This TED Talk is great. Simon Sinek describes it’s not what you do, it’s why you do it. People don’t buy what you do or how you do it, they subconsciously buy what you believe. It’s about first appealing to a Vision; “Be in pursuit of a dream,” he describes.

For example, Zappos. Their brand is all about a dream. They’ve achieved cult-like, almost Apple-like brand status at this point because of their promise to “Deliver Happiness to the world,” notably their customers, vendors and employees. It may sound dumb to some, but that’s their dream, that’s their brand and that’s what underlies the conversation when they talk about their WHAT and their HOW (selling shoes, Free Returns policy, etc). People subconsciously think, “I, too, want the world to be Happy,” and start to love and form a relationship with the company and the brand. The great brands have an ideal they appeal to. People buy what you believe, not what you do.  Continue reading...

Inktel Chicago had 24 people donate blood, which will contribute to 72 lives being saved! Each year, nearly five million Americans need a lifesaving blood transfusion. Only 5% of the overall population donates blood.

As a part of our ongoing iCares (”Inktel Cares”) program, Inktel Direct visited the Northern Illinois Food Bank on Saturday. Over a three hour period, Inktel employees packaged over 96 boxes of food for senior citizens throughout Chicago, along with hundreds of pounds of meat.

Album link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=240677&l=f26f77a4e3&id=50552856513

Today Inktel Direct celebrates its 13th Birthday! Congratulations to all of our employees and partners who have played such vital roles in our success and growth!

Thought-provoking video here from Seth Godin on an alternative to the traditional ideas and methods of Marketing. His main idea: “Those that can spread ideas… win.”

Nowadays consumers have so many choices that ignoring messages is extremely common. Godin suggests that companies should stop just communicating the facts, features and benefits about their own products or services, and rather, ought to put out messages and ideas that actually interest their consumers. Determine what people really want to hear and know, and put forth ideas that are new and fresh (and not boring). Doing so, according to Godin, will dictate what ideas spread, and in turn, what gets selected, what gets purchased and what gets built. According to Godin, the process is no longer about who buys the most advertising or even who makes the best product- it’s about who is the most interesting. It’s now about marketing in a fashion age and spreading ideas to those who find you interesting and those who care about and see value in your message.  Continue reading...

“Florida Trend” Once Again Recognizes Inktel Direct as One of Florida’s Leading Employers

MIAMI, FL– (August 11, 2010) - Inktel Direct Corp., a leading business process outsourcer specializing in marketing and governmental services, has been named a “Best Company to Work For” in the state of Florida by “Florida Trend” Magazine for the second year in a row. After placing first on last year’s list in the Large Company category, Inktel Direct made the list for the second year in a row in 2010.

To determine the list, “Florida Trend” conducted a two-part survey process including an evaluation of workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics as well as a detailed, third party employee survey conducted by the Best Companies Group, an independent research firm. The combined scores determined the top companies and final ranking.  Continue reading...

Inktel Direct President and CEO, Ricky Arriola, will be a panelist at the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 4th Annual “Champions of Business” Luncheon at the Forge Restaurant and Winebar on Friday, August 13.

The panelist discussion will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will also feature Misha Kuryla-Gomez, owner and creator of Misha’s Cupcakes, and entrepreneur Shareef Malnik, owner of The Forge Restaurant and Winebar. The event will be moderated by Willard Shepard of NBC 6 and Michelle Villalobos of Minvista business skills training. The event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased from Valerie Rasken of the MBCC. Valerie can be contacted at 305-695-6833, or visit valerie@miamibeachchamber.com.

The “Big Idea” campaign is underway. What is YOUR “Big Idea?”

Loved this article from the New York Times on Netflix; maybe it’s because Netflix is one of my favorite companies.

When Netflix came into the picture and offered “No Late Fees,” along with a mail-order and eventually an online-viewing model, they went against every convention in the brick-and-mortar movie rental industry. Blockbuster was earning $600 million a year of revenue in just late fees! Netflix’s business model was a killer, and has essentially killed Blockbuster’s profitability since. After trying to “catch up” and remove late fees themselves, and offering their own mail-order and online services, Blockbuster has failed to catch up. This year they even reinstated late fees.

Netflix’s ability to think ahead of the curve, “change the game,” and think about what would benefit the customer most (in this case, enhanced convenience), even if it cost them money in the short term or required a new way of thinking- ultimately put them in the lead to stay. Very similar to the costly Zappos policy of “Free Returns” that has similarly paid them huge dividends.  Continue reading...

Take a look at what Luxottica is doing for their customer experience. They provide a concierge, wind tunnels and treadmills to allow people to test athletic eyeware in real-world situations, and even have cameras in their mirrors so that their customers can snap a picture and share it on Facebook to see if their friends approve. “The reality is, you need to create a connection, create a personal experience, and that’s what we’ve done,” said Chris Beer, chief executive for Luxottica.

It’s discussed here on the Harvard Business Review blog this week as well. The post states, “What’s clear though, is that in an industry ravaged by a bad economy (new glasses are a pretty postpone-able purchase), and by the cheaper-is-better pressures of the Internet, the route to long-term prosperity does not come by staying in the middle of the road.”  Continue reading...

Daniel Guzman has been named Employee of the Month at Inktel Chicago for the month of May! Remember the catchphrase, “Let Mikey do it!” in those old “Life” cereal commercials? At Inktel, Daniel is the equivalent. Daniel is the go-to guy who will do whatever is needed and who will go above and beyond at any time. Congratulations to Daniel on being named Employee of the Month for the month of May!

