This past March stretched even a seasoned traveler like me me out of my comfort zone, as I undertook my most arduous journey yet. First, I visited the most important scientific meeting of the year on hypoxia (not getting enough oxygen supply to the tissue of a body part, or your whole body) in Whistler, BC from March 3-8. From there, I continued to travel west across the Pacific, visiting Seoul, Korea and Taipei, Taiwan from March 10-17.

The logistics of traveling around China in 10 jam-packed days

While that alone would have been considered a lengthy and busy trip by most standards, I was still building up to the busiest section of my travel schedule. On March 18, I continued by flying into Beijing, China to start an epic “10 City tour” (10 lectures in 10 cities in 10 days), to promote Ruskinn’s Life Sciences products to select universities in China. If you can believe it, this lecture series was originally supposed to be 3 weeks long, and we had to “shorten” it down to this length!

The lectures were set up by our Chinese partner, Beijing Longfujia.

The travel schedule from March 20-31 had to be intense to save money, but this meant traveling to a new city each day for 10 days, as follows:

Over 21,000 miles by plane, train and automobile

In total, from when I left Ottawa March 3 to go to Whistler to when I arrived back there from China in the beginning of April, I travelled a total of 21,270 miles. While it wasn’t quite enough to equal the 24,901 miles it would take to circumnavigate the entire planet, I came awfully close!

In China alone, I travelled 3,913 miles, took 5 plane journeys and 3 high-speed train journeys, gave 10 lectures, and visited 261 total customers. What a trip!

Travelling in China was often stressful, as reaching an airport or train station by car required anywhere from 1- 2 hours each night. The journey itself by air or train would come next, with varying transit times. Finally, traveling from the destination airport or station to the next hotel required yet another 1-2 hours of driving. Traffic is so dense in most Chinese cities that a commute that would normally be a 30 minute car journey in Canada or the U.S. can take 2-4 times as long in the cities mentioned above.

It’s key to find your “zen” and get some massages when enduring this type of travel

I was fortunate to not have a single major snafu during the entire trip, just a handful of travel delays. When I ran into those, I found the best way to deal with it was to internalize, and not let myself get outwardly annoyed. Once or twice we also didn’t have the proper AV equipment for our lectures, but our distributor was miraculous at sourcing whatever items we needed from “down the street” in those instances.

I also had many positives to focus on. One of the things that stood out the most throughout this whirlwind tour was the level of interest shown by the students at the universities. My Sunday seminar had more people than a regular seminar in Canada or the U.S., and it was exciting to see their willingness to learn.

To combat the exhaustion of so much travel for business, we also tried to go for massages whenever there were facilities near our hotel. It was very relaxing and allowed me to share some friendly banter with my traveling companions.

Final assessment – should you embark on such a trip?

If you’re considering a similarly ambitious trip, I should note that, because the experience was so exhausting, I would not take on a trip in China like this again – I’ll plan to stick with seven days next time.

In assessing whether the trip was successful, we certainly got “the nod” from several professors and other researchers indicating they are going to start the buying process with us in mind. While we have a buying cycle of several months, once these clients agreed I knew it was a matter of when, not if they would purchase.

The first orders from that lecture series should start to come out of tender in the next few weeks, and we are confident in gaining somewhere between $100-150,000 in sales from this lecture series alone. All in all, it was a very successful trip.

If you’re interested in seeing more of my time in China, please take a look at the slideshow video that I’ve put together, which you can view by clicking this link.

Please also take a look at the following infographic on some of the most interesting numbers from my trip:

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As an international trade and FDI consultant, I’ve been to over 40 countries in my career and had to set-up multiple B2B meetings, many in places I’d never visited before. So, over the years I’ve developed a finely-tuned approach for achieving in-market meeting success. Here are eight tips to help you get the most out of your meetings!

1. Do your research.

Before going in-market, remember to do your research – in other words, due diligence. This includes learning everything you need to know about the country: political leaders and environment, history, culture, imports and exports, GDP etc.

2. Contact a trade commissioner.

They are the experts who are there to provide knowledge, guidance and advice, and can really help with gaining the right contacts abroad.

