: a belt, workout socks, a phone or computer charger, hair gel, and on and on and on.
It was frustrating, inconvenient, and to be honest, avoidable. Once I started working off a packing list, my packing went quicker and my forgetfulness nearly disappeared. My only regret was not using this simple tool sooner.

I used the following categories:

  • Toiletries
  • Dress wear
  • Casual wear (which included workout clothes)
  • Workbag (computer to chargers)
  • Unique for this trip – am I going to a special dinner? The beach?

Then I put in details of what would fit under each of these categories.
Lastly, I asked “Is this item absolutely necessary?” to make sure everything could fit in my carry-on.

Quick Tip: have duplicates of as many items as possible that can stay in your carry-on bag. It was worth the investment and shrunk my packing list to more specialty items depending on my location.

Mistake #4- Checking a bag

This mistake applies to the hoarder whether male or female. If you’re nervous you’re going to not have enough with you, then this mistake applies to you.

I’ve also witnessed this firsthand traveling with a newer female business traveler who has to have numerous outfits and every pair of shoes. I get it but I don’t want to travel with you and wait with you for your bag that looks like you’re on vacation.

Checking a bag is one more way for something to go wrong. The times I check my bag, Murphy’s brother, Mark, is doing bag handling and Murphy was messing with Mark and letting him know I was going to Omaha, not Atlanta.

This is definitely a rookie mistake and sucks up valuable time and leaves you open to travel friction.

Now, there are times when I’ve been gone on a long trip overseas or that last 5 or more days. Then yes, checking a bag makes sense. But this is the exception, not the rule.

Pony up and find carry-on luggage that can work for you that is made for a business traveler.

Personally, I’m using the Genius Pack G4 22″ Carry On Spinner Luggage

Quick Tip: Use packing cubes to maximize space. You’d be surprised how much you can get in a carry-on bag if you pack properly. Here are the ones I use.

Mistake #5 – Drinking too much at business events

I see this guy way too often at business social events or at a customer dinner.  And most of the time, he’s young and green (aka a new business traveler).

He’s not used to good wine or top-shelf liquor and especially anything that is free and seemingly unlimited. As a result, he becomes “that guy”.

It also happens to someone who wants to fit in and “drink with the big boys” when this always ends poorly. I’ve seen this with women business travelers and it’s a brutal next morning.

A few years ago, Ted tried to keep up with the big boys and was a lightweight drinker at best. After two shots, he became the life of the party or should I say the death of the party, and had to be driven back to his hotel early and get his car the next day. He’s now known as “two-shot Teddy” and his legacy lives on.

Quick Tip: Stick with the advice given to me by a CEO very early on in my road warrior career: “Always drink one drink less than your customer and one more glass of water. Be memorable without becoming ’that guy’ at the event.” If you feel the alcohol catching up with you, have your next drink be water or a non-alcoholic drink that looks like a drink. No one will notice and honestly, no one really cares.

Mistake #6 – Working all the time on a business trip

This mistake is understandable and seems to yield immediate results so it’s encouraged and even rewarded.

You may feel you have to work all the time on the road just to keep up. Or when you’re new to the road, you want to prove to your boss you can handle it.

Your company may subtly influence you to work all the time because they own your time on the road.

You find yourself working on an early flight out of town and the last flight home.  If you work for this type of company, they care more about your results than they care about you.

I can guarantee one end result every single time if you fall prey to this mistake: BURNOUT.

Your results will end up inconsistent because you’ll move quickly through the Exhaustion Cycle:

Busy = Can’t Stop Now and I feel hurried
Beatdown = Can’t Take This and I feel stress
Burnout = Can’t Keep Going and I feel done

You can learn more about the Exhaustion Cycle in the article “Why you may be living in the Exhaustion Cycle.”

Your evenings should be your choice of what to do. This was my #1 mistake and burned me out to the point of complete exhaustion and shut me down for far too long.

Quick Tip: Have a hard stop of when you will start work and when you will end work and you’ll be surprised how much you get done within these time restraints. I reserve the 1st two hours of my morning to focus on 5 of the 6 energy habits to allow me to do the last remaining energy habit of PERFORM at the highest level and you can too.