Congratulations to Marisel Chavez on being named Miami Employee of the Month for May 2010! As a key member of the Inktel Direct Client Services Team, Marisel has taken ownership over a new series of Inktel’s partners and has handled each and every one of them with the highest levels of service and personalized attention. She has embraced the day-to-day challenges with a spirit of poise and resilience, and has added value to her clients in the true sense of partnership. Her clients love her, and we love her. Congratulations, Marisel!

http://www.inktel.com/careers/employee-of-the-month/

Inktel Chicago gathered today for its 2010 Summer Barbeque! Everyone took some time from their day to have some hamburgers, hot dogs, and even take their shot at dunking their favorite members of the team!

For more pictures, visit Inktel’s Facebook page here.

TONY AVELAR/AFP/Getty Images

This video is a great look into some of the presenting techniques that make Steve Jobs one of the most compelling speakers today. Businessweek columnist, Carmine Gallo, breaks down Jobs’ presentations and give some notable key takeaways:
1. “Set the Theme.”
2. Create a headline that sets the direction of the meeting. Give your audience a reason to listen.
3. Give your audience an outline of your presentation. Have clear transitions between sections.
4. Demonstrate enthusiasm. Use words like “amazing,” “unbelievable,” “extraordinary,” etc.
5. If you’re going to use numbers and statisics, make sure they are meaningful.
6. Use as little text as possible and instead use visuals.

And one more thing…!
7. “Wow” your audience. Treat your presentation like a show.

Today Graphic Designer, Jimmy Boulerice, instructed the lastest installment of the Inktel Direct Excellence Academy (IDEA) series. Jimmy taught an IDEA session on “How to Become a Powerpoint Rockstar” and conduct effective and aesthetically-optimized presentations. The class was taught live in Miami Lakes and broadcast live to Inktel employees at the Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale offices. Inktel’s IDEA program is an in-house employee development program in which Inktel executives teach key fundamental skills such as time management, goal-setting, conducting effective meetings and more.

Thought this was a pretty interesting piece. In a recent post in McKinsey Quarterly entitled, Using behavioral science to improve the customer experience , John DeVine and Keith Gilson discuss the concept of utilizing key principles of behavioral science into the contact center experience. Through the application of tried-and-true observed patterns of human behavior and what people tend to remember most from interations, contact centers can maximize the customer experience through the understanding and incorporation of some very simple concepts. Below is an excerpt:

Likewise, for every restaurant that surrounds a bill’s arrival with a succession of complementary desserts—thereby capitalizing on the customer’s preference for service encounters that end positively—there are a lot of call centers that ignore the importance of a strong finish. Indeed, many companies actively work against one by placing so much emphasis on average handling times that they inadvertently encourage agents to end a call once its main business is complete, leaving customers with memories of brusque treatment.  Continue reading...

Photo Courtesy: Josh Dubya, Flickr

At Inktel Direct Corp., we take pride in being our clients’ most valued and trusted business partner through unrivaled service.  Our clients choose us for the unique customer experience we provide them.  Follow the 5 steps below and you too can guarantee your customers an amazing experience!

1. Know your client.

Sure, it sounds basic, but how many companies actually take the time to get to know their clients?  At Inktel Direct, we build relationships with our clients – we dig deep.  Our sales and Client Services teams make it their job get to know our clients past the basics and use that information to customize each client’s experience.  Don’t be afraid to get personal.  Your clients are people too – people with stories.  We find they are more than willing to share a bit of themselves with you if you show genuine interest.  Continue reading...

Glee is definitely one of my favorite TV shows – it’s full of teen angst, song, dance and direct marketing take-aways.  Yes, you read that correctly, the musical, dramatic comedy on FOX can teach direct marketers and their nay-sayers the importance and continued relevance of the direct marketing industry.

1. Bring back the old and make it new

For those of you that are either new to Glee or have never heard of it, the show deals with the repositioning of the old Glee Club into a new musical group and the trials and resistance the members face along the way.  They created something new and relevant that people wanted to join out of an old idea.

Direct marketers need to take the well-established tools and ideas of our industry and reinvent them to fit into modern society.  The original concept behind direct marketing was to directly reach out to customers – that has not changed.  We just need to redefine how we directly communicate and engage customers.  Continue reading...

Source: Flickr, Alex E Proimos

In 2009, the economy shaped the trends that dominated the direct marketing industry.  Many companies found themselves challenged by an unprecedented recession.

People were asked to do more with less.  Companies took a look at their programs – especially marketing programs – in an effort to cut costs.  Customer service and retention became a top priority with a major focus on analyzing ROI.  Take a look at the top trends of 2009 and their impact on the direct marketing industry:

Top 5 Trends of 2009

1. Focus on metrics and ROI

With limited funds and looming threats of budget cuts, many marketing managers depended on marketing campaigns with easily obtainable metrics to showcase the ROI of their campaigns.  Due to the pressure from company executives, marketing managers cut any programs that could not demonstrate a positive ROI in favor of ones that could.  Continue reading...

Our corporate recruiter, Carlos Morgan, wrote a great article this week on how to look for the most common lies applicants put in their resumes.  Not only does he identify the top 5 lies, but he shows you how to avoid falling in those traps saving you from a bad hire.

Head over to his blog, America’s Next Top Recruiter, to read the full article.