Cydcor Blog

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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

For many, the idea of speaking in public is daunting. While a little nervous energy is healthy, excessive public speaking anxiety can be crippling. Being charismatic and engaging doesn’t necessarily come naturally, even to successful business people and world leaders. Whether it’s a keynote speech for hundreds of people or a simple team meeting, it takes a lot of effort to be a great speaker, starting with controlling your nerves.

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Learn how to manage your nerves and boost your confidence so you can confidently conquer public speaking.

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1. Get into the Zone

Focusing mentally before a public speaking event will allow you to give your best quality output. Make sure you’re comfortable with the venue by arriving a little early to get a feel for the set up. If possible, do a brief run through with the microphone. Whether it’s a small breakaway room or even the parking lot, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed and take a moment to focus. Different people need different things, so you’ll need to learn what works best for you.

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2. Warm Up

Public speaking can feel like a workout. Get yourself physically ready by doing some vocal exercises, which will help you project your voice and come across more confident in your delivery. Now, strike a power pose. Amy Cuddy, a body language researcher at Harvard Business School, suggests power posing to ease nerves before a presentation or public speaking engagement. According to Cuddy’s research, simply putting your hands on your hips or striking the CEO or Superman pose for two minutes will reduce your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This will give you a boost and make you look and feel powerful.

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3. Work on Your Body Language

Public speaking isn’t just about what you’re saying, it’s also about how you’re saying it. The way you convey yourself—your body language, your facial expressions, and even your gestures—can affect the impact of your delivery. It’s important to be mindful of these nonverbal cues. Simple things like keeping your posture upright and expanding your chest helps. Smiling and making eye contact will put your audience at ease even if you’re speaking about a more serious topic.

You can read more body language dos and don’ts in our blog, 8 Common Professional Body Language Mistakes to Avoid.

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4. Memorize Your Content

Memorizing the sequence of your slides or your note cards—whatever you’re using to prepare or presenting visually—will help you to feel in control and allow you to anticipate which slide comes next, making you look more professional. Start by memorizing key points and you’ll slowly begin to weave a story line. It will also reduce the likelihood of you getting off track should you feel overcome with your public speaking anxiety.

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5. Tell a Story

The more data-driven your content, the harder it is to keep your audience engaged. Telling a story with your content is a good way to connect with your audience. It will help them understand where the concept comes from and what it means. The key is making sure you have a thread that links the different ideas and concepts throughout your presentation.

Structure your material so you start and end strong. Don’t waste time with a longwinded introduction, especially if you have a time limit. You may even consider starting with a personal anecdote or provocative question—something that will make the audience feel they can relate to and connect with you.

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6. Rehearse

The best way to boost your confidence is to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. This will also help you memorize the material. Ideally, rehearse in front of someone. If that’s not possible, you can use a mirror. Always time yourself while rehearsing to ensure you don’t exceed the time you’ve been allocated. If your presentation includes a question-and-answer session, you can prepare some model questions and answers ahead of time to help ease your public speaking anxiety.

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7. Pace Yourself

Be mindful not to lose your audience. There’s a fine line between speaking too fast and too slow. Speaking too fast can make you come across as nervous. You can manage the pace of your public speaking by including pauses before or after key statements. This will make them stand out and have the added benefit of giving you a breather.

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8. Stay Hydrated

Drinking warm drinks before your engagement will soothe your throat. Nerves can make your mouth go dry, so keep a bottle of water nearby to keep hydrated.

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Like most things in life, practice makes perfect when it comes to combating public speaking anxiety. The best way to build your confidence is to take up every opportunity you can to speak, no matter how small the audience. The more experience you have, the more confident you’ll be and the better you’ll become at managing your nerves.

Whether you’re seeking to advance your career or grow your business, making progress toward your goals can come down to your ability to enlist the help of others—often through activating one’s personal power bases. Perhaps you need to ask for a raise or a promotion, or maybe you need to request funding to kick off an exciting new project or cover the cost of new hires. Whatever the case, understanding how to get others on board is critical to achieving the outcome you’re hoping for. But if you’re low on the totem pole or just beginning to establish your fledgling business, asking others to reward you with money, time, or increased responsibility can feel like a David vs. Goliath scenario.

