Discover practical advice, inspiration, and insights to help you succeed in business and grow both personally and professionally.
Found 0 posts
By Dwight Coates, Chief Information Officer | Cydcor
Building a department’s strategy, holding meetings, and orchestrating the delivery of technology to our business are not the only ways people can build leadership skills. In fact, one of the most effective ways for team members to learn critical leadership skills is by helping others. There is a myriad of benefits to volunteering. Volunteering takes team members out of their everyday routines and out of the office environment. It shakes up typical work groups, team structure, and processes and it challenges team members to think differently, look to each other for input and guidance, and unite behind a shared purpose. While volunteering, team members aren’t focused on getting ahead; they are focused on completing tasks, overcoming obstacles, and accomplishing goals—which is exactly why community service projects are such powerful teaching experiences.
1.Volunteers Connect with the Whys of Life: While serving others or working on behalf of the environment, volunteering can remind team members of their own values and help them reflect on the things that are most important to them. This process helps build more empathetic future leaders, and encourages team members to engage their hearts, not just their minds, in their work. It also helps team members see the bigger picture, to realize that thier work can have an impact far beyond any single project.
2. Enables Networking: Volunteering can have an equalizing effect, mixing high-level executives with employees fresh out of college. These volunteer activities give employees the opportunity to break out of their typical work circles and meet people from whom they may be able to learn valuable leadership skills or who may be able to offer support to help them grow their careers. While volunteering, team members often form lasting friendships and partnerships.
3. Teaches the Importance of Having a Vision: When teams volunteer, they unite behind a shared vision and commit, as a team, to shared goals. Because the stakes are often so high, it is easy to create alignment within the team, and team members can see how that level of alignment can pay off in the form of rapid results. When people band together behind ideas and trust in a single vision, it is astounding how much they can accomplish, and this experience can translate back to how a team works together on behalf of company goals as well.
4.Volunteer Work Energizes: When employees are stressed, doing work that benefits others, the community, or the planet releases endorphins and lifts spirits better than any sports game or team wine night. Volunteering reinvigorates overworked employees, reignites their passion for their work, repairs bonds between team members, and makes them more efficient and productive by challenging them to solve new kinds of problems and follow different processes.
5.Trains Great Mentors: As volunteers, team members benefit by offering guidance and support to each other in different ways than they might as part of their everyday role.Volunteer work gives team members a voice who may not always have one, and allows them to step up and show leadership skills and benefits they can offer the team that may not be as easy to recognize while at the office.
6.Exposes Employees to Other Cultures and Other Ways of Working: While volunteering, teams may have to follow new systems or processes than they do as part of their daily work, and this helps to challenge their thinking and adaptability. Team members are sometimes also asked to work with people who come from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, and this helps team members learn new skills and improve their abilities to bridge communication gaps and relate to others regardless of differences.
7. Fosters Collaboration: Volunteering encourages partnerships between those who may not normally work together. While participating in philanthropy projects with my teams, I often intentionally assign employees to tasks that force them to work alongside team members they’re not used to working with to help bridge those communication gaps and force employees to break through barriers to find solutions together.
Besides the leadership skills volunteering imparts, spending time helping others can change the way team members feel about their work. Employees want to work for organizations that stand for something, and showing a dedication to service may help to improve employees’ outlook on the company as a whole, which may support team member retention. An additional benefit of volunteering includes strengthened bonds between team members, helping them to function better as a team and produce better results. Community service and philanthropy, beyond their clear benefit to the community, are invaluable team member development experiences that no department head should overlook as you strive to help your people be their best.
Dwight Coates, Chief Information Officer, Cydcor
Dwight Coates is the technology driver for Cydcor’s customer relationship management solutions. With more than two decades of leadership experience, Dwight has had the opportunity to see, first-hand the impact community service activities can have on IT and other professional teams as they work together to achieve outstanding results.
What do you call an accomplishment that isn’t preceded by a set of goals?
A lucky break!