Mistake #7 – Not maximizing your destination

I was flying from Chicago to San Antonio and an older, seasoned road warrior started asking me questions about how I travel. I have to admit as a rookie road warrior, I was trying to impress him. Guess how that went? I told him about how I lived in the travel triangle: airport/boardroom/hotel. I bragged how I worked through dinner and stayed up late. “This is my time to work without interruptions,” I bragged.

When I took a breath (which was somewhere between St. Louis and the Texas border), he said very calmly but clearly: “Son, let me give you a piece of advice. Stop doing travel that way. You never know when you’re going to be in that city again, or even on the road on business travel for that matter, so take time for downtime.”

He told me to see the River Walk in San Antonio. Eat the local foods in the area, see the site-seeing locations, and soak it in. He ended by saying I would be more productive in the long run and it would make my travel so much more enjoyable. I politely said thanks and licked my wounds for the remainder of my flight, thinking about this unusual but enlightening conversation for me.

Guess what I did? I went to the River Walk in San Antonio and I walked by the Alamo (so I could remember it). As a result of the unexpected, influential conversation, I’ve continued his counsel for years and years, in city after city (and I have the pictures to prove it!).

In Elite Road Warrior, we call this “Downtime – time to be, not to be on.” Too often we live in the Travel Triangle = Airport / Conference Room / Hotel Room. Every city looks the same because we don’t see anything.

Make time to maximize your destination and get out of the Travel Triangle and leverage some much-needed downtime.

Quick Tip: Do some research and find something in that city you can look forward to doing (site-seeing, going to a ballgame or museum, dining at a popular local restaurant).

I want to give credit to Jet Set Genius Podcast and an ace of a friend, Brad Kammlah, for inspiring many of these notes on road warrior mistakes.

The goal here is to help young or just new business travelers to avoid mistakes that cost you time, energy, and possibly even your reputation early on and if adhered to, will put you on the path of becoming an elite road warrior.

Resources

7 Early Warning Signs for Companies to Avoid Business Travel Burnout

Top Ten Business Travel Hacks Guide

 

Written by Bryan Buckley · Categorized: Breaks, Embrace Better, PERFORM, REST · Tagged: ERW Podcast, podcast

Five Conversation Levels to Connect with People on the Road

This article focuses on energy habit #4: PERFORM. Let me tell you a quick story.

Scott has been a road warrior for years and although sharp, he struggles with conversation on the road.

He’s good at his job, knows his stuff, but seems to be missing the “connecting with people” part of the program. Scott answers any questions he’s asked but any real conversation is “sold separately” with him. He wonders if it’s a personality thing since he’s a little more on the introverted side.

He also wonders if it’s a confidence issue and doesn’t want to look foolish. Scott is also more on the private side and so trust is a big issue.

ERW Research has found the following types of people who travel in relation to conversation:

  1. All business talk all the time
  2. Never asks questions and answers any non-business questions with a short and straight answer
  3. Rarely asks questions but will answer any questions asked of them
  4. A hybrid of business and personal talk

The challenge is too many business travelers really don’t connect with people on the road and either:

  1. Don’t have a clue
  2. Don’t care
  3. Don’t know what to do about it

The largest category is “they don’t have a clue” – most do care, although we’ve all met the guy who doesn’t care.

My hope is that you will know what to do about it.

Sadly, too many business travelers actually think they’re connecting when they’ve been disconnected long ago and I’m hoping to change that.

Conversation is the oil that keeps relationship smooth.

But wait, aren’t we just on the road to do our deal and get home? You know, get in, get out, and no one gets hurt.

Kinda.

Yet most of our relationships have dried up and are in desperate need of the relational oil to smooth things out. You’ve more than likely heard the phrase “people do business with people they know, like, and trust”.

Yet so few business travelers people are actually known and tolerated as an acquaintance, let alone actually are liked.

Now, I’m not talking about being insecure and going out of your way so everyone likes you. But most business travelers are on the complete other side of that concern.

