POOLE-based sales and customer service training specialists, Mark Benjamin Training and Development, have opened up new opportunities in the Ukraine after its owner made an unexpected appearance on a national TV channel.

Mark Benjamin, founder of MBTD and award winning sales training guru, was invited to a training conference in Kiev as a guest speaker to deliver a series seminars on the “The Art of Professional Sales”.

But he had a surprise when a TV reporter and camera crew appeared at the conference and asked to interview him for Ukrainian business news channel TV24.

Mark said: “As the only foreign speaker at the conference, it was a privilege to be invited. But, obviously, word had got around in Kiev’s business community about my visit, and so the organisers decided to take advantage of the publicity.”

“Through an interpreter I was asked about my work internationally with global corporations, and what I bring to the sales training arena.

“I only had a couple of minutes to encapsulate my thoughts so I just explained that, as in life, the best sales and customer relationships are based on effective communication, trust and confidence .

“The item went out on Channel 24 the same day, and my sessions received glowing feedback.”

Since returning from Kiev, Mark has received more enquires for his sales and customer service training from companies there.

But he believes that UK businesses have equal needs in these key areas of skills development. He added: “Despite the UK’s improving economy, we afford to be complacent.

“Many UK companies still have much to learn about building trust in business too. In a highly competitive global economy, the growth and success of our business sector depends on it.”