Tips for doing business abroad

Traveling to a foreign country on business can give your career a boost, but it can get stressful. You may be looking to negotiate a deal, give a presentation on your company's behalf, do research or meet clients that you've so far only interacted with online. You will have expectations, and possibly a bit of trepidation if high-stakes business decisions are involved. Knowing and planning a few things ahead of your trip can help soothe your anxiety and avoid the common mistakes novice business travellers tend to make.

Follow the briefing guide

Make sure you ask your boss for a good briefing before a business trip to a foreign country. Most importantly ask what would success look like, how you can best achieve that, and how they want to be kept informed during and after your trip. You should also get other information such as:

• Travel arrangement procedures

• Allowable hotel, flight, car rental and entertainment costs

• Permitted and unallowed expenses

• The approving process and authority for expenses that exceed the per-person rate

• Rules (if any) on bringing the spouse/domestic partner along on the trip

• Travel reimbursement procedure

• Duty of care

• Insurance coverage

• Preferred vendors

• Security related to traveling (personal and documents)

The briefing guide may also issue an advisory on the local laws to be mindful of. Disregarding the law of the land on foreign soil can be problematic for you and your company.

Prepare a detailed itinerary

Aim for a flexible schedule after including the mandatory business meetings, seminars and other activities you're expected to perform as your professional duty. Your client may invite you to an afternoon lunch or a night of karaoke, in keeping with the country's business culture. Depending on the city you're visiting, you may need to consider the possibility of being held up due to traffic congestion, a local parade or any other event that may cause delays.

Take in the sights and scenes

A corporate trip to a new country is a welcome break from daily office routine. Make the most of the opportunity to immerse in the history, culture and attractions of the destination, and lifestyle of the people you encounter. You never know, you may meet people who’re useful to your company or you. You could get ideas or handy tips on forging a deeper relationship with your client and gain an edge over competitors. Have LinkedIn contacts or ex-colleagues in the foreign country? Drop them a line about your impending visit and ask if they can show you around.

Saving Time

It's easy to lose a lot of time on business trips. Find out if there are any public holidays during your trip as that may reduce the amount you can achieve.  Carry essential items to avoid checking in your bag. This will save you time at baggage claims and customs lines. Book a hotel close to the client's location to keep your commute short and avoid traffic jams. On a long business trip, you may want to bring to rent a car or drive around to business locations and use it to get to know the area better. 

Ensure you have the right visa!

 Unless your company is arranging your visa, you may want to quickly research the type of visa you need to conduct business in the particular country. Check the permissible and prohibited activities for the type of visa to understand your legal obligations. For instance, the US B-1 visa allows you to purchase goods and materials, solicit sales and investments, attend an educational seminar and negotiate contracts. If you're planning a vacation to a foreign country and interested in meeting suppliers for your export business, you may be able to mix pleasure with business on a tourist visa. As long as you don't take up a job or conduct activities restricted under the tourist visa, you should be able to stay on the right side of the country's visa laws. In general it is wise to make sure your passport and driving licence is valid for at least one more year.

Know the business customs

Prior knowledge of the business etiquette of the country can prevent embarrassments and miscalculations on your trip. Read up or consult colleagues who've travelled to or worked in the country on the dos and don'ts of greeting and communicating with clients. How should you dress? Do they like to have long general conversations over a meal to get to know you first or prefer to get straight to the business discussion? Should you be bringing a small token gift to them? Showing you care about them can build trust and make doing business easier.

Also be aware of the regular work days and hours of the country. For example, in Dubai and Israel, the working week runs from Sunday to Thursday. If you're travelling to Spain during the summer, shops and offices may be closed for siesta between 2 pm and 5 pm.

Things can get a bit complicated if a language barrier exists between you and your client. This possibility arises when you're traveling abroad to meet investors or manufacturers. You may want to consider hiring an interpreter for your meetings with a potential client or investor.

Avoid tipping blunders

Not only do tipping customs differ from country to country but they also keep morphing. Keep cash handy in your pocket/wallet to avoid sympathetic looks or rude stares from doormen, coat attendants, and café, bar, nightclub and restaurant staff.

A lack of cultural awareness may create the wrong perceptions about your foreign business travel experience, possibly putting your company in a bad light. You could come off as a penny-pincher at a client dinner or entertainment event. Carry local currency to avoid getting off on the wrong foot.

Stay energised

 Whether you're visiting a tropical paradise, a bitterly cold part of the world or a country where international visitors are most likely to get sick, you need to pay attention to your health. Hydrate as often as you can. Dehydration can tire you out and make you feel dizzy. Depending on your itinerary, make sure to have a filling breakfast/lunch and replenish with energy bars to power through your meetings, presentations, seminars and leisure activities. Pack over-the-counter cough drops, motion sickness tablets, a decongestant, fever medicine, diarrhoea medicine and a mild laxative.

Keep your devices charged

The apps you use on your business trip can drain your phone's battery very quickly. The last thing you want is to run out of juice in the middle of a phone call with an important client or while booking a taxi. A power bank is a lifesaver on any international trip, keeping your devices charged and ready for use when you need them.

Avoid plugging your USB cable directly into the charging units at airports and restaurants. This may leave your phone vulnerable to a cyberattack known as juice jacking, in which cybercriminals compromise public charging ports to steal data from or upload malware to devices.

Assess the environmental impact of products and services

What you buy, how you buy and sell and how you behave makes a difference to the planet, and to consumers. When negotiating deals, question how the products and services are made, find out if there are more attributes than just price and functionality, for example is one product better than another in terms of the carbon footprint, the chemicals used, or how the workforce is paid or treated. Can they prove their environmental claims? Is there a way of communicating those differences to the consumers who might pay a higher price for the end product?

Avoid breaching anti-bribery legislation

Your company travel policy may tell you what constitutes improper gift giving and whether exceeding a certain amount of entertainment, travel or hospitality expenses may be deemed a corrupt practice, and come under investigation by your company and the government authorities of the foreign country. Comply with all applicable anti-bribery laws. Avoid the temptation to waver from the corporate code of conduct and your personal values even if you believe it can give your company a business advantage. For your own sake, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re pressured to act unethically, refer to your boss for clarity. 

Summary

Keep the big picture and the small details in mind for a successful business trip abroad. Your boss and the company is making an investment in sending you. Make the most of your time and the opportunity to achieve what is expected of the trip. Successful business travel can  boost your career in potentially unexpected ways!