Setting goals is an essential stepping stone leading to any achievement. Goals set direction, allow you to maintain focus, and reflect a reachable destination. But be careful: If you make those stepping stones too slippery with misdirected purpose or too far apart with unrealistic expectations, you won’t get any closer to your dream. In fact, you may fall off the path completely. Here’s a list of common goal setting mistakes—and how to avoid them.
Don't be Unrealistic
While goals should certainly be challenging and effortful to achieve, they should not be completely out of the realm of possibility. For instance, you might set the goal to complete a marathon. On the way to pursuing that goal, however, you need to ramp up your endurance in increments. Attempting to run 26.2 miles without properly training is just setting yourself up for failure. Rather, plan a training schedule that will get you in optimum shape for the race. As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
Don't Overlook the Details
Have a bigger plan. If you’re setting goals to get promoted to manager by next year, there are probably many things you need to accomplish to make that happen, not just one. Think of your goals as part of a larger plan, not just arbitrary numbers. Seeking to become an author? Start by writing shorter pieces, investigating the publishing process, joining a writer’s group, and taking the steps for bigger success.
Don't Give Up After a Few Setbacks
Remember that failures are essential to growth and success. Anything worth accomplishing will probably come with its fair share of hurdles. The key to avoiding this goal setting mistake is how you handle those setbacks and the lessons you take from them.
Don't Stifle Your Passion
Set goals that you truly care to reach. Setting goals is personal, and you shouldn’t set goals solely based on what other people want or expect of you. Accept advice from well-meaning people, but avoid adopting their views as your own without doing some real soul searching. To achieve a significant goal, you’ll need ample passion and commitment, and that comes from setting goals you care about.
Don't Ignore the Journey While Focusing on the End Result
Remember that goals aren’t just about where you end up—they are also about the growth you experience along the way. If you are not paying attention to the progress you’re making against your goal, you could be left scrambling at the last minute—another recipe for failure.
Don't Overfill Your Plate
Setting an abundance of goals can sap your energy. While you want to make sure you’re focusing on all the right things, trying to achieve too many different things within the same period of time can feel scattershot and unfocused. Instead of making this goal setting mistake, and taking on seven or eight goals and then struggling to juggle them, hone in on three or four big goals and crush them.
As best-selling author Seth Godin says, “Everybody has their own Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.” So while you aim high, keep this list of DON’Ts close to keep you grounded. Soon, you will find yourself reaching new heights. If you set challenging goals that are right-sized, you will be well on your way to achieving your dreams.
By Gary Polson, Chairman and CEO | Cydcor
1. Take Control
Whenever I have struggled, made excuses, wanted something, or quit something, my Mom would tell me, “God helps them who help themselves.” Benjamin Franklin’s famous words teach us that we all control our destiny. A related Franklin quote is, “He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
2. Be Prepared
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” This is truly a lesson to live by from Benjamin Franklin. In every endeavor, the more I prepare, the better I do. I even use the Franklin Covey planning system.
3. Maintain a Student Mentality
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Franklin’s focus on self-development is a major theme in his autobiography. It inspired me when I read it in college. It taught me the leadership lesson that you can learn anything in business if you have the right student mentality.
4. Be a Doer
“Well done is better than well said.” As a great businessman, statesman, scientist, and philanthropist, Franklin did a lot.
5. Work Hard and Stay the Course
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Without either of these qualities, there is no success.
Gary Polson is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Cydcor, the market leader in outsourced sales. With more than 25 years of business operations experience in accounting, legal and senior management, Gary has propelled Cydcor to unprecedented achievement with clients, culture and philanthropy since 2001. Under his leadership, Cydcor has increased its revenue more than six-fold since 2001 and has been recognized as “…the most respected sales outsourcing company in the world” by Datamonitor and The Black Book of Outsourcing, and one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal for eight consecutive years. Gary’s passion for excellence and never-satisfied approach has led Cydcor to earn both industry and employer recognition. With Gary at its helm, Cydcor has built its reputation on maintaining long term relationships with clients by consistently delivering results and by going above and beyond to help Cydcor’s clients gain market share and grow.
