As one who is a firm believer that face-to-face meetings – whether they be with a client, referral source, or prospects at a conference or other networking event – are still the best way to get new business, John Jantsch’s post today gives some good travel tips to help keep the costs down. Jantsch too is a believer in face to face encounters “[E]ven with all of the web apps, virtual assistants, and online meeting tools available these days…”
He proceeds to list some sites he says provide “great reasons to get out of the office and out of town to meet face to face.” His best choices include:
- For Flights – Kayak.com (gives flight information in real time, and has apps for iPhone and Droids);
- For Hotels – Priceline.com (he likes it in spite of the “lame” Shatner ads, because in New York he can get a place to stay for “about 50% off”) and TripAdvisor.com (for opinions on places you may be unfamiliar with);
- For Rental Cars – Autoslash.com (looks for discounts, and will automatically “rebook you at the lower rate” if a price drops before scheduled date); and
- Creating an Itinerary – by sending the confirmations to TripIt.com to keep everything in one place, and it has an apps for the iPhone (and Android for free) in case changes occur relating to your flight.
So, if you have a client out of town, or a conference you should attend, stop making excuses and take advantage of these business development cost tips starting today.