Being a Unique Boss with Personal Touch.

The Shark Bite Biz Podcast with David Strausser. A Tropical contact center with Richard Blank Shark Bite Biz, hosted by David Strausser, started as a show on how to navigate to your business during the Covid Pandemic and now focusing on "the 3 G's": personal growth, professional growth, and business growth. This show has hosted many CEO's, VP's, Managers, and Small Business Owners all giving their insight as a subject matter expert in their field. The show has had legendary music producer Jack Douglas, Soledad O'Brien, film director James Cullen Bressack, Recruiter.com and CNBC Contributor Evan Sohn and many more. Strausser is a member of the Forbes Business Development Council. https://youtu.be/Bki9lRhp8VE Are call centers alive or dead after covid with work-from-home going strong. Today's interview may surprise you as Shark Bite Biz's David Strausser chats with Richard Blank of Costa Rica's Call Center. Episode #213 Modern Call Centers. Shark Bite Biz is a podcast dedicated to helping businesses achieve growth in the roaring 20's. In a world full of sharks, learn how to bite first! This vodcast focuses on personal, professional, & business growth during the on-going global pandemic. We focus on bringing some of the top experts and small business owners to the show to tell their stories about how they broke through barriers preventing growth and got their business to the next level. More about the Host: David Strausser is an expert at enabling small businesses to drive growth via the promise of technology. David empowers his customers to digitally transform by automating business processes and maximizing business intelligence. David writes on Forbes as a member of the Forbes Business Development Council and a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Being a Unique Boss with Personal Touch How do you try to be different, like a different boss? Because everybody tries to be different, I think. But the way you emphasize and the way that came out of your mouth, it sounds like you have something special there that you're trying to say by different boss. Sure. And these are little checkpoints. You need little first downs before touchdowns with people. I can't expect them to sign a contract and devote their life for me. Why don't I ask them to tell me a coming of age moment during an interview? Because you're already qualified and I don't want to see your bells and whistles. I want to see in the moment if David asks you an incredible question to know your depth. Are you capable of expanding and telling a little bit of something about yourself? Especially the time, my friend, when you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Richard’s vision quest journey 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. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Leadgeneration #Appointmentsetting #SacrificetoSuccess #Sharkbitebizpodcast Shark bite biz, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, A Tropical contact center with Richard Blank. The Shark Bite Biz Podcast. https://youtu.be/Bki9lRhp8VE https://youtu.be/iqwHl-s1UsE Creative Sales Strategies and Humor We believe that anybody that does sales prospecting and runs the risk of rejection, We like to give them romantic deaths. I've got to write that one down. Well, good. We jump clouds. David, if I could say Shark Bite Biz Podcast before you hang up, I get a point. If I could name drop you, I'd go, David, how are you today? Get another point. If you ask me, who's this? Not in a negative tone, because you're curious, because I said your name so well, and I thank you for asking. I mentioned my name is Richard Blank, and then you say, who's Richard Blank? Now I got the double-double. You asked the follow-up question. And guess what? We're already 15, 20 seconds in. Those are two good, long, deep breaths. So at least it gives me a chance 100 times a day to properly introduce myself prior to pitching because you get the pass to pitch. The Art of Making Quality Cold Calls Of course, I'm going to give the Pennsylvania secret sauce. Yeah, there you go. It's whiz. No, I'm only kidding. You have to offset the lower contact ratio with more of a quality call. But then you're going to say, Richard, how is it a quality call? It's a cold call. It's a cold call because of the list. It's a quality call because you might be able to put yourself on third base. Customizing Communication: The Mad Libs Approach Custom-made emails, custom-made voicemails. It doesn't have to be the whole thing, but back in our day, there was something called Mad Libs, where you put in an adjective and it can make the sentence funny. And so custom-make the intro, two or three things in the body to anchor, and then a beautiful conclusion to show that you did a due diligence. You don't need to review the whole LinkedIn profile. But there are a couple of things there that you could mention quickly in the body to let him know that, my goodness gracious, how much time did he spend reviewing the company? Very nice Real-World Experience vs. Academic Learning Yeah, I mean, it's crazy because it felt like a lot. There are some things that I learned, but to be honest, a lot of it I've already passed through in life. Like I remember the one marketing class. In fact, I'm friends with the professor till this day, who's out of Scranton. Yeah. I had to argue with him. Final exam, technically, I flunked. I'm like, dude, I've been doing marketing my whole life. And the way these questions were written, and I went through every single one. And I'm like, no, in the real life, this would not work. Why? Because of this and because of this. yeah, it looks good on paper, but this isn't how the real world works. Pinball Machines and Childhood Dreams Yeah, yeah, that's great. So since you have spilled so much knowledge to us today, I'm going to give you one minute, one whole minute to tell us what you love about pinball machines. The fact that I can afford them now. Because growing up, they were so expensive. And Ricky Schroeder had the best arcade in Silver Spoons, and it wasn't fair. And so just like Tom Hanks in the movie Big, look at his disposable income. He got trampolines and all those games in that awesome loft. Starting a Call Center in Costa Rica I think he gave me credit for every question except for one of them, which he was like, no, I disagree. I still think this is right. But I'm like, OK, you know, he gave me 44 other ones, so I'll let you go on one. But let's move a little forward and start a little bit about you started a company from scratch down in Costa Rica. What company did you start and what does it do? Well, February 6th of 2008, I closed my first deal for one seat. For Costa Rica's call center, we're a nearshore bilingual dedicated call center that focuses on outbound sales, lead generation appointment setting, inbound customer support, back office support, and non-voice support

Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being.

