By now you've probably held your 2016 sales kick-off meetings, attended your first industry trade shows and secured your first big order. But you must continue the momentum—and often that means more customer visits, more conferences, and yes, more business travel. As you contemplate your next business trip, Promotional Consultant Today shares these key tips for getting vital work done while on the road.

1. Book wisely. As travel blogger Sara McCord explains, you don't always have to go for the lowest fare. Sometimes, the value of a better flight schedule or one with Wi-Fi access outweighs the benefit of saving a few bucks. A better flight schedule could mean fewer stops and the ability to squeeze one more meeting into your day.

If you work for a company with a tight budget, talk to your boss about elements of your trip where paying a little more will make it easier for you to complete your work. See if you can make trade-offs. For example, maybe you can stay with local contacts for a night or two to minimize hotel costs, or plan to use the subway or rent the least-expensive car—but get a direct flight to cut out the hours wasted on layovers.

2. Hurry up and wait. One of the most productive times on a travel day can be when you're waiting for your plane or train. Of course, you need to set out a chunk of time, because it doesn't make any sense to pull out your laptop for 10 minutes of work. Try to budget at least 45 minutes when waiting to board—once you are through security, have a bottle of water in your carry-on and a latte in hand. It's often hectic getting out the door to leave for a trip, but that extra time at the gate can be invaluable if there's a work crisis. If you build in a half hour (or more) in between each portion of your commute—e.g., you drive or take the bus to the airport, go through security, and have sufficient time before you board—you'll be able to respond with more than "I'll be in touch in three hours, when I arrive."

3. Pack your tools. The right tools are critical to getting your work done while traveling. Yes, it's great that you can read emails on your phone, but I doubt you're going to use it to type out a report. Make sure you have a lightweight laptop, and the right chargers for all of your devices. And don't forget to bring a car charger too. Maintaining battery power is essential to being productive these days. Portable mobile Wi-Fi hotspot devices can also come in handy. If there's some item that will help you work better, think of it as a tool in your arsenal.

4. Rearrange your project list. Some projects lend themselves to being worked on throughout a travel day—and some really don't. If you're driving a route you're familiar with and you know you'll have strong service (and plenty of time on your hands), schedule calls. If you're going to be at an airport with boarding announcements every five minutes, avoid them. Tasks that require Wi-Fi are less advisable on travel days.

5. Work in advance. Now that you know you you'll have a travel day that won't be good for Wi-Fi, you can just push off any major projects that require it—right? Not so fast: Deadlines won't evaporate because you're in the vicinity of a tarmac.

It's important to plan ahead and knock out an extra project or two before you go. This will give you a cushion, so that if you spend an extra hour in traffic or are delayed arriving at your gate, you'll only have one deadline looming overhead upon arrival.

For some of us, traveling while working and working while traveling is inevitable. But it doesn't have to be counterproductive. Make the most of your journey with these tips.

Source: Sara McCord's column "Impress Me" explains how to make a better professional impression step-by-step. Her career advice has been published on Forbes, Mashable, Newsweek, TIME, Inc., and Business Insider. A staff writer/editor for The Daily Muse, McCord has experience managing programs, building strategic partnerships, advising