How to Prepare for Multiple Off-Site Client Meetings in One Day

How to Prepare for Multiple Off-Site Client Meetings in One Day: Your 6-Step Guide

As a busy professional who spends a lot of time traveling to see clients, you know that every second counts. Whether you are a sales representative with five product demonstrations to perform or a site inspector with six inspections to complete, you want to maximize your time with clients and minimize your stress. With a little advance planning, you can help ensure that you arrive refreshed and on time to your meetings. Below is your six-step guide to preparing for multiple off-site client meetings in one day.

Step One: Schedule your appointment that is farthest away first

If you have the ability to choose the time of each appointment, then schedule your appointment that is the farthest away from home early in the morning. Then work backward with each appointment and cap off your day with the appointment that is closest to home.
This strategy minimizes travel time and enables you to spend more time with each client. Additionally, you can beat the rush hour traffic and have nearly half of your driving time behind you by the time you arrive at your first appointment. The best part of this step is knowing that you will be close to home by the time your last appointment comes to a close.

Step Two: Start your day 30-45 minutes early

There is no substitute for an early start to the day when your day is jam packed with appointments. With traffic congestion worsening in large cities across the globe, you definitely do not want to start your day off running behind. The traffic woes in large cities such as Houston are particularly unforgiving, with Houston drivers now spending an extra 23 percent of travel time stuck in traffic in 2019.
You can help avoid traffic snarls and late arrivals by building a 30-45 minute cushion into your day. If you typically would need to leave your house at 7:00 to arrive safely at your destination, then plan to depart around 6:15. And if your first appointment ends a bit early, go ahead and proceed to your next meeting instead of taking some time to relax and unwind. It is better to arrive early than risk being late.

Step Three: Utilize a professional hourly car service

Of all of the steps outlined in this guide, this step can have the biggest positive impact on your client visits. Booking a reservation for a chauffeur is fast and easy, and within a few clicks, you can put transportation and traffic worries behind you. Here are some of the many benefits of using a professional car service to take you to each of your meetings:

• Safety: Using a licensed and insured car service helps to prevent accidents because the chauffeur will be entirely focused on driving.
• Security: You can leave your briefcase, equipment, and other items in the care of your driver without worrying about their security.
• No multi-tasking: Using an hourly car service prevents you from multi-tasking, which can be hazardous to you and everyone on the road.
• Reduced Stress: With a seasoned driver at the wheel, you do not have to endure traffic-related stressors.
• Efficiency: Your chauffeur will wait for your meeting to conclude and have the car out front waiting for you when your appointment ends.
• No sweat: Using a professional car service puts and end to long hot walks through a parking lot. Your clients will never see you sweat
• Experience: A professional driver will know the best routes to take to ensure that you arrive on time to each appointment.

Happy confident businesswoman walking out of modern office center, holding laptop outdoors, copy space

Step Four: Use your time in transit to prepare for your next meeting

Another key benefit of using an hourly car service is the built-in prep time you are afforded between client visits. While your chauffeur navigates the roadways, you are free to use your time in the car to make a note of action items from your last meeting and mentally prepare for your next client. Once you have reviewed the agenda for your upcoming meeting one final time, you can take a few minutes to recharge your batteries and freshen up for your next client.

Step Five: Call each of your contacts to confirm your meeting while in transit

Contacting each client in advance of your meeting showcases your organizational skills and helps to ensure that you and your client can hit the ground running on time upon your arrival. If possible, contact each client at least 30 minutes before your scheduled arrival time to confirm your appointment and let them know you are on the way. Here are three of the top reasons why you should call your contacts in advance to confirm your meeting:

• Show your clients you value their time: By calling to confirm your appointment, you are showing your client that they are a top priority for you. Additionally, it sets you apart from the many sales reps and site visitors who never call to confirm their meetings.
• Ensure that your client is ready for your visit: Few things are more frustrating than traveling to a site only to discover that your key contact has forgotten your meeting or is running behind schedule. By calling in advance, you can avoid these pitfalls.
• Confirm the meeting agenda items: Clients are known for introducing unexpected surprises during meetings. While learning of any new last minute agenda items an hour before your visit is not ideal, you will at least have a little time to plan your response.

Step Six: Kick back and enjoy the car ride home!

Now that your final meeting is officially behind you, you can finally relax! Or, if you are a workaholic, you can use the car ride home to email your clients you visited and thank them for their hospitality. Once you have sent your final email, you can even enjoy a glass of chilled champagne as your professional driver takes you home safely. And if you followed Step One, you will be home before you finish your first glass of bubbly!