Just got back from Singapore yesterday night. As a frequent traveler, here are some ideas on what you can do at the airport while waiting for your plane. Before that, let me tell you a story…

I was in Starbucks Changi Airport yesterday, sitting down, sipping my coffee, listening to my personal development MP3 while people watching. I also had a notepad on the table while holding a pen. Next to my table are 2 guys – from their language, highly likely from Europe. Funny thing is, one guy was reading a book, the other guy was looking at his passport. I almost burst out laughing. And…

That is why I’m offering some MUST haves if you are traveling – mostly in the business context though applicable for holiday travelings too. The key is – use your time productively – don’t waste it!

1 – You must have a book with you. I typically bring a smaller sized book when traveling because of weight. I’ve read numerous books while at the airport, on the plane, and in the hotel.  Alternatively, you can go to the airport bookstores to either read the book there or buy them. I recommended either bringing your own book or buying one because you can sit down, have a drink and enjoy the book rather than standing in the bookstore. Do you say you don’t have the time at home to read a good book? Why not do it when traveling?

2 – Besides a book, I always have my mp3 player. In the player are my personal development series. I burn them into mp3 and load them into the player. That way I can listen to them when traveling. Turn your traveling time into learning time. Besides, sometimes the airport can be pretty noisy and distracting, so listening to MP3s is definitely a better alternative. On top of that, I can people-watch while listening. Few things I like to look at while listening to my MP3s are beautiful clothes for men and women, beautiful women, men’s shoes, luggage bag design… and kids (they are cute and lovely and do all sorts of funny stuff).

3 – A note pad and a pen. Since I read and listen to the good stuff when traveling, I don’t want my ideas to disappear so I write them down. Well, if you are hi-tech and have some technology gadget, you can replace pen and paper with it. Whatever the medium, put down your thoughts and ideas. Where do you think I got the idea to write this post? In the next few post, you will also read about a few observations I had.

Those are the 3 must-haves. If you have your laptop, take it out and do some work. Other things you can do – why not call and follow-up on your leads? At the boarding lounge, why not practice your prospecting or conversation skills? Just try to strike up a conversation with the people around you. You may not do business together or the other person may not be a good prospect, but I think it’s a perfect practice ground.

If you are new to the airport, I recommend walking around and getting yourself familiarize with the airport just to gain some general knowledge. Shopping, drinking, eating, that’s all up to you. Also, some airport offers internet access. You can connect to it if you have your laptop or blackberry or your hi-tech phone. Some airports also have some computers to access. Time passes very fast while you surf the internet. I suggest reading some good stuff on the internet rather than blind surfs. If you have a blog, you can blog at the airport. One thing I seldom (if not never) do is take pictures and upload them to my blog. Guess I have to get a good phone camera because that will be convenient to snap photos anytime anywhere.

The ONE thing I think you should NOT do is – stare blankly into space. Total waste of time. I just don’t understand why would someone sit there with their arms crossed and just wait for time to pass so they can get on the plane? Time is our most valuable asset, use it wisely not waste it.

Unconventionally,
HANZO NG
Sales Ninja Grandmaster

Hanzo Ng is Sales Ninja Grandmaster, lingo for Chief Trainer of Sales Ninja Training, Asia’s #1 Unconventional Sales Training. Sales Ninja Training specializes in helping small-medium, listed and global companies transform their salespeople into the ultimate sales professional known as Sales Ninja. For more information on our sales, motivation, and leadership training, visit our website.

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