With Scott’s concern in the opening story, there are variables:

  • Extroverted or Introverted
  • Public or Private
  • Straight to Business or Warming up the Crowd

Some people simply don’t like small talk. They view it as a waste of time. But there is definitely more to conversation than small talk especially if it has a purpose.

Almost all of us want to do our best on the road and perform at a high level. But we’re missing something very important and we under-utilize leveraging the power of conversation to truly connect with people.

So what are the five conversation levels to connect with people on the road?

In the book Click by Ori and Ram Brafman, they discuss five conversation levels that I want to bring into the context of the business travel world.

Level One – Phatic

On one end of the spectrum, there are phatic stamens that are not emotionally revealing at all.

They are Social niceties (e.g. “How are you?” “Nice to see you”). These are fillers (and the response is not particularly important). We say these things not because we want to elicit a response but rather because they smooth out any friction in our social interactions.

Level Two – Factual

In this type of discourse, people share and seek basic bits of objective, factual data: I live in Chicago. What do you do for a living? We seek and share (harmless) bytes of information

These are straight-forward observations to which no strong opinions are attached.

Level Three – Evaluative

Where we express an opinion on something about people or a situation. (e.g. “That movie was really funny”, “I don’t like her new haircut”).

If the other person agrees/disagrees with our point of view then it could affect our relationship with them (we are more drawn to people who share our values).

These three levels of interactions – phatic, factual, and evaluative – constitute what’s called the TRANSACTIONAL Category – communication that conveys thought-oriented (as opposed to emotional) information.

It’s only when we cross the threshold to the second category, CONNECTIVE Interactions, that we really make ourselves more vulnerable and where we have the ability to truly connect.

Level Four – Gut-level

This is where we reveal our feelings about something (e.g. “I’m sad you are not coming with us”). We usually limit these conversations to only the closest people we know. However, used appropriately, they can be very powerful with a wider selection of people.

Each of these comments reveals something personal and emotionally laden about the communicator. These comments are usually saved for people we already trust or feel a deeper connection with.

Even with those we are closest to, though, we rarely venture into the 5th and most emotionally vulnerable level

Level Five – Peak

These are the highest level of emotional states that often reveal our deepest innermost thoughts, values, and feelings (e.g. “I was really hurt when you said I wouldn’t make a good father”). The deeper we go, the deeper the engagement we can make.

Evaluation Time

  • What levels do you implement?
  • Where do you stop and why?

Connecting with people is key to performing at a high level on the road and truly being effective in your work and with others.

You Got This!

Written by Bryan Buckley · Categorized: PERFORM · Tagged: ERW Podcast, podcast

What You Need to Consider When Choosing Your Preferred Airlines

Most business travelers have one thing in common: airplanes.

Some travel internationally, most just domestically. Ironically, not every business traveler takes the air. Some are literal road warriors in every sense of the word. They’re on the road their entire trip.

And many are a combination. They fly into one city then drive to another city. Let’s say flying into Dallas then drive to Austin then to San Antonio then fly home to Chicago. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

As a result, there’s an unspoken process many business travelers go through in choosing an airline.

But do you know who doesn’t know this process?

The new guy or the new girl. That new business traveler who’s never been taught our secret handshakes. They choose an airline without much thought if it’s the best choice for them in the long run.

When I first started traveling for work, I was trained inside-and-out on the product. Sound familiar?

And the only information I was given on the travel part was: “keep it as cheap as possible.”

That was helpful. (Insert sarcasm here)

Everything revolved around price from the flight to the hotel to the food. And it was always what was best for the company, definitely not for me but I didn’t know that at the time. I was naive and thrilled to be “on the road” and “on my own.”

What I’ve learned later, is that the company wanted what can be summed up in two words:

CHEAP RESULTS

I’m on a mission to help companies realize that cost-focused business travel yields not only cheap results but short-term results because of one major rarely talked about subject: business travel burnout.

And hence learning the most effective ways to travel that yield consistent results. Did you catch that? Consistent results.

Since most business travelers fly for a living, we need to make sure we’re choosing an airline that enhances becoming an Elite Road Warrior.

