Cydcor Blog

Discover practical advice, inspiration, and insights to help you succeed in business and grow both personally and professionally.

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Tips for Building and Maintaining Personal Resilience

Oct 11, 2017

0 min read

A road sign warning that says "Keep Going".
Tips for Building & Maintaining Personal Resilience in Business

Building resilience is one of the cornerstones of success in business—especially entrepreneurial pursuits. The ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get right back to the task at hand is paramount to success in business, at every level.

Whether you’re a seasoned sales professional or just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey, these tips for building and maintaining personal resilience will put you on the path toward having the strength and flexibility required for success.

Pick Your Battles

Knowing your strengths is a key component to success in any endeavor; leveraging your strengths in your work will get you farther, faster, than spinning your wheels in areas where you lack knowhow and confidence. No one is good at everything, though, and learning when to power through a difficult course of action versus when to delegate is important. Building resilience includes challenging oneself, but it also means knowing when a task is best given to someone else—and being OK with that.

Build & Maintain Your Self Confidence

Building personal resilience relies heavily on recognizing your strengths and maintaining your confidence in them. You know what you know—make sure others know it too! Personal resilience takes practice and self-reflection. Take some time to honestly consider which facets of your profession you’re best at and make a list you can reference to boost your self-confidence and bolster your self-awareness.

Hone Your Skills

When you know your strengths, you can get to work on improving them. When your areas of expertise and your specialized skills are all second nature, the business of bouncing back from times of difficulty—or even failure—becomes easier. Call on your talents, experience, and knowledge to help you get through tough times, and build on those unique advantages to move on from setbacks. Honing your skills also reinforces your self-confidence, creating a powerful feedback loop for yourself as you maintain your personal resilience.

Be a Team Player

Business is built on relationships. You want—need—to be someone people want to work with. Reliable. Helpful. Trustworthy. Talented. The list of superlatives people want from their teammates and networks can go on and on, but the bottom line is this: being an indispensable member of your professional community is key to building professional and personal resilience. When your network is strong, bouncing back and moving forward—and extending successes—is much easier, because you can call on those relationships as you seek new opportunities, constructive feedback, and emotional support.

Manage Emotions During Losses—and Wins

The most resilient people have a keen understanding of their emotions and are skilled at managing them. This doesn’t mean building resilience requires stoicism—the opposite, in fact. Those who take the time to see the good in things and spread their positive outlook find it easier to work through rough patches. They see each experience, positive or negative, as a way to learn. These are also the people who are self-aware enough to see when things are going well and celebrate them.

What strategies do you use for building your personal resilience? Share your thoughts on Twitter and be sure to follow @Cydcor on Instagram to learn more about our company and our culture.

The Dos and Don’ts of Building Business Relationships

Oct 4, 2017

0 min read

Thumb up and down hand signs
The Dos and Don’ts of Building Business Relationships

In business, as in life, building relationships is key. No matter how talented you are or what service you provide, if your customers don’t like you or, worse, don’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far. Networking is a critical part of advancing your career, but making contacts will only serve you if you can foster them into fruitful business relationships.

DOs

  1. Be Prepared

Whenever you’re meeting with a client or a connection, especially a new one, make time in advance to learn a bit about them. Whether this means speaking to mutual acquaintances or researching online, doing your homework on a prospective customer or contact will allow you to identify common ground and better equip you to answer their questions or provide what they’re looking for. If you want them to give you their business, it’s crucial to come prepared. Coming to meetings well versed on the other party’s needs also assures them you will go the extra mile on their behalf.

  1. Demonstrate Your Value

Business relationships are investments. We invest time and energy into them with the expectation that they will provide value. Just as you’re hoping to leverage your business relationships to achieve certain goals, so are your colleagues, business partners, and customers.  So, consider what value you’re providing back to them.  In some cases, it may be helpful to illustrate what you have brought to the relationship by presenting hard numbers and proof of results. By making a strong case for the overwhelming benefits of the relationship, you stack your deck for success, and ensure the business relationship with grow and flourish in the future.

  1. Be Honest

There’s a reason why your parents always said, “Honesty is the best policy.” It is. If you promise your client the sun, moon and stars when networking, then that’s exactly what they’re going to expect. It’s important to set ambitious goals, but it’s just as important to deliver. If you can’t come through, be proactive about letting your client know. Otherwise, any frustration they feel will be compounded by your having mislead them and your business relationship may suffer as a result. To avoid this scenario, set reasonable goals and manage expectations with customers, bosses, and colleagues. Promise only what you are absolutely certain you can deliver. It’s always better to surprise someone by providing more than expected rather than over-promising and under-delivering.