Excelling in the world of professional sports requires a robust combination of talent, discipline, and determination. It takes talent to channel formidable skill into performance. However, talent alone won’t get the job done. Discipline is required to put in the time to harness that talent to its highest level, and determination is what drives top athletes through the most challenging times, keeping them focused on the prize.
The attributes that allow elite athletes to excel and perform at near super-human levels are just as useful in the boardroom as on the playing field. Step up your game by adding these life lessons from sports to your professional playbook.
Have Clear Goals.
Whether it’s winning a gold medal or taking their team to the championships, athletes are always striving toward very specific goals. They dream big and lean on their drive to keep pushing their objectives forward, even when things get tough. Whatever success looks like for you, having a clear vision of your goals gives you a tangible reason to fight through setbacks and overcome obstacles. Whether you want to upgrade your infrastructure, grow your business by 200% in three years, or create a sea of change in your industry, write down your goals. Set and prioritize your objectives, define your benchmarks for success, then go for it.
Be Willing to Fail.
Some of the world’s biggest success stories started out as unremarkable failures. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. That didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Shrinking away from challenges or trying to avoid failure is the surest way to fail. There are bound to be difficulties on the road to success, and not everything will work out as you plan. But as Wayne Gretzky once said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so don’t fear failure; embrace it! Setbacks are a natural part of any challenging journey and they bring valuable lessons that help you grow as you move closer to your goals.
Practice Discipline.
Reaching the pinnacle in your field requires getting up every day, having a game plan, following it diligently, and resisting distractions that do not further your goals. Athletes stick to their training regimens, no matter what, because they understand the importance of being prepared and sharpening their skills. Driven entrepreneurs concentrate on a vision and do not waver in their resolve.
Believe in Yourself.
Having a winning mentality is a life lesson from sports to be used in all aspects of life, regardless of the career you pursue. You have to be able to visualize your success and believe you will achieve it. Vision is an essential trait in business, and self-confidence is the necessary fuel that drives that vision forward. If you aren’t “all in” with your mission, you’re going to have a difficult time inspiring anyone else.
Trust Your Team.
No matter how much talent, discipline, and determination you can summon, you still can’t do it all yourself. Even the most famous sports stars know that they need to trust their fellow team members to throw them the best passes, protect them from tackles, and clear the way for them to score. You need to be able to place the same confidence in your team that you have in yourself. Resist micromanaging and instead, empower your team with tools that emphasize personal accountability. Promoting a company culture that encourages open communication and the sharing of ideas will help motivate others as you lead by example.
The journey athletes make from rookie player to champion paints a perfect image of the long and challenging path to success as an entrepreneur. Often, it is an individual’s competitive spirit that will determine how close they’ll come to achieving their dream. Don’t spend your time fearing those edging up behind you. Use them as inspiration to work harder, do better, and get there first. After all, thinking like a winner is the first step to becoming one. Implement these life lessons from sports to achieve success.
We can all agree that April Fools’ Day is a lot of fun. It’s the one day each year when it’s perfectly appropriate for even the best behaved among us to play pranks on our friends, test our ability to fib with a straight face, and set our inner mischief-makers free. But where did April Fools’ Day come from? How long have people been celebrating? And, how do they celebrate April Fools’ Day in other countries? We’ve done some digging to answer these questions and more. Here is some background on the history of April Fools’ Day that’s sure to surprise you.
How it All Began
The origins of April Fools’ Day are actually the subject of much debate. Experts have long suspected that the holiday might originate from the period when there was a shift from the Julian calendar (when the new year started on April 1st) to the Georgian calendar (with the new year starting on January 1st). This shift happened in the 1500s; those who did not know about the shift to the new system were mocked as fools.
Another theory is that the holiday emerged from the ancient Roman day of jokes called Festival of Hilaria, which was held to commemorate the vernal equinox and honor the Anatolian Earth Goddess.
We may never know the real history of how April Fools’ Day came to be celebrated around the world, so don’t be fooled by those who claim to know the truth.
