12 June 2008

FCm takes graduates on new training scheme

A graduate training scheme has been introduced by FCm Travel Solutions as it seeks to expand its sales team by 20% over the next year.

The travel management company has taken on nine new recruits who will be Ã¢â¬Åâœfast-trackedÃ¢â¬~ to the position of business development manager by early in 2009.

They are newcomers not only to business travel but also to the work environment having recently left university or returned from overseas travel.

Each one underwent an assessment process to join the FCm scheme, including an eight-hour day at head office which involved group and individual presentations, group exercises and one-to-one interviews.

They were assessed by four different senior staff members during the day and marked on five key attributes - personality, presentation, persuasiveness, sales ability and leadership.

An 11-day sales training programme has been developed for the new graduates featuring a five-day introduction to sales course, two-day telephone sales course, two days covering professional selling skills and a final two days on ethical negotiation skills. They will also spend an initial six months working with FCmÃ¢â¬â¢s corporate connections tele-marketing sales department.

Head of sales Graeme Milne said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœOur philosophy as a company is to nurture people from within, in order to give them positive and rewarding career development.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœNone of these recruits has any experience of business travel, but they are highly motivated as they really want to get into sales.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThis means they will come into FCm with open minds, and we will be able to mentor them to do well, so that they are part of the team from the beginning.Ã¢â¬~

by Phil Davies