Michael Horner Interview

This is a transcript of an interview with Michael Horner of M&L Associates and Rick Lomas, an internet marketer and web traffic strategist.

Rick: Michael, why is sales training so important in 2008?
Michael: In any climate and particularly in this one the ability to sell oneself + one's products or services is an absolutely essential skill.  We work with business people at all levels and help them develop their sales skills so that they can generate more revenue for themselves and their employers.

Rick: So presentation skills are also a key skill in business?
Michael: Absolutely! An essential communication skill is the ability to present our case/idea/proposal in a concise and persuasive manner.  Again, we work with business people at all levels to make sure that they tell the right story and deliver it in an effective manner.

Rick: I hear people mention 'Soft Skills' - what is they?
Michael: Soft skills are the areas I specialse in - that is most of the topics covered by this website.  Soft skills are life & behavioral abilities linked to effective communication and are essential in business.

Rick: I have always been terrible at negotiating - is this something that you feature?
Michael: Negotiation skills are a another essential life skill.  We are constantly negotiating in our personal and business life.  In business the outcome of a negotiation can make all the difference from profit and loss.

Rick: What sort of people do you offer management & leadership training?
Michael: We usually work with people who have just been promoted into management positions and give them a crash course on best practice.  We do the same with leadership coaching.

Rick: If a client actually wants a presentation written, can you do that?
Michael: I accept commissions to write presentations for clients - I do the whole thing including design, support documentation and coaching in how to get the best out of the presentation itself.  I work in any medium though the favorite is inevitably PowerPoint. 

Rick: I know some companies who aren't doing so well are looking for a Sales Consultancy service.  Can you help?
Michael: This is a company doctor role.  If a company's revenue is suffering I spend a few days working with them and then present my recommendations or solutions to their management.  I normally get paid based on results.

Rick: What is Interim Management?
Michael: Interim management, well if company loses a key member of staff for whatever reason they can hire me on a temp basis to fill that role until a permanent solution has been found.  It's great fun and very challenging.

Rick: What do you teach about communication skills?
Michael: This is very wide ranging; presentation skills ranging from one-to-one to large groups through to conferences.  I also help people get the best out of their use of telephone, email, letters etc. + how to read and control non-verbal communication.

Rick: What is Media Sales Training?
Michael: In my career I worked for media companies - TV, radio, newspaper and outdoor advertising companies, generally these are known as 'media owners'.  They earn most of their money by selling advertising space to advertisers and their advertising agencies.  I work with many of these companies' sales teams to help them improve their performance.

Rick: Can you help people who are 'pitching for new business'?
Michael: Yes we do.  In an increasingly complex world everyone has to compete hard to win new business.  I work with teams to help them beat the odds in a business 'beauty contest'.  I'm currently running at a 70% success rate although statistically we've only had a 20% chance of winning the business.  I only get paid on results - no win = no fee.

Rick: What is appointment fixing?
Michael:Most businesses struggle to meet up with potential new customers as everybody is too busy to talk to each other.  Yet a telephone conversation is only 15% as effective as a face-to-face meeting in pure communication terms and email scores about 0%.  We train people in how to improve their 'hit rate' so they get to meet more decision makers.

Rick: Why is there a need to teach Internal Communication Skills?
Michael: Most companies are quite good at speaking to their customers but not quite as effective when it comes to speaking to their staff.  I have developed courses for management that stress the importance of internal comms and toolkits that help them communicate better in the long term.

Rick: What is Communication Coaching?
Michael:One-to-one coaching on any aspect of business communication - internal & external

Rick: That's enough for now.