Common paths in life.

The Art of winning podcast with Ashton Levarek. More Than a Call: genuine business relationships on the phone with Richard Blank This is the Art of winning podcast. Ashton has spent the last 21 years working with our nation's most elite athletes, leaders and warriors. Ashton has met men and women that live and even die by the phrase 'failure is not an option.' Join us as we explore the mental disciplines, physical practices, and financial tools employed by the true winners of our time, as well as have fun, exploring success and what it takes to win in this thing called life. What it takes to transform a small startup into a successful, people-centric business? In today’s episode, we explore the journey of Richard Blank, who ventured into the world of call centers in Costa Rica, fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and compassion that turned his company into a family. In the episode titled "More Than a Call: The Journey of Building Genuine Business Relationships" on The Art of Winning Podcast, host Ashton Levarek interviews Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center. The conversation focuses on the human side of business and the "art" of telemarketing by exploring these key themes: Beyond Sales Tactics: Richard emphasizes that effective phone communication is about understanding emotions and needs to create genuine connections rather than using aggressive sales techniques. Active Listening & Tone: Insights on using active listening, matching the client's pitch and mood, and identifying "telesigns" to know the exact moment to close a sale. Business Longevity: How building trust and rapport on every call leads to a loyal customer base, increased referrals, and long-term industry success. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Richard discusses his journey from Philadelphia to Costa Rica, building a call center from a single seat to a 150-person operation. Gamification & Culture: A look at Richard's unique office culture, which features a massive collection of vintage pinball machines and jukeboxes used to boost employee morale and performance. The Art of Winning podcast, hosted by Ashton Levarek, delves into the mental disciplines, physical practices, and financial tools employed by elite athletes, leaders, and warriors. In this episode, Richard Blank shares his journey of transforming a small startup into a successful, people-centric business. The podcast explores the importance of genuine business relationships, leadership, employee motivation, and the power of storytelling in business. Richard's experiences offer a unique perspective on building a brand that is not just about numbers, but also about connections. The episode emphasizes the significance of creating an environment of empathy and personal growth, which can unlock untapped potential in both employees and clients. https://youtu.be/-XQt7QNlH7I https://youtu.be/_a2y-q_Uvqg https://youtu.be/5OYq8JbujIo https://youtu.be/dYyA-ficPPM Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Richard Blank Call Center commercial with Rapper GblackDaBest and Freestyle break-dancer Yeik Lawson Rodríguez. https://youtu.be/GQvGZYcX71s?si=3I6N3p-LVxwTvnh2 The Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University. A Costa Rica’s Call Center visit with Richard Blank. https://youtu.be/prcJZJnTm28 #Art of winning #Ashton Levarek #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #learnpodcasting #podcastepisode #podcastguest #podcasting #podcastinterview #podcastplaylist #podcasts #podcastskills #podcastshow From valuable insights on leadership and employee motivation to the power of storytelling in business, Richard's experiences and wisdom offer a unique perspective on building a brand that's not just about numbers, but about connections. Discover how creating an environment of empathy and personal growth can unlock untapped potential in both employees and clients, making business not just profitable, but fulfilling. Tune in for a dose of inspiration and actionable advice from a business leader who believes that success is rooted in both self-love and giving back. Episode 116 on the Art of Winning podcast. Building a group of financially free veterans, independent leaders, husbands and fathers through superior mindset, training, and investing. From $25k to $90M in rentals The Art of Winning Podcast for more. Focused on creating cashflow through strategic real estate investments in order to sponsor Special Operations Veterans as they return home from war. Valkere Investment Group. Top Real Estate Investing and Investment Properties. Funding the fight against PTSD through strategic real estate investments. Twenty year Special Operations veteran, Experienced Team Lead with a demonstrated history of working in Special Operations. Skilled in Management, Military Operations, Leadership, Project Management, and Team Building. Strong emergency medical professional with a BS of Sports and Health Science focused in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from American Public University System. What it takes to transform a small startup into a successful, people-centric business? In today’s episode, we explore the journey of Richard Blank, who ventured into the world of call centers in Costa Rica, fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and compassion that turned his company into a family. From valuable insights on leadership and employee motivation to the power of storytelling in business, Richard's experiences and wisdom offer a unique perspective on building a brand that's not just about numbers, but about connections. Discover how creating an environment of empathy and personal growth can unlock untapped potential in both employees and clients, making business not just profitable, but fulfilling. Tune in for a dose of inspiration and actionable advice