MEET THE TRAINER:

MEET THE TRAINER:

Every fortnight we talk to people in the industry about their job

Angela Hall, business development manager, Avro

Education and career path: educated at Kettering High School for Girls, I began my career in 1983, working behind the counter for several high-street retailers. I then toured Australia between 1989-1991, and on arrival back in the UK, I took up a position at RCI in Kettering and stayed there for nine years. This year I decided to have a real change and joined Avro last July to gain field sales experience. I am responsible for ensuring that as many agents as possible are aware of our product, as well as strengthening relationships with agents.

Outline your training programme: I often carry out ‘mystery calls’ to travel agents and am amazed at the number of consultants who do not realise Avro is able to offer one-way flights, odd durations and long stays. My priority is to get these messages across, as well as promoting all ‘added value’ products such as car hire and insurance. I believe that flight-only is not always given the attention it deserves. The commission per seat is obviously not as attractive as a cruise sale, but there are plenty of opportunities to earn extra commission on sales of ancillary products. With the continued increase in independent travel, seat-only really needs to be taken seriously.

Favoured training style: fun and informative, but ensuring the audience is not overloaded with information.

Top training tips: it is important to adapt the training style to suit the needs of the agency.

One thing agents should take away from training sessions: don’t feel restricted to selling just scheduled flights, as Avro’s flexible charter programme offers a competitive alternative.