Don’t underestimate yourself, though: you may have a lot more personal power than you think. A person’s power bases are the sources from which they draw credibility, influence, and character, traits that can be assets when asking others to help your cause. Power bases can come in many forms, and you may have more than one effective power base to draw from. You simply need to learn how to identify your power bases and use them to your advantage. By recognizing the sources of your power, you can feel more confident as you ask for the things you need to achieve your goals.

Personal Power Bases You May Not Realize You Have:

1. Physical Power: Some people have an effect on others using nothing more than their physical presence. People who are very tall, muscular, or physically imposing, possess the power to inspire or motivate others simply through the space they occupy. If a giant, hulking wrestler tells you to get moving, you will!
2. Resource Power: Power isn’t always about who you are. Sometimes, power can come from what you have access to. Obviously, political candidates who have access to large sums of money can be more influential than those who have no advertising budget at all. Resource power can also come from the people you know. Actors and aspiring directors in the Hollywood system have recognized that it’s all about “who you know” for decades. Knowing the right people or having the right insider information can be a game changer. As you create your strategy for growth, you should consider which relationships you may be able to lean on to give you an edge.
3. Position Power: We all know that the boss is the one in charge. Position power comes from having authority over others. But you don’t have to be the CEO to exercise position power. Having seniority in your role at an organization, for instance, could be a source of position power.
4. Expert Power: Having a specialized college degree, a unique set of skills or experience, or knowledge specific to a role or project could offer you expert power you can use to your advantage. Expert power encompasses your qualifications and you may possess more expert power than you realize. As you seek out the things you need to take your career or company to the next level, think about the expertise and knowledge that will be valuable assets and boost your chances of success.
5. Personality Power: The reputation you’ve built for being an honest, hardworking, leader might also be a factor in your ability to influence others. Personality power comes from one’s character. It’s easy to see how people with natural charisma can capture the attention of a room and inspire others. By the same token, even if you’re not a superstar, aspects of your personality might offer huge advantages as you seek to grow your career or business. Perhaps you are extremely friendly and likable, or maybe you can tell a good joke. These same character traits that make you easy to get along with might also make you an appealing job candidate or business partner. Don’t forget to call on your sparkling personality when it’s time to impress others.
6. Information Power: This kind of power comes from what you know or information that only you have access to. An example of information power might be someone who has gathered a large amount of valuable data through research of some kind. Consider those white papers companies use to gather prospects for their businesses. Companies know that readers and potential clients will want access to the information they’ve gathered, so they use that information power to request customer contact information in exchange for that data. What valuable information might you have that you can offer in exchange for the opportunities or funding you’re looking for?
7. Reward Power: People who have the power to reward or bonus someone else have this kind of power. A manager has the power to promote an employee who performs well, or a parent can reward a well behaving child with extra spending money or a trip to Disneyland. When you are a customer, you have the power to reward companies, products, and salespeople by giving them your business. While trying to grow your business, you can use your power to reward your employees to incentivize them to push even harder to help your company reach its goals.
8. Network Power: Remember all that time you’ve spent shaking hands and collecting business contacts? Building a strong network has boosted your power to influence, because you can now call on those connections to support you in any number of ways. Clients can provide testimonials that will add credibility. Mentors can offer valuable advice to help you overcome challenges, or a connection might call you first when an opportunity arises to submit a proposal. Your network power is one of the sources of power you can most easily grow and impact, so don’t overlook the importance of building strong relationships.

Recognizing your personal sources of power is critical to your ability to collaborate with others and ask for the resources and opportunities you’ll need to grow your company and advance your career. It’s easy to underestimate oneself and overlook how much you have to bring to the table. Success in business requires constant negotiation, and by understanding your own power to get others on your side, you improve your chances of achieving the results you’re hoping for and reaching your goals.

While it’s important to know what you should do in meetings and negotiations, knowing what you shouldn’t do is often just as important – and it begins with bad body language.

The best sales managers know that while you may have a polished sales presentation, tasteful attire, and a product that practically sells itself, you can still miss out on closing a sale if your body language is out of sync with your words. While it’s true that first impressions make a lasting impact, cumulative body language is important. If you are in the habit of demonstrating any of the following body language in sales meetings, it could be enough to hurt your sales performance, turning a potential yes into definite no.

