Visit Perry offers free training session to teach people how to ‘speak Perry’

PERRY – Want to learn how to “speak Perry?” Visit Perry is returning its free training course on Saturday, Aug. 23, to help people learn about their community.

The training is geared toward frontline workers who work at hotels, restaurants, retail shops and anyone who interacts with visitors. Executive Director of Visit Perry, Anya Turpin, said this will equip workers with the ability to answer questions about Perry.

However, the training is open to everybody. Turpin said people from different professions are welcomed to join. The training is intended to help attendees answer questions visitors or new residents may ask about the city. 

Turpin shared that the training covers various topics, including city events, attractions, things to do, history and organizations. 

“Basically, just to make you well-rounded and to be confident in your conversations that you’re having when you’re talking about the community of Perry, Georgia,” she said.

The key topics Turpin hopes people will walk away with are understanding the city’s community partners and pillars. 

Turpin explained that six different organizations make up the training. This includes everyone from the Georgia National Fairgrounds to historic downtown and multiple groups in between. 

During the training, they talk about the differences between each organization, from how they’re funded, how they’re structured, their purpose, and how they serve the city. 

It will then discuss the key festivals, interesting facts and clear up misconceptions. Turpin said a lot of the training is conversational, meaning they will be answering questions and making sure everyone walks away with a clear understanding of what makes the city special.

Turpin explained a scenario they use during the training: someone is getting off the interstate to stop by a hotel for the night. The guest then asks the front desk receptionist, “What’s there to do in Perry?” If the front desk receptionist says, “I don’t know,” or “There’s nothing to do here. You have to go to Macon,” it will not send the right message. 

The program will train attendees on how to give visitors a glimpse into life in Perry. 

“The purpose of this class from Visit Perry’s perspective is first and foremost a hospitality training to help equip our frontline workers who are seeing visitors on a daily basis with the answer to that question of ‘yeah, there’s plenty to do here and here’s how you can find out more information about it.’ [Then] equip them with the tools that they need to be the best brand ambassadors,” she said.

The training goes beyond Visit Perry since downtown, the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia National Fairgrounds and the Historical Museum have volunteers and ambassadors.

Turpin said there are a lot of different ways a resident, employee or doctor at a local hospital can get involved by serving as a volunteer or the best ambassador for the city. 

The idea of the program started during COVID-19 when several organizations got together to address the need for increased volunteerism. They then came up with a strategy on how they can unify and make sure their messaging is cohesive. Turpin shared that they aimed to reduce confusion and misconceptions for visitors and new residents to get a solid answer.

The pandemic delayed the program’s start a couple of years ago, but they were able to implement it last year. Turpin said they have seen success now approaching their third training session and anticipating their largest group.

Visit Perry announced the training last year and officially launched it earlier this year. Since then, they have seen people grow more confident in answering questions and having conversations. Turpin said that is the key: not providing a script, but confidence to answer a question by knowing how to find the answer or knowing the organization’s best fit to answer the question. 

She shared they want to make sure visitors, new residents and those looking for information are provided with the answer they need to have the best experience in Perry. 

Turpin believes those who attend the class leave very surprised because they do not know what they will take away. She said their graduates so far have said they learned something new and left with a deeper understanding of Perry. 

In past training sessions, attendees have ranged from new residents to people living in the area for years. 

“Whether you’re a lifelong resident or whether you don’t even live in Perry but maybe you work here or you come here a lot of you’re just interested in Perry; it really does help to bridge the gap and make sure people truly understand the city of Perry,” she said.

Turpin hopes people will continue to discover unexpected information and meet new people. She describes it as a conversational class where attendees not only have the opportunity to meet people involved in local organizations, but also other attendees. 

“You might walk away with a new connection or a new friend. It’s kind of an unexpected course and we think people have a lot of fun when they come as well,” she said.

Those interested in signing up for the training are encouraged to click the link on Visit Perry’s Facebook page here. 

Potential attendees with additional questions are encouraged to email Turpin at aturpin@visitperry.com. Pre-registration is required, and the deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 20. 

Light refreshments will be provided as well as an “I Speak Perry” t-shirt, certificate, course materials and buttons. Their significance will be discussed during the course. 

The “We Speak Perry” training course will be held on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Perry City Hall, located at 808 Carroll Street.