3. Book the appointment.

Next, either through an email, phone call or LinkedIn, reach out to the executive you want to meet with and state your reason for requesting the meeting in a few sentences – less is more. Understand that “time is money,” so try to request a 30 minute meeting (not an hour!), that works around their schedule, not yours. Also, make sure you have booked the meeting in the correct time zone of the country in which you are doing business.

4. Figure out the lay of the land.

Use Google Maps to look up where you are staying in relation to the location of the companies you want to meet. Also look into local transportation and infrastructure, as this will allow you to gauge how many appointments you can fit into each day. Simultaneously, perform research on the company; product, service offering, competitor intelligence and past and present news releases.

5. Make solid connections.

One of the greatest challenges in business is making long-lasting solid connections. Take an interest in the person you are meeting with. Try Googling your contact’s name and review their LinkedIn profiles to find out where they went to school, what boards they sit on etc. & don’t forget to follow your contact (and the company) on Twitter. You never know how you may be connected.

6. Re-confirm the appointment.

The day before the in-market meeting, I always re-confirm the appointment. I used to do this a week ahead of time, but this seemed to give the person an out. So trust me, reaching out one day before is reasonable and more effective.

7. Be memorable!

From the start of the meeting, be personable and interesting. Provide information about your country and ask questions about theirs, as well as possible shared historical ties. This creates a commonality.

Be a great listener by trying to identify what challenges they face and how you can help them overcome these challenges. Do this by asking probing questions and be ready to provide solutions to their problems with evidence-based answers.

When the meeting is coming to a close, I ask… “Is there anything I can do to assist and help grow your network?” This seems to shock executives who are constantly being asked “for” something.

However, you never know within your network, if you can connect them to someone they might want to meet with, thus creating goodwill.

8. Follow-up.

Finally, within 24 hours of the meeting, follow-up with a personalized note that should include a short summary of the meeting (action items), next steps and a “Thank You”. As a sincere gesture of hospitality and good business etiquette, I also like to include an invitation to host them in my country anytime at their convenience.

A well-researched, planned and executed strategy will achieve the results-based outcomes you’re looking for from any in-market visit.

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My number one piece of advice is that before visiting another country, it’s crucial to do enough research about the cultural differences, customs, logistics, transportation, and the legal aspects.

My second tip? Don’t pack your itinerary too tight either. When traveling abroad, especially in developing countries, you are likely to come upon unexpected situations requiring the flexibility to adapt.

Lastly, and most importantly, in all situations remember to keep your calm, and don’t forget to rest a bit and enjoy your journey!

Here are a few of my favourite stories from my experiences that will illustrate how I came up with the above advice.

Flat tire forced us to think on our feet

While I was in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we had rented the service of a driver with a car, an old classic Mercedes-Benz. Unfortunately, we got a flat tire in the middle of rush hour traffic.

While the driver had a spare tire in the trunk, it was buried underneath our luggage. In order for our driver to access it, we had to get out of the car and empty all of our belongings from the trunk in the middle of a public place, close to an industrial area. Within a few minutes, we were surrounded by people, staring at us and approaching.

We did not feel safe at that moment, especially because the Government of Canada had advised Canadians to avoid traveling within the region at that time due to political instability. No insurance companies wanted to provide any protection.

It was a very stressful situation. Instinct told us not to wait, and we took the first available taxi to avoid the potential risks.

An unexpected meet and greet turns into a televised event

In Lubumbashi in DRC, population 2 million, close to the border with Zambia, we had the unexpected opportunity to meet with the mayor. I had been using contacts from the trade commissioner and members from the Chamber of Commerce to meet potential customers or partners for our business venture.

One of these contacts informed us that he could arrange a meeting with the mayor, and that such a meeting could help us open doors to meet important business figures. So, even though it was not part of our initial plan, I accepted, thinking that it was going to be an informal meet and greet and to be quickly directed to some key contacts.

But, when we arrived at the city hall, we were greeted by the local media. Newspapers, TV and radio reporters were there, taking pictures, filming and taking notes throughout the meeting with the mayor.