Around the World
While we love April Fools’ Day here in the states, we certainly aren’t the only ones who celebrate a day of jokes and hijinks. In France, April 1st is referred to as “Poisson d’Avril,” which literally translates to “April Fish.” French children have been known to prank their friends by taping pictures of fish onto their backs.
In Belgium, children lock their parents out of the house or teachers out of the classroom and refuse to let them back in until they offer up a treat for ransom.
In England, instead of being called a fool, you might be referred to as a “noodle,” “noddy,” “gobby,” or a “gob.”
In Portugal, where April Fools’ Day is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before lent, it's not uncommon to have someone throw a handful of baking flour in your face.
Foolish Fiction
You might be surprised to learn that April Fools’ Day has made an impression on the literary world. In fact, the earliest recorded reference to April Fools’ Day occurred in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in 1392. Later, Mark Twain would famously say about the holiday, “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.” (Pudd’nhead Wilson, 1894)
Famous April Fools’ Day Jokes Throughout History
Playing pranks on April Fools’ Day is nothing new. In fact, the first documented prank in honor of the holiday dates back to the 18th century, when gullible visitors would be invited to journey to the Tower of London to view the washing of the lions, which would never occur.
In 1957, the BBC broadcasted a spoof documentary about spaghetti crops in Switzerland that featured footage of a Swiss family harvesting strands of spaghetti from a field and laying them out to dry. Millions fell for the gag, calling the network to find out how to grow their own spaghetti plants.
Google has carried out many well-known April Fools’ pranks over the years, including the introduction of the fictional Google Wallet Mobile ATM in 2013. Google claimed this item could attach to your smartphone and dispense money anytime, anywhere, without an ATM. Google has such a history of elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes that when Gmail was released on April 1st, 2004, many assumed it was just another joke. The resulting confusion created a flurry of free publicity, which is what the company undoubtedly had in mind all along.
No matter how you choose to celebrate, April Fools’ Day is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some laughter with friends and coworkers. Most of us spend a lot of time taking life pretty seriously, and while that can help you get ahead, allowing yourself a few moments of laughter and fun each day is also important for helping you lead a balanced, happy, and healthy life.
Helping employees perform at their best is exciting, but it isn’t always easy. Well-meaning mangers can sometimes counteract their own efforts by approaching employee coaching the wrong way. Giving feedback constructively can be invaluable to employees' career growth and can help them develop critical skills they will carry with them as they ascend toward roles of greater responsibility. Through thoughtful coaching—and by avoiding the leadership pitfalls below—you can help set up your employees for long-term success.
Mistake #1: Not Giving Feedback at All
It’s human nature to want to be nice and avoid rocking the boat. Few of us relish conflict, but giving feedback directly is critical for your employees to be able to improve themselves. They need your help recognizing where they have fallen short, as well as their areas of success, in order to grow and reach their potential. Without that information, they are likely to continue along the same path.
Mistake #2: Letting it Pile Up
Because providing constructive criticism is uncomfortable, some managers wait until there is a laundry list of issues that need to be corrected before they set up meetings to coach employees. This is unfair to the employee, because he or she may have no idea that they were doing anything wrong, and now they face a long and overwhelming list of errors they must correct. Delays in giving feedback set up employees for failure. Instead, check in frequently with your employees to let them know how they are performing and how they are pacing against the objectives for their role.
Mistake #3: Not Setting Clear Expectations
Employees should not have to be mind readers when it comes to what is expected of them. Coaching employees effectively includes working with them to clearly define what success looks like for their role. Having well-defined goals and expectations gives the employee the opportunity to plan ahead and maintain control of their own progress. With increased clarity comes faster, better results.
Mistake #4: Giving Vague Feedback
When offering your employees constructive criticism, make sure to always be specific and offer examples. If you tell your employee, “I really need you to learn to write better,” it will be very hard for the employee to correct or improve the behavior—what exactly does “better” mean? Instead, say something like, "Before you turn in reports, please make sure to proofread for spelling and punctuation errors. Your last report had several errors, which could have been avoided with a little more time and attention paid to accuracy.” Giving feedback of this kind lets the employee know exactly what you are referring to and what they can do to improve.
