LOOKING GOOD FOR LOTS LESS

— Dress Like A Fortune 500 CEO On A Mailroom Budget!

            Being effective while business traveling is more than looking professional; it’s about being at the top of your game while conducting negotiations.

            It was 50 years ago, at the dawn of the Jet Age, corporate executives were ecstatic about quickly traveling to distant locales, finalizing deals, and returning home in a few days. However, they soon discovered that they were getting chewed to pieces in negotiations. They were physically tired, mentally sluggish, and dealing with adversaries who weren’t and who also had the home court advantage. A new term entered the lexicon: jet lag.

There are some tricks for maintaining advantages while on business travel. First, reconfirm ALL your travel arrangements the day before leaving. Verify your flight, lodging, and rental car reservations. Get a confirmation number for each. This could help if there are problems later. Plan to arrive at your destination no later than mid-afternoon of the day BEFORE your meeting. Flights can be delayed or canceled, causing you to miss any connecting flights. If you’re crossing a number of time zones, consider leaving two days before the meeting to mitigate jet lag.

Travel is exhausting, stressful, and time consuming. Driving to the airport, checking in, going through baggage security, and screening at the gate all take their toll. When you arrive, it can be a hassle to claim your checked luggage, find a taxi or obtain a rental car, travel to your hotel, check in, and finally get up to your room. Remember Murphy’s Law: what can go wrong will go wrong, often at the worst moment in the worst way. Give yourself time to deal with any situation Murphy might throw your way. Avoid taking an overnight red eye flight and going directly to your meeting from the airport.

If you arrive the afternoon or early evening before, you can unwind, exercise, have a nice meal, take a relaxing bath or shower, and get a good night’s sleep. You’ll also have time before bed to review your notes and negotiating strategies. It’s been proven that studying the night before and getting sufficient rest greatly enhances memory and cognitive ability.

Overnighting at a hotel prior to your business meeting also lets you look your best. Unpack when you first get to your room. Wrinkles can be usually be removed by hanging clothes in the bathroom, keeping the exhaust vent off and the door closed, running hot water from the shower head to steam up the bathroom, and letting them hang an hour or two. If that doesn’t do the trick, flick water from your fingers to dampen the clothes. Then press them with a small travel iron. A white hotel towel on a flat surface is your ironing board. Another possibility (because you’ve given yourself enough time) is to have the hotel press your meeting attire. Check with the hotel concierge to confirm this service is available.

James F. Brown is a business consultant, writer, and expert on professional attire. Copyright 2008 James F. Brown, all rights reserved.