I was with the president of the company I was working for and another local associate; we never expected to receive so much public attention. Fortunately, my background in communications and public relations was very helpful in managing this unexpected situation.

The next time I receive an offer to meet an important politician, I know I will ask for more details about the type of meeting planned, to ensure I am properly prepared.

One small administrative error cost us 3 days in New York

I was with a convoy of truck drivers en route to deliver a large amount of equipment from Canada to an international ocean carrier in Staten Island, NY to be shipped to South America.

When we arrived, however, entrance to the port was delayed. The wire transfer payment had not gone through because of an error made by the export department. We would have to come back the next day and try again. In the meantime, we had to move all the equipment out of there and find a place to stay overnight.

To complicate matters more, some of the drivers we had contracted had to leave, because they were expected back in Montreal. Only three of us were able to stay to manage the delivery.

When we arrived at the port the next day, they informed the three of us that we needed to deliver all the goods to another terminal, by ourselves, because of the change in the date of arrival. In addition, when trying to load a big crane on the vessel, the engine did refused to start.

We had to spend an extra day there to find a mechanic to fix the crane and to finalize the delivery. What an adventure!

In the end, if the export department hadn’t made an error with the payment, none of the rest of it would have happened. The moral of the story is to make sure you work diligently to reduce the possibility of errors – you never know how they might affect other people further down the line and come back to haunt you.

Being a gracious host had a big impact on our bottom line

I was very happy when I convinced a West African delegation of businesspeople to come to visit a company I was working at in a suburb of Montreal. My plan was for this delegation to meet the management team and some key employees, and to show them the large inventory of products ready to export.

I decided to rent a minibus and drove them through the city to the meeting, taking on the role of travel guide at the same time. I was thrilled that they were impressed and had a great experience.

It turns out that I had created demand for my impromptu tours. The day after the visit, some of the visitors wanted to return to the company, and new people were also interested. Happily, I played the travel guide once again. Afterwards, they purchased containers of our products!

By adding some extra fun to their travel experience and accommodating their request, I was able to ensure their trip was a great success for all parties involved.

After the success of this visit, we decided to pay them a reciprocal visit to their country in Africa, to continue developing the relationships and the business.

These experiences have all taught me valuable lessons, so I hope you found them useful. And I hope you’ll pass on your own stories as well.

The post My favourite international business travel stories, and what I learned from them appeared first on Trade Ready.

Going on a business trip

Before you go on your next trip to Europe, here are some tips from my own travel experiences that I hope will help you have a smoother, easier and more enjoyable time.

1. Certain times of year will work a lot better than others

When heading out on business trips to Europe, two of the better-known time periods to avoid are the months of December (Christmas/end of year) and March/April (Easter weekend). To add to that, I also find that planning longer visits to Europe in the month of May is difficult due to the number of holidays, both regionally and locally.

For example, May 1 (May Day as it used to be known, now Labour Day) is an official EU public holiday, as is Europe Day on May 9 (most public offices are closed).

Ascension Thursday (also known as Ascension Day) and the Friday directly after are also both May holidays in many European countries. This year, the holidays fall on May 5^th and 6^th, and they are scheduled next year for May 25^th and 26^th.  Whitsun Monday/Spring Bank Holiday fell on the last weekend in May in Western Europe as well in 2016, although the holiday will not happen until early June in 2017.

Basically, you rarely get a full working week (Monday-Friday) in May, so it’s best avoid the month all together! If Easter falls at the end of April, you can be blanked from European business travel for 4-5 weeks.

If you have to travel within European countries, transportation generally runs all the time, but in the UK and France watch out for rail diversions and delays on Sundays and public holidays! UK “bank holiday” (in Canada you say “public holiday”) timetables are notorious and subject to last minute cancellations.

Other pointers to European travel: the Nordic countries (including Finland) like to take their summer break starting in June, but are usually all back in the office by mid to late July. Most other European countries take mid-July to late August off, and can be back in the first week of September. I don’t book trips to Europe until mid-September.

