Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Cente...

Culture Matters Podcast by Chris Smit. Call Center Culture in Costa Rica. Episode 172 Richard Blank The Culture Matters Podcast on International Business & Management Podcast. Build your Cultural Competence, listen to interesting stories, learn about the cultural pitfalls and how to avoid them, and get the Global perspective here at the Culture Matters podcast on International Business. We help you understand Cultural Diversity better by interviewing real people with real experiences. Every episode there is an interview with a prominent guest, who will tell his or her story and share international experiences. Helping you develop your cultural competence. Welcome to this culture podcast and management podcast. “A surgeon cannot operate on one of their family members.“ Show empathy towards the people around you. Think about it: a surgeon cannot operate on one of their family members. Remember that you’re a guest in the country you’re visiting. Pay it forward. If you experienced or learned something new, make sure you share it with the circle(s) around you. Choosing Spanish: Richard's Language Journey That's why you have the best podcast, Chris. Well, in high school, they gave you an option of three languages, German, French or Spanish. and growing up i came from a comfortable family my parents were generous they liked to travel so when i was very young we took trips into mexico so i got to see mexico city puerto vallarta acapulco and besides enjoying myself on these spring break vacations i kind of came back with 20 vocabulary words and this was at a very young age and so i i saw that it was fun to speak languages And given the option, I gravitated towards it. And I really was at such an advanced level that I got a college recommendation letter from my teacher for this https://youtu.be/3Z4G6b52oCA https://youtube.com/shorts/pDcCVpu41mw

Book Chris Smit as a Speaker If you're looking for an Engaging, Exciting, and Interactive speaker on the subject of Intercultural Management & Awareness you came to the right place. Chris has spoken at hundreds of events and to thousands of people on the subject of Cultural Diversity & Cultural Competence. This is What Others Say About Chris: “Very Interactive and Engaging” “In little time he knew how to get the audience inspired and connected to his story” “His ability to make large groups of participants quickly and adequately aware of the huge impact of cultural differences is excellent” “Chris is a dedicated and inspirational professional” In addition, his presentations can cover specific topics cultural topics, or generally on Cultural differences. Presentations can vary anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours and are given worldwide. Chris Smit Chris is passionate about Cultural Differences. He has been helping organizations save time and money when they work Internationally for the last 20+ years. While doing this he had the fortunate opportunity to hold lectures, workshops, and consulting projects on this subject World Wide. It has made him understand his own culture much better and appreciate the differences around the world. His education is in Organisational Psychology and he has lived in the USA, the Netherlands, and currently lives in Belgium. Get the Right Keynote Speaker, Optimize Your Business Today! Increase Your Revenue & Save Time Do you recognize the following in your international work/business: They don’t seem to trust us (or we don’t trust them).’ Everything takes so long to move forward.’ I get what I ask for but never what I want.’ I just don’t understand why they do it like this; my way is much more efficient.’ ⁠How do I get ‘them’ to do it the way I want them to do it?’ Why don’t they get in touch with me if something is not clear?’ Chris Smit MSc. (1963) makes companies and organizations more aware of cultural diversity. In business, the im­pact of cultural differences are still under-estimated. We talk a lot about globalization. The world seems to be getting smaller, and yet we all bear the mark of the culture in which we grew up. This often leads to misunderstandings that are detrimental to your business. More attention to cultural diversity should be a top priority for companies and organizations. Chris puts you on track to efficiently deal with the cultural differences. Since 1993 he has advised thousands of people from more than 100 different nationalities. His work has taken him to more than 45 countries. He is a passionate and enthusiastic speaker with extensive experience in coaching and managing staff at all levels. The World in Your Pocket Chris was born in Amsterdam. He has lived in three different countries (US, Netherlands, and Belgium, where he still lives). As a marketing and sales consultant for the Dutch airline KLM, he traveled the world. Meanwhile, he earned a Master’s degree in psychology at the University of Amster­dam. In 2007, he founded the company Culture Matters. Chris helps companies working in an international context to become aware and deal with cultural differences. The C of Complex Culture is a complex concept. You get your cultural iden­tity as you grow up, whether you like it or not. This cultural footprint stems from learned behavior. Why is a German always on time? Why is a Frenchman’s lunch break so im­portant? Why is it difficult for Indians to say no? Why are Dutch so much more direct and candid than Belgians? They might be stereotypes to you, but they are recognizable and there is always a grain of truth. How true is that truth, and how can I use these cultural differences as a lever? How can I avoid cultural diversity as being an obstacle? That is what cultural competence is all about. The C of Competence How do you acquire that cultural competence? “For me, cultural competence is that you have the ability to effec­tively deal with people of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds,” says Chris. You only learn this skill by trial and error. It’s a long process, in which a great sense of nuance is needed. Chris’s insights are an eye-opener to see a different perspective of our globalized world. The C of Concrete Companies working on their cultural competence reap the rewards, both in time & money. Cultural competence ensures a more focused management, effective