Mistake #5: Doing All the Talking
Mentoring and coaching employees should be a two-way process. Employees should be given the opportunity to explain themselves, ask questions, and provide ideas. By speaking with, rather than at, employees, leaders gain perspective and allow employees the opportunity to clarify feedback and solutions necessary to correct their performance missteps.
Mistake #6: Prescribing Solutions
You’ve been around the block, and you probably have great ideas to help your employee improve his or her performance. At the same time, no one solution is right for everyone. While your ideas will certainly be helpful, they should be offered as suggestions rather than directives. Allowing employees to devise their own plans of action also helps them learn to be more self-sufficient going forward, and enlisting their help encourages them to look at problems from a different angle.
When employee coaching is done in a positive and collaborative way, managers find that employees become eager for feedback rather than fearful of it. Great coaching empowers employees by providing clear paths to success and opportunities to build on their strengths.
Companies put a great deal of time and energy into plan exciting and rich social events, community service activities, and employee experiences, but companies rarely include strong company culture and how it’s created among their achievements. Rather than overlook cultural and community events, companies should recognize and laud these rituals as major wins. Social activities, team building, and philanthropic initiatives unite teams, reinforce values, and improve employee morale. They help team members feel connected and remind them that they are so much more than cogs in a revenue-making machine. After all, employees spend more time with their work families than their real families, and it’s natural to want that time to be meaningful.
Companies with a robust company culture are linked to a lower turnover rate, according to a Columbia University study, which can impact morale and, more importantly, productivity. Happy employees devote more of themselves to their jobs, and strong business values help breed passion for the company and work, which supports employee longevity.
Business values can shape the way employees view their work and the objectives they are expected to achieve. When companies promote collaboration, creativity, and encourage employees to freely share their ideas, it often pays off in the form of innovative thinking that can help power more rapid organizational growth.
Believe it or not, company culture can have a direct impact on the bottom line. According to research by the University of California, happy employees have been found to be more productive. According to the study, these employees were 31% more productive and delivered 37% higher sales. Business values can improve employee engagement, which not only leads to greater performance, but also a better quality final product.
As companies seek out up-and-coming talent, it is to their benefit to consider the values of those they hope to recruit. Millennials choose companies the same way they choose products: based on beliefs. They want to work for companies that have strong business values and whose cultural values connect with their own.
While all companies want to be recognized for the results they produce, culture can often be the factor that helps companies standout in a crowded marketplace. Consumers are often most loyal to brands that appeal to their own sense of values, and clients like to hire companies that will reflect well on them. Companies that adopt sustainable manufacturing practices, for instance, can incorporate responsible manufacturing into their brand identity to edge out the competition with environmentally conscious customers and clients.
Strong business values can help to reduce internal politics, support greater alignment with company goals, and enable a clear understanding of processes and approaches. Employees at companies with a strong company culture quickly understand “the way we do things here” and reduce wasted effort. Companies like Cydcor, where open and candid communication is ingrained in the business's values, can benefit from reduced bureaucracy and empower their team members to resolve conflicts through direct and constructive conversation.
At Cydcor, we value our company culture as a critical part of what drives our organization. We recently created this video looking back at a year of cultural events that included a company-wide day in the field, department volunteer days at local charities community service events, participation in corporate games and sports competitions, a community health fair, a wine tasting evening, and celebrations of diverse holidays from Halloween to Diwali. Cydcor believes that engaging our team members in rich cultural experiences and creating a shared set of company values has been one of our many secrets to success.
Company culture is so much more than holiday parties and picnics. It is the route through which team members find their place in an organization. Culture helps employees feel that they are part of a company, not just working for one. It gives their work purpose, connects them with their teams, and helps them feel invested in something much larger and more important than the daily grind. By investing in and nurturing business values, organizations can create an environment that helps employees perform at their best.