The Zennurgy Podcast by Zen Ase. An electromagnetic transfer of energy with Richard Blank Zennurgy is the inspirational tool box providing resources for building a better life. Motivational, practical fuel for the spirit, mind and body to help listeners deal with real life issues. This podcast is based on the idea that small changes over time equal big results. We all have the URGE for more peace (ZEN) and fulfillment in life. Tune in for motivating, uplifting, sometimes hard hitting, comedic, melodic but always real and relatable conversations and interviews with guests from all walks of life. Navigating CONFLICTS in Communication- Episode 94 One of my favorite quotes is, "We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we speak." This quote hints at a powerful truth. Communication is a give and take, a reciprocation, an openness to learn and think and process another's ideas. But sadly, that respectful spirit is missing from many people's lives, and not enough people make effective communication a priority. Join Richard Blank and I as we discuss this important success principle. 1. What does communication mean to you? What makes it effective? 2. Conversely what causes conflicts or hinders communication? What made you focus on communication in your career? 3. How do you deal with conflicts in communication? How do you keep your cool in the midst of conflict? 5. Are role models, accountability partners or mentors a part of your pursuit of improving communication? 6. Why a call center? 7. services 8. Background Peace and blessings. Marlena "Zen Ase" Johns is an artistic entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster, and performer who helps people find their voice and purpose: Zen Ase taught high school for 26 years, winning Teacher of the Year twice. She began writing poetry and prose in elementary school, but her family didn't support her career. After a divorce in 2014, she reclaimed her writing passion and began performing, podcasting, and publishing. She focuses on self-development, self-love, and self-empowerment. Her poetry and prose have been published in over a dozen anthologies and magazines, and she has written four books, three of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also hosts workshops, and has organized over 60 live music, comedy, and poetry shows. Her creative journey is to use art to make sense of the world and alchemize it. She believes that undesirable things, or lead, contain the building blocks for gold, or desirable things. Authenticity and Individuality I would have loved to have been in your class. I was no more in AP classes at Abington High School than the man on the moon. I have a question for you for these beautiful artists that you're working with and that I know take very seriously their writing. It's almost like telling the truth. You can tell the same story today to five years from now, same details. If you make up, not saying lying, but if you're inventing or if you're out of character, it's very difficult to juggle that and be consistent. My main thing is I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you. Yes, we have certain things in common that we have to do, but you do have your own special sauce. And if I believe that somebody builds upon that, And that is their one thing that can really show that separates them from others, like a beautiful color in the packet of crayons. You're still a crayon, but you are a different color. And you can be mixed with other colors to make more colors. Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success The first goal is to see how many families I could feed. Because if you're thinking about money first, you're going to make very bad decisions. You've got to first think of the natural goal. And then secondly, once again, I started very small where I was just renting a seat out of a blended center. And then I saved enough money to rent space and build out about 150 stations with a server room. And then six years later, I was able to build this current location that I'm in that can house 300 seats. So a lot of your students might think it's like this. or what you see with these new instant millionaires and these TikTok stars. And sometimes it's the tortoise and the hare. Sometimes it's brick by brick. And your AP students didn't get there overnight. That had to have been done three years. And if you can let people understand about building on momentum and mastering certain stages, then I think they would be capable of weathering certain storms and not being so hard on themselves if there's any sort of setback or lost momentum. And for me, I'm very grateful every day. And the fact that I can delegate and promote from within is really something that is amazing to me. And this should have never happened. Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture And I might be the only boss to ever know your name. A lot of them tell me that. And so I say that's a shame. And unfortunately, I may be the last one until you become a boss and you start doing that sort of thing. And so these are the sort of foundation trainings that I can do. So instead of just absorbing in class and nodding, you know this, they start contributing. They start contributing. And by having them starting off class in the game room, not in my class, they're playing pinball with me for the first half an hour. So now they own my name. They're relaxing, loosening up a little bit. That's great. And then I'm looking for first downs, not touchdowns. If somebody in the first day of class, if I ask them to repeat what I just mentioned in regards to certain things, they can talk about that. That's a point. Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back And so you see my sincerity in that I was in their shoes one day. And if I didn't have the right coaches and teachers and mentors, my good friend, there is absolutely no way I would have been here today. Not a chance. And so success is built on a million thank yous. And at Abington High School, I have a second language scholarship. I've been doing it for the last six years. Angelo Barrios is a very good friend of mine who's the current principal. And I'm so proud of what he does. And so I pay for freshmen's books every year, graduating senior. And as someone that did learn the second language, not saying athletics, music, or any other subject is important. But I'm talking about Richard. I'm talking about someone that never learned a second language and really took to it. And so as once again, I'm giving back. Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being Well, anyway, I got recess at my company. So this is what we have downstairs. I collect pinball machines, retro arcade machines. I got an air hockey table. As you see, I got a jukebox behind me. And so in between their shifts on break and lunch, they can go play games for free and make friends and let off steam and recharge batteries and hang out with me. But that's one thing. That's just an enjoyment-neutral environment here, recess, and I'm making a joke and having fun. But let's be serious about this. I can give them a little bit of Philadelphia guilt, or I can say that, you know, they know better than that. And you also know, Zen, that they're out of character. I've seen them working with me for years. All of a sudden, they're losing their mind for a day. It could be a client that just, the straw that broke the camel's back, or It could be something outside of the office that is affecting their performance here. My goal is to recharge your batteries here to give you job stability so you can confront what's happening outside the office. But this is a multi-generational society. And a lot of these young men and women may be paying for medicine, their rent, taking care of their families. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ZenAse #TheZennurgyPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #smallbusinesschronicles #successfulquitterspodcast #Saranunezbee Zen Ase, The Zennurgy Podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, https://youtu.be/q_c6E2RAFzA https://youtu.be/AgiaJHPvdOM https://youtu.be/jcfI5k4GOfE https://youtu.be/eZ3Xnqh4P1g https://youtu.be/gnBXjGC_GNc https://youtu.be/Upjg0__X0aI

Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back.

