Last week I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at PSA TEC 2021. It was great to get back out into the world and actually see people face-to-face again. Pre-COVID, I spent more than a third of the year traveling \u2013 in 2019, alone, I logged about 130,000 miles \u2013 and while I was happy to be home with my family, there was a part of me that missed traveling during our year-plus lockdown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, as I was preparing to head out to Denver I quickly realized my travel muscles had atrophied. It\u2019s like when you used to work out, then you go back to the gym for the first time in a while. I discovered I was sore in places I didn\u2019t even know existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For starters, I used to have a travel bag packed and ready, with things like my airport parking card, Apple watch charger, and wireless phone charger. Over the past year, I\u2019ve gradually pillaged everything out of that bag and hadn\u2019t put it back, so the travel item scavenger hunt took some time. And, in my dopp kit, my travel-sized deodorant was in crumbles; the toothpaste, all dried up. Consequently, just getting out the door took a lot longer than it should have. And I still forgot a thing or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, apparently, I\u2019m not alone. It\u2019s as though people have forgotten how to travel … how to go through security, walk through the airport, and board their planes, not to mention, deplane upon landing. Everyone is working out the kinks. I spoke with more than one person who found their suitcase still packed from their last trip over a year ago. They had been wondering what had happened to \u201cthat shirt\u201d \u2013 at least their mystery is solved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final confession: I screwed up my flight home, accidently booking a connecting flight out of Dallas to Austin that required an overnight stay. Luckily American Airlines came to my rescue and was able to fix it for only a $4 change. I\u2019ll be happy if they never reinstate change fees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were about 275 people at the opening reception. It was the biggest crowd I\u2019d been in in a very long time. Everyone wore a colored lanyard, signifying their comfort level in the crowd: Green meant they were okay with handshakes and about 90 percent of attendees wore green lanyards. The remaining 10 percent had on yellow lanyards, suggesting they were still figuring things out. I didn\u2019t see anyone donning a red lanyard, which basically indicated a strong preference to be socially distanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference itself was really great. Particularly at PSA TEC, people know each other. It\u2019s a small group within a small industry. There was a lot of personal sharing \u2013 this is a group that\u2019s used to seeing each other four, five times a year and they haven\u2019t seen anyone in 16 months. People were catching up, and that emotional connection was so much more real than on a phone call or in a virtual meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eagle Eye had a presence on the exhibit floor where we conducted demos and caught up with folks. This face-to-face interaction is so much more beneficial for everyone. We can really see if people understand what we\u2019re sharing, and whether or not they\u2019re distracted or confused. The 7-38-55 Rule certainly applies here: Words account for 7 percent of the message\u2019s meaning, while tone of voice is 38 percent and body language is 55 percent. That just doesn\u2019t translate well over Zoom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our next stop is ISC West<\/a>, July 19 through 21, in Las Vegas. We\u2019ll have a booth, we\u2019ll be meeting with customers, and we\u2019re currently exploring other avenues to participate. In addition, we\u2019re expanding our in-person regional certification training<\/a>, so stay tuned for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple pieces of advice from someone who felt like a newbie to business travel, all over again. Give yourself time (and grace) packing and getting out of the house. Gradually begin exercising your travel muscles, and only do what makes you comfortable. If you\u2019re on the fence, try it. I was pleasantly surprised by how many people at PSA TEC were comfortable and confident. Even many of those wearing yellow lanyards were shaking hands by the conference\u2019s end. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at PSA TEC 2021. It was great to get back out into the world and actually see people face-to-face again. …<\/p>\n