1. Crossing your arms. This communicates disinterest and a lack of confidence. Unless it’s done to make an obvious point, crossing your arms only serves to interrupt the flow of a productive dialogue.
2. A weak handshake. A limp handshake exudes zero enthusiasm and suggests a lack of confidence as well. Whether it’s cold and boney, or warm and fleshy, a weak handshake is just plain creepy and should be avoided.
3. An overly firm handshake. On the other hand, clamping onto a prospective client’s hand as if yours was granite and theirs was a water balloon is not a wise strategy. Winning the battle of the overly firm handshake will not generate a sale. Rather, it may actually hurt the other person’s hand and leave them with a negative impression of you.
4. Standing too close or touching too much. Many people are sensitive to others invading their personal space. Be aware that standing too close to someone or touching someone overly much can be seen as invasive. Pay attention to the other person’s body language, too, though; what is invasive to one person might seem merely friendly to another.
5. Not smiling. Smiling shows warmth and excitement and can serve to compel the prospective client to find you likeable. When you don’t smile, the opposite is true; your facial expressions may seem uninviting or unapproachable.
6. Avoiding eye contact. When you avoid meeting another person’s eyes, it conveys that you may have something to hide or you can’t be trusted. Your goal is to establish trust and make the sale, so focus on maintaining eye contact when possible to further your cause.
7. Don’t be a statue. While it’s bad to fidget, slouch, or cross your arms, standing perfectly straight and still can be creepy. It’s best to stand professionally, but naturally, so you look comfortable and the customer feels comfortable too. Try to mirror their posture.
8. Hiding your hands. In an attempt to look more professional, some people try to contain their hand gestures when talking. However, talking with your hands can actually help make your point and reduce filler words and perceived hesitancy. Also, showing the palms of your hands while speaking indicates openness and honesty.

There is no overstating the importance of presenting good body language in sales or any business interaction – it can make all the difference. Don’t send the wrong message with self-sabotaging nonverbal communication. Be prepared and well-rehearsed when you walk into a meeting. Be conscious, too, about what you do while you are speaking. You are, after all, providing visual accompaniment to your eloquent words. Once you ensure your words and actions match up, you’ll start to notice fewer closing doors and more closing sales.

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If you’ve caught yourself demonstrating some of these examples of bad body language in sales meetings, consider the correction of it one of your professional New Year resolutions.

If you’ve been using our negotiating tips, then it’s entirely likely a sale is on the horizon – so it’s important to be able to recognize it. As a salesperson, it’s important to stay tuned into the customer and what he or she may be feeling, thinking, or doing. It easy to get too caught up in delivering the perfect sales pitch or projecting energy and forget that sales is a two-way communication. It involves give and take; the exchange of information to and from both parties. Customers are constantly sending signals about what they want, what they need, and what they are thinking. And, if you just learn to pay attention, and know what buying signs to look for, these messages, both verbal and non-verbal, can make your job as sales person a whole lot easier.

Buying signals are indications the customer gives that he or she may be nearing a decision about your product or service and may be interested in making a purchase. These ready-to-buy cues, can be easy to miss if you’re too focused on what you need to say or do next. Learn some of the most common buying signs, so the next time a customer is ready to buy, you won’t miss out on the sale.

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Here are 10 buying signs not to overlook:

1. Asking Lots of Questions: Never get irritated if a customer grills you with questions. If a customer asks for more information about the product, the warranty, the price, the terms and conditions, what the service includes, how delivery works, or almost anything else, they are interested. Questions are a clear buying sign, because think about it, if you were not interested in a product, what would you do? You’d probably just walk away, right? Exactly. Customers don’t ask questions just to be polite, or to annoy you. They are asking questions because they need more information to decide about your product. Once you know that, all you have to do is give them all the exciting information about your product or service that you know will make them feel great about making a purchase.
2. Focusing on One Particular Product Type: If a customer keeps hovering around a particular version of the product or keeps coming back to a particular service package, they are telling you that’s the one they would like to buy. Don’t overlook this important buying sign, and instead of spending your time trying to sell them on other versions of the product, seize the opportunity to close the deal.
3. Looking Around for Help:Customers don’t usually like being bothered while they are shopping, so a customer who is looking around for someone to help her is usually interested in buying something. This body language should be an immediate signal to you to engage with this customer.
4. Asking Another Person’s Opinion: When customers reach out to others for their opinion, they are interested in making a purchase. They may simply need reassurance that the product or service they’ve chose is the right one for them. As the sales rep, you can help build their confidence to close the deal.
5. Fiddling with their Wallet: Customers may not realize they’re doing it, but when someone is ready to buy, they may handle their wallet or touch their money. Make sure to stay cued in to this subtle, but important buying sign.
6. Handling the Product or Sales Material: When customers touch or hold the product, they are unconsciously picturing themselves owning it. This may also be true of customers who spend a lot of time holding, touching, or staring at the brochure or sales sheet. When customers are hands on, make sure you’re paying attention and are ready to help them make the purchase.
7. Nodding and Eye Contact: Customers who keep their eyes locked on you are showing that they’re comfortable with you and interested in what you’re telling them. Nodding their head shows agreement with what you’re saying. Customers who show both of these non-verbal, buying signals are demonstrating their interest in your product.
8. Parroting: If a customer repeats back anything you’ve said in your sales pitch, especially if it’s the product benefit statement, it shows they are paying attention to what you’ve been saying and they are interested in that aspect of the product or service. So, if they say, “So I can save $20 a month if I choose this package?” make sure to give them the details they’re looking for. That customer is ready to buy.
9. Making “If I had” Statements: When a customer asks rhetorical questions like, “So if I had this tablet, I could stream my show anywhere?” they have already imagined themselves owning the product. These kinds of statements are clear buying signs.
10. Showing Excitement: When customers make exclamations like “Wow!” “Really?” and “Nice!” they are not just being polite. Most customers won’t bother. They are showing genuine interest in your product or service and that is a buying sign that should not be ignored.

Listening and paying attention is just as important as saying the right things when trying to make a sale. Customers communicate a lot about how they’re feeling about the product for sales people who are willing and able to pick up their signals. Overlooking these, sometimes subtle, buying signs could mean missing out on sales and doing more work than necessary. Becoming an expert on customer behavior and learning the classic buying signals can make selling a whole lot easier by giving you valuable information about the kind of customer you’re dealing with.

It’s not always what you say that makes the biggest impression. Before you even open your mouth, nonverbal habits you’re not even aware of could jeopardize your ability to make a good impression, close a deal, get promoted, or earn a new customer. Professional body language is critical to any business exchange, and it’s just as important to be aware of the things you’re not saying as it is to be aware of what you are. In other words, through your posture, body language, habits, and tone, you may be speaking volumes without even uttering a word.

The following eight professional body language mistakes might be making you look bad even when you’re saying all the right things:

1. Slouch. Didn't your mother always tell you to sit up straight? Mom was on to something. Not only does slouching make you seem detached and uninterested, but it’s also high school behavior. You’ll feel and look better if you sit up.
2. Drum your fingers. This is one of those unconscious habits that is immediately obvious to everyone except the perpetrator. It says that you can’t wait for the meeting to end. Don’t be the finger drummer in the room.
3. Avoid making eye contact. If you’re hoping to forge a connection or further a relationship, you need to make eye contact. Not doing so implies that you have something to hide or that you are not open or trustworthy. People hear with their ears, but they remember with their eyes.
4. Make too much eye contact. On the other hand, maintaining prolonged or constant eye contact can be perceived as threatening, uncomfortable, or just plain creepy. No one likes to feel like they are under a microscope. Communication is a give-and-take experience, and if the conversation, presentation, or interaction is authentic, the appropriate amount of eye contact will take place in a natural way.
5. Check the time incessantly. Nothing takes the focus out of the moment like a glance at the clock or your wristwatch. This essentially says, “I am not engaged in what you are talking about. I am instead thinking about what I’ll be doing as soon as this meeting is over.” Resist the urge to check the time and focus on the conversation instead.
6. Check your phone or email. Rude as it may be, we’ve all done it at least once. Get caught, and you telegraph disinterest, lack of focus, and disengagement. Avoid the temptation to go down the smartphone rabbit hole during a meeting. While checking email is bad form, responding to an email is a more egregious infraction, to be sure.
7. Act invisible. Want to stand a ghost of a chance of getting ahead? Don’t attempt to fly under the radar. That just makes you look unsure of yourself. Stay engaged and establish a physical presence as well. Taking up space in the room shows power and confidence. Lean forward while seated. Widen your arms and place them on the table. When standing, widen your stance. Legs too close together can make you look unsure, hesitant, or wobbly. Widening your stance can help you look stable, grounded, and confident.
8. Fidget. Don’t bounce your knees, twirl your hair, click your pen, touch your face, or rub your hands together. While these habits might calm your nerves, they also paint you as uncertain, uncomfortable, and not credible.