The Zennurgy Podcast by Zen Ase. An electromagnetic transfer of energy with Richard Blank Zennurgy is the inspirational tool box providing resources for building a better life. Motivational, practical fuel for the spirit, mind and body to help listeners deal with real life issues. This podcast is based on the idea that small changes over time equal big results. We all have the URGE for more peace (ZEN) and fulfillment in life. Tune in for motivating, uplifting, sometimes hard hitting, comedic, melodic but always real and relatable conversations and interviews with guests from all walks of life. Navigating CONFLICTS in Communication- Episode 94 One of my favorite quotes is, "We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we speak." This quote hints at a powerful truth. Communication is a give and take, a reciprocation, an openness to learn and think and process another's ideas. But sadly, that respectful spirit is missing from many people's lives, and not enough people make effective communication a priority. Join Richard Blank and I as we discuss this important success principle. 1. What does communication mean to you? What makes it effective? 2. Conversely what causes conflicts or hinders communication? What made you focus on communication in your career? 3. How do you deal with conflicts in communication? How do you keep your cool in the midst of conflict? 5. Are role models, accountability partners or mentors a part of your pursuit of improving communication? 6. Why a call center? 7. services 8. Background Peace and blessings. Marlena "Zen Ase" Johns is an artistic entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster, and performer who helps people find their voice and purpose: Zen Ase taught high school for 26 years, winning Teacher of the Year twice. She began writing poetry and prose in elementary school, but her family didn't support her career. After a divorce in 2014, she reclaimed her writing passion and began performing, podcasting, and publishing. She focuses on self-development, self-love, and self-empowerment. Her poetry and prose have been published in over a dozen anthologies and magazines, and she has written four books, three of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also hosts workshops, and has organized over 60 live music, comedy, and poetry shows. Her creative journey is to use art to make sense of the world and alchemize it. She believes that undesirable things, or lead, contain the building blocks for gold, or desirable things. Authenticity and Individuality I would have loved to have been in your class. I was no more in AP classes at Abington High School than the man on the moon. I have a question for you for these beautiful artists that you're working with and that I know take very seriously their writing. It's almost like telling the truth. You can tell the same story today to five years from now, same details. If you make up, not saying lying, but if you're inventing or if you're out of character, it's very difficult to juggle that and be consistent. My main thing is I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you. Yes, we have certain things in common that we have to do, but you do have your own special sauce. And if I believe that somebody builds upon that, And that is their one thing that can really show that separates them from others, like a beautiful color in the packet of crayons. You're still a crayon, but you are a different color. And you can be mixed with other colors to make more colors. Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success The first goal is to see how many families I could feed. Because if you're thinking about money first, you're going to make very bad decisions. You've got to first think of the natural goal. And then secondly, once again, I started very small where I was just renting a seat out of a blended center. And then I saved enough money to rent space and build out about 150 stations with a server room. And then six years later, I was able to build this current location that I'm in that can house 300 seats. So a lot of your students might think it's like this. or what you see with these new instant millionaires and these TikTok stars. And sometimes it's the tortoise and the hare. Sometimes it's brick by brick. And your AP students didn't get there overnight. That had to have been done three years. And if you can let people understand about building on momentum and mastering certain stages, then I think they would be capable of weathering certain storms and not being so hard on themselves if there's any sort of setback or lost momentum. And for me, I'm very grateful every day. And the fact that I can delegate and promote from within is really something that is amazing to me. And this should have never happened. Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture And I might be the only boss to ever know your name. A lot of them tell me that. And so I say that's a shame. And unfortunately, I may be the last one until you become a boss and you start doing that sort of thing. And so these are the sort of foundation trainings that I can do. So instead of just absorbing in class and nodding, you know this, they start contributing. They start contributing. And by having them starting off class in the game room, not in my class, they're playing pinball with me for the first half an hour. So now they own my name. They're relaxing, loosening up a little bit. That's great. And then I'm looking for first downs, not touchdowns. If somebody in the first day of class, if I ask them to repeat what I just mentioned in regards to certain things, they can talk about that. That's a point. Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back And so you see my sincerity in that I was in their shoes one day. And if I didn't have the right coaches and teachers and mentors, my good friend, there is absolutely no way I would have been here today. Not a chance. And so success is built on a million thank yous. And at Abington High School, I have a second language scholarship. I've been doing it for the last six years. Angelo Barrios is a very good friend of mine who's the current principal. And I'm so proud of what he does. And so I pay for freshmen's books every year, graduating senior. And as someone that did learn the second language, not saying athletics, music, or any other subject is important. But I'm talking about Richard. I'm talking about someone that never learned a second language and really took to it. And so as once again, I'm giving back. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ZenAse #TheZennurgyPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #smallbusinesschronicles #successfulquitterspodcast #Saranunezbee Zen Ase, The Zennurgy Podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, https://youtu.be/q_c6E2RAFzA https://youtu.be/AgiaJHPvdOM https://youtu.be/jcfI5k4GOfE https://youtu.be/eZ3Xnqh4P1g https://youtu.be/gnBXjGC_GNc Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being Well, anyway, I got recess at my company. So this is what we have downstairs. I collect pinball machines, retro arcade machines. I got an air hockey table. As you see, I got a jukebox behind me. And so in between their shifts on break and lunch, they can go play games for free and make friends and let off steam and recharge batteries and hang out with me. But that's one thing. That's just an enjoyment-neutral environment here, recess, and I'm making a joke and having fun. But let's be serious about this. I can give them a little bit of Philadelphia guilt, or I can say that, you know, they know better than that. And you also know, Zen, that they're out of character. I've seen them working with me for years. All of a sudden, they're losing their mind for a day. It could be a client that just, the straw that broke the camel's back, or It could be something outside of the office that is affecting their performance here. My goal is to recharge your batteries here to give you job stability so you can confront what's happening outside the office. But this is a multi-generational society. And a lot of these young men and women may be paying for medicine, their rent, taking care of their families.

Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture.

The Zennurgy Podcast by Zen Ase. An electromagnetic transfer of energy with Richard Blank Zennurgy is the inspirational tool box providing resources for building a better life. Motivational, practical fuel for the spirit, mind and body to help listeners deal with real life issues. This podcast is based on the idea that small changes over time equal big results. We all have the URGE for more peace (ZEN) and fulfillment in life. Tune in for motivating, uplifting, sometimes hard hitting, comedic, melodic but always real and relatable conversations and interviews with guests from all walks of life. Navigating CONFLICTS in Communication- Episode 94 One of my favorite quotes is, "We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we speak." This quote hints at a powerful truth. Communication is a give and take, a reciprocation, an openness to learn and think and process another's ideas. But sadly, that respectful spirit is missing from many people's lives, and not enough people make effective communication a priority. Join Richard Blank and I as we discuss this important success principle. 1. What does communication mean to you? What makes it effective? 2. Conversely what causes conflicts or hinders communication? What made you focus on communication in your career? 3. How do you deal with conflicts in communication? How do you keep your cool in the midst of conflict? 5. Are role models, accountability partners or mentors a part of your pursuit of improving communication? 6. Why a call center? 7. services 8. Background Peace and blessings. Marlena "Zen Ase" Johns is an artistic entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster, and performer who helps people find their voice and purpose: Zen Ase taught high school for 26 years, winning Teacher of the Year twice. She began writing poetry and prose in elementary school, but her family didn't support her career. After a divorce in 2014, she reclaimed her writing passion and began performing, podcasting, and publishing. She focuses on self-development, self-love, and self-empowerment. Her poetry and prose have been published in over a dozen anthologies and magazines, and she has written four books, three of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also hosts workshops, and has organized over 60 live music, comedy, and poetry shows. Her creative journey is to use art to make sense of the world and alchemize it. She believes that undesirable things, or lead, contain the building blocks for gold, or desirable things. Authenticity and Individuality I would have loved to have been in your class. I was no more in AP classes at Abington High School than the man on the moon. I have a question for you for these beautiful artists that you're working with and that I know take very seriously their writing. It's almost like telling the truth. You can tell the same story today to five years from now, same details. If you make up, not saying lying, but if you're inventing or if you're out of character, it's very difficult to juggle that and be consistent. My main thing is I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you. Yes, we have certain things in common that we have to do, but you do have your own special sauce. And if I believe that somebody builds upon that, And that is their one thing that can really show that separates them from others, like a beautiful color in the packet of crayons. You're still a crayon, but you are a different color. And you can be mixed with other colors to make more colors. Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success The first goal is to see how many families I could feed. Because if you're thinking about money first, you're going to make very bad decisions. You've got to first think of the natural goal. And then secondly, once again, I started very small where I was just renting a seat out of a blended center. And then I saved enough money to rent space and build out about 150 stations with a server room. And then six years later, I was able to build this current location that I'm in that can house 300 seats. So a lot of your students might think it's like this. or what you see with these new instant millionaires and these TikTok stars. And sometimes it's the tortoise and the hare. Sometimes it's brick by brick. And your AP students didn't get there overnight. That had to have been done three years. And if you can let people understand about building on momentum and mastering certain stages, then I think they would be capable of weathering certain storms and not being so hard on themselves if there's any sort of setback or lost momentum. And for me, I'm very grateful every day. And the fact that I can delegate and promote from within is really something that is amazing to me. And this should have never happened. Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture And I might be the only boss to ever know your name. A lot of them tell me that. And so I say that's a shame. And unfortunately, I may be the last one until you become a boss and you start doing that sort of thing. And so these are the sort of foundation trainings that I can do. So instead of just absorbing in class and nodding, you know this, they start contributing. They start contributing. And by having them starting off class in the game room, not in my class, they're playing pinball with me for the first half an hour. So now they own my name. They're relaxing, loosening up a little bit. That's great. And then I'm looking for first downs, not touchdowns. If somebody in the first day of class, if I ask them to repeat what I just mentioned in regards to certain things, they can talk about that. That's a point. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ZenAse #TheZennurgyPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #smallbusinesschronicles #successfulquitterspodcast #Saranunezbee Zen Ase, The Zennurgy Podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, https://youtu.be/q_c6E2RAFzA https://youtu.be/AgiaJHPvdOM https://youtu.be/jcfI5k4GOfE https://youtu.be/eZ3Xnqh4P1g Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being Well, anyway, I got recess at my company. So this is what we have downstairs. I collect pinball machines, retro arcade machines. I got an air hockey table. As you see, I got a jukebox behind me. And so in between their shifts on break and lunch, they can go play games for free and make friends and let off steam and recharge batteries and hang out with me. But that's one thing. That's just an enjoyment-neutral environment here, recess, and I'm making a joke and having fun. But let's be serious about this. I can give them a little bit of Philadelphia guilt, or I can say that, you know, they know better than that. And you also know, Zen, that they're out of character. I've seen them working with me for years. All of a sudden, they're losing their mind for a day. It could be a client that just, the straw that broke the camel's back, or It could be something outside of the office that is affecting their performance here. My goal is to recharge your batteries here to give you job stability so you can confront what's happening outside the office. But this is a multi-generational society. And a lot of these young men and women may be paying for medicine, their rent, taking care of their families. Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back And so you see my sincerity in that I was in their shoes one day. And if I didn't have the right coaches and teachers and mentors, my good friend, there is absolutely no way I would have been here today. Not a chance. And so success is built on a million thank yous. And at Abington High School, I have a second language scholarship. I've been doing it for the last six years. Angelo Barrios is a very good friend of mine who's the current principal. And I'm so proud of what he does. And so I pay for freshmen's books every year, graduating senior. And as someone that did learn the second language, not saying athletics, music, or any other subject is important. But I'm talking about Richard. I'm talking about someone that never learned a second language and really took to it. And so as once again, I'm giving back.

Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success

The Zennurgy Podcast by Zen Ase. An electromagnetic transfer of energy with Richard Blank Zennurgy is the inspirational tool box providing resources for building a better life. Motivational, practical fuel for the spirit, mind and body to help listeners deal with real life issues. This podcast is based on the idea that small changes over time equal big results. We all have the URGE for more peace (ZEN) and fulfillment in life. Tune in for motivating, uplifting, sometimes hard hitting, comedic, melodic but always real and relatable conversations and interviews with guests from all walks of life. Navigating CONFLICTS in Communication- Episode 94 One of my favorite quotes is, "We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we speak." This quote hints at a powerful truth. Communication is a give and take, a reciprocation, an openness to learn and think and process another's ideas. But sadly, that respectful spirit is missing from many people's lives, and not enough people make effective communication a priority. Join Richard Blank and I as we discuss this important success principle. 1. What does communication mean to you? What makes it effective? 2. Conversely what causes conflicts or hinders communication? What made you focus on communication in your career? 3. How do you deal with conflicts in communication? How do you keep your cool in the midst of conflict? 5. Are role models, accountability partners or mentors a part of your pursuit of improving communication? 6. Why a call center? 