  1. Practice Active Listening

Ultimately, you’re here to serve your customers. If they feel your own agenda is taking priority over theirs, your business relationship will not last very long. You can only meet someone else’s needs if you listen to what those needs are, so always be as ready to hear as you are to speak. Listen to Cydcor President, Vera Quinn on the subject of really hearing your client:

Don’ts

  1. Be Too Eager

You likely learned about playing “hard to get” in high school. In many ways, the same rules apply when building business relationships. If you appear too interested – contacting them incessantly, coming across as desperate for their business – they may start to suspect that you’re not that hot a commodity. You should seem interested in securing their business and maintaining a fruitful partnership, but make it clear that you have other irons in the fire and will be fine should things not work out. As we said earlier, if you’re clearly demonstrating the value you’ll bring to the relationship, they’ll be interested.

  1. Project Arrogance

It can be a fine line between projecting confidence and arrogance, but it’s one you’ll have to navigate if you hope to form long-lasting and fruitful business relationships. A client or contact will be impressed by your knowledge and expertise but annoyed if it crosses over into condescension. You demonstrate your value to this business relationship best by doing your job well, not by being your own hype-man. An easy way to avoid sounding arrogant is to continuously show the other party that their thoughts and opinions matter. Remember that all business relationships are partnerships of some kind, meaning that both parties rightly feel that they matter and their ideas have value.

  1. Fall Out of Touch

Often we make ourselves most available when we want something, and less so when we don’t. After you complete whatever business you’ve conducted with a client or contact, it can be easy to fall out of touch. Don’t fall into this trap. Make an effort to stay engaged and to continue networking, even when there’s nothing clearly “in it for you.” Business relationships, like fires, require constant kindling, or they can fizzle out. By checking in with clients and contacts on a regular basis, you demonstrate your long-term investment in the relationship and dedication to your customers.

Ultimately, maintaining a real, lasting business relationship is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, it takes work, and it takes commitment. By constantly providing value to your client or contact, consistently delivering what you promise, and by taking the time to nurture the relationship, you can build relationships that will continue to pay off for years to come.

Top Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

Sep 27, 2017

0 min read

Entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for those, with the right attitude and pioneering spirit, to build something from the ground up, take ownership of their time and decisions, and potentially, achieve financial independence. But what are the characteristic of successful entrepreneurs? Why do some succeed while some don't?

Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires unwavering focus and commitment to your craft, strong relationships, and an open mind to new perspectives. We asked a group of entrepreneurs about what drives them and what they believe it takes to achieve success. What we discovered, is that even when you do everything right, success is not guaranteed, but the thrill of the journey, the chance to influence and support others, and the potential payoff are what drive daring entrepreneurs to venture down this career path time and again.

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

What sets entrepreneurs apart is not their mastery of specific hard skills such as writing, programming, or public speaking. From our discussions with independent business owners, we learned that the top characteristics of successful entrepreneurs are rooted in soft skills shaped by the right attitude and mindset, seen in the infographic below.

Self-Motivation

It’s easy to talk about building a business, but it’s entirely another thing to do it. The number one characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is self-motivation—the ability to put ideas into action. Think about some of the best-known entrepreneurs. Steve Jobs, for instance, didn’t wait for a company to come looking for him to build a new kind of personal computer. Instead, he partnered with the right people, turned his ideas into real-life products, and convinced the public that they needed the Apple Computer. Self-motivation can mean the difference between dreaming and achieving.

Determination

Our business owners identified determination as another major characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. This important trait is the drive that helps us follow through once we start. It’s what pushes us back up when we fall, and keeps us moving through uncertainty until we reach our long term goal.

THE BENEFITS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Going from ideas to great products or startup to corporation is a remarkable feat that requires passion, focus, and resilience. It’s not a straight path, and there will often be twists, turns, and moments of uncertainty. We wanted to understand what makes it all worth it? What is it about the life of an entrepreneur that continues to drive so many to brave those, sometimes, stormy waters?

Developing Others

The majority of entrepreneurs said the most valuable benefit of entrepreneurship is the opportunity to help others grow and develop. Think about it. At one point, these entrepreneurs were employees, too. At the helm of a business, an entrepreneur has the experience to recognize greatness in others, and the leadership expertise to inspire them to get there.

Opportunity for Growth

Have you ever felt like you’re not getting anywhere in your current role, or looked up the organizational chart and didn’t like what you saw? Another major benefit of entrepreneurship is the opportunity for growth. And not just career growth, but personal growth, as well. Taking a chance on yourself and pursuing your passions will test your comfort zone, but the freedom to be your own boss and do what you love is an unparalleled experience and a unique benefit of entrepreneurship.

See what else entrepreneurs had to say about why owning and growing your own business is worth it.

Infographic about entrepreneurship and the characteristics of entrepreneurs.
Top Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs & Benefits of Entrepreneurship

Building a successful business of your own is not something that happens overnight. It takes unwavering dedication, unshakable focus, and a healthy dose of endurance. It’s an accomplishment, much like a marathon, that is achieved one step at a time. But for those who stick with it and embrace the adventure, the benefits of entrepreneurship can be life-changing.

How Having a Personal Mission Statement Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Sep 20, 2017

0 min read

Having a personal mission statement can help you reach your goals
How Having a Personal Mission Statement Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Most highly successful people share one important trait: focus. They know what their purpose is and what they want to achieve, and everything they do and say aims to bring them closer to their goals. But maintaining that intense level of dedication and drive takes effort.