Body language in meetings and exchanges can make a world of difference in your business conversations. Everything we do communicates something, so why not communicate as clearly as possible. Avoid these eight body language mistakes during your next meeting, and when you do have the opportunity to speak, your words will have the impact you’re hoping for.

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“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy

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Growing up, we learned that all failures are bad. So when we did fail, it hung over our heads as an unpleasant reminder of what happens when we try something new. But failure can be good when we learn from it, and embracing the “fail fast and fail often” mentality, which focuses on risk-taking and innovation, can turn one step backward into two steps forward. Failure is a powerful teacher. It shows us what doesn’t work, so we can more quickly find our way to what does. Failing in sales and business can often be an effective and even necessary route to mastering the art of the pitch and closing more deals.

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Learning from failure is a powerful skill that takes confidence in our abilities and strength to admit fault. Here are some strategies to turn a setback into a comeback:

Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control

You can’t change what’s out of your control, and worrying about it will only make things worse. Take stock of what you can control, such as your planning and skillset, and use it to re-evaluate your process to prepare for a better outcome.

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Own it

Everybody fails. Own it and forgive yourself, then learn from it and turn this negative into a positive. The best thing to do is to be honest with yourself and set your mind on improving, and the only way you can truly do that is taking responsibility for the missed opportunity.

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Revise the Plan

Before you set out, what was your plan? Often times, the cause of failure is a simple oversight or misplaced effort in the planning phase. Focus on everything that happened before the failure and see what can be changed; there may be one or two things you could’ve done that’ll seem obvious with hindsight.

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Seek an Outside Perspective

Sometimes we’re unable to see the cause of our failure because we lived it. An outside perspective from someone you trust, such as a mentor who is in a better position to see where things went wrong, might provide helpful guidance. Be open and honest with them about your failure; it’ll make you feel better to talk about it, and your mentor will respect you for seeking honest feedback and learning from it.

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Believe in Yourself

Something went wrong, so trust yourself to make it right. It’s too easy to dwell on failure and beat ourselves into submission. A failure doesn’t make you a failure if you learn from it. Believe in your abilities and your strength to move forward because you will get better. Take risks. Expand your comfort zone. One day, you’ll look back on this and be glad it happened because it made you realize your true potential.

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Try Again

The worst thing to do after a failure is stop trying. Failure can be a gift when it provides insights that help you perform better on the next attempt. When you give up, you waste that valuable information. Learn, grow, and keep moving, and this time you might just win big. There’s only one way to find out.

Setbacks are stressful, and can keep us from chasing our goals if we let them, but the courage to own it and learn from failure helps us pivot onto stronger ground for new opportunities. Millionaires and celebrities are no strangers to this; they’ve all experienced failure. Can you imagine if Steven Spielberg quit making movies after being rejected from film school? The most important thing to do after a failure is to learn from it and try again.

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With the help of these strategies, your feelings of failure will subside and you’ll become even more confident in reaching your goals.

When asked about New Year’s resolutions, common responses are losing weight, getting a new job, and saving more money. For entrepreneurs, the answer is more complicated as business New Year’s resolutions require greater specificity and accountability, and the motivation to see them through.

As you and your team plan for the year ahead, consider these six, actionable business New Year’s resolutions:

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1. Connect with More Customers

A new year means new opportunities to connect with more customers and grow your business. Learn as much as you can about them from social media, analytics platforms, internet forums, and blogs. Check in with existing customers and get feedback for improvement. Your customers will appreciate your proactive interest in them, and in turn, you’ll be on track to strengthen relationships and build new ones.

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2. Communicate More Effectively

Miscommunication wastes time and affects morale. Nobody likes repeating themselves, and time spent clarifying is better spent knocking out approaching deadlines. Save time and help your team feel heard by asking for feedback and advice on what works best for them. Whether it’s less emails for more one-on-ones, or using a productivity tool, effective internal communication helps make all other goals seem more possible.

3. Learn a New Skill

Successful people are always learning; their student mentality keeps them open to new perspectives and innovation. Whether it’s to benefit your work or fuel a passion project, learning a new skill will help boost your confidence and give more opportunities to network with others in classes and workshops.

