Chris Michael delivering a live behavioral intelligence training session
Behavioral Intelligence Trainer
Chris Michael
Body Language Academy by Joe Navarro FBI Behavioral Analysis Program Counterintelligence Certified APA Certified
★★★★★ "The best presenter our troops have had in 20 years" · U.S. Army Lt. Colonel
Behavioral Intelligence Training

Right now, someone on your team is in a high-stakes conversation they can't fully read.

Decode Behavior trains organizations to see what's actually happening: the hesitation, the hidden intent, the behavioral signals underneath every negotiation, interview, and critical decision. Before the other side knows you're reading them.

Your team walks away able to
Read hesitation and hidden objections before they cost the deal
Interview with the science-based methods used by federal investigators
Know what a room is thinking before anyone says it out loud
Watch a Live Demonstration → See the Programs
100+Client
organizations
1 of 25Joe Navarro Academy
trainers worldwide
FBIBAP trained
+ APA certified
$7.5kPrograms
starting from
Delivered for
FBI Personnel· C4ISR Professionals· Mercuri Urval· Defense & Intelligence· Fortune 500 Companies· Healthcare & Finance· Law Enforcement
As seen in
Featured in Harvard Business Review, TEDx, Forbes, CNBC, BBC and more
See It in Action
Chris Michael Training Demo Reel
Training Demo Reel
The Decode Behavior Difference

Most training tells you.
This training shows you.

Every session includes live behavioral demonstrations with people from your own team. Participants watch microexpressions appear in real time and feel their own signals being read accurately.

You can explain behavioral science. Or you can make someone experience it. One changes behavior. The other gets forgotten by Friday.
Request a Training Proposal Read Client Results →
Why Organizations Bring This Training In

The signals your team
is already missing.

Every day, in meetings your team is already in, behavioral signals are being broadcast and ignored. Not because people aren't intelligent. Because no one taught them to look.

01
A deal collapses. Hesitation appeared three exchanges ago. No one caught it.
02
A negotiation stalls. The other side signaled readiness to move. Your team kept pushing instead of closing.
03
An investigator trusts the wrong answer. The deception was in the behavior, not the words.
04
A social engineering attack succeeds. Every manipulation signal was present. Nobody was trained to see them.
05
A leader misreads the room. Dissent was visible in the body language. The damage surfaces three months later.
See What Changes After Training →
Chris Michael delivering live behavioral intelligence training on stage
Live corporate training delivery
What trained teams can do that untrained teams cannot:
These aren't soft skills. They're observable, teachable, and directly tied to outcomes.
→
Identify the exact moment a negotiation shifts, and move before the other side does
→
Detect deception in interviews before it shapes the outcome
→
Read hesitation in a sales conversation before it becomes a lost deal
→
Project the behavioral signals of authority and trust, deliberately, not accidentally
→
Know what a room is thinking before anyone says it out loud
FBI Trained
BAP
Trained by a founding member of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Program
Threat Assessment · Profiling · Interrogation
Joe Navarro Academy
1 of 25
One of 25 trainers worldwide for the Body Language Academy by Joe Navarro, the former FBI counterintelligence agent
Nonverbal Intelligence · Navarro Method
Counterintelligence
CI
Counterintelligence certified through the McAfee Institute, a credential recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD COOL)
Elicitation · Deception · Threat Detection
APA Certified
CEU
Globally recognized APA-approved continuing education provider
Nonverbal Behavior · Emotional Decoding
Training Programs

Defined programs.
Measurable outcomes.

Schedule a Consultation →
Chris Michael reading a live sales conversation at an industry expo
Sales & Revenue Teams
Behavioral Intelligence for Sales Teams
Train sales professionals to recognize buying signals, read hesitation, and guide conversations toward commitment using the same behavioral science deployed by elite negotiators.
  • Read buying signals before they're spoken
  • Detect resistance and hidden objections early
  • Behavioral closing techniques, not pressure tactics
  • Documented 20% sales lift in trained teams
From $7,500View Program →
Chris Michael delivering a behavioral intelligence keynote at an international executive conference
Leadership & Executive
Behavioral Intelligence for Leaders
Teach leaders how to read rooms, project authority, and communicate trust at every level. Built for executives who need science, not motivational theory.
  • Project authority and executive presence on command
  • Read team dynamics quickly under pressure
  • Navigate resistance without losing the room
  • Average +10% EQ lift in post-training assessment
From $7,500View Program →
Deception detection training, behavioral analysis and investigative interview techniques
Investigators & HR
Deception Detection for Investigators
Learn how behavioral cues, speech patterns, and microexpressions reveal hidden intent. Built for professionals who conduct interviews and need the truth.
  • Identify deception indicators with precision
  • Science-based interviewing: ORBIT rapport, PEACE, and the Strategic Use of Evidence
  • Distinguish stress from deception accurately
  • Detect up to 80% of behavioral deception signals
From $7,500View Program →
Chris Michael delivering behavioral intelligence training beside national flags
Government · Defense · Law Enforcement
Tactical Behavioral Intelligence for Government & Defense
The same behavioral science used by intelligence agencies, adapted for defense, law enforcement, and government operational contexts. Custom-scoped for your mission requirements, clearance levels, and operational environment.
  • Behavioral cue recognition under operational pressure
  • Microexpression decoding for threat assessment
  • Science-based interviewing and lawful elicitation: ORBIT, SUE, and rapport-based methods
  • Custom programs for interrogation, surveillance, and field deployment
From $9,500 Custom scoping available · All clearance levels accommodated