When striving toward any goal, it’s important to find ways to remind yourself why that goal is so important to you so you can stay focused. Creating a personal mission statement gives you a way to identify your values, commit to your goals, and put yourself on a path toward success.

QUESTIONS FOR CREATING A PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

To create your own personal mission statement, start by asking yourself these questions:

  • What are my strengths and achievements? To know where you want to go, you first have to know where you have been. Take stock of the things you have already accomplished and the routes you took to get there. That process might help shed light on your personal strengths, which you can rely on to make even greater strides in the future.
  • What matters to me? A personal mission statement summarizes the things you want to do, the person you want to be, and the life you want to live. It sums up your purpose in life. That vision will be hard to bring to reality if it doesn’t represent the things you find most important in life.
  • Who do I want to be? Think about all the roles you play in life: Are you an employee, a parent, a friend, a spouse? Then decide what would be the best possible way for you to live up to that role. Your vision for your role could be totally different from someone else’s.
  • What are my goals? What are the things you want most? This is your chance to commit to a goal and define your life's purpose. This could be something broad, like being an inspiration to others, or you could choose a very specific goal like becoming a millionaire by the time you’re forty. There is no such thing as a bad goal, as long as it challenges you and represents your values.
  • How will I deliver on my promises? In other words, what will you contribute? What work will you do or what actions will you take to help you get you to your goals? This is the “how” part of how to reach your goals.

THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

There are many benefits to creating a mission statement to help you reach your goals:

  • Defines who you are and what you want: For some people, this can be the hardest step of all. Writing your mission statement forces you to dig deep and really think about what matters most to you.
  • Prioritizes for the big picture: We all may hope to achieve a variety of things, but a personal mission statement can help you put those things in perspective and decide which are most important.
  • Builds confidence: Having a mission statement can help you feel more confident, because you know that everything you’re doing is getting you closer to a goal that truly matters to you.
  • Creates focus: Many successful people write their mission statements down and look at them every morning before they start their day. Try it to stay focused on your goal, helping you go through your day with purpose and drive.
  • Keeps you motivated: A personal mission statement can act as a reminder that, eventually, all your hard work will pay off. Reflecting on the end goal can help you put in that extra effort daily and give you the endurance you need to overcome any roadblocks that come your way.
  • Simplifies decision-making: When faced with a choice between two opportunities, choose the one that helps you get closer to your goal.
  • Helps you stay on track: A personal mission statement is a great way to spot your own weaknesses or areas that need improvement, because as a concrete statement of your values, it will be obvious when your own actions fall short of the standards you have set
  • Holds you accountable: Having a personal statement and reflecting on it regularly is a great way to make sure you are continuously taking actions to reach your goals.

PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENTS FROM NAMES YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE

High achievers in many industries live by a personal mission statement. Here are a few:

Gary Polson, CEO, Cydcor

“As CEO of Cydcor, I will assure the long-term growth and health of Cydcor and the opportunity by 1) attracting, developing, motivating and recognizing our people; 2) developing a culture of sustainable success; 3) overseeing the strategy; 4) focusing on the financial health of the field; and 5) building relationships with our key people and connecting with the newer people.”

Richard Branson, CEO, The Virgin Group

“To have fun in (my) journey through life and learn from (my) mistakes.” (Motivated Magazine, 2011)

Oprah Winfrey, CEO OWN

“To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.” (Oprah.com, 2009)

Amanda Steinberg, CEO, Dailyworth.com

“To use my gifts of intelligence, charisma, and serial optimism to cultivate the self-worth and net-worth of women around the world.” (Forbes, 2014)

Creating a personal mission statement is just one more way you can position yourself to reach your goals. Writing down your goals, values, and vision for your future is a form of commitment in itself, but creating a mission statement does not guarantee success. In order to make your mission statement work to your benefit, you must imbue it with importance. Whether daily, weekly, or monthly, check in with and remind yourself of your mission statement to keep yourself faithful to its message. Consider keeping it by your bedside, taped to your bathroom mirror, or posted at your desk. You could even use your mission statement as part of your social media profile as way to subtly invite others to hold you accountable as well.

While the act of creating a personal mission statement can help you learn a lot, committing to its message could help you transform it from words into reality.

The Benefits of Working in Sales

Sep 14, 2017

0 min read

We Asked About Careers in Sales; Sales Managers Answered.

Whether you're pursuing a career in sales, or you’re considering one, working in sales is exciting, challenging, and highly rewarding! A career in sales can benefit you by helping you find focus, teaching you to set ambitious goals and achieve them, and by showing you the value of helping others reach their goals, as well. We asked a group of sales managers about what they believe to be the best and most rewarding aspects of working in sales, and the results are in. Check out our findings in the sales infographic below:

Infographic about the benefits of working in sales.
Career in Sales Infographic: The Benefits of Working in Sales

A career in sales can have a profound impact on you and your future success. Even if you only work in sales for a short time, gaining sales experience can increase your value to a potential employer by expanding and improving your skillset. It can also bolster your leadership ability by putting you in a position to mentor others, to help them achieve their own career goals and aspirations.