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4. Make Time for Yourself

Running a business is hard, but it’s harder when you’re burnt out. Resolve to make time for yourself this year and set expectations with clients and colleagues, even if it’s only for a lunch break or turning your phone off after dinner. Often, complicated tasks become less complicated when you’re feeling refreshed. Taking time off allows your mind the room it needs to wander and connect the dots in unexpected ways.

5. Expand Your Comfort Zone

Make an effort to take more calculated risks and tackle different projects. It seems daunting, but the benefits far outweigh the intimidation. Expanding your comfort zone creates room for real growth and empowers you to chase new opportunities for your team, your business, and your clients. Plus, it shows that you’re versatile and bold, who wouldn’t want to do business with someone like that?

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6. Set More SMART Goals

Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goal setting is how successful people get large projects done. That also goes for New Year’s resolutions, which have a tendency to get dropped around January 7^th. Keep your business New Year’s resolutions on track this year by setting more SMART goals, and ask your friend how that gym membership is coming.

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When brainstorming your resolutions, reflect on these powerful business quotes for the New Year:

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Mark Twain
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"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one."

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Ben Stein
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"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

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Peter F. Drucker
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“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

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Oprah Winfrey
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“Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.”

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As you go into the New Year, effectively manage your resolutions by ensuring they stay top of mind. Consider printing them out and giving everyone a copy, and sending reminders when appropriate. Although these are business New Year’s resolutions and quotes, the advice is timeless and will help inspire greater work across a variety of teams.

A simple gift can speak volumes when you want to acknowledge, maintain, or strengthen a professional relationship. The gesture of gifting shows thoughtfulness, consideration, and appreciation, especially if that gift can be incorporated into a daily routine, or make the recipient’s average day exceptional.

Whether you are acknowledging the diligent dedication of your employees, or showing appreciation for a strategic work connection, gifting demonstrates personal investment in a relationship.

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Here are seven professional gift ideas that are thoughtful, practical, and memorable at the same time:

1. A bottle of wine or spirits: Wine is an excellent gift to express appreciation for an important relationship. The personality of a particular vintage, from label design, to the richness of color, to the complexity of the finish, offer authentic acknowledgment with discerning class. Likewise with spirits, such as a single-malt scotch, a traditional—but far from tired—offering. Be sensitive, however, to whether the person imbibes before selecting this type of gift.
2. A delivery of fresh fruit, flowers, or chocolate: Interruptions during the workday are a given, but who wouldn’t appreciate taking a moment to accept an aromatic or flavorful delivery? These tradition, but classic gifts are surefire winners. They cheer people up and help them power them through the rest of their day.
3. An experience: Not every gift has to come in a box. Many people prefer to do things rather than get things. Give a stressed-out coworker a certificate for a manicure, or give a busy colleague tickets to the movies so he or she can spend a fun night with a loved one. You could also give the gift of time. If you’re the boss, let your employee take an afternoon off. You could also offer your own time to that coworker who’s been begging you to train them on a new program.
4. A donation to a worthy cause: Gifting to a charity, political cause, or philanthropic organization that the person values shows you share a commitment to a cause or issue that may touch them very deeply. Give in the person's name to add a personalized touch and ensure they'll get an acknowledgement directly from the organization.
5. A travel mug: It may sound boring, but a travel mug can be a cool way to tip your hat to the hard work of a colleague, employee, or vendor. This is an especially perfect gift for anyone who spends a great deal of time on the road. They are sacrificing time that could be spent in the comfort of their home or office, or that could be spent with loved ones. If you want to go the extra mile, pun intended, spend a little more and invest in one of the very stylish, new insulated travel mugs. There are so many on the market now, that they’ve become a bit of a conversation piece.
6. A book that is personally meaningful to you: Perhaps there is a piece of literature that is your “tipping point,” a book that represents a lesson or insight that has been especially valuable to your career or personal development. Sharing the gift of a favorite book with a colleague for the purpose of inspiring their further success shows that you care, not only about them, but about their future as well.
7. A personalized item: There is an array of gifts that, while thoughtful in their own right, can also be customized to add that extra personal touch. Gifts such as pens, stationery, frames, ink stamps, and paperweights are customizable, whether it’s full name, monogram, or family crest.