2. Beware of misleading French hotel ratings

Be careful when choosing four star business hotels in France. I have been to France twice in the last six months, and each trip lasted a week. On each trip I stayed in four different hotels.

Some hotels like Mercure Group may say they are four star, but that is their own self-accredited rating, so it is often best to check with Trip Advisor to verify the true quality. In my opinion, Novotel is a pretty realistic four star hotel.

French four star hotels will not typically provide an iron and ironing board in the room. If you need to do ironing you will have to ask reception for them, or you may have to visit an “ironing room” on another floor. In the latter case, you end up taking your shirts in and out of elevators, which seems pretty silly.

If they say they have fitness facilities, BEWARE! This may be a paltry running machine and a stepper or bike. It’s also likely that one of the items will be out of order. Three out of the four hotels I stayed in during October had a faulty or broken running machine, resulting in major exercise disappointment!

On the plus side, they do provide free Wi-Fi and have great breakfasts, not least because of the quality of the bread and croissants (if you are into that sort of thing). The downside of that, however, is that breakfast costs €16-18 and is often extra. This adds a whopping CAN $23/26 to your daily bill.

3. The best ways to fly into the EU from Ottawa

I live in Ottawa, so flying to the UK or Germany is fine, since Air Canada has direct daily flights to Heathrow (London) and Frankfurt from the Ottawa airport. For most other countries, I have to go to Toronto or Montreal. From Toronto you can fly into Paris, Madrid, Copenhagen and London. From Montreal, you can fly to Paris and Geneva.

With some of the major European airports, you may need to schedule yourself extra travel time or consider alternate options.

Charles de Gaulle in Paris is a terrible airport for transfers between T1 and T2, where Air France flights depart and the bus stop for the hotel shuttles is located.

When coming to Heathrow, you cannot avoid Terminal 2. Although it is very new, the distance from the aircraft to baggage claim is long (about a 15 minute walk), even on the moving track.

I also avoid Frankfurt transfers if I can. Even though the transfer distances are usually not that bad, it’s so busy that it’s usually not worth it.

4. How multilingual do I need to be for European business trips?

Nowadays, English gets you through most situations. People are pretty happy to answer questions, give directions and show off their English skills in discussion with you.

A basic knowledge of French, German, Italian or Spanish will help you negotiate the main signs and notices you will come across in the major EU markets. However, in Nordic countries and Eastern Europe, English works well and is commonly used by residents there.

5. What do I need to pack?

Always take a Canada to Europe adapter plug (the European end is two round pins). This will allow you to use your own electronic devices everywhere except for the UK, where you need the three square pin plug. Unlike many hotels in eastern Asia, most European hotels do not yet have different sockets to accept North American plugs. You can often borrow plug adapters at hotel receptions, but take care: they may ask you for a deposit, even if you are a guest at the hotel.

I also always travel in mainland Europe with about 50 Euros in cash. It’s important to have some coins, as many public rest room facilities require one or two Euro pieces, especially at main line train stations, such as in France, or along major motorways, particularly in Germany. Remember that countries like Denmark and Poland still have their own currencies, so ensure you have the proper cash at the airport before you get into a taxi.

Not all taxis want to accept credit cards, so sometimes you must beware of the taxi driver scam where they swipe your card in such a way that it does not register. Then, they show you their credit card reader with the display saying “card error”, and ask you for another card or cash. This is because they don’t like the paperwork and they also lose a percentage to the credit card companies.

Clothing for business travel is getting easier as ties become rarer, but for formal occasions it is wise for men to take a blazer (a.k.a. jacket) to go with slacks or chinos. Black or brown shoes (lace up) are good for business meetings and lectures.

With this advice in mind, you should be ready to plan your next trip to Europe soon! If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

The post 5 things you need to remember for your next business trip to Europe appeared first on Trade Ready.

A thoroughly-planned visit can maximise the return on your investment by making sure that your time is well spent. Since visiting Latin America involves a good deal of time and money, it’s imperative that you plan accordingly.

But business travellers have it all sussed out. They’ve done it all before. So, providing you with obvious advice that applies to all continents just won’t cut it.

