Sending Field Recruiter Training: August 19-23, 2009, New Berlin, WI
From AFSWiki
The part-time, sending staff recruiter training was held the week of Aug 19-23 in New Berlin, WI. just outside of Milwaukee. Thanks to the hard work of Milwaukee Team volunteer Linda, we received a $10,000 grant from the city of New Berlin to cover our training costs. Twenty participants from across the nation attended an intensive three and a half day training in preparation for the upcoming fall recruitment campaign. AFS-USA Board and National Council Member Damian Pisanelli was also in attendance.
The first two days (Thurs & Fri ), participants were trained in the following areas:
- Background and history of AFS
- AFS sending programs and process
- Scholarships and financial aid
- The role of the sending recruiter in the sending process
- Reaching out to schools and educators to be invited to give a presentation
- Content and delivery of an effective school presentation
- Effective lead management and follow-up
- Overcoming objections and dealing with difficult questions
- Organizing a local AFS Night event with volunteers
We also invited a guest speaker, trained in consultative selling, to speak to the group over lunch on Friday
On Friday evening, after two very full days of training, participants worked late into the night and early morning in preparation for the 45 minute school presentation each were required to give on Saturday. The entire day on Saturday was devoted to delivering and critiquing each other's presentations. The recruiters spent Sunday morning working with their respective sending team managers to plan out their fall recruitment campaign.
Many thanks to the sending staff who worked so long and hard on this training!! The essence of what was captured in this training is summed up well by Damian Pisanelli, who wrote:
"Greetings all.
I wanted to give a HUGE kudos to the entire field sending team. GO TEAM GO!!!!
I just spent a 3-day weekend in New Berlin, Wisconsin at the sending recruiter training. The staff did an amazing job of training this new group of recruiters. Troy Henri, Stefan Bussey, Jen Peck, Alex Flood, Amanda Fischer, Brittany Shrimpton and Carolyn Crump all contributed greatly to the success of the training. It was well prepared, well thought out, and very efficient.
As well as a great presentation and training by the team, the 20 individuals that have been hired to be our recruiters have such passion and excitement in them that I can only see this new way of business as successful. Each of these individuals had amazing stories to tell regarding their international experiences and even what brought them to take on this role with AFS. On top of all this, the group really bonded and formed what several described as a "family".
I think the sending team has truly been innovated here and I look forward to seeing the results of this new endeavor."
Sending Field Recruiters by region:
Eastern Region
- Olivia Carreiro: Hoboken, NJ
- Katherine Scurlock: Natick, MA
- Mary Chamberlin: Oak Hill, VA
- Sharon Herman: Fairfield, CT
- Sarah Hanley: Lutherville, MD
- Rebekah McPeters: Raleigh, NC
- Kelly Anderson: Wappingers Falls, NY
Central Region
- Renee Altergott: Chicago, IL
- Jaymi Holt: Minneapolis, MN
- Emily May: Milwaukee, WI
- Diane Gambill: St. Louis, MO
- Debra Tholen: Houston, TX
Western Region
- Colin Warner: Seattle, WA
- Moabi Garebamono: Seattle, WA
- Scott Read: Portland, OR
- Grant Ziolkowski: San Francisco, CA
- Melody Knudson: Gilbert, AZ
- Maria Elena Mestas: Berkeley, CA
- Saskia Layden: Boulder, CO
- Jennifer Reinhardt: Los Angeles, CA
