Travel Counsellors’ global sales director on the value of training in lockdown
Jim Eastwood, global sales director at Travel Counsellors, explains the myriad benefits of training during lockdown.
During this period of lockdown we’ve had time to look back, reminisce and refocus, but we’ve also been given the chance to look forward – to take a look at ourselves, both as individuals and as business communities, and identify ways that we can be better, leaner, faster and stronger.
This moment of reflection, albeit in the context of surviving the mental strain and physical threat caused by a global pandemic, has also opened a window of opportunity to focus on something positive – to learn, develop, expand our knowledge and broaden our horizons.
Learning new skills can help boost confidence and a sense of achievement, and is supported by mental health charity Mind.
Sharpening skills
The current situation has forced many businesses to think outside the box to deliver training to people working remotely across the globe.
Travel Counsellors is fortunate to already have the technology, tools and learning in place to facilitate distance learning given the nature of our business, and we’ve taken the opportunity to boost these digital platforms during lockdown, culminating in a dedicated, virtual TC Training Festival throughout the month of May.
This situation has also allowed us to enhance the distance learning tools we provide to engage, motivate and upskill our Travel Counsellors.
And while there’s nothing better than getting together, face-to-face interactions have been replaced by FaceTimes, virtual classrooms and interactive group sessions on Zoom, and in this way at least, the all-important human connection required to deliver world-class training has not been lost.
With more than 1,000 Travel Counsellor business owners worldwide participating in multiple webinars in the last three weeks, tackling topics including sales and marketing, product and destinations and business planning, it’s clear that our thirst for knowledge and desire to better ourselves in order to better our customers’ experiences has only be enhanced by lockdown.
Learning together
Far from virtual learning being a lonely experience, we’ve found that dedicating time for learning and development has brought us closer.
People who are participating in virtual training are forming groups and “getting together” online to discuss what they’ve learnt and share tips for best practice, with dedicated threads on internal message boards, Yammer groups or WhatsApp keeping the conversation flowing, highlighting that being interactive and accessible in any training provision is vital.
Training doesn’t have to be all work and no play either. We launched a book club in lockdown which gives business owners the chance to take some down time to read and relax, and Travel Counsellor-led virtual pub quizzes are taking place weekly, providing a welcome distraction from the intensity of these times.
Turning passion into a profession
I often say ‘you have to keep learning to keep earning’ but above all, the sense of achievement and confidence boost that can be gained from upskilling even in times of adversity is almost immeasurable.
Ultimately, the personal and professional investments we make now will make a big impact later. Customers will crave, even more so, trusted travel advice that is caring, personal, flexible and complemented by digitally enabled experiences, but always delivered with the human touch.
Travel Counsellor Karen Moore on why she has been training during lockdown
“My aim has been to hit the ground running and take advantage of the training support available to me during this time. I’ve been working my way through all the online course content – from cruise product modules to spotlights on DMC partners and destination guides, plus advice on how to market myself as an independent business owner in the current climate.
My mantra is that the more knowledge I have, the better my business will be, and more importantly the better the booking and travel experiences I can provide for my customers.”
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