Also available: Half-day and full-day on-site workshops

Deeper skill-building for teams of any size. Optional certification pathways. From $450/person.

Inquire About Workshops
How It Works

Simple to bring in.
Impossible to forget.

1
Discovery ConsultationWe learn about your organization, your team's roles, and the specific outcomes you need. 20 minutes, no obligation, no pitch.
2
Custom Program DesignEvery program is tailored to your team's environment, industry, and challenges. You receive a detailed, transparent proposal within 48 hours.
3
Live Training DeliveryDelivered onsite at your location or virtually. Keynote sessions, half-day workshops, or full-day intensives, scoped to your needs.
4
Frameworks Your Team KeepsParticipants leave with repeatable behavioral frameworks they apply immediately, not inspiration that fades by Monday.
Schedule a Training Consultation →
Training formats available
All formats are customized for your team and available onsite or virtually.
Keynote Session (60 to 90 min)
High-impact session for conferences, summits, and all-hands events. From $7,500.
Half-Day Workshop (3 to 4 hrs)
Deeper skill-building with applied exercises and team practice. From $450/person.
Full-Day Intensive (6 to 8 hrs)
Comprehensive training with optional certification pathway. Custom scoped.
Government & Defense Programs
Custom-scoped for operational context and clearance requirements. From $9,500.
Live training session delivery
About Chris Michael

A U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel once said Chris was the best presenter his troops had seen in 20 years.

After a single session, Chris received an Army decoration for exceptional civilian service. Senior officers were still referencing what they learned months later.

Chris Michael, Behavioral Intelligence Specialist
Chris Michael
Behavioral Strategist & Corporate Mentalist
Washington D.C. · Available worldwide

That outcome isn't unusual. It's the pattern. Because Chris doesn't explain behavioral science: he demonstrates it. Live, in the room, with your people. Participants watch microexpressions appear in real time. They see their own behavioral signals identified and decoded. They leave with something that can't be unlearned.

Chris has delivered this training for Fortune 500 sales teams, FBI personnel, government defense agencies, NASDAQ founders, and executive leadership groups across 20+ industries. The science is the same in every room. The impact follows.

Chris is one of only 25 trainers worldwide for the Body Language Academy by Joe Navarro, the school founded by the former FBI counterintelligence agent who wrote the field's defining books on nonverbal behavior. He also holds a counterintelligence certification through the McAfee Institute, a credential recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense. In plain terms: he was trained to see the parts of a person they are not choosing to show, and he teaches your team to see them too.

Body Language Academy by Joe Navarro
One of 25 trainers worldwide certified to teach the Navarro method of nonverbal assessment.
Counterintelligence Certified
McAfee Institute certification recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD COOL).
FBI Behavioral Analysis Program
Trained by a founding member. Techniques used in real investigative and threat assessment contexts.
APA Continuing Education Provider
Globally recognized. Programs meet APA standards for professional continuing education.
Licensed Center for Body Language
Authorized to deliver internationally recognized certification in nonverbal behavior.
Army Civilian Service Award
Received following a training session with U.S. Army personnel. Awarded for exceptional impact.

When the conversation matters (a negotiation, an investigation, a critical leadership moment) the difference between reading it accurately and missing it entirely is this training.

Read Client Results → Explore the Programs
Organizations that have brought this training in
PepsiCo
Deloitte
FBI Personnel
Bloomberg
CDW
U.S. Army
NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center
Mercuri Urval
Client Results

What happens
after the training.