So, if you’re about to begin business travel, have aspirations for business travel, or are already into the groove, there will be something in this article to help you in this area.

Before we dive into the five ways to choose your preferred airline, let me give you a word of caution right out of the gate:

Be hesitant to choose a budget-only focused airline such as Spirit Airlines or others in that similar category. Why? Because the “nickel-and-dime you” approach will be un-necessary travel friction. They charge you for a carry-on, for luggage, choosing certain seats, snacks, even to go to the bathroom. Okay, not the last one at least yet, but you get the point. They have ways of making up that low fare at your cost, not the company’s and it’s exhausting.

(Now that I got that rant out of my system…)

Five Ways to Choose Your Preferred Airlines

Consideration One: Hometown major airlines

You have an airport within striking distance to your house as a road warrior and if it’s a larger or even medium-sized city, it’s going to have a primary airline or what I call your hometown airline.

They’re going to offer you the most flights which means more times and more options.

For example, I live in one of the best cities to be a business traveler. I have two airports around 30 minutes from my house (O’Hare and Midway).

Chicago is home to three major airlines:

  • United (hence the United Center – home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks)
  • American Airlines (major hub)
  • Southwest Airlines (in fact over 90% of Midway Airport is Southwest and one their largest hubs)

I realize this ideal situation is rare and I’m thankful for it. But you may be in a city where Delta or American Airlines is “the” airline of choice and by default, becomes your best option.

This is a major consideration and often an easy decision due to the presence of this one primary airline and the best selection of flight options.

Key Action: Know your primary hometown airline options around you and find out if you have more than one choice

Just remember, this is a strong consideration but definitely should not be the ONLY consideration.

Consideration Two: Willingness to fly connection flights

This 2nd consideration is on the heels of consideration one of hometown major airlines.

For some, the choice is driving hours and hours to a large airport when others prefer taking their regional airport and connecting to the larger airport. Often times, trying both once or twice will make your decision very obvious, very quickly.

Other times, it depends on the cities you need to frequent and how many flight options your preferred airline provides.

I know road warriors who will drive 2+ hours to a major airport so they can take a direct flight and other road warriors who drive 30 minutes to their regional airport and connect to a major hub. They both have their reasons.

The longer I’ve traveled, the more I limit connection flights. That dude, Murphy (you know, from Murphy’s law) always seems to take my connection flight with me and of course, something goes wrong. Murphy seems to get a real kick out of thrusting me into the busyness vortex of hurry, worry, and scurry. #NotAFan

If a connection is my option, then I plan for the worst by giving myself contingency plans to limit my travel friction and stress (Aka: more margin for error) because the delay is almost always on the 1st leg of the flight which affects my connection flight. For me, it’s unwanted and unneeded stress.

One connection I don’t mind if I don’t have a choice is a direct flight which means you have a stop but you don’t have to leave the plane. You’re just dropping passengers off and picking more up. This is the lesser evils for a connection flight.

Key Action: You need to determine if a connecting flight is optional or mandatory and know if you’re a connection-type of road warrior

 

Consideration Three: Reward programs

Every airline has a reward program available. And if they don’t you shouldn’t be getting on their plane!

And there are key questions to ask about the reward program:

  • How long does it take to actually reap the benefits of your travels?
  • How far do your miles take you? (This is usually the catch in the program)
  • How difficult is it to actually use them?
  • Do they expire?

For example, when I first started, I signed up for every reward program which I suggest as well. But I also flew every airline because of CHEAP RESULTS expected from my company. I would fly sometimes 3 or 4 different airlines on just one week of travel. Craziness.

This also means I never earned enough on any airlines to benefit from my travels. I was in Points Purgatory which is not a fun place for a business traveler. I had a ton of miles but spread out amongst all the airlines.

Then I stuck with one specific airline for a while, but it just took me forever to use any of the miles.

I finally chose Southwest Airlines for the following reasons:

  • No cancelation charges and easy to change flights
  • A-List Preferred gets early boarding /free WiFi /drink coupons
  • Incredible customer service – I was talking to a real human being in 30 seconds who was actually enjoyable to talk to (is that even possible when dealing with airlines?)
  • But most importantly: Companion Pass = my wife can fly anywhere I fly for free

You may not choose your preferred airlines solely based on the Rewards Program but I’m here to tell you it definitely matters and should be considered.