How to Be a Successful Salesperson

Sep 6, 2017

0 min read

Two sales people shake hands on the street.
How to Be a Successful Salesperson: Utilizing the Traits of Successful People

What does it take to be a successful salesperson? One of the best ways to unlock your real sales potential is to look at the traits of successful people in other fields. Whether it’s astrophysics or technology or sports, there are a number of traits that successful people share. Discover what those traits are here, and find out how you can utilize them to become the most successful salesperson you can be.

Passion

It’s nearly impossible to be successful in any arena if you aren’t passionate about what you do. It takes long hours and hard work to get to the top of any field. If you’re not passionate about what you do, it makes it that much harder to put in the effort. But when you love what you do, all those sacrifices you make for the job no longer seem like work. They feel worth it, because this is what you were meant to do.

Innovation

Innovation is one of the main traits of successful people that pops up in nearly every field. But how, exactly, do you tap into the creativity that leads to innovation? Try looking at the obstacles in your life. It may seem counterintuitive, but every obstacle has an upside. It provides you with a way to find a solution. Ideas are born from the combination of a need to accomplish a task and a fresh perspective. Keep your eyes open for novel solutions that others may not see. Keep your ears open to listen for obstacles that others might have. Ask questions that can uncover the root of the obstacle, and you’ll unleash your inner innovator in no time.

Self-Improvement

Think about your favorite sports figure for a moment. They are exciting to watch—thrilling even. You root for them and you’re disappointed when they lose. Now imagine if you found out they no longer showed up to training and refused to practice. It wouldn’t take long for you to find someone else to cheer for, would it? Self-improvement is a process that never ends. There’s always room for you to be grow, improve your skills, and become a more successful salesperson. There really is no such thing as a plateau, because there is always more to learn. Maintain a student mentality to avoid becoming complacent. Look for ways to further your education, your technique, and your motivation to ensure long-term success!

Self-Reliance

Successful people don’t become successful through luck.  Luck is merely means being prepared when an opportunity arrives. You have to develop your skills and position yourself in a space where opportunity exists. That way you are ready, available, and capable to meet your opportunities head on. Remember that a successful salesperson can thrive in any market, because when you are living up to your potential, you create your own success.

Provide Value

You’re never really selling goods or services; what you are always selling is solutions. Your clients have problems that they need resolved, and you have the means to resolve them. Listen carefully to your client, and ask them questions that get to the root of what their issues are. Then, you are poised to add value to their day-to-day life. Think about Martha Stewart. She mastered the skill of making a beautiful home, and in turn, she sold the solutions she discovered along the way to millions of people across the country and benefitted their lives.

Persistence

Failure is inevitable, and the ability to work through it and keep yourself dedicated to your goals is one of the defining traits of successful people. There are countless examples of this. Sir James Dyson created 5,126 failed prototypes before creating a bagless vacuum that worked. Dyson Vacuums is now valued at billions of dollars. Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had his first book rejected by 27 different publishers. Stephen King threw away an entire early draft of Carrie because he was unsatisfied with his product. His wife saved it from the trash and it eventually launched his career. Every failure is a chance to learn, to adapt, and to refine your approach.

Self-Control

A successful sales person doesn’t need anyone other than themselves to hold them accountable. Similarly, you are the only person who truly knows just how valuable you are to a team. While your manager will set certain expectations of you based on your potential, to really excel, you should set even higher standards for yourself. You know what you are capable of. You have the discipline to achieve success. You must answer to yourself at the end of every day.

Exceed Expectations

There’s an old sales saying, “under-commit and over-deliver.” But what happens when you over-commit and still over-deliver? Successful people do more than what is asked of them. They think of their job description as where their job starts, and then they look to add even more value to their team. In addition to proving to others that they are a team player, their work really stands out.

Goal-Oriented

Across all disciplines, it is a proven trait of successful people to remain goal-oriented in spite of any and all surrounding circumstances. The key to obtaining the goals you set for yourself is to approach them strategically. Differentiate short term goals from long term goals and prioritize your progress accordingly. Realize that long term goals are often made up of a number of more easily actionable short term goals. Tackle those short-term goals one by one, and soon you will discover you have achieved the success you deserve.

Be sure to check the Cydcor Blog regularly for more tips on how to become the successful salesperson you are meant to be!

How to Build Confidence in Yourself & Others

Aug 30, 2017

0 min read

Excited coworkers giving high-five at desk in creative office
How to Build Confidence in Yourself and Others

Self-confidence is a quality that can affect almost every part of your life including peer perceptions, decision-making, job performance, and growth opportunities. Learning to feel comfortable in your own skin and believe in yourself can do much more than just improve your well-being, it can directly impact the course of your career. Having low self-confidence can prevent you from accepting challenges that might help you get ahead, stop you from asking for the salary or title you know you deserve, and hamper your journey toward roles of greater leadership and responsibility. Learning to build self-confidence and helping others develop their own self-confidence, can improve you and your team’s prospects for success. Learn how to build confidence in yourself and others with these helpful tips.