produc­tion, and more humane HR policies. Chris is an inspirational speaker and a seasoned consultant. He knows how to trans­late the concept of cultural diversity in a clear and compel­ling story and solution. His great expertise is a source of inspira­tion for a very diverse audience. Chris Smit has several international publications in his name and a frequent (Keynote) speaker at international business events. He has been running a Podcast on Culture Matters for the last 4 years. It’s available for free in the iTunes store. The Global Expert, Chis Smit, has become a role model for many individuals throughout his career. Cultural Diversity and Company Culture can be greatly misunderstood within an industry that is continuously evolving and Chris is looking to spread awareness in these areas to help implement change. When booked as a speaker, Chris focuses on topics such as Intercultural Management, Leadership, Management, and Marketing. In 1987, Chris attended the University of Amsterdam where he was awarded a master’s degree in Organisational Psychology. This was then followed by him gaining a Business Consultant role at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Dedicated to making a difference, Chris has now become a Managing Partner of Culture Matters. His beliefs not only benefit himself but thousands of people throughout the business world which is why he has been able to build a successful career. Chris hosted the TEDx Talk ‘Humor and culture in international business in 2014, where he shared his perspective on business culture and the importance of businesses considering it. He is also the author of the two books, ‘How to Overcome Cultural Differences in Business and ‘Uncertainty Avoidance in International Business which have both become very popular. Due to his knowledge in multiple areas, Chris is highly respected and is now looking to share his experiences and speak openly about matters he believes need to change. Chris Smit has been greatly recognized for his commitment and passion throughout his career. He has played a significant role in spreading awareness throughout the business industry about Cultural Differences and Company Culture and is now respected for the change that he is trying to enforce. Chris’s expertise and knowledge have allowed him to become an inspirational speaker, and when looking for someone to captivate an audience, look no further than Chris. Richard’s 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. 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. 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. 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. Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC) is a state of the art BPO telemarketing outsource company located in the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica. Our main focus has been, and will always be to personally train each and every Central America call center agent 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. We encourage you to visit one of our call centers on your next personal vacation or business trip to Central America’s paradise, Costa Rica. While you are here, we would recommend taking an extra day of your trip to visit breathtaking virgin beaches, play golf next to the ocean, try your luck at deep sea fishing, explore tropical jungles, climb volcanos or just relax in natural hot springs. Come and see for yourself why call center outsourcing in Costa Rica is a perfect solution for your growing company and a powerhouse in the BPO industry. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ChrisSmit #CultureMattersPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #BusinessConfidentialNow Embracing a Poet's Life It sounds good. It seems like you're maybe born in the wrong era, the wrong period. Oh. I'm true. The beauty it is. I was true to my 18-year-old self where I decided to triple down on my life. It's almost a poet's life. There's a lot of naysayers and great believers out there, but fortune favors the brave. Identity and Perception As a Foreigner We're talking about what we see on the outside. And of course, I could be referred to as a gringo, but I like to see myself as an extranhero. You know, I'm a foreigner. You want to classify me as gringo? Fine. There's same message, different delivery. The Unexpected Path to Running a Call Center Okay so tell us Richard how did you end up in doing call centers that's that's not an obvious thing and I also don't think it's obvious to do this in Costa Rica. No, it is not. And in fact, I fell into it. No one ever grows up saying, hey, mom, I want to be a CEO of a call center, let alone a telemarketer. Usually when you're growing up, your mom screams and says how much they hate telemarketers. And so what did I see? I saw areas in which came easy to me, almost like a musician that can just play from hearing the music and I realized this, my friend. I couldn't do the IT side. You can hire specialists, CTOs, accounting. That's a chore. So when you get large, you need assistance. Same with human resources. Same with attorneys. And so if my Richard trunk of tree could get some branches and roots, there's a very good chance we could be stable here. And so I know my strengths and it's fanatics. It's onboarding. I like rhetoric. I like structure and discipline. I can really enhance skills. Cultural Integration and Curiosity Is this your office? Are we talking, you're in your office at this moment? Yeah. Oh, yeah, this is my private office here with the podcast. The game room is downstairs. If you Google my website, you'll see him. And these Costa Ricans, the locals that work for you, they must wander in or walk into your office or the building the first time. And they see this American who speaks Spanish all of a sudden, who has these weird machines. They're not weird machines. No, I love it. Keep going. No, no, no. This person has these collections and has actually an interest in the other person, in me, and knows my first name, etc. Fortune Favors the Brave I'm true. The beauty it is. I was true to my 18-year-old self where I decided to triple down on my life. It's almost a poet's life. There's a lot of naysayers and great believers out there, but fortune favors the brave. And if you keep dipping your toe in water and getting reinforced, you might as well jump in.