I could easily have better status overall with United or American with living in Chicago with certain other perks I’ve had in the past such as 1st class seating, lounge access, etc. But at this point in my life, my family coming on multiple trips a year with me or a few vacations where my wife flies for free just matters more to me right now.

I chose to give up the personal perks for the greater benefit for my family during this season of business travel.

You need to determine how much the Rewards Program matters to you and where it falls in choosing your preferred airlines.

Key Action: Do your research on your airline options rewards programs

Consideration Four: Do you like their experience?

This is a bigger deal than you realize upfront. I may have a convenient airline and it may have a good reward program. But… if the service is bad, flight attendants are rude or developed their personality in a car crash, it makes a huge difference in your overall experience especially if you fly often.

If you’ve only flown a couple of airlines, you may not have much to compare your experiences to, so if you’re early on and shopping around for an airline, pay attention to the experience.

For example, I flew American Airline more at the beginning, but between us girls, I didn’t like the service. The flight attendants had the same social skills as my local DMV.

Service comes in two major forms:

  • Flight Service – what food/snack/drink options are available to you? How’s the WiFi?                               1. Are they friendly and smile or dread their job and you’re an obvious inconvenience?
    2. Is it any good?
    3. Are they generous? (Like an extra pack of snacks is going to throw their budget completely out of whack)
  • Customer Service – when (not if) something goes wrong, is the process painful or easy?

A few years ago I had to take an airline I had never flown. I was traveling with a co-worker and about an hour before the flight, we both got an automated call that the flight was canceled. No reason and no next steps. I didn’t know who to call or what to do next.

We finally talked to someone and the next flight was 24 hours later which means we would miss all of our meetings. It was an absolute mess and to be honest, made me thankful for Southwest customer service along with how personal, casual, generous, and humorous the flight attendants are on any given flight.

The longer I fly and the older I get, the more important my experience on a flight is to me and I really notice it when my family comes with me on more and more trips.

Key Action: Notice with a high level of critique how your overall experience with your potential preferred airline is.

Consideration Five: Have a strong secondary option

Sometimes, your preferred airlines may just have a high price that is going to flag the system or not get approved or you get some heat that’s just not worth it.

Or the date/time just doesn’t work for you especially if it’s a last-minute change.

Another reason is your airline is more domestic than international.

Back to my example, when I switched to Southwest Airlines as my primary, there are locations domestically they just don’t focus on and I need a second option. They also don’t fly north to Oh Canada, east to Europe, or west to Asia, Australia, etc.

So, Delta is my strong secondary option. When I flew to Madrid or Sydney, Delta was my obvious and preferred choice unless the price or dates/times just couldn’t work.

Having a strong secondary option also means you’re signed up with their Rewards Program along with having your TSA Pre-Check number (if you have one and you should) already in their system.

I shopped around with United and American Airlines as my secondary options and use them every once and a while, but I’ve had a good experience with Delta each time and it’s become my secondary option.

Key Action: All of the above considerations should be used on choosing your preferred secondary airline

If you’re about to start traveling for work or you’re in the honeymoon phase of business travel and still trying to figure everything out, then really work through these five considerations.

And if you lead a business travel team, check in with each road warrior and see where they are in this process of choosing a preferred airline. Limit the CHEAP RESULTS strategy and take care of your road warriors!

I feel for some of you road warriors where your choices are limited or you feel stuck. Living in Sheboygan, WI wasn’t the optimal choice when you became a business traveler.

Take choosing your preferred airlines seriously. You do have choices. So, wherever you are on the road, do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life. Leverage your airline to help you become and remain an Elite Road Warrior today to eliminate burnout and exceed results.

You Got This!

Written by Bryan Buckley · Categorized: Embrace Better, Podcast, Productivity · Tagged: ERW Podcast, podcast

Five Ways to Effectively Click with People on Business Travel

I had a polarizing father when he was alive. He was a business traveler, public speaker, and would light up a room when he entered.