  • Act like you Belong

If you doubt your own qualifications or question whether you deserve your job, you’re not alone. What you’re feeling is called “imposter syndrome,” and it affects many successful people, from executives to founders, causing them to doubt their abilities no matter how many great accomplishments they have achieved. You have earned your place, and nobody can take away the work it took to get there. Here are a few small steps you can take to start acting like you belong right now: hold your head high, make eye contact when speaking with coworkers, and shake hands firmly. Body language goes a long way toward conveying to coworkers that you belong there, and not only will it build confidence in yourself, it will build others’ confidence in you, as well.

  • Know your Stuff

Confident people always seem to know what they’re talking about, and that’s because many confident people maintain a student mentality. They constantly seek out and absorb vital information to strengthen their expertise and provide more value to others. When you know your stuff, you’re prepared for tough questions, and your coworkers and team members will notice. Being an expert in your field holds a lot of credibility, and being knowledgeable helps your team members feel more confident about your leadership and about their own chances for success as part of your team.

  • Help Each Other

Mentoring others can help you gain confidence in your abilities. Helping others master critical job skills forces you to hone your own knowledge of those skills, while also improving your ability to communicate essential information to others. Collaboration and coaching also builds confidence in others by helping them feel well prepared and informed to conquer the tasks ahead of them.

  • Work Through Mistakes

When someone lacks confidence, even the slightest mistakes can haunt them. When you or members of your team make mistakes, avoid placing blame or dwelling on what went wrong. Instead, work together to develop a strategy to move forward and avoid that same mistake in the future. The process will help boost your confidence as a leader or colleague, and it will help your team member feel supported and reassured that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Knowing that you have their back can make team members and colleagues feel more self-assured and confident about the work environment and their chances of success.

  • Recognize the Value in Others

As you work with your team, you’ll see the value each of your team members bring, whether that be a skillset or mindset. Recognize team members’ individual contributions, and they will bring that value more confidently to the table. People love to be recognized for things they do well, and they appreciate being coached to overcome their weaknesses. By recognizing things your team members do well, they’ll do the same for you, helping to build confidence for the entire team.

  • Realize is Normal to Doubt Yourself

People don’t like to admit it, but self-doubt is normal. Everyone has doubts and worries about not being the best, the smartest, or the most liked, and even the most confident people struggle to keep those doubts from derailing their goals. Once you recognize that, it levels the playing field. No longer is that keynote speaker an unapproachable business guru, he’s just another person trying to make it, just like you. Remember that your doubts and insecurities are just feelings, and they don’t define you or represent your real potential. Don’t let them stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone or going after your long-term goals and dreams.

Learning how to build confidence starts with just acting the part. Practice using confident body language, even when you’re feeling uncertain inside. Sometimes, the image we present on the outside, helps us begin to feel the part on the inside as well. Use the tips above to bolster your own feelings of self-confidence, and whenever possible, help to support others who may also be feeling uncertain. By focusing on others’ journeys toward growth, you distract from your own self-doubt while helping someone else achieve his or her goals. Throughout that process, you’ll discover that, not only will they become more confident, but you will as well.

8 Ways Motivate and Influence People

Aug 21, 2017

0 min read

Influence: Dictionary close up
8 Ways to Motivate and Influence People

Who doesn’t want to be more influential? People who are influential can drive others to accomplish more and achieve goals, they can inspire action, effect change, and transform people and organizations. Influential people are powerful. They command attention and they garner respect. Being influential means that what you say and do matters, because it sets the tone for others who will strive to follow in your footsteps.

  1. Improve your Skills: To build influence with others, you must first master your own skills. People want to learn from people they believe have expertise, experience, and valuable knowledge to impart. Wielding influence requires an ongoing focus on self-improvement, growth, and polish. It’s not enough to just be good at what you do; those with the most influence are great.
  2. Take on a Challenge: Consider taking a leadership role at a non-profit, where employees are working on a volunteer basis. If you can motivate and get results from people who aren’t driven by the promise of money or success, then you are truly a strong leader.
  3. Become a Great Listener: Being influential isn’t just about speaking; listening matters too. People get excited about leaders who take a genuine interest in them, make them feel important, and who support their goals. Show those you hope to influence that they matter, and they will be more likely to care what you have to say.
  4. Build your Reputation: There’s no shortcut to achieving consistent results, but if you want to be able to influence people, you’ll have to establish a proven track record of success. Model the behavior you hope to encourage in others to boost your own credibility as a leader.
  5. Learn How to Paint a Picture: To communicate in a way that moves others to action, you’ll have to find a way to make your message easily understandable for all. Use descriptive language and clear examples that help your audience fully understand why what you’re saying is true. Start with a story that engages your audience. Use metaphors, analogies, and real-life anecdotes to help to support your argument and drive home your point.
  6. Amp up your Energy: People are like mirrors. We often match our own energy, attitude, and enthusiasm to that of the person we’re communicating with. When attempting to influence people, get yourself psyched up and sell every statement you make like it’s the most important point anybody has ever heard. If you don’t seem excited about it, why should your audience be?
  7. Learn how to Build Bridges: People come from a vast variety of backgrounds and sometimes incompatible belief systems. Being influential and bringing about change requires the ability to connect with a diverse audience and encourage open communication and collaboration between divergent groups and individuals. Sometimes, influencing people is about helping to change their way of thinking to facilitate collaboration between individuals with conflicting views.
  8. Be Confident: If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t possibly expect to make others believe in you. Portraying confidence is key to giving the impression that you are someone worth listening to. It’s normal to doubt yourself sometimes, but if your goal is to become more influential, it’s important to never let them see you sweat. Come to speaking events well-prepared, and practice breathing techniques to sooth your nerves. People who convey self-confidence naturally give the impression of being knowledgeable, authoritative, and competent.

