South Jersey Spotlight on Merle Margolese Presents…

I became a disciple of Merle Margolese Presents… as the result of attending a June 2014 multi-speaker seminar in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

I had never met Merle Margolese before that evening. I soon realized how charmingly she cajoles you, with such flair and fun, into improving all aspects of your business-communication skills.

One great tip from that night: When leaving your phone number in a voicemail, air-write it to slow yourself down!

Merle was born to train business peeps; I’ll let her do the storytelling:

By All Writes LLC: Why did you decide to found Merle Margolese Presents…? When did you start/found it?

Merle Margolese: I’m a firm believer in “The more you know, the more you grow.” Even as a little girl, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always “a teacher.”

Back in the day, I worked for an optometrist. I was the office manager as well as the doctor’s assistant. It annoyed me that there wasn’t a state-recognized difference between the receptionist, the assistant, and other trained ancillary personnel.

So I approached the New Jersey Optometric Association and created a training program/curriculum, which they duly adopted. And voilà–the designation of Optometric Assistant was born!

Training the ancillary personnel meant fewer interruptions for the doctor. More patients could be seen in one day, which created a better cash-flow situation and happier patients. Another byproduct of my efforts: more referrals.

I assisted the good doctor for approximately 10 years. Then I worked for an international company that recognized me for having one of the most productive teams in the U.S.

My secret of success: I ensured my team received proper training as well as recognition for its collective accomplishments. I subsequently trained many other employees for that company; training became what I loved MOST about my job.

I wanted to continue helping people contribute to their companies’ growth, but I also wanted more control over my assignments. And so, in 2001, Merle Margolese Presents… became a reality.

BAW: What specific training services and programs do you offer your clients?

MM: My training programs focus on business growth for companies varying in size. After all, there’s not one single profession in the business world that doesn’t have competition.

My areas of expertise include:

• Communication skills (verbal, e-mail, telephone, body language, word selection/usage and, most important, LISTENING skills)
• Customer service
• Professional (and profitable!) networking
• Team leadership
• Time management
• Strategies for building a referral pipeline

And when I train, I don’t talk AT my clients, telling them with professorial airs what to do. I walk them through the training program, step by step.

For example: After most people attend a time-management class (or two or five), they typically implement very little (if any) of the training that reverberated against their eardrums.

But when you leave a Merle Margolese Presents… workshop, your next two to four workweeks are PLANNED. You also have a viable time-management template to follow for the rest of your career (it’s your choice).

My methodology also works quite well when attempting to harness your personal and spiritual blocks of time. Whether you use a paper calendar, a day planner, or an electronic calendar, my system leads to effective time management!

BAW: Who makes a good client for you?

MM: The best client for me is one who is never satisfied–someone who wants to kick it up a notch and realizes a company is only as strong as its weakest link.

Individual business owners use my services because they’re very good at what they do (i.e., their true talent), but need help learning how to run a business more effectively.

Small and medium-size businesses utilize my services more as an “off-site/remote” HR department. They are large enough to know that consistent employee training is imperative, yet they’re too small to have their HR staff develop and conduct training programs. My Lunch & Learn series is quite popular with these clients.

My corporate accounts/clients tap into:

• Executive coaching for their C-level executives
• Keynote addresses for annual events
• One-on-one sessions for new/transitioning employees
• Sales-team training
• Workshops and/or breakout sessions for annual events

My client base includes professionals of many types, from office-bound desk warriors to out-in-the-field commercial/residential service ninjas.

BAW: What is your ultimate “happy moment” when working with your clients?

MM: This is the easiest question to answer–when I literally see the lightbulb switch into the “on” position for my clients!

Please don’t scold me; I know the definition of the word “literally.” But I’m telling you: I see the light in their eyes, and then I see that light reflect back on them when they get the results we’ve been working toward.

BAW: If you could relocate Merle Margolese Presents… to anywhere in the world, where would you go, and why?

MM: I would uproot my business and plunk it down anywhere in the United States as long as I’m with my husband, Rick. I am very proud and grateful to be an American.

I’ve traveled quite a bit. In fact, I even lived in Grenoble, France, for a brief time. I’ve seen many beautiful places in the world. But as the expression goes, it’s “a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

BAW: What are your favorite books (or who are your favorite authors) to read, and why? Please share generously!

MM: I LOVE to read! In fact, I read the way others watch television. Reading is my relaxation time, although I’ve never understood how most people read to fall asleep. I’m just the opposite…

The genre that does it for me is mystery: Faye Kellerman and her husband, Jonathan Kellerman; Janet Evanovich (she’s a Jersey girl!), Kathy Reichs (her books are the basis for the Bones TV series); Jeffrey Archer; and Tess Gerritsen (source of the Rizzoli & Isles TV series).

I also enjoy discovering authors unfamiliar to me. Amazon (yes, I have a Kindle) continually offers free and inexpensive e-books (reasonably priced at ninety-nine cents). I’ll gladly download unknown authors who intrigue me, and give them a test trial. I’ve discovered more than a few gems this way…

Looking for a corporate trainer who doesn’t hurtle a heap of information at your brain, hoping that if she throws enough at you, you’ll absorb something? In need of an actionable and FUN plan for improving your employees’ communication skills, networking effectiveness, time-management strategy, and more?

Business-skills training is what Merle Margolese does best. Once you sample her pearls of wisdom, you’ll be back for the whole string. (That’s a lot of knowledge…)

Determine the training program best suited to your company’s needs by visiting Merle Margolese Presents… online. To initiate a (delightful!) conversation with Merle, contact her directly by phone (856-939-4450) or by email (merle@mmpresents.com).

To gather the informational gems Merle Margolese strews throughout the digital world, check out her LinkedIn profile, or visit her on Facebook.