But although he was bigger than life in so many ways, he had a rare quality for someone who was great on stage.

The legendary Frank Buckley could take the energy he had in front of hundreds or thousands of people and bring it to an audience of one: the person right in front of him.

When he was talking to you, nobody else in the world mattered to him at that moment. He would lock-in and make you feel like the most important person on the planet.

Everybody knew my father.

It didn’t matter where we went, if my father had been there before, he was greeted with a smile that would make you smile and a hug that breathed life into your body.

Everybody felt like my father was for them and their close friend. It wasn’t an act. It was who my father was because he knew the magic of connecting with people.

When my father passed away many years ago, we were not prepared for the number of people that would show up at his wake and memorial service.

The small town of Lockport, IL that held his viewing was not prepared for that night. The funeral home was not prepared. The amount of traffic that overflowed that town was not prepared.

The police showed up to handle the traffic and parking.

It was a two-hour wait just to view my father’s body.

The funeral home had to set up partitions to handle the people flow that was like going through a ride of Disneyland or general security at an airport during peak hours.

But what was amazing, even overwhelming, was hearing the stories that people shared on how my father had touched and impacted their lives.

People had driven hundreds of miles and flown thousands of miles just to attend. But also my father’s dentist, chiropractor, grocer, barber, hardware store guy, and on and on and on.

While people waited in the long long lines, the question that came up with complete strangers was “how did you know Frank Buckley?”

It was incredible to hear the stories from complete strangers of how my father had influenced them so much they felt compelled to say goodbye to the man who was bigger than life but had touched their own life.

How?

My father knew the power of connections.

He instilled the importance of this unique skill set. He told me that many can light up a room but few can warm a heart.

It was a skill that he encouraged and developed in me that has served me my entire career.

Awhile back I read a book that was unlike any other I had read in a long time. Why? I felt like it was explaining how and why I connect with people and what my father demonstrated and taught me.

Sadly though, most people are not taught how to have a conversation or how to click with people in ways that truly matter in business and life.

I don’t want that to be your story and hence this article on conversation and clicking with people.

When you’re able to truly connect with another person on the road, it’s a game-changer. The business side all of a sudden just seems to open up and things get easier.

Why?

Because in the end business is done between people.

  • People we know.
  • People we like.
  • And ultimately, people we trust.

And if we can learn this skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and learned, we will become an elite road warrior in the 4th energy habit, PERFORM, the why we’re on the road.

Five ways to Effectively Click with People on Business Travel

 

In the book, Click, the magic of instant connections, the authors discussed five ways or environments for click to happen naturally.

1. Physical Proximity:

Physical distance directly affects the likelihood of establishing a connection to someone else. You are more likely to become friends with the person sitting next to you at work than someone who works on a different floor of the same office building.

You connect with the neighbors right next to you not as much as those down the street.

Two Variables:

  • How often – The more often you’re around someone on the road, the more opportunities to click with that person.
  • How long – The more time you spend with someone your odds increase as well to connect. 3 minutes in a brief meet-and-greet vs. going out to dinner or attending an event

 

    • Example: when I can take someone out to lunch or dinner vs. in a conference room, the physical proximity changes for the good. If I can take them to an event like a ballgame or Top Golf, it’s a whole different level due to the forced proximity.

2. Similarity:

It’s known that we like people who are like us and the more we feel that we are like others, the more we create our own “in crowd”. It’s an us versus them mentality that influences quickset intimacy.

When you find someone who:

  • Has the same name
  • Grew up in the same area
  • Same job or role
  • Likes the same food, drink, hobby, sports team, same age or bday, left-handed
    … you have a quick opportunity to click and connect with them

 

    • Example: NYC dinner at a high-end Manhattan restaurant and my job was to connect 12 people (6 on our side / 6 on their side) since we were going to be working together for a long project – I spent time getting to know each person then connect them with someone else on my team.

3. Safety:

The safer we feel with another person/environment the more likely we are to open up. And conversely, the more unsafe the outside environment, the more it pushes us together.