7. services 8. Background Peace and blessings. Marlena "Zen Ase" Johns is an artistic entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster, and performer who helps people find their voice and purpose: Zen Ase taught high school for 26 years, winning Teacher of the Year twice. She began writing poetry and prose in elementary school, but her family didn't support her career. After a divorce in 2014, she reclaimed her writing passion and began performing, podcasting, and publishing. She focuses on self-development, self-love, and self-empowerment. Her poetry and prose have been published in over a dozen anthologies and magazines, and she has written four books, three of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also hosts workshops, and has organized over 60 live music, comedy, and poetry shows. Her creative journey is to use art to make sense of the world and alchemize it. She believes that undesirable things, or lead, contain the building blocks for gold, or desirable things. Authenticity and Individuality I would have loved to have been in your class. I was no more in AP classes at Abington High School than the man on the moon. I have a question for you for these beautiful artists that you're working with and that I know take very seriously their writing. It's almost like telling the truth. You can tell the same story today to five years from now, same details. If you make up, not saying lying, but if you're inventing or if you're out of character, it's very difficult to juggle that and be consistent. My main thing is I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you. Yes, we have certain things in common that we have to do, but you do have your own special sauce. And if I believe that somebody builds upon that, And that is their one thing that can really show that separates them from others, like a beautiful color in the packet of crayons. You're still a crayon, but you are a different color. And you can be mixed with other colors to make more colors. Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success The first goal is to see how many families I could feed. Because if you're thinking about money first, you're going to make very bad decisions. You've got to first think of the natural goal. And then secondly, once again, I started very small where I was just renting a seat out of a blended center. And then I saved enough money to rent space and build out about 150 stations with a server room. And then six years later, I was able to build this current location that I'm in that can house 300 seats. So a lot of your students might think it's like this. or what you see with these new instant millionaires and these TikTok stars. And sometimes it's the tortoise and the hare. Sometimes it's brick by brick. And your AP students didn't get there overnight. That had to have been done three years. And if you can let people understand about building on momentum and mastering certain stages, then I think they would be capable of weathering certain storms and not being so hard on themselves if there's any sort of setback or lost momentum. And for me, I'm very grateful every day. And the fact that I can delegate and promote from within is really something that is amazing to me. And this should have never happened. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ZenAse #TheZennurgyPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #smallbusinesschronicles #successfulquitterspodcast #Saranunezbee Zen Ase, The Zennurgy Podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, https://youtu.be/q_c6E2RAFzA https://youtu.be/AgiaJHPvdOM https://youtu.be/jcfI5k4GOfE Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being Well, anyway, I got recess at my company. So this is what we have downstairs. I collect pinball machines, retro arcade machines. I got an air hockey table. As you see, I got a jukebox behind me. And so in between their shifts on break and lunch, they can go play games for free and make friends and let off steam and recharge batteries and hang out with me. But that's one thing. That's just an enjoyment-neutral environment here, recess, and I'm making a joke and having fun. But let's be serious about this. I can give them a little bit of Philadelphia guilt, or I can say that, you know, they know better than that. And you also know, Zen, that they're out of character. I've seen them working with me for years. All of a sudden, they're losing their mind for a day. It could be a client that just, the straw that broke the camel's back, or It could be something outside of the office that is affecting their performance here. My goal is to recharge your batteries here to give you job stability so you can confront what's happening outside the office. But this is a multi-generational society. And a lot of these young men and women may be paying for medicine, their rent, taking care of their families. Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back And so you see my sincerity in that I was in their shoes one day. And if I didn't have the right coaches and teachers and mentors, my good friend, there is absolutely no way I would have been here today. Not a chance. And so success is built on a million thank yous. And at Abington High School, I have a second language scholarship. I've been doing it for the last six years. Angelo Barrios is a very good friend of mine who's the current principal. And I'm so proud of what he does. And so I pay for freshmen's books every year, graduating senior. And as someone that did learn the second language, not saying athletics, music, or any other subject is important. But I'm talking about Richard. I'm talking about someone that never learned a second language and really took to it. And so as once again, I'm giving back. Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture And I might be the only boss to ever know your name. A lot of them tell me that. And so I say that's a shame. And unfortunately, I may be the last one until you become a boss and you start doing that sort of thing. And so these are the sort of foundation trainings that I can do. So instead of just absorbing in class and nodding, you know this, they start contributing. They start contributing. And by having them starting off class in the game room, not in my class, they're playing pinball with me for the first half an hour. So now they own my name. They're relaxing, loosening up a little bit. That's great. And then I'm looking for first downs, not touchdowns. If somebody in the first day of class, if I ask them to repeat what I just mentioned in regards to certain things, they can talk about that. That's a point.

