If you are like me, and you travel for business, then it is important to maximize your time on the road. Most business travelers will view their trip as successful if they meet the following three factors:

• More meetings- A trip with only one meeting is a wasted trip. Every additional meeting you can book while you are on the road increases the probability of a good trip. Last week I was in Dallas for a conference. Instead of just attending the conference I booked evening meetings with local reps in the area. This was the best way to maximize the trips potential.
• Enough time for meetings- Just having more meetings is not the only factor. You need to plan- look at distances to travel and potential traffic issues. make sure you have enough time to get to meetings, and enough time to make the meeting worthwhile. In Dallas, it was easy to plan as I was staying at a Resort in a central location. I had some reps meet me at the resort and I drove to two others. Each time I planned for time to make the appointment worthwhile for both of us.
• Advanced bookings – Sounds obvious, but booking your trip and appointments in advance is crucial to success. Not only does it save money to book in advance- it saves time and energy. Pre-planning for plane tickets, hotels, rental cars and who and when you will see people is perhaps the most vital element of a successful trip.

If traveling for business is something you do- keep these ideas in mind and increase the probability of a successful trip.