{"id":8641,"date":"2022-09-20T04:26:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T04:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/?p=8641"},"modified":"2024-01-11T16:55:22","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T16:55:22","slug":"what-not-to-do-business-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/in\/blog\/what-not-to-do-business-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"What should you not Do on a Business Trip?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Suppose you went on a business trip to an overseas destination. You wanted to pay at the restaurant with your credit card, but it was declined. You realized that you forgot to inform your bank about your international travel. Or, let\u2019s just say you have an important meeting with a prospective client. But you catch a cold and fall sick during your business trip because you forgot to pack your thermals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These mistakes can cost you and your company, and you may lose out on a good business deal. There are a lot of risks and unexpected situations that can occur on every trip. No matter how well you have planned and organized, you still tend to miss out on a few things that may appear trivial but might cause a significant impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To carry out business trips smoothly, you must remember what to do and what not to do. Once you know them, you\u2019ll be off to a great start and avoid any mistakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listed below are a few tips on what employees should not do on a business trip: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Violating Your Company\u2019s Travel Policy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Being Unaware of Business Travel Etiquettes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Getting Insufficient Sleep<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Being Unprepared For Business Trip<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Not Preparing an Itinerary<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Not Packing Your Medicines<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Making a Bad First Impression<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Forgetting To Backup Important Documents<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Keeping Your Data Insecure<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Not Leaving an Out-Of-Office Message<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Consuming Unhealthy Food<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Not Being Punctual<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Mismanaging Expenses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Not Carrying Local Currency<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Traveling Without Travel Insurance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Not Having the Right Software Tools<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Forgetting To Carry Essential Travel Products<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. Violating Your Company\u2019s Travel Policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A travel policy is a set of rules and guidelines pertaining to every aspect of business travel, be it booking, expense filing, safety protocols, etc. Hence, you must know your company\u2019s travel policies before going on a business trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are spending more than the limit mentioned by your company in the travel policy<\/a>, you may not be eligible for reimbursement. Such mistakes often happen if you are unaware of the company\u2019s travel policies or don\u2019t go through them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can opt for a travel management software tool that offers real-time policy visibility during bookings. Hence,  you book only policy-compliant travel options from a long list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Being Unaware of Business Travel Etiquettes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Whenever you travel to a different country, you must know the business etiquette<\/a> of the location to avoid offending the clients and localities. For example: In Japan, people greet each other by bowing; in India, people fold their hands, and in the USA, they shake them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Suppose you travel to a country where English is not the native language.  In that case, you can learn a few basic phrases in the local language, such as \u2018Hello,\u2019 \u2018Nice to meet you,\u2019 \u2018Thank you,\u2019 and \u2018You\u2019re welcome,\u2019 which can make all the difference when making the first impression with the client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Additionally, you must know how to dress and present yourself in a client meeting, the appropriate drinking, and the dining manners.  In order to have long-lasting relationships with your clients, ensure you are well-versed in the etiquette of the country you visit.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Getting Insufficient Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    During a business trip, your schedule is packed throughout the day. You have to attend multiple meetings or business conferences, meet new people from the industry, and go for lunch\/dinner with clients. Therefore, you must get enough rest before and during the business trip to remain fresh and active. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Insufficient sleep can have severe consequences on the mind and the body. Nausea, irritable mood, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating are some side effects of sleep deprivation. Hence, you must get good sleep for a  minimum of 7-9 hours<\/a> to be productive and active during your business trip.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Being Unprepared for Business Trip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A productive business trip needs good preparation. There may be instances where you forget to check the accommodation details, such as check-in and check-out timings, or fail to carry important business documents. Being unprepared can make a business trip unnecessarily stressful and hectic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can avoid this mistake by confirming the business trip details with your travel manager. You can also create checklists, such as a travel packing checklist, to help you prepare and ensure you don\u2019t miss out on anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Not Preparing an Itinerary <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    An itinerary is an elaborate plan for a business trip that includes details of meetings, accommodation, distance from the airport to the hotel, and places to visit, among others. Without a proper itinerary, you could be late for the meetings or be stuck at the airport for a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A clear, well-prepared, and crisp business travel itinerary<\/a> will give you a workable timetable for your tasks, meetings, and activities. Your itinerary must include time slots for your morning workout, seminars, conferences, coffee and lunch breaks, meals, sleep, commute, and leisure activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The more detailed your itinerary is, the less time you will have to worry about when arriving at your destination.  This helps you focus on your tasks more effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n

    Get Free Travel Itinerary Template<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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    6. Not Packing your Medicines<\/h2>\n

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    Business travel sometimes includes employees traveling to international destinations with varying climatic conditions. Therefore, they become more susceptible to health emergencies. Also, the minor illnesses you can easily cure at home may aggravate if you are in a different country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Hence, you must always carry medicines for common illnesses, like fever, cough, cold, motion sickness, diarrhea, food allergies, etc. It is also essential to carry a sufficient amount of prescribed medicines because a replacement may not be available in another country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Get Free Business Packing Checklist<\/a><\/p>\n

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    7. Making a Bad First Impression<\/h2>\n

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    When you are meeting a client for the first time, making an excellent first impression<\/a> is always crucial. A bad first impression will make you lose the employers’ and clients’ confidence and trust in you. To make the first good impression, you must keep the following points in mind:<\/p>\n

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    Dress for Success: <\/strong>Dressing appropriately is very important when meeting your client. Always make sure that you are wearing ironed formal clothes. Dressing neatly and smartly shows that you respect your work and your clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Body Language:<\/strong> The first thing a person will notice in you is your body language. If your body is slouched, you send out a message that you\u2019re disinterested in the other person. Therefore, you must always sit or stand straight, with your shoulders back and head up. This indicates you\u2019re confident and enthusiastic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Greetings<\/strong>: It is always important to greet your clients whether you\u2019re meeting them for the first time or not. Always greet them with a firm handshake, look them in the eye, address them with their first name, introduce yourself, and smile. By doing so, you\u2019re letting them know you\u2019re confident and optimistic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    8. Forgetting to Backup Important Documents<\/h2>\n

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    While going on a business trip, you must carry important business documents, including passports, flight tickets, ID cards, visas, business contracts, etc. If you forget to back up these documents, there are chances that important documents containing crucial information may get lost or be exposed to cyber threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \u00a0Therefore, you must keep them safe and secure by scanning or taking photos of these documents. You must keep both physical and digital copies, so you have a backup if one of them gets misplaced or lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    The most secure way to store digital documents is in cloud-based storage. When storing them digitally, ensure they are password or fingerprint protected so that no one can access or hack into them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    9. Keeping your Data Insecure<\/h2>\n

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    According to the 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report<\/a>, almost 82% of data breaches involved human errors such as social attacks, errors, and misuse, and 13% included ransomware breaches.<\/p>\n

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    Business data includes confidential information, such as credit cards, employee details, and company data, among others. However, you’re highly susceptible to data theft on a business trip as you are away from the secure office network.<\/p>\n

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    Losing your business data can have serious aftermaths, especially if you when your working on sensitive information of your client. Therefore, you must always secure your data while traveling<\/a>. You must keep the following points in mind so that your business data isn\u2019t exposed to cyber attacks and hackers:<\/p>\n

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