Authenticity and Individuality

The Zennurgy Podcast by Zen Ase. An electromagnetic transfer of energy with Richard Blank Zennurgy is the inspirational tool box providing resources for building a better life. Motivational, practical fuel for the spirit, mind and body to help listeners deal with real life issues. This podcast is based on the idea that small changes over time equal big results. We all have the URGE for more peace (ZEN) and fulfillment in life. Tune in for motivating, uplifting, sometimes hard hitting, comedic, melodic but always real and relatable conversations and interviews with guests from all walks of life. Navigating CONFLICTS in Communication- Episode 94 One of my favorite quotes is, "We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we speak." This quote hints at a powerful truth. Communication is a give and take, a reciprocation, an openness to learn and think and process another's ideas. But sadly, that respectful spirit is missing from many people's lives, and not enough people make effective communication a priority. Join Richard Blank and I as we discuss this important success principle. 1. What does communication mean to you? What makes it effective? 2. Conversely what causes conflicts or hinders communication? What made you focus on communication in your career? 3. How do you deal with conflicts in communication? How do you keep your cool in the midst of conflict? 5. Are role models, accountability partners or mentors a part of your pursuit of improving communication? 6. Why a call center? 7. services 8. Background Peace and blessings. Marlena "Zen Ase" Johns is an artistic entrepreneur, best-selling author, podcaster, and performer who helps people find their voice and purpose: Zen Ase taught high school for 26 years, winning Teacher of the Year twice. She began writing poetry and prose in elementary school, but her family didn't support her career. After a divorce in 2014, she reclaimed her writing passion and began performing, podcasting, and publishing. She focuses on self-development, self-love, and self-empowerment. Her poetry and prose have been published in over a dozen anthologies and magazines, and she has written four books, three of which have been Amazon best sellers. She also hosts workshops, and has organized over 60 live music, comedy, and poetry shows. Her creative journey is to use art to make sense of the world and alchemize it. She believes that undesirable things, or lead, contain the building blocks for gold, or desirable things. Authenticity and Individuality I would have loved to have been in your class. I was no more in AP classes at Abington High School than the man on the moon. I have a question for you for these beautiful artists that you're working with and that I know take very seriously their writing. It's almost like telling the truth. You can tell the same story today to five years from now, same details. If you make up, not saying lying, but if you're inventing or if you're out of character, it's very difficult to juggle that and be consistent. My main thing is I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you. Yes, we have certain things in common that we have to do, but you do have your own special sauce. And if I believe that somebody builds upon that, And that is their one thing that can really show that separates them from others, like a beautiful color in the packet of crayons. You're still a crayon, but you are a different color. And you can be mixed with other colors to make more colors 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #ZenAse #TheZennurgyPodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #smallbusinesschronicles #successfulquitterspodcast #Saranunezbee Zen Ase, The Zennurgy Podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, https://youtu.be/q_c6E2RAFzA https://youtu.be/AgiaJHPvdOM Workplace 'Recess' and Employee Well-being Well, anyway, I got recess at my company. So this is what we have downstairs. I collect pinball machines, retro arcade machines. I got an air hockey table. As you see, I got a jukebox behind me. And so in between their shifts on break and lunch, they can go play games for free and make friends and let off steam and recharge batteries and hang out with me. But that's one thing. That's just an enjoyment-neutral environment here, recess, and I'm making a joke and having fun. But let's be serious about this. I can give them a little bit of Philadelphia guilt, or I can say that, you know, they know better than that. And you also know, Zen, that they're out of character. I've seen them working with me for years. All of a sudden, they're losing their mind for a day. It could be a client that just, the straw that broke the camel's back, or It could be something outside of the office that is affecting their performance here. My goal is to recharge your batteries here to give you job stability so you can confront what's happening outside the office. But this is a multi-generational society. And a lot of these young men and women may be paying for medicine, their rent, taking care of their families. Success Built on Mentorship and Giving Back And so you see my sincerity in that I was in their shoes one day. And if I didn't have the right coaches and teachers and mentors, my good friend, there is absolutely no way I would have been here today. Not a chance. And so success is built on a million thank yous. And at Abington High School, I have a second language scholarship. I've been doing it for the last six years. Angelo Barrios is a very good friend of mine who's the current principal. And I'm so proud of what he does. And so I pay for freshmen's books every year, graduating senior. And as someone that did learn the second language, not saying athletics, music, or any other subject is important. But I'm talking about Richard. I'm talking about someone that never learned a second language and really took to it. And so as once again, I'm giving back. Building a Business: From Small Beginnings to Success The first goal is to see how many families I could feed. Because if you're thinking about money first, you're going to make very bad decisions. You've got to first think of the natural goal. And then secondly, once again, I started very small where I was just renting a seat out of a blended center. And then I saved enough money to rent space and build out about 150 stations with a server room. And then six years later, I was able to build this current location that I'm in that can house 300 seats. So a lot of your students might think it's like this. or what you see with these new instant millionaires and these TikTok stars. And sometimes it's the tortoise and the hare. Sometimes it's brick by brick. And your AP students didn't get there overnight. That had to have been done three years. And if you can let people understand about building on momentum and mastering certain stages, then I think they would be capable of weathering certain storms and not being so hard on themselves if there's any sort of setback or lost momentum. And for me, I'm very grateful every day. And the fact that I can delegate and promote from within is really something that is amazing to me. And this should have never happened. Innovative On-boarding: Building a Unique Company Culture And I might be the only boss to ever know your name. A lot of them tell me that. And so I say that's a shame. And unfortunately, I may be the last one until you become a boss and you start doing that sort of thing. And so these are the sort of foundation trainings that I can do. So instead of just absorbing in class and nodding, you know this, they start contributing. They start contributing. And by having them starting off class in the game room, not in my class, they're playing pinball with me for the first half an hour. So now they own my name. They're relaxing, loosening up a little bit. That's great. And then I'm looking for first downs, not touchdowns. If somebody in the first day of class, if I ask them to repeat what I just mentioned in regards to certain things, they can talk about that. That's a point.

