Cydcor Blog

Finding new ways to manage a business is something that’s always on the mind of a leader. There will always be new things to try, but meditation, a practice that’s been around for thousands of years, can bring a new kind of thinking to leadership. Meditation can provide a better way to manage ourselves. A few minutes in the morning or evenings is all that is necessary to help bring the right thoughts to center and to help a person focus. Apple CEO Steve Jobs was famous for it, and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner does it, too. Meditation is something to be taken seriously if you are looking to improve your mind.

A bad day, or news we don’t want to hear, can put a damper on our state of mind. To prevent this from happening, leaders should take ten minutes during the day to meditate. Regardless of your approach meditation, it is just important that you make time for it. It helps get your day back on track, and is a good start to clear your mind.

As a leader, you may find times that its necessary to be brave. Whether it’s going into an important meeting or giving a motivational speech to the team, it’s important to have a confident mindset. Meditation can help get rid of negative thoughts during high intensity situations. By learning to ignore any negative thinking, worries about what could go wrong go away.

Letting go is difficult when there are so many plates spinning at once. So many times, leaders get stuck in a certain way of thinking that prevents them from seeing the whole picture. Meditation can change this way of thinking. It allows a person to attack problems with a different perspective. By getting rid of past thoughts and clearing the mind, answers to questions will appear naturally.

Like most things, it will take effort and dedication to reap the benefits of meditation, including an increase in calmness. You can also have better control over emotions. The key is to learn to focus on finding your own way instead of adopting someone else’s way of thinking.

Learn more about Cydcor by following us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cydcor).

Learn more about what's happening at Cydcor by keeping up with our latest updates on Instagram.

At Cydcor, we know that becoming an effective leader does not happen overnight. It takes effort to learn and practice crucial leadership skills in order to be efficient. Still, people can point out effective leadership when they see it. There are great leaders who naturally become successful, but there are also certain traits that they share. These are a few characteristics of what it takes to be an effective leader.

Optimism

It’s difficult to lead without believing that one day, you will succeed the way you want to. Leaders must have some sort of optimism to keep their hunger for success alive. People will always follow a person who dreams big and knows that everything they want can one day be achieved. Optimism is a trait of leadership that is constantly overlooked but can be effective when trying to gain the trust of team members. Leaders should always be preparing for the future, while still focusing on the present.

Cydcor is on Facebook! Be sure to follow our page (https://www.facebook.com/CydcorLLC) to keep up with our fundraising event for Operation Smile, Day of Smiles!

Look Out for the Team

Leaders must move and think quickly, but they must also take time to pause and pay close attention to how their employees are doing. As a leader, you can’t prepare yourself to lead more effectively if you don’t know what is really happening with your team members. Always be on the lookout for evidence of their state of mind and what support they need to reach success and fulfillment in their work.

Constant Preparation

If a leader fails, it’s usually due to their lack of preparation. When an opportunity is missed, it’s often because a leader did not plan for themselves or their employees to see and seize it. Preparation requires accountability and is a responsibility with multiple factors. Every leader sees through a different lens – therefore, they should know what the short and long term preparation demands are for their employees and the business to be successful

Self-Assessment

An effective leader should always be giving employees a critique to see if they can find improvements in any areas. By looking at what the team is doing correct and what they need to work on, leaders can better identify with a team. Checking in with ourselves is never a bad idea.

Make Tough Decisions

Without fail, leaders are called on to make choices that impact both their organization and the people they lead. People want to follow a person who weighs all the options. In other words, good leaders make important decisions based on what’s best for the organization -- and they make them confidently. You will have to make a tough call from time-to-time, but with the right amount of sureness and groundwork, anything is possible.

Big bank accounts aren’t the only thing that millionaires have in common. In order to find success, millionaires have to fully develop traits including courage, vision, and passion. Millionaires use a different line of thinking than everyone else. It’s not just about money, but life as a whole. Since thoughts have an effect on actions, people who want to one day be a millionaire should have the mindset to do so. Here are a few traits that many millionaires share:

Vision

Millionaires are creatives who are constantly seeking the next master plan. These people not only have big dreams, but they also believe that those dreams will one day come true. As such, wealth seekers should set lofty goals and not be afraid of uncharted territories. Professionals need to be constantly scheming about the next step and never dwelling on the past.

Passion

In order to fully reach peak potential, people need to be passionate about what they do for a living. Being able to enjoy work allows a person to build discipline and work their hardest every day. Ask any millionaire, and they’ll tell you that they enjoyed their journey to the top, no matter the difficulty. They believed in what they were doing and knew they really had something to work with. Find that passion, and one day you will realize you’ve loved what you’re doing for years.

Salesmanship

How are your sales skills? Millionaires are constantly pitching their concepts and plans, trying to sell others on the idea. Many millionaires also have well-developed social skills. Being able to converse with anyone and tell their side of the story makes things a lot easier. Developing sales skills, either professionally or on the side, can add a lot of weight to their business abilities.

No Fear

No one wants to find out they haven’t been successful with their latest endeavor. Most of us are afraid of failure. The thought of failure brings about a negative reaction and immediately brings up our insecurities. However, being afraid of failure also creates a fear of changing things. Nothing ever grows in the comfort zone. Millionaires know that failure is an essential part of success. We learn many things from falling down, but what matters is how we get back up. For millionaires, failure is just one step closer to real success.

