Meinerzhagen/Siegen/South Westphalia, October 2024
A review from the trainee's perspective
This year as well, our new first-year trainees kicked off their training with an engaging two-day workshop. The focus was not only on theoretical knowledge, but above all on practical skills that are essential for everyday work in commercial roles.
On the first day, we focused on what communication really is and how it can be successful. I found it particularly interesting to learn that facial expressions, gestures, and body language account for almost 55% of effective communication. The tone of voice makes up about 38%, while only 7% is the actual content of what we want to say. In groups, we also worked out what expectations we have of different service providers. In group work, we also discussed what expectations we have of different service providers. My group looked at supermarkets, and we quickly agreed that customer friendliness and cleanliness are especially important to us.
After exploring topics such as giving feedback and self-presentation, we were asked to prepare short presentations to practice how to present ourselves confidently in front of a group. Using a topic of our own choice, we applied the communication principles we had just learned.
On the second day, the focus shifted to communication on the phone. We learned how to prepare properly for a phone call and how to deal with challenging situations, such as handling an angry caller. We then practiced through role-playing exercises: working in pairs, separated by a wall, we ‘called’ each other. At first, it took a bit of courage, but it turned out to be a great exercise to learn how to handle such calls professionally.
The workshop provided our apprentices with valuable insights and hands-on experience, laying an important foundation for their future work in the commercial field.