It’s no secret that effective leadership is critical to any company’s success. While each CEO brings a unique set of abilities to the table, there are some valuable CEO traits that everyone should have. Whether you’re a fledgling leader or a seasoned pro, adopting these 7 CEO traits will help you become more effective in your role.
In today’s challenging business environment, change is inevitable and adaptability is the new competitive advantage. Great leaders recognize that the strong CEO trait of being able to adjust makes you more valuable in an ever-changing environment. It enables you to excel as a leader because you gain experience and learn to modify your responses to handle different situations appropriately.
Communication is key in any company, but it’s an especially important CEO trait. Having good communication skills means knowing how to position matters in the best way possible to help you achieve your desired outcome. Communication isn’t only verbal—it includes non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and body language which can affect the impact of your message. Great leaders are able to be unemotional and manage conflict by giving everyone a voice, but not necessarily a vote.
A high-performing CEO trait is the ability to listen. Great leaders consistently listen to others and seek out the ideas, opinions, and even the advice of others. They recognize the need to be able to read people and adapt their management styles to elicit the kinds of responses and actions needed to produce results. Effective leadership comes from those who are continuously learning and are open to feedback from others.
Strong CEOs are influential, inspirational, and good motivators. They are able to create alignment and get all stakeholders—whether employees, board members, or clients—to buy into the business’s strategy. Having buy in at all levels is critical to effective leadership, executing the business’s strategy, and achieving its goals.
Taking calculated risks means considering all the possibilities and probabilities before taking bold and assertive action that has the potential to produce growth and results. Effective leadership requires driving transformation and innovation by daring to take these calculated risks and learning from the occasional failure along the way. Embracing risk also helps to overcome the fear of failure, as leaders realize that setbacks are the most effective way to learn and grow.
Effective leadership requires a clear vision that team members can buy into. CEOs need to be able to communicate in such a way that they instill confidence in others and elicit the kinds of actions and thinking that result in better performance. Effective leaders have conviction and are able to understand all the working parts of a business, and make quick, far-reaching decisions that benefit the company as a whole.
Many high-performing entrepreneurs will tell you that having resilience is key to success. Despite best efforts, the path to success isn't always a direct journey. Sometimes success is built on failure; as a leader, you need to be able to turn failure around and learn from mistakes. Successful CEOs are resilient because they understand the impact of failure, learn to think differently, and are determined to achieve their goals no matter what.
Having these key CEO traits will help differentiate you, foster effective leadership, and elevate you to become the most exceptional leader you can be.
Pivotal coaching moments in sports are great metaphors for business and life, because we’re all trying to win, make progress, or get to the next level. The best coaches—and the most inspirational speeches—strip away all the distractions and remind us that accomplishing goals is completely possible if we own our greatness.
In this small-town sports film, Matthew McConaughey plays Marshall University’s new football coach, Jack Lengyel, who arrives in the aftermath of a 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall team members and boosters. Lengyel encourages his team, telling them that even though they are vastly outmatched, if they play with all their heart, they can never lose, regardless what the scoreboard says. Marshall goes on to win on the final play of the game. The message is clear: accomplishing goals—even difficult ones—is possible when you believe in yourself and your team.
One of the most memorable underdog stories to play out on the international stage, the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s improbable victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet team, was made for Hollywood. Kurt Russell is Coach Herb Brooks, who delivers the stirring “This is your time” pregame inspirational speech that sparked the team’s gutsy gold medal run. This is movie offers plenty of inspiration for anyone facing impossible odds.
High school basketball coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) benched his entire undefeated team in 1999 due to their collective poor academic performance. His role as a tough, principled mentor has its shining moment when, after a defeat, he tells his team in an inspirational speech that he’s watched them mature into men who have achieved victory within themselves by excelling as students. Coach Carter is a great reminder that success is a journey, not just an end goal.
The pressure is on Coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) and the Permian High School football team to make the playoffs in light of the local community’s high expectations. In his halftime inspirational speech during the final game of what would be an undefeated season, Coach Gaines sheds new light on the true meaning of perfection: being a person of integrity in your relationships.