You don’t have to be a billionaire or a genius to influence others. Influence is about moving and motivating others through effective communication. Anyone can build influence by focusing on the way they present themselves and how they deliver their message.  Becoming an influential leader is about much more than getting your way. It can make you an invaluable asset to a business by helping to unite teams, get employees on board with new projects, earn investments, realign thinking, and strengthen partnerships. By practicing the tips above, you may be surprised by your own power to move others to action, and no matter your goals, being more influential is a critical step toward becoming an effective leader and getting things done through and with others.

10 Inspiring Sales Quotes from Movies

Aug 16, 2017

0 min read

Movies are more than just great entertainment. They can challenge our thinking, ignite our passions, feed our fears, stir our emotions, and inspire our dreams. They allow us to escape, but they also allow us to imagine ourselves into the lives we fantasize about. The silver screen can provide valuable wisdom we can carry back with us into the real world, as we work to create our own happy endings.

Here are 10 Great Inspiring Sales Quotes to Motivate any Salesperson:

1) "Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period. All right?" – Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Will Smith and Jayden Smith in Pursuit of Happyness
Copyright by Sony Pictures and other respective production studios and distributors. Intended for editorial use only.

Sure to fire up anyone who’s ever felt like an underdog, this inspiring sales quote from Will Smith, as real-life homeless man-turned-stock broker, Chris Gardner, sums it up beautifully. Anything is possible when you work hard and believe in yourself. As this motivational quote warns, you should never let critics, naysayers, or even well-meaning friends and family convince you that your dreams are impossible. Setting goals is the first step in turning outlandish dreams into reality, so think big, aim high, and believe with your whole hear that you can accomplish anything. You can.

2) "Show Me the Money." – Rod Tidwell, in Jerry Maguire (2006)

Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire
JERRY MAGUIRE [US 1997] TOM CRUISE A COLUMBIA TRI-STAR FILM Date: 1997 Copyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.

Cuba Gooding Jr.’s famous line from this movie about the world of sports agents, is not just one of the best movie quotes of all time, but it’s also the perfect, succinct reminder, that if you aren’t willing to ask for what you want and what you believe you deserve, you can’t expect to get it. As the best salespeople know, negotiating doesn’t have be complicated, and it doesn’t even need to be subtle. Sometimes, being direct is all it takes to get the deal done.

3) "Well, it's no trick to make a lot of money... if all you want to do is make a lot of money." – Bernstein, Citizen Kane (1941)

Orson Welles in Citizen Kane
Copyright by RKO Radio Pictures and other respective production studios and distributors. Intended for editorial use only.

This Everett Sloane quote, from what is possibly the greatest movie of all time shines light on the fact that there’s a lot more to being a successful person than making money. Depending on the individual, true success might encompass independence, accomplishment, influence, helping others, healthy relationships, and let’s not forget, happiness – something many have said money can’t buy.

4) "There is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can't. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that's it, I'm done." – Jim Young, Boiler Room (2000)

Vin Diesel in Boiler Room.
Copyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.

This insightful sales quote by Ben Affleck’s less-than-scrupulous character is an apt description of the dance that takes place during any sales negotiation. A sales pitch involves two people making a case, and only one will win the argument. It’s up to the salesperson to decide who the winner will be. While this film doesn’t paint a flattering picture of salesmen, this quote is spot on.

5) “Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates, Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)

Noah Wyle and Anthony Michael Hall
Half Entertainment and all respective distributors. Intended for editorial use only.

Bill Gates, played by Anthony Michael Hall, in this movie about the cutthroat battle between Apple and Microsoft for software supremacy, makes a great point. It’s tempting to dream about reaching a level of success and wealth at which you can just sit back and enjoy what you’ve built. While there’s nothing wrong with celebrating your wins along the way, it’s never a good idea to take your hands entirely off the wheel. There will always be bumps in the road, no matter how long you’ve been in business. You must always keep your head in the game if you hope to achieve lasting success.