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It goes without saying, but always consider a recipient’s cultural differences when brainstorming professional gift ideas; appropriate holiday gifts for coworkers show that your firm has taste, class, and manners. Something your connections will remember while laying their plans for the New Year.

By Brooke Levy

Top Five Negotiating Tips

For many, negotiation is the most intimidating of all sales and business skills. It seems like one of those mysterious talents you either have or don’t have, and knowing a situation requires negotiation—buying a car, accepting a new job offer, or making a business deal—will cause some to break out into a nervous sweat. But according to negotiation expert, and Cydcor Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business, Brooke Levy, negotiation can be learned.

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What many people don’t realize is that they’re not bad at negotiating, they’re just doing it wrong. Like most things that require talent and practice, improving negotiation skills takes understanding what works and what doesn’t. Think about sports. You may never become a championship golfer, but with the right information about how to hold a golf club and how the wind can affect a golf ball in the air, you certainly can learn to improve your game. It’s the same with negotiation. With the right negotiating tips and techniques, and a lot of practice, you can learn how to overcome your fears and hold your own when asserting yourself.

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Here are Five Surefire Negotiating Tips to Help Swing the Outcome in Your Favor:

1. Stop Fighting and Start Compromising!

• How to do it right: When people think of a negotiation they often think of a boxing match where the parties enter the ring, head to head, and throw punches until someone falls to the ground and the other proclaims victory.  In a successful negotiation, both parties should feel like they have won. It is important to always approach a negotiation as a discussion (not an argument or a contest) with a potential win-win solution.

• Why it works: The art of negotiation revolves around give and take. Two parties must work together creatively to find a mutual win. If you approach a negotiation as a discussion rather than an argument, you will have a different tone. You will be better at listening. Less argumentative. More constructive in your thoughts and ideas. You will be patient. These characteristics are crucial to find a solution – not a victor!

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2. Know What You REALLY Want

• How to do it right: Understand the difference between positions and interests. Imagine that you are negotiating Saturday night plans with your boyfriend/girlfriend. You want to stay home and your partner is adamant that you go out on the town. Those are your respective positions. But what are your actual interests? The truth is, you only want to stay home because you do not want to spend money on an expensive night out. Your partner wants to go out simply because he/she wants to hang out with friends. Your interests are the factors and reasons that cause you to take a particular position. Knowing one’s interests (as opposed to just his/her position) is invaluable in coming to a solution.  Stay in Saturday night, but have friends over!

• Why it works: We typically argue our positions rather than talk about our interests. If you do your homework and understand what you really want and what the other party really wants, it helps you find the route to a mutual agreement faster. Compromise is key. If you can give someone what he/she wants, you can typically get anything you want.

3. Talk Less; Listen More

• How to do it right: It’s amazing how much easier it is to talk then to be patient and LISTEN. In fact, even when we are “listening,” we are often not even processing what the other person is saying but rather, planning what we will say next. To be a good negotiator, you need to understand what the other party really wants. You cannot get that information if you don’t take the time to listen and really process his or her view. It is important in a negotiation to ask lots of questions and then listen to the responses. Play detective! Knowledge is power.

• Why it works: Your strength/power does not come from how much you talk or how important you think you sound. In fact, many conflicts are resolved simply by listening to what the other party really wants/needs. The general rule is that you should never talk in a negotiation more than 30% of the time. Ask open-ended questions and allow the other party to tell you what they need. You will have much more success finding a compromise!

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4. Be Assertive!

• How to do it right: I always joke that the best example of being assertive and holding your ground is to negotiate like a toddler. When my son was three we used to negotiate every night before bed how many books we would read. “Luca, pick out one book to read before bed.” “No Mommy! Three books.” “No Luca, it is late and we only have time for one book so pick out a good one.” “No Mommy, three books!” “Luca, you have two options. Either you pick out one book to read or we don’t read any.”  “Ok, Mommy. Let’s just read two books.”

• Why it works: Toddlers never take no as an answer—but they always make sure to express exactly what they want in a non-threatening way. And they rarely ever waver. Being aggressive and being assertive are not the same thing. You do not need to be mean or disrespectful to ask for what you want and hold your ground. Also, just like toddlers, make sure to always aim high with your initial ask so that you have some room to move. If you ask for EXACTLY what you need at the beginning, you will look completely unwilling to compromise during the negotiation.