This Oscar-nominated movie about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that ends up winning the state championship excels, offering on-the-court lessons about dedication, determination, and redemption. Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) gives an intense pregame speech, imploring his players to forget about winning or losing and instead, play to their potential. If they do that, the results will come. This movie is sure to inspire anyone who believes that hard work, passion, and grit can take you anywhere you want to go.
Newly appointed African-American high school football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) must lead his team’s first racially integrated season in 1971. Battling lingering racial prejudice from the community while breaking down barriers between his own players, Boone takes his team out to the site of the Battle of Gettysburg to deliver an inspirational speech about unity. This movie sends a powerful message about the importance of supporting each other in accomplishing goals.
These coaches emphasize the value of having heart, sound principles, integrity, unity, and seizing the moment when it’s go time. In sports, and in life, coaching can make all the difference. The next time you find yourself facing adversity, seek inspiration from these examples of great coaching to up your game when it comes to accomplishing goals.
It’s common for people to have misconceptions about any industry or field they haven’t directly experienced, and sales is no exception. Some people may shy away from making a career in sales, because they have preconceived notions of what working in sales is all about. If you’re considering getting into sales, it’s important to have the right information. Here we uncover 10 sales myths—and offer you some sales facts to combat them.
1. One Pitch Fits All
When it comes to sales, one pitch doesn’t fit all. Every prospect has different needs and as such, every pitch must be tailored to suit those unique needs. Positioning your message to suit your customer is critical to landing that sale. Perform your due diligence—research the customer or the market so you can better understand them and communicates in a way that addresses their interests and concerns.
2. Scripts are for Rookies
This is a particularly malicious sales myth. The fact is that preparation is always beneficial. Simply put, it provides the framework for your prospecting campaign. Even seasoned salespeople must practice their pitches. Writing a script will help you to anticipate any questions the customer may have, and it helps to ensure you know the key benefits of the product or service you’re selling.
3. The First Three Minutes Determine the Success of a Sale
While first impressions do count, the first three minutes is not long enough to establish if you’ve closed the deal. Everyone is different, and many customers decide to make a purchase after they’ve grown comfortable with the salesperson. Rather than focusing on any arbitrary time limit suggested by this sales myth—apply that attention to establishing a relationship with the customer by engaging them in conversation and asking them relevant questions to help you better position your pitch.
4. Sales is about Getting People to Buy Things they Don’t Want
Good salesmanship is about connecting people with things they need, not convincing them that they need something they don’t. Great salespeople become great by asking questions and seeking to understand exactly what the customer is looking for so they can provide the best solutions. That’s an important sales fact to repeat often and eagerly.
5. Salespeople Care More about Commissions than about People
This sales myth is just silly. Like anyone, salespeople hope to be successful at what they do, and the fact is you can’t be good at sales if you don’t like and care about people. Great salespeople are passionate about what they do and they love and care about their customers. Good salespeople are concerned about creating satisfied customers—those are the customers who keep coming back.
6. Salespeople are Born, Not Made
With anything in life, commitment and training are key ingredients to becoming successful. While many of your personal traits will prove beneficial to your sales career, training, practice, and ambition are what will ultimately decide your success as a salesperson. In fact, great salespeople pride themselves on maintaining a student mentality—a passion for lifelong learning, growth, and development. You can develop yourself and your skills by using free online resources such as blogs or watching TED talks. Check out two Cydcor blogs in particular: “How to be a Successful Salesperson” and “How to Write a Winning Elevator Pitch.”
7. Salespeople are Only out for Themselves
Salespeople are certainly not out for themselves. Great salespeople are working to build a business and add value to their organization, not just to make a sale. They’re interested in being as efficient and effective as possible to achieve their goals. They know that the success of others doesn’t take away from their own chances for success so they’re happy to share what they know and see others reach their goals. This is one of the more damaging sales myths out there—those who walk this walk quickly discover that it won’t take them far.