Chris Michael on stage delivering behavioral intelligence training to a large corporate audience
"
The best presenter we have had for our troops in 20 years. Chris received an Army decoration for exceptional civilian service after his session. Our senior officers are still talking about him.
Paul J. Kassebaum
Lieutenant Colonel · US Army
★★★★★
After his session with U.S. Army personnel, Chris was awarded an Army Civilian Service decoration, a distinction given to civilians whose contributions produce exceptional impact on military readiness and effectiveness. It was presented after a single training day.
80%
Of behavioral deception signals identified by trained teams
+10%
Average EQ lift in post-training assessment
★★★★★
"The training answered all our expectations. Immediately applicable for our HR activities: it will help us detect micro-expressions on the faces of our clients and candidates. The course material was professional and complete."
Guissou Nabavi
Training & Development Manager · Mercuri Urval
★★★★★
"It's really cool to hear the science behind why all this works. Some of it makes you feel there is a whole world that exists but can only see when you know what to look for. This will help our business founders a lot."
Collin Mahen
Director of Programs · NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center
★★★★★
"Chris is magnetic. When he speaks to the audience he connects and it feels real. You can hear a pin drop when he is speaking to the crowd. He is simply the best at making audiences understand this material."
Hayley Berger
Manufacturing Coordinator · Pepsi
Client Outcome

An enterprise sales team added behavioral intelligence training to their Q3 development calendar.

A 40-person B2B sales organization attended a full-day Decode Behavior workshop focused on reading hesitation signals, detecting hidden objections, and identifying behavioral commitment cues. Six weeks after the session, the sales director reported a measurable improvement in close rates on complex deals, and noted that the team was asking different questions in discovery calls, catching signals they had consistently missed before.

Industry: Technology · Team size: 40 · Format: Full-day workshop

20%
Average sales lift
post-training
Field Library

The science, in your hands.

The research and the working reference behind the training. See the standard we hold ourselves to before you engage.

Science-Based Interviewing field guide cover
Investigative Practice
Science-Based Interviewing
Field guide · 45 pages · Peer-reviewed research
The rapport-based, evidence-tested method behind modern interviewing: the shift from chasing confessions to gathering information, ORBIT and the HEEAAR principles, the Strategic Use of Evidence, what the science really says about detecting deception, and the ethics that hold it together. Every framework defined, every claim cited.
Download the Guide →
The Behavioral Decodex interactive reference
Interactive Reference
The Behavioral Decodex
Interactive tool · 316 behaviors · 18 body regions
The working reference behind the training: 316 observable behaviors mapped like a periodic table, each rated on a 1.0 to 4.0 deception scale with timing and cluster context. Built on Joe Navarro's Dictionary of Body Language and used by professionals who read high-stakes deals.
Open the Decodex →
Ready to Engage

Your team is already in
conversations that matter.
Now they'll know what to see.

Submit your inquiry and receive a personal response within one business day. No automated replies. No sales pitch. A focused conversation about whether this training is right for your organization.

Prefer to talk it through first?
Email Chris directlychris@chrismikemagic.com Call or text(804) 442-6132
Either way: a 20-minute discovery call, then a custom proposal within 48 hours.
Schedule a Training Consultation
For corporate teams, government agencies, and organizations of all sizes.
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No obligation. No pitch. One focused conversation about fit.
Your information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is never sold or shared with third parties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions worth
asking before you engage.

What HR leaders, L&D managers, and operations teams ask most, answered directly.

Request a Training Proposal →
Decode Behavior training delivers the highest impact for organizations where reading people accurately produces measurable business outcomes: sales teams, negotiation teams, leadership groups, investigators, HR professionals, and government or defense agencies. Programs scale from teams of 10 to conferences of 5,000+.
Yes, every program is customized. Before delivery, Chris's team conducts a discovery call to understand your industry, your team's roles, and the specific outcomes you need. The behavioral science is universal; the examples, scenarios, and framing are built for your team's environment. Programs have been tailored for finance, healthcare, technology, government, legal, real estate, insurance, and more.
Both, and that's exactly the point. The methodology is grounded in FBI-trained behavioral science and APA-certified research. Chris is one of 25 trainers worldwide for the Body Language Academy by Joe Navarro and holds a counterintelligence certification recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense. The credentials ensure even skeptical executives engage with full confidence, and the live demonstrations make the science visceral and immediately credible. You get rigor and engagement, without sacrificing either.
It is not motivational or general team-building content, and it is not a broad communication skills workshop. This is applied behavioral observation and signal recognition, built for teams whose conversations have real stakes. If the quality of a conversation does not change your results, this is not the right fit.
Keynote sessions start at $7,500. Government and defense programs start at $9,500. Half-day and full-day workshops are scoped individually from $450/person. Travel is billed at cost. All proposals are detailed and transparent, no surprise line items.
Submit your inquiry → Personal response within 1 business day → 20-minute discovery consultation → Custom proposal within 48 hours → Agreement + deposit to secure the date → Customization call 2 to 3 weeks before delivery → Chris handles everything from there. The process is designed to be simple for L&D and operations teams.
Yes. In addition to keynotes and single-day workshops, Decode Behavior offers multi-session training series and ongoing engagement models for organizations that want to build behavioral intelligence as a team-wide capability over time. Optional certification pathways are available.
Yes, all programs are available in onsite and virtual delivery formats. Virtual programs are adapted to maintain the live demonstration element that makes the training effective. We've delivered programs for distributed teams across multiple time zones and countries.