I took up the challenge to focus on the less obvious tips and tricks that will make your next business trip to Latin America smoother and, therefore, more valuable.

1. Prepare for the effects of high altitude

You know you need to prepare for different climates: cold, hot, humid, and changeable. Now, have you also factored in altitude? Don’t just check the weather forecast when travelling to Latin America, also check the altitude you’ll be working at.

The higher up you go (think Bogotá, La Paz, Quito and other cities), the more time you need for adjusting. Don’t schedule meetings for soon after you’ve arrived. Believe me, unless you’re very used to it in your home country, you’ll struggle.

You will very likely feel very tired, at the very least – imagine an appalling jetlag or some mighty hangover!

Some people feel nauseous, too, dizzy or very exhausted. Running up the stairs is a total no-no, it will totally deplete you of energy.

I don’t suffer too heavily from these symptoms but have travelled with people that do, some of whom are young and otherwise very healthy and fit.

Keep hydrated. Take it easy and give your body time to adapt. As I said, do check the height. 1,000m above sea level might not do you any harm, but at 2,000m some people struggle and above 3,000 we’re all in for some experience…

By the way, remember that if you open a tube of cream/gel/toothpaste at high altitude, the whole thing will come out very quickly (as it happens on a plane), so watch out! I lost half a tube of newly-bought foundation due to this mistake!

2. Have the correct currency and change on hand

We all know we need different currency in different countries. U.S. dollars can be used widely in some countries, such as Panama, but not in most. Make sure you get some local currency, either before your trip or upon arrival.

I prefer to withdraw money from an ATM upon arrival since finding Peruvian or Colombian money where I live in Uruguay, for example, is virtually impossible and the exchange rates are extortionate.

You will want to make sure you get some small change quickly because taxis do not typically take cards in Latin America, and neither will the little corner shop you walk into when you’re desperate for a bottle of water.

Even though financial technology is improving in Latin America, you will find that credit or debit cards still aren’t accepted in many places, or that the minimum spend is fairly high.

Trying to pay for a $3 taxi journey with a $20 bill will almost always be a failure and it is your responsibility to have the correct change, not theirs.

3. Look into availability and reliability of Wi-Fi/data

Broadband penetration varies a lot across and within countries. I find that internet connections are fast and reliable in Montevideo, where I live, but can be awfully slow in Quito, for example. My Claro phone is perfectly capable of connecting me to the world in Panama but it can’t cope in Costa Rica.

Explore the option of getting a local SIM card (usually called a “chip”). Don’t take connectivity for granted. Those Skype calls back to the office/family might be a no-go.

4. Don’t get caught without proper identification

Latin Americans are used to having an ID card with them at all times. Make sure that, at the very least, you have a photocopy of your passport with you everywhere you go.

If you are visiting official buildings, or even some very large and security-challenged companies (think energy, mining, free trade zones, and infrastructure, for example), make sure you check if you are required to have an original document with you before you go.

This is particularly the case in Colombia, but I’ve experienced it in other countries as well.

In some cases you’ll be OK with your original driver’s licence, but in others they will ask for your passport and evidence of immigration status such as the stamp on your passport, and occasionally that apparently inconsequential immigration form they give you at the airport.

5. Beware of traffic

Traffic jams in many Latin American cities are legendary. Each country even has its own word for it (all in Spanish): trancón (Costa Rica), taco (Chile), presa (Costa Rica), you name it!

The overall feeling is that of being stuck (“trancado”) or “pressed” in traffic. Very visual… so research this carefully when allocating time to get from one meeting to another.

In many cities, you can schedule meetings as early as 7am because people come in early to try to avoid rush hour.

Also give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport to avoid missing flights.

Bad driving can make things even worse. Once, on my way to the Lima airport, my taxi crashed against a mini bus and we wasted half an hour dealing with the aftermath. As a witness, I couldn’t even jump in another taxi!

I was only able to catch my flight because I gave myself the extra time. I usually prefer to spending extra time at the duty free shop and airport lounge than risk missing an often long and infrequent flight. Give yourself that extra time!

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