8. All Salespeople are Extroverts
It’s a common sales myth that all salespeople are outgoing and assertive. Being a successful salesperson means having the ability to make people comfortable and being a great listener—whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. Being an attentive listener is key because it allows you to hear what the customer really wants and needs. This, in turn, better positions you to address their concerns and fulfill those needs with the right products and/or services.
9. Technology Rules
Technology has advanced at a rapid rate. While it has certainly helped speed things up and improved the resources available to salespeople, there are just some things computers can’t do. True selling always comes down to having great people skills and sales skills. No matter what, face-to-face contact remains invaluable in the sales industry because people connect with other people more than they do with any other form of advertising.
10. Great Products Sell Themselves
While great products are easier to sell, they still need to be sold. It’s up to the salesperson to create awareness of the product. Customers need to understand how your product or service can fulfill their needs and where and when those needs can be met. Even a great product needs marketing and sales support.
Gearing up for another business trip? Perhaps you’re a frequent business traveler and want to streamline the process, or maybe you’re preparing for one of your first business trips. Either way, having a systematic routine for getting yourself ready to hit the road will end up saving you time.
Here are eight smart business travel tips to make your business trips go as smoothly as possible with a minimum of inconvenience and, if you play your cards right, extra perks to boot!
1. Make a Checklist
Make a checklist to help you remember essentials as well as those random items (spare flash drive, phone charger, extra business cards, etc.) that you will inevitably find yourself searching for once you're mobile. Update your list as needed. A thorough checklist will make everything else seem just a little less stressful.
2. Don't Check a Bag
Bring a carry-on bag that meets airline specifications for size limits and pack versatile items that take up minimal space. Checking luggage can cause complications when flights are delayed or bags are misplaced, and it’s wiser and more convenient to have your belongings with you.
3. Get Pre-screened
Sign up for TSA Precheck and Global Entry as well as frequent flier programs. Shorter waits save you time, and airlines recognize frequent fliers not only with flight miles—which can add up quickly to a free flight or two—but also with perks such as seating upgrades and priority boarding as well as airport hospitality lounges.
4. Bring Your Own Snacks
Bring healthy snacks that are easy on your digestive system and keep your hunger at bay until you arrive at your destination. Airport convenience stores sell these usually inexpensive treats at a big markup, so make sure to bring your own along during your business traveling. Nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, and fresh fruits such as grapes, apples, or oranges all make great travel companions and will make you less likely to purchase expensive, caloric, and bland prepackaged foods on the airplane.
5. Dress Well
Dressing for success is always a good idea, but even more so on business trips. Not only do you stand a better chance of being upgraded, but dressing well will make you feel more confident and comfortable. You never know when a great networking opportunity might arise.
6. Use Technology to Plan Ahead
To make your business traveling as comfortable as possible, consult seatguru.com for a transparent look at your plane's seating configuration, including exit rows, lavatories, and in-seat power ports. You can even request seat changes on the app. Opentable.com makes it easy for you to secure dinner reservations in your destination city with its more than 20,000 worldwide restaurant members.
7. Stay Healthy
Regardless of your destination, you will encounter breeding grounds for germs in high-traffic areas such as airports. The last thing you want to bring home with you is a virus that drains your energy and leaves you feeling under the weather. Antibacterial wipes are an important ally that will sanitize your tray table or any other makeshift common use space where you set up shop.
8. Maximize Your Time
Looking to get some work done during your flight? Make sure you have a few essentials for remote working situations. Spring for some good noise-canceling headphones, a necessary investment for keeping your train of thought on the tracks. Proper headphones will allow you a modicum of privacy and the ability to focus or relax without disturbances. Make sure to bring a portable keyboard, which turns your smartphone or tablet into a laptop so you can salvage some productive moments and still have room for a beverage on your tray table. Finally, don’t forget a portable external hard drive. If you need to access volumes of paperwork, a compact external hard drive is your answer.
Seeking to not just survive, but also to thrive as a business traveler? If you incorporate these business travel tips into your business trip routine, you will return to the office refreshed, invigorated, and ahead of the curve. Staying savvy to the latest in travel innovations will allow you to master the art of business travel in the course of your own business undertakings.