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5. Don’t Negotiate Against Yourself

• How to do it right: It always amazes me how many people negotiate against themselves. And it happens in so many ways. The most common example I see is when silence becomes uncomfortable. Imagine that you want to ask your client for an increase in the bonus they are sponsoring for the holiday season. You perfectly plan your argument as to why the increase makes sense. You have the appropriate leverage (always make sure you have leverage!) and you present your position well. Then, there is silence. The client doesn’t say anything at all!  And before you know it, you start offering up a lesser ask. You assume that the answer is a no. Or that the client is angry. Or that your request was too aggressive. Silence is ok! Once you have set forth a request, wait for a response!

• Why it works: All negotiations require that you plan thoroughly and have your position solidly in place. If you are prepared, you should feel confident in your requests. Do not waver from your position or negotiate against yourself just because the other party does not immediately react the way that you planned. Negotiation takes patience. Sometimes the other party simply needs time to digest or better understand your rationale.

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Not everyone loves to negotiate, but understanding how to negotiate and improve your negotiation skills is critical to achieving success in almost any kind of business, and in life. Even those who never work in sales will need to negotiate at some point or another, because resolving almost any disagreement requires compromise. Learning to control and play an active role in resolving conflicts can empower you to feel less anxious when asserting yourself and your wishes, and can help you get the results you’re hoping for more often.

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Brooke Levy is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business at Cydcor, where she is responsible for managing client relationships, driving results at the campaign management level, and exploring new business opportunities. Under Brooke’s leadership, revenue for one of Cydcor’s residential energy programs tripled in just 18 months. Brooke heads the company’s entire business to business sector, and she was instrumental in designing the business and legal framework for both of Cydcor’s proprietary residential energy businesses. She has also developed new mid-market sales opportunities for Cydcor, pairing clients with business models she personally built and tested to ensure long-term growth. Brooke joined Cydcor in 2013, following a successful 10-year stint as a corporate lawyer, specializing in mergers and acquisitions as well as private equity.

Wouldn’t you like to save a little extra cash every week? The savings are right in front of you—if you know where to look. It may seem like just a few dollars at a time, but add up the money you could save over a year’s time, and you will have “made” an extra $4,000 over the year that would have otherwise been spent on nonessentials. As a savvy business owner, it will work to your advantage to use your money wisely and frugally. We’ve already shared ten of our favorite tips to help you save $5,000. Here are a few more small changes you can make on a daily basis that will save you money—cash that you can use to invest in and grow your business.

1. Make Coffee at Home: That $3 cappuccino habit adds up over a year, but a good to-go mug is a wiser investment. When you do order coffee on the go, some coffee shops offer a discount for using your own cup, and they sometimes have a frequent buyer program with rewards. Savings: $15 a week.
2. Seek Out and Use Rewards Programs: Your grocery store, gas station, or any other businesses you frequent may offer savings or discounts that you can access just by signing up. Some grocery stores will also send you coupons based on items you typically buy, and you can find additional coupons in the newspaper or online. Many businesses offer a certain percentage off of your purchases for being a frequent buyer or purchasing certain amounts of certain items. Savings: $15 a week.
3. Shop Online and Earn Rebates: Companies such as MyPoints.com, Ebates.com, and Swagbucks.com allow you to receive a percentage of the money you spend back in cash or gift cards when you shop through their sites. Many of these sites also offer points or credit earned not by spending money but by participating in parts of their sites (such as watching videos or taking surveys). $15 a week.
4. Buy Beverages in Bulk: Take soft drinks to-go rather than purchasing them on-the-go. Convenience stores markup individual drinks you can get much more cheaply from big box stores. If you plan ahead and purchase a six-pack or two of your favorite drink, you’re saving a fair amount while still being able to enjoy your beverage of choice. Savings: $10 a week.
5. Shop Around: Call insurance providers to get the best rate, and do your research before making big purchases. A half-hour searching online or on the phone could be time well spent. There are lots of deals to be found and the savings can add up quickly. There are numerous apps that will assist you in your search for the best deal, and some that will even monitor the purchase price of the item both before and after you buy it and price match. $20 a week.

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Some of these tips may be easier than others for you to implement. Not to worry! Introduce some of these tips into your normal routine one at a time, and soon you’ll start to notices savings on a daily basis. Once you start to see results, you’ll be inspired to do more. From there, the money you save will begin to grow and the sky is the limit!