IF someone is more introverted, reserved, or shy, it will take them longer to feel safe with someone they don’t know especially in larger groups.

This is why the 1st two “click” ways are important to build safety: proximity and similarity.

    • Example: I find the more I can lead by asking questions that uncover similarities and create environments for more physical proximity, more people will warm up and feel safe. But note, I’m also intentional to create a safe environment.

4. Resonance:

Think “awareness” of what is going on when you’re with other people.

“Being fully in the moment” allows you to tune into the emotional mood of others around you.
By being aware of others’ needs, you are better able to satisfy them. In doing so, you increase the likelihood of clicking with them. This is emotional intelligence, being willing to be present and not distracted.

    • Example: let’s go back to the NYC dinner example. It’s easy to just “resonate” if you will to those around you (physical proximity) and that’s fine but if you want to click at a deep level, you need to be aware of how others around you are in the moment. Are they not talking? Why? Do they seem dis-engaged? Bored? I’ve learned through the years to pull them back in by 1:1 with just that person and ask a question to get them re-engaged in conversation first with me, and then potentially the group.

5. Vulnerability:

When an individual opens up to another and reveals personal information about himself, they increase the other person’s perception of his trustworthiness.

You have to be smart AND intentional about what, when, and how much to share.
Whether it’s the first time I meet them and we only have a few minutes or I come back for a 2nd time. (Physical proximity)

Or maybe we spend a good amount of time together at a dinner or event (to create Similarity and Safety opportunities)

The key is leveraging RESONANCE when you’re fully aware of the right moment and reading the person.

    • Example:
      • I’ve let people know in the past I’ve been let go of a couple of jobs or why they didn’t renew my contract.
      • I’ve let people know I’m divorced
      • I’ve been honest about my faith as a Christian by mentioning my morning routine which includes reading the Bible or our family goes to church

You have to determine what you’re willing to share (vulnerability) and what feels safe at the moment.

But I’ve learned from experience when you’re vulnerable and specifically GO FIRST, it’s an absolute game-changer in the connection to click with people on the road.

Let’s transition to… Five Specific Ways to Connect with People in Meaningful Ways on the Road

These are remedial but after decades on the road and dealing with people, I’m shocked how many people struggle in these five ways.

So, as I share them, don’t assume you already do them and brush them off.

Really think about them.

ONE – Eye Contact

TWO – Questions

Why? To find something that resonates with you and them.

“Son, ask people questions and they’ll talk to you for hours. Talk about yourself and they’ll listen to you for seconds at the most.”

THREE – Observe

It’s amazing what you can learn looking at how someone dresses, presents themselves, what they bring with them, the pictures on their desk, how open they are or talk about other people, are they Peter Positive or Debby Downer, etc. –

FOUR – Researching

Leverage LinkedIn to know what they look like, their past roles and experience, their schooling, clubs, etc. Michigan State convo and their disdain for U of M?

You’d be surprised what you can learn. I also leverage #2 of questions and may ask someone else who knows them anything they’re willing to share about the person. I get so much quality information and it’s quick research that really helps me.

FIVE – Remembering

This one is huge especially if you’re following up with this person via email, text, or call at first. What did you learn from your questions, observations, and research that you can use to continue the CLICK with this person?

When I know someone likes something or a sports team, I will always reference it right away.

I have an industry friend who is a Patriots fan and we text anytime his team or my team (da Bears) are on national TV. It’s changed our connection and relationship big time.

And especially when you come back to visit, simply remembering their name and addressing them by it. Referencing something they told you.

I know there are many Road Warriors out there who want to improve in how they perform on the road. They realize they’re either not connecting with people or they can and want to improve in this area.

If that’s you, then maximize how to click with people.

Where can you improve? Seriously? Where are you weak? But also, where are you strong?

This is a skill my father taught me early on that has served me so well in business and especially on the road.

Be near people and look for things in common by asking good questions and create a safe environment. You do this by being fully present and aware then lead with being honest that allows people to open up as well.

You Got This!

Written by Bryan Buckley · Categorized: Embrace Better, ERW Podcast, PERFORM · Tagged: ERW Podcast, podcast

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