With a team that spans the whole of South Africa with over 30 stores and three regional offices, our Pentravel team is big and always growing. This means that the training needs for both new and experienced consultants is vast! Luckily, we’ve got a great team of regional trainers, all overseen by our super fabulous Adele, our National Training Co-Ordinator.
We sat down with Adele to find out what exactly she does on a day-to-day basis, what challenges she has in her role and why she believes training is key to the success of each Pentravel Consultant.
What is your role as National Training Co-Ordinator?
As National Training Co-Ordinator, I look after the national training department and we are responsible for ensuring that our training is always relevant and of a high standard. We look for new ideas and ways to make training better and more fun, to equip our consultants to do what they best – deliver exceptional service and tons of great advice to their clients.
I am also responsible for coordinating training sessions with our marketing partners to ensure training is conducted consistently across all our regions. I also look after our awesome E-Learning platform where most of our training takes place for new consultants.
How do you welcome new staff members?
For me, the most important thing is to ensure that our newies have an amazing first impression of our Pentravel Family, so we always do something special in the office. I love to contact them on their first day by phoning or skyping them. They also receive a very cute Travel Academy box with a welcome letter from Paulo our CEO, welcoming them to the company, and everything they need to embark on their very exciting training adventure. I also ensure they have my personal number so are able to get in touch with me should they need help along the way.
What is the benefit of using an online training platform with your team members?
Our consultants have the freedom to learn at their own pace, and are able to do so anywhere! They can even learn while in the shop environment, which is a wonderful way of building relationships with their colleagues. The other benefit of E-Learning is that it frees up some time for our trainers to be able to do shop visits and support new consultants who completed their training instore.
What is the most rewarding part of working with newies?
The most rewarding thing for me is to see how newies grow and become confident and successful within their roles. There’s nothing like seeing a newie make their first booking or reach their first target! It makes my heart so happy and is so incredibly rewarding when you play a part in someone’s journey to success and reaching their goals.
What types of training do you deliver for your team?
We equip our consultants with as much as possible to build the foundation for their career. This includes:
- How to sell holidays and certain destinations to clients with a big focus on creating a great experience for our clients
- Product training with our marketing partners
- Sales training – we have our very special sales training called Pulse.
- Destination training
- System training on our internal systems, as well as Amadeus
- Visa training
In our training, we also focus on remedial training for those who need assistance or a recap later on in their year. We also offer on-hand training instore, so after a consultant completes their initial training and passes their assessment, we don’t just leave them to sink, but give them support to ensure they know how to implement everything and get them up and running as soon as possible.
What do you believe makes a successful consultant?
Hard work, perseverance, tenacity, taking on challenges and learning from your mistakes. To not give up! Nothing in life ever comes easy, so you need to believe in yourself and be confident in your abilities.
Any tips for a successful applicant’s career in terms of training?
- Our training is quite intense and we like doing it this way as we want to give you the best foundation to build your amazing career on.
- It can be a stressful process but stay positive! You will have the other consultants in your store, your shop manager and training to help you through.
- Always ask questions if you are unsure of anything; the more the better!
- It is important to try and implement everything you learn during your training process, so make notes!
- Sign up for training sessions with suppliers – it’s the best way to learn and you can never have too much training.
- Put in some time form your side to learn more about destinations. Having excellent product and destination knowledge will help you in your career so invest the time.
- Build great relationships with suppliers!
If this has inspired you to join our amazing team at Pentravel, then hop on over to our application page and submit your details now!