Presidential Point of View--With Carl Iseman

September 28, 2007

As President of your organization what does an average day look like?

An average day: I start every day with 1 hour of exercise since I truly believe that a healthy body generates a healthy mind. Once getting to the office, I first check on all of my projects in the field and then recruiting productivity of each of my facilities. Next review current receivables and payables...the morning is spent with the numbers. Afternoons are spent working on new revenue generating ideas, business improvements, checking on the competition and following up with those I need to respond to.....a lot of this follow up to insure that we met and hopefully exceeded our clients expectations...many calls to moderators and other clients. In the evening I check on projects in the field just to make sure my clients are getting the service they expect, wherever they are.

What was the best business decision you ever made?

The best business decision I ever made was to purchase my second focus group facility, AIM Columbus. This second facility created much synergy and gave me much more flexibility to insure I always have the capacity to support my clients.

As a business leader how do you measure success?

I measure success both qualitatively and quantitatively. Increasing sales, improving bottom lines and increased productivity are good, but only short term measures. Our reputation with clients and in the profession, the level of satisfaction amongst my employees and clients are much more important in the long term. High ratings from our clients, both on the Impulse survey and in our internal customer satisfaction programs are really what define success for me. Happy and productive employees who grow with our business and increasing numbers of clients who refer new clients to me are what we strive for....the bottom line is a direct result.

Are there certain qualities that you look for in people you are hiring?

I always strive to employ people who have a dedication to learn and improve while doing all they can to be a team player who subscribes to our basic objective that they'll do whatever it takes to insure that our clients are enthusiastically satisfied. We look for people who have established track records while also looking for those that appear to have the desire to excel and the potential.

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