Sales as Education and Ethics

The Inside BS Show by Dave Lorenzo interviews Entrepreneur Richard Blank. The owner of a call center in Costa Rica. How to Build a World Class Call Center | Richard Blank | Show 95 description On this episode of the Inside BS Show, Dave Lorenzo interviews Richard Blank, the owner of a call center in Costa Rica. 00:00 How to Build a World-Class Call Center 01:02 What are the unique qualities of Costa Rica? 03:01 How well does the English accent of Costa Ricans sound? 05:06 Why did Dave's family choose to relocate to Miami? 07:19 Richard's journey to Costa Rica 13:25 What are the benefits of people speaking English and Spanish in the business world? 18:47 What services does Richard's Costa Rica Call Center offer? 24:33 What are the business procedures Richard uses in Costa Rica for clients in America? Costa Rica: A Call Center Powerhouse Well, not only are we a powerhouse in the call center industry, but we have an incredible labor force. We have a 95% literacy rate here, so there's no standing army. All that money was put back into education. We have the best infrastructure in Central America. We are below Nicaragua, north of Panama... have family in the United States, or there's a lot of expatriates that live here, including myself as an expatriate for the last 21 years. Detailed Exploration of Call Center Techniques So before we went to that break, I asked you to think of a case study for us. Have you come up with one? I have. In fact, I can make it easy for you. I could do it across all verticals. How does that sound? So it applies to every account that I have. I always have an answer for that. A couple things we can do. The first thing is there are certain words that you have because the vowels in Spanish and English could give away. So we write certain words out phonetically for them. Even though they need to know how to spell it properly, that can eliminate any sort of confusion or any sort of guessing. The second thing is, let's say for an example that we're representing a company that's out of Chicago in a certain suburbs. What we like to do with a lot of the times is just take a Google map right around the block. And just to see the local pizza parlors, the parks, the churches, and what's going on around there. So instead of just giving a specific direction, we can talk about Mike's Pizza, which everybody knows more than anything. And finally, we have to ensure that if people do follow up or even subcategory questions, that we need to have every single sort of vocabulary for that account. Doesn't mean that we need to have it memorized, but we should have a glossary of terms. So just if something comes up, we're skilled enough to say that's an excellent question, Dave, and we could look it up while we're answering that question for you. Many people are capable of doing that. So as long as we're on a level playing field and we're given all the resources to, as you say, make it assume like we're in the United States and we know what the shore is and cheese fries and things like that, then maybe tell us a couple more local flavors that we have or things that we should be aware of. Ethics of Phone Communication I always believe that lying on the phone is not ethical. I'm not saying I'm lying, and I'm not saying that we're being slick. There's nothing wrong with being clever. And as long as you say a person's name a certain way, or a company's name a certain way with your anonymity, they can kind of maybe reduce the fact that you're a telemarketer or you're selling something and you make a different sort of first impression approach. Impact of Language Skills on KPI It's very interesting you bring that up because the certain key performance indicator, the KPI, is talk time and also conversion ratios. There's two metrics that are increased by at least 20%. When you're on a phone speaking in Spanish with a client, The call goes longer. They make less calls that day, but their conversion ratio is higher. Obviously, it's their native tongue. Or, as you were mentioning about certain dichos and certain mannerisms that people use, they might be able to connect better with somebody on the phone speaking Spanish. I almost see it as like Popeye with spinach. Once they switch over to Spanish, all of a sudden they're calling you Don David or Don Ricardo Is It Still Worth It? Because those are the times you look in the mirror and you ask yourself, is this still worth it? Well, it is worth it. I have a luxury trade. This should have never happened. The fact that I'm here in Costa Rica for 21 years and I have a company with my wife after 14 years, it's a long shot from Northeast Philadelphia. So I smile every day. I've learned to do that Perseverance and Values And if anything of nothing, taking that away today is that if you... If you reject more than you accept, if you stand tall to your beliefs and you do things to make your great-grandparents proud, you're going to preserve. You're going to last. You'll have the endurance. You'll make it through the tough times. Because those are the times you look in the mirror and you ask yourself, is this still worth it? Well, it is worth it. I have a luxury trade. This should have never happened. The fact that I'm here in Costa Rica for 21 years and I have a company with my wife after 14 years, it's a long shot from Northeast Philadelphia. So I smile every day. Sales as Education and Ethics My friend, I just wanted to discuss with you the ethics of how I am and how I was raised. When someone calls me a salesman and I take that as a compliment, I might look and sound like one. But Dave, I'm an educator. I don't ever force a hand. From an educated point of view, my clients, my agents, my friends, and anyone I relate to then makes a decision. And I feel that if given the chance to explain how I feel and to answer their questions, everybody can leave with something on the table. I think it's a wonderful way to start relationships Inside BS Show has accepted Richard Blank's invitation to join the audience for a solid discussion regarding taking a chance by moving abroad and starting a company from scratch in Costa Rica. Dave Lorenzo discusses with Richard advanced telemarketing strategy, conflict management, interpersonal soft skills, customer support, rhetoric, gamification, employee motivation and phonetic micro expression reading. 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. 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.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. 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. 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://youtu.be/BPVMVR8D5Dk https://youtu.be/GLAm2I-d7Dg https://youtu.be/Vg_o-h5AHqg https://youtu.be/akPhqIvpLm4 https://youtu.be/Gq1bLtUx_Zk