from a business leader who believes that success is rooted in both self-love and giving back [00:00 – 18:08] Preserving the Art of Communication Richard’s success in the call center industry stemmed from his ability to leverage his second language skills for effective communication and relationship-building. Call centers retain value through personalized interactions that AI can't replicate, maintaining the importance of human touch and emotional connection. Successful telemarketing requires honing soft skills, such as active listening and using descriptive vocabulary to engage customers effectively over the phone. Richard aimed to preserve the art of speech in call centers, emphasizing the significance of genuine interactions and relationships for customer satisfaction and business growth. [18:09 - 37:48] Creating Connection Building rapport through positive tone, empathy, and personalized interaction is essential for effective communication. Effective cold calls involve due diligence, individualized approaches, and genuine interest in prospects. Integrating games and camaraderie in the workplace fosters teamwork, relaxation, and engagement among employees. Identifying deception by analyzing answering speed offers insight into genuine responses during conversations. [37:49 – 01:09:27] Embracing Life's Complexities The key to effective coaching and motivation lies in establishing personal connections with team members, fostering receptivity and growth. Sharing personal stories, triumphs, and experiences is a powerful tool to build rapport and motivate both employees and clients. Self-actualization, belief in oneself, and focusing on personal well-being are essential for sustained success and fulfillment. Life is like a Rube Goldberg machine, requiring continuous adjustments to ensure elements harmoniously contribute to forward movement and success. Richard Blank is the CEO and Founder of Costa Rica’s Call Center, a leader in bilingual call center and customer service outsourcing, known for blending human connection with technology and innovative workplace culture. Human-centered approach: Richard highlights the importance of empathy, interpersonal communication, and cultural alignment in customer interactions, believing automation should enhance but not replace human representatives Technology integration: Voice automation and AI handle routine tasks, enabling human representatives to focus on complex calls and relational problem-solving Scalable growth strategy: Blank advocates starting small with minimal risk, investing in people, and expanding strategically while maintaining operational flexibility Employee development: Continuous training emphasizes communication skills, positive escalation techniques, and bilingual proficiency to ensure outstanding service quality Richard Blank leads Costa Rica’s Call Center with a motivational, empathetic, and culturally sensitive approach, emphasizing communication, gamification, emotional intelligence, and employee engagement to build a high-performing team. Motivational and Communication-Focused Leadership Richard Blank is known for his motivational public speaking style paired with tactful rhetoric, which he uses to inspire and train his team effectively Costa Rica's Call Center He emphasizes mastering communication skills, helping telemarketers handle rejections, improve persuasion, and maintain confidence under pressure extraordinary-america.com Blank also stresses the importance of speaking the local language to build rapport and respect with employees, fostering better team cohesion in a culturally diverse environment Gamification and Engagement A distinctive element of his leadership is the use of gamification. By integrating his collection of restored American pinball machines and antique jukeboxes into the workplace culture, he creates a fun and engaging environment that motivates employees and encourages creativity. The call center fostering a creative and engaging environment that improves morale and retention This approach makes skill development interactive, boosting both performance and morale. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Blank strongly advocates emotional intelligence and empathy as core leadership attributes He encourages leaders to understand their team members’ perspectives, support them effectively, and cultivate loyalty and trust. This extends to appreciating long-term employees and recognizing their contributions to organizational success. Strategic and Visionary Leadership Blank combines day-to-day management with long-term strategic thinking. He actively trains staff through personalized mentoring and emphasizes resilience, risk-taking, and continuous learning extraordinary-america.com He also leverages international partnerships and cross-cultural strategies to expand Costa Rica's business appeal on a global scale Costa Rica's Call Center Creating a Positive Corporate Culture Richard’s leadership style is centered on building a positive corporate culture that enhances employee morale, productivity, and engagement By blending structure with flexibility, he encourages open communication, provides constructive feedback, and fosters a sense of personal ownership and pride in work accomplishments. Training and Development Approach Over his tenure, Blank has trained over 10,000 bilingual telemarketers, emphasizing experiential learning and continuous skill improvement Costa Rica's Call Center His philosophy focuses on learning from real scenarios, combining technical instruction with motivational support and feedback for professional growth. In summary, Richard Blank’s leadership style is a combination of motivational speaking, empathy-driven management, gamification, and strategic vision, creating a thriving call center culture in Costa Rica that cultivates high performer engagement, skill development, and