The world has been changed by COVID-19 as people wearing masks has become commonplace. A mask in the past in the US would mean people would avoid you for fear of becoming sick. There has also been a huge shift to remote work during this time. Employers do not want to risk their entire staff becoming infected due to one or two employees. Technology has made this transition as seamless as ever with Zoom meetings becoming the norm. Business trips have also changed as traveling is not a top priority for many people. The following are things you should know about business trips during COVID-19.
Ask If a Client Would Rather Virtually Meet
There are going to be some clients that cannot have their businesses open. They will have their entire staff working from home if it is at all possible. Asking a client if they would rather virtually meet is important as they might be put-off if you push an in-person meeting. Zoom can allow you to read body language to a point but not at the same level as if you were meeting physically. If you can add a teleprompter app for zoom then the meeting can be more meaningful. There will be some clients that would rather meet physically especially if the deal proposed is a large one. You need to keep clients and potential clients comfortable during this uncertain time.
Be Careful Where You Stay
Your company might put you up in an Airbnb on your normal business trips. This can be a risk as you do not know how well these will be cleaned. Temporary apartments are the perfect alternative as they will be thoroughly cleaned. You can also avoid going out in public by having groceries delivered so you don’t risk infection. Nothing can kill a business trip like being blamed for infecting an entire office. Even if you did not infect them, you might be blamed as it is easier to blame someone outside of an organization.
Be Understanding If There is a Last-Minute Cancellation
There is a chance that you travel across the country for a business trip that takes over a week. You might find out that one or multiple clients cancel at the last minute. This could be due to contracting COVID-19 although some cancellations might not be out of other circumstances. Of course, management won’t be thrilled about this but filling this time meeting with clients you didn’t plan to can be a great course of action.
Food Delivery
You can easily schedule food to be delivered during certain times of the day with food delivery apps. There are so many options available as far as the apps and you will likely be given a per diem for meals. You might come home after a long day and the last thing you want to do is go out or cook. Use food delivery to truly allow you to relax as there are options to have the delivery person leave it at the door.
Business trips during COVID-19 are far different than in the past. Take time to carefully plan the trip and be patient if things do not go as planned.