6) "A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing." – Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Ken Spacey and Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, 1992, (c) New Line/courtesy Everett Collection. Copyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.

In Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin plays Blake, a not-so-nice sales trainer sent to pump up a team of real estate salesmen. Baldwin’s character is far from being warm and fuzzy, but this line, from one of the best sales movies of all time, is an irresistibly quotable reminder to keep your eye on the target, stay focused, and get the job done.

7) “Do or do not. There is no ‘try’.” – Yoda, Star Wars (1980)

Luke and Yoda in the Empire Strikes Back
Copyright by Twentieth Century Fox and other respective production studios and distributors. Intended for editorial use only.

Star Wars may not be a movie about sales, or even business, but Yoda has it right. Saying you’ll try is as good as accepting failure before you’ve even begun. Say you’ll do, and you will. Who needs Tony Robbins when you've got an adorable and eternally wise space creature to guide you?

8) “Smile. It enhances your face value.” – Truvy Jones, Steel Magnolias (1989)

The cast of Steel Magnolias.
Copyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.

Who knew that a beautician, Truvy Jones played by Dolly Parton, could offer such on point sales wisdom? The punny quote holds true for beauty and for closing deals. Smiling is one easy way to make yourself, and your product, more appealing to the customer.

9) “Money is not the prime asset in life. Time is.” – Gordon Gekko, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Michael Douglas in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Copyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.

We all know that time is money, and this quote from the sleazy but slick Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglass, drives the point home perfectly. Time is a critical factor in making sales, whether you’re offering a product or service to save the customer time, letting them know that time is running out to act, or offering some luxurious item to help them enjoy their time more. Time is everything, and keeping that in mind can help you make more sales.

10) "The driver has to work harder than anyone. He's the first to show up, and the last to leave. When his buddies are all out drinking beer, he's up in his room studying pictures of turns." – Coach Irv, Cool Runnings. (1993)

The cast of Cool Runnings
Copyright by Walt Disney Pictures and other respective production studios and distributors. Intended for editorial use only.

Who would have thought that a goofy John Candy comedy about the first Jamaican bobsled team could have valuable insight to impart about succeeding in sales? With this quote, John Candy’s Coach Irv perfectly sums up what it means to lead from the front, to model the behavior you want from your team rather than simply demanding it. To get the best possible results from your sales team, you have to be the driver, coming in early, leaving late, and keeping a close eye on the sharp curves hiding on the road ahead.

From good guys, to bad guys, to little green guys with pointy ears, characters in the movies tell us a lot about what it takes to succeed in the business world. Just like real life salespeople, they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they dig in and go after their dreams, they make terrible mistakes, they celebrate victories, and they bounce back from failure. But unlike those wonderful characters up there on the screen, we’re lucky, because we are the ones writing the script.

CANADIAN NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2017 PHOTO CONTEST: OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Aug 16, 2017

0 min read

Image chipmunk maple leaf
Canadian National Conference Photo Contest

Terms and Conditions (Facebook)

Post a photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #gone2natcon anytime from Thursday August 17th (8:00AM PST) until Tuesday, August 22nd (11:59 PM PST) and you will be automatically entered in the Retail National Conference photo contest for a chance to win $100 dollars.  To be eligible, entrants must be (i) at least 18 years of age and (ii) a member or affiliate of a Cydcor independent corporate licensee attending the event (Cydcor employees not eligible). Multiple submissions per participant are allowed. Profanity or inappropriate language or images, as determined by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, will be disqualified. There will be one winner selected by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, and announced via Cydcor’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/CydcorLLC?ref=hl) as well as on Cydcor’s Instagram (@Cydcor), and on Cydcor’s Twitter (@Cydcor) on Wednesday, August 22nd any time after 12:00 PM PST and no later than 11:59 PM PST. This promotional offer is not intended to create a partnership, joint venture, co-ownership or other association between Cydcor and the participant.

This promotion does not have a connection with Facebook in any way and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. By entering the contest, participants agree to fully release Facebook from any and all liability.

Terms and Conditions (Instagram)

Post a photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #gone2natcon anytime from Thursday August 17th (8:00AM PST) until Tuesday, August 22nd (11:59 PM PST) and you will be automatically entered in Retail National Conference photo contest for a chance to win $100 dollars. To be eligible, entrants must be (i) at least 18 years of age and (ii) a member or affiliate of a Cydcor independent corporate licensee attending the event (Cydcor employees not eligible). Multiple submissions per participant are allowed. Profanity or inappropriate language or images, as determined by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, will be disqualified. There will be one winner selected by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, and announced via Cydcor’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/CydcorLLC?ref=hl) as well as on Cydcor’s Instagram (@Cydcor), and on Cydcor’s Twitter (@Cydcor) on Wednesday, August 22nd any time after 12:00 PM PST and no later than 11:59 PM PST. This promotional offer is not intended to create a partnership, joint venture, co-ownership or other association between Cydcor and the participant.

