How To Deal With Issues That Might Occur On International Business Trips
The business world is global as the ease of communication due to technology allowing meetings to be done virtually. With that being said the value of a face to face meeting with a client is still as valuable as ever. Virtual meetings simply do not give the same opportunity to build rapport with a client like that of meeting in person. Not all international business trips go as planned for a variety of reasons. Dealing with these obstacles is important as the company will be investing money on the trip so making it a success is imperative. The following are a few tips to deal with specific issues you might run into on your next international business trip.
Flight Delayed or Cancelled
There are times where getting a meeting with a busy client could have taken weeks or even months. A flight being delayed or cancelled needs to be anticipated by your company. Schedule the trip for the day before or even two days before to make sure that you are in the city for the meeting regardless of what happens as far as the flight goes. Traveling to another airport to get a flight out is also an option especially if there are multiple airports within a few hours. Do not wait to let the client know that a flight is looking like it could be cancelled as they might be able to pencil your meeting in for another time. Doing this last second can be seen as unprofessional and the client could cancel the meeting permanently.
Car or Even Worse…Aviation Accident
A car accident can delay a meeting whether it is your fault or not. Even a taxi or Uber can be at fault but this does not change that it can make you late or even have you miss your meeting. Try to find accommodations near your meeting place to avoid driving altogether to reduce the variables that could go negatively. Aviation accidents are a bit less common but they do happen. The most important thing is being alive after one of these but the odds are that you are going to be injured. Regardless of client they will not hold it against you in the case of an aviation accident. The most important thing to worry about is finding legal representation as the crash could have been due to negligence by someone involved in piloting or on ground navigation. An Aeromexico flight recently went down with nobody losing their life but plenty of people being injured. Reaching out to a flight 2431 accident lawyer is something that passengers need to do in order to file a lawsuit in a timely manner. Regardless of the severity of the crash hire legal representation as you could receive compensation for pain, medical bills, and mental issues caused from this traumatic experience.
Client Cancels After Your Arrival
Things come up and at times a client might have to leave town for an emergency whether it is a business or personal emergency. The best thing that can happen here is to meet with the client if they had a short trip out of the city. This can mean extending the duration of the trip for a few days though. Try to set up other meetings with clients or prospects that might be located in this city or another city which is a short train or flight away. Do not come home without meeting with anyone although the company will understand that no sales were closed due to the fact the client left town. Reach out to people ahead of the trip that you would like to meet with so multiple meetings are set up so if one is cancelled for some reason there are plenty of others!