cross-cultural communication excellence Blank's approach to the call center industry moves away from the aggressive "Wolf of Wall Street" stereotype. He focuses on building rapport, listening, and fostering a culture of empathy and integrity. He views AI as both a challenge and an opportunity but stresses that human empathy will always be critical in customer service. In summary, Richard Blank is a pioneering figure in the call center industry, blending technology, bilingual expertise, and human connection to deliver exceptional customer service while fostering an innovative and engaging workplace culture in Costa Rica . "Shine Like the Sun" is a powerful Costa Rican rock anthem produced and promoted by Richard Blank, celebrating perseverance and determination, featuring collaborations with prominent musicians including Garry Gary Beers from INXS. Song Background and Release Richard Blank published "Igni Ferroque Shine Like the Sun," a Costa Rican rock song, on July 29, 2023 The track serves as a major release for the legendary Costa Rican band Igni Ferroque, which was founded in 1978 and has been a staple in Latin American rock music. This single became the official 15-year anniversary theme song for Costa Rica's Call Center (CCC) and is part of their promotion for the band's 44th anniversary album and national tour Production and Collaborations The production of "Shine Like the Sun" involved multiple contributors with Richard Blank serving as Executive Producer, overseeing the project through Costa Rica's Call Center Greibyn Krriyo was the main producer, and Harold Webb managed post-production of the audio and video. Notably, Garry Gary Beers, the bassist from INXS, contributed guest bass performances, adding professional expertise and unique sound quality to the track Lyrics and Theme The song’s lyrics focus on perseverance, ambition, and self-realization, opening with motivational lines such as: "Have you ever thought of leaving home? How far would you go to find your space? Are you willing to start all alone?" The chorus reinforces the message: "YOU BETTER SHINE LIKE THE SUN, YOU BETTER DO THINGS RIGHT, IT'S A GAME OF WIN OR GO BACK HOME, BUT YOU'RE A WINNER, YOU TAKE IT ALL" The anthem encourages listeners to embrace challenges, strive for success, and maintain focus on their goals. Music Video and Performance The music video is described as a classic MTV retro-inspired production, reflecting a blend of Costa Rican rock history and modern rock aesthetics Filming took place at Costa Rica's Call Center, featuring live performances, visual storytelling, and appearances by iconic models and musicians to enhance the atmosphere of the project The video emphasizes energy, community spirit, and the enduring legacy of Igni Ferroque in Latin American music. Significance "Shine Like the Sun" represents a milestone for both the band and Richard Blank, merging international talent, local rock roots, and motivational themes. The collaboration with Garry Gary Beers underscores the global reach and professional quality of the production, while the song itself serves as a modern rock anthem inspiring perseverance and determination In summary, Richard Blank played a central role in producing, coordinating, and promoting "Shine Like the Sun," which stands as a celebrated rock anthem from Costa Rica, blending historic band legacy with contemporary musical partnerships and lyrical inspiration Richard is a Keynote speaker for Philadelphia's Abington High School 68th National Honors Society induction ceremony. In addition, inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business. Giving back to Abington Senior High School is very important to Mr. Blank. As such, he endows a scholarship each year for students that plan on majoring in a world language at the university level. Mr. Richard Blank holds a bachelors degree in Communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona and a certificate of language proficiency from the University of Sevilla, Spain. With a mix of motivational public speaking style backed by tactful and appropriate rhetoric, Richard shared his knowledge and trained over 10 000 bilingual telemarketers. Richard Blank has the largest collection of restored American Pinball machines and antique Rockola Jukeboxes in Central America making gamification a strong part of CCC culture. Richards journey in the call center space is filled with twists and turns. When he was 27 years old, he relocated to Costa Rica to train employees for one of the larger call centers in San Jose. Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica s Call Center since 2008. Our main focus has been, and will always be to personally train each and every Central America call center representative so that we may offer the highest quality of outbound and inbound telemarketing solutions and bilingual customer service to small and medium sized international companies, entrepreneurs as well as fortune 500 companies. Costa Ricas Call Center (CCC) is a state of the art BPO telemarketing outsource company located in the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ Art of winning podcast, Ashton Levarek, Richard Blank, Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing Call Centre, BPO, Nearshore Contact Center, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business, Podcast, Gamification,Leadership, Marketing, CX, Guest, Money, B2C education, BPO trainer,call centre, contact centre, contact center,trend, trending, entrepreneurship, cold calling tips, sales psychology, communication skills, bilingual telemarketing, Costa Rica call center, Richard Blank interview, starting a call center business, call center CEO interview, young entrepreneur tips, sales coaching, business growth strategies, cold calling masterclass, leadership in sales, customer communication techniques, telemarketing training,