This promotion does not have a connection with Instagram, Inc. in any way and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering the contest, participants agree to fully release Instagram from any and all liability, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.

Terms and Conditions (Twitter)

Post a photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #gone2natcon anytime from Thursday August 17th (8:00AM PST) until Tuesday, August 22nd (11:59 PM PST) and you will be automatically entered in the Retail National Conference photo contest for a chance to win $100 dollars. To be eligible, entrants must be (i) at least 18 years of age and (ii) a member or affiliate of a Cydcor independent corporate licensee attending the event (Cydcor employees not eligible). Participant may not create multiple accounts to enter the contest – the creation of multiple accounts will make participant liable to have all accounts suspended by Twitter.  Any participant found creating multiple accounts to enter the contest will also be disqualified.  Multiple submissions per participant are allowed; provided, however, that the participant posts a different tweet each time.  Participants may not post the same tweet repeatedly (no duplicate tweets).  Posting duplicate tweets is a violation of Twitter Rules and jeopardizes search quality. Profanity or inappropriate language or images, as determined by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, will be disqualified. The winner will be selected by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, and announced via Cydcor’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/CydcorLLC?ref=hl) as well as on Cydcor’s Instagram (@Cydcor), and on Cydcor’s Twitter (@Cydcor) on Wednesday, August 22nd any time after 12:00 PM PST and no later than 11:59 PM PST. This promotional offer is not intended to create a partnership, joint venture, co-ownership or other association between Cydcor and the participant.

This promotion does not have a connection with Twitter in any way and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. By entering the contest, participants agree to fully release Twitter from any and all liability, and agree to read and abide by Twitter’s Rules.

Workplace Culture: Exploring Employee Culture at Cydcor

Aug 9, 2017

0 min read

Cydcor team member at a wine team building event.
Workplace Culture: Exploring Employee Culture at Cydcor

We are a people helping people business. In the fast-paced world of sales, marketing, and entrepreneurship, we know that we succeed when our people do. They are the future of our business, and that’s why every aspect of our workplace culture is designed to help people succeed and achieve their goals. We achieve this by offering unique opportunities such as professional development trainings and conferences, giving back to local and global communities, and much more. Are you ready to write your own story? Learn more about our employee culture and why Cydcor is the right fit for you!

  1. Open and Connected

We know that growing your career takes learning new skills, overcoming obstacles, and taking challenges head on. That’s why Cydcor has an open-door policy, so our team members have face-to-face access to leaders across the company who are invested in helping them succeed. Our people-focused culture encourages open communication and collaboration; not only to share ideas and perspectives about business goals, but also to support each other. Cydcor is not a bureaucracy; our team members collaborate—across multiple levels—to solve business challenges and inspire each other to succeed because everyone has an important role to play.

  1. Socially Responsible

In the spirit of people helping people, our culture includes a dedication to giving back. Globally, Cydcor volunteers time and talent, and raises funds for Operation Smile, which provides children in developing nations free, life-changing cleft lip and palate surgeries. Locally, Cydcor provides team members with paid volunteer hours and partners with local organizations to improve the communities in which we work and live. We do this with a sense of social responsibility, because we value making positive impacts that are bigger than ourselves. Just as our success as a company is strengthened by the success of our people, we as a community grow stronger when members of the community feel supported and free to thrive.

  1. Grit

With over 25 years of sales and customer acquisition experience, we understand the effort it takes to see goals through because everyone, from entry-level team members to senior leadership, has a gusto for getting results. Cydcor fosters a workplace culture where dedication and hard work are appreciated and rewarded, and we celebrate team members who aggressively pursue where they’ll be tomorrow by impacting what they do today. At Cydcor, we don’t give up, and we don’t make excuses. We see it through to the goal line, because we stand by our commitments.

  1. A Focus on Development

Our workplace culture grows unstoppable leaders, because at Cydcor, we build on team members strengths and provide them with the training and support they need to overcome weaknesses. We believe in maintaining a student mentality at all times and that learning should be an ongoing process for everyone from the entry level to the C-suite.

  1. Results with Integrity

We include integrity in our workplace culture because it’s a word we live by. Integrity means knowing what is right and having the guts to do it. At Cydcor, we do what is right, not what is easy, and when we say we are going to do something, we do it well. Results matter, but how those results were attained matters just as much.

  1. Change and Innovation

Cydcor aggressively seeks to improve today by creating new opportunities for a better tomorrow. We know the best solutions to business problems are found with the team members who tackle them, and we’re not afraid to challenge our assumptions and look for new approaches. So we work together to embrace obstacles and relentlessly push through them to bring innovative solutions to life for our teams and clients.

Cydcor thrives because of the high value we place on our team members. Cydcor culture is one that provides an opportunity to believe in each other as well as our shared goals.  It is a place where we believe that hard work, collaboration, and dedication can produce remarkable results. Team members grow professionally, give back to the community, and flex their people skills, while knowing that they belong to an organization that is committed to their personal success as well as that of the company. For more information, contact us today.