The Double-Edged Sword of Telemarketing.mp4Small Business Origins podcast. John Kelley special interview with telemarketing teacher Richard Blank.
On this podcast, John Kelley, seasoned entrepreneur and engaging storyteller, dives into the journeys of small business owners. Join him as he uncovers the inspiring, humorous, and often tough realities they face while creating distinct and impactful brands in their industries.
Hear our discussion on outbound lead generation and sales appointment calling, inbound customer support, how Richard got his start, and some best practices for effective communication on sales and support calls.
Guest Bio:
Richard Blank is the CEO and Founder of Costa Rica's Call Center, a full-service BPO call center providing lead generation, customer service, social media support and more for US companies. He founded the company 15 years ago and has grown it to over 300 seats.
Building Relationships Through the Phone Lines: Lessons from a Telemarketing Veteran feat. Richard Blank with Costa Rica's Call Center
Key Quotes:
"I believe in synergy. I believe in circles, and I also believe in the sanctity of a meal together, breaking fast, you know, feeding ourselves, making ourselves stronger." (15:37)
"Why call them gatekeepers, and why give them such a bad rap? These are the first impressions of Emerald City. As long as you understand the protocol and you can give an excellent first impression with that company name spike, you have a chance. Get them out of that trends." (41:44)
"Leaders remember small details about you, or they dress in case your mother shows up so I can go downstairs and thank her for raising such a fine young man who's been with me for 3 years." (16:39)
Main Discussion Points:
The importance of building relationships in sales, not just trying to force a sale
Techniques for effective communication and rapport building on sales and support calls
Why it's important to treat everyone in an organization with respect, not just decision makers
How to get referrals and repeat business through exceptional customer service
Why taking time to understand the local culture is key when doing business abroad
How Costa Rica’s Call Center vets clients to avoid unethical business practices
Accents and Market Perception in Business
There's a 95% literacy rate. And say what you want. If somebody has a slight accent, to me, it still bears the mark of higher education. And if you do, it's like a beauty mark. And so I think more people are becoming more accustomed towards a Latino accent in the United States than they would an Asian or a Middle Eastern. And so that has given us some leverage in regards to growing our campaigns.
Building Relationships: The Real Key Players
what we always call the gatekeeper is the one that you should make your best friend. That's the one, you know, it's not the doctor who owns the place. It's not the doctors that work there or the nurses that work there. It's the front desk receptionist, the first one that everyone sees when they enter that ER.
Richard's Journey and Philosophy on Bravery
And two months turned into four years of learning the business from the inside out, not as a C-level executive, And then in my mid-30s, I threw my hat in the ring, and I had some maturity and impulse control and some capital. And little did I know, we just celebrated our 15th year in business. And so it's been a great ride of twists and turns. But I tell you what, fortune favors the brave. And if you do your due diligence and your dedicated practice, and you believe that you can put your chest out there and your best foot forward, then by all means, I think you should drink life. And I think you should go for it. You only get 100 years on this planet. If you're lucky. That's right. So you left your parents. How much family did you have here in the States that you just said, hey, I got to go? Well, it's all my family. And they live in Philadelphia and Colorado, Arizona. They're scattered. But how about this, my friend? When I was expected to study law or finance or economics, I kind of used my great-grandparents as an example. They came to the United States at the turn of the 20th century from Eastern Europe, moved to New York in the garment industry. Great-grandpa learned English. He ramped up a company. He took his chance and had his adventure. Just skipped a couple generations and I'm going south.
The Double-Edged Sword of Telemarketing
If it wasn't for the marketing side of things and making those cold calls and doing sales like I'm used to, then I would absolutely probably hate you, instead of wanting to have you on my show, but seeing it from the other side and knowing that these phone calls are being made for a reason, to make a living, to feed people, to put jobs out there for others. I think that what you do is important, but who can lie and say that they really enjoy it when they get that spam call and somebody's calling them to solicit them or sell something to them. I think all of us have kind of grown to hate that. So let's just start with exactly what it is that you do and what it is that you don't do as far as those things are concerned, you know, where the, the good and the bad is kind of mixed and some people's perceptions may be bad, but you can change our minds on that. Not a problem at all. In fact, from an educated point of view, hopefully your audience can make a decision.
https://youtu.be/NN4CoABXzFA
https://youtu.be/A_G1bl-BhHc
https://youtu.be/bmOu5zU6k9I
https://youtu.be/tSzpNM_roKs
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John Kelley:
Growing up in the fire service for the last 20 years, I've learned the value of service and leadership from my years in. As a full-time firefighter and lieutenant, I’ve been in the trenches, leading teams, solving problems under pressure, and keeping my community safe. That same drive to serve and protect has shaped my approach as a marketer, where I now help government leaders and public safety agencies transform the way they connect with their communities.
I understand the unique challenges you face. As a firefighter, I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to keep the public informed and engaged, especially when resources are stretched thin. As a marketing professional, I’ve witnessed how outdated systems and scattered communication strategies can hold organizations back. That’s why I’m passionate about leveraging tools like AI, automation, and cutting-edge marketing platforms to simplify communication, build trust, and drive efficiency in ways that make a real impact.
From streamlining community engagement for city governments to creating campaigns that strengthen public safety messaging, my mission is to make your job easier and your results stronger. Whether you're a city manager balancing tight budgets, a fire chief advocating for funding, or a marketing director trying to reach every corner of your community, I’m here to help.
Soon, I’ll be launching a newsletter packed with actionable insights, tools, and strategies to empower leaders like you. Whether you're looking to modernize your communication, increase engagement, or simply free up time to focus on what matters most, this newsletter will be your go-to resource.
Let’s connect and start a conversation about how we can work together to make your vision a reality. After all, transforming the way we communicate doesn’t just make life easier—it makes our communities stronger.
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
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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.
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/
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