For more information about Cydcor, be sure to follow us Instagram to keep up with the latest from our offices!

Cydcor is the worldwide recognized leader in outsourced sales teams and customer satisfaction.

When a business can deliver quality customer satisfaction on a regular basis, they tend to have a greater advantage over the competition. A good experience with a company encourages consumers to go with them again and builds company loyalty. When customers are satisfied, so too is the company that provides for them. Building customer satisfaction and reducing customer overturn is a long and sometimes difficult process. Taking the time to focus on boosting employee satisfaction can help drive sales by providing a friendly, professional, and engaging customer experience.

Listening is key to effective customer satisfaction. Not only does it have potential to boost profits, but it shows that you genuinely care about customers. Listening to their words and tone can tell you many things about the target audience of your business. If you can’t respond immediately to their inquiries, be sure to provide a timeline for response and make a note in to do so. Following up is also key to checking for customer satisfaction and completion. Customers have an expectation of the kind of attention and service that is delivered to them. Always strive to deliver quality results.

Excellent employee training can help customer satisfaction quite a bit. Customers can often tell the difference between an untrained employee who doesn’t care much about their wishes and one who provides consistent service and unmatched attention. Companies need employees who are flexible and can understand why customers are buying their services or products. Unfortunately, customers tend to get a company representative who cannot see the big picture with the company’s goals.

Intuitively, people who are at first exposed to customer satisfaction findings believe that the way forward is to examine individual customer responses and deal with each of them in turn. Salespeople understandably want to visit customers who have given them a low score and put them right. However, this isn’t the best approach. Professionals should take a look at the overall score of client feedback and use that to go forward. Typically, employees make the same mistakes with all customers, and these can be corrected easily. Looking at the whole picture and not just a section will always get you farther.

Building customer satisfaction isn’t an easy road, but it can make professional lives much easier. The way forward is to deal with problems within the system and not just focus on individual issues. A company should always seriously look into how they want to handle customer satisfaction. The company that puts a larger emphasis on this tends to do well.

For more information about Cydcor, visit us Flickr!

Making the most of feedback, positive or negative, is a crucial skill for professionals, especially those that are on the Cydcor team. In order for us to grow, we must know what we’re doing right, but also we need to know what we can improve on. It can be tough to accept feedback because it’s coming from an outside source. We’re used to doing things a certain way, and when someone says it should be done in a different manner, we can get defensive. Accepting feedback isn’t the easiest task, but with experience, we can make the most of it. Here are three steps to accepting feedback:

Listen. Be attentive and listen carefully to what this person is saying. This communicates that you value the feedback, and it ensures that you understand the feedback being provided. Everyone deserves to be heard, so always give people a chance.

Assess. Either the feedback will support the work you’ve been doing, or go against it. If it’s positive, then you have earned another supporter. If it’s critical, you either go with it or go against it.

Negative feedback can hold within it a lot of useful information that is simply too valuable to ignore. Sometimes even when you agree with the contrary feedback, you will be inclined to defend your position. Don’t waste time on this sort of defense! Accept the feedback, analyze its value, and apply it.

Act. If you ask for feedback but do not apply it, then there wasn’t much reason to ask for it in the first page. Take action as soon as possible after you receive feedback, and show your appreciation. If we aren’t able to at least consider some changes after receiving feedback, there’s no point in hearing it at all.

A key thing to remember about accepting feedback: it is one opinion coming from another individual's perspective. It is up to you thoughtfully reflect about it, compare it to other feedback you have received, and do something about it. It’s extremely difficult for us to see ourselves as others see us, but it’s also very important that we don't allow blinders to get in the way of opportunity. As you learn more about yourself, feedback will become less painful. You will learn how to put it into a larger perspective and how to use it to better yourself for the future. Feedback is honestly one of the best gifts to receive from colleagues, and us at Cydcor always try to make the most of it.

A few sentences will rarely ever change our lives for the better. It’s up to us to go out every day and actively seek a better self. Words are just words, but when applied to our behavior in life, they can create a new meaning. The following are excellent quotes that are meant to not only inspire, but to help others think about the potential they have within. In Cydcor’s opinion, these are the most inspirational quotes ever spoken:

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill

Putting things off until later or waiting to start a positive habit on Monday never gets us anywhere positive. Time is never going to be perfect; take action today to start seeing results.

“Do What You Can, where you are, with what you have.” – Teddy Roosevelt

Many people fall victim to feeling helpless, so Roosevelt makes a good point. Doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re located, or how much wealth you have. Do anything you can to keep yourself growing toward positive habits.

“Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.” – Arthur Christopher Benson

Changing habits and things you don’t like about yourself is key, compared to just moving to a new place. Although there will be benefits to starting somewhere new, no real change can happen if you don’t look in the mirror and see what needs to be changed first.

“The creation of a thousand is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quotes is largely focused on potential. We tend to look at tough situations and automatically think there’s not much to work with. The potential of each little step we take to better ourselves means a lot. The moral of the story is that big things come in small packages.

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

Never worry how life is going to working out. The only thing we ever need to worry about is if we are putting in the necessary effort. Ayn Rand makes an excellent point that it should never be a question of if what we’re doing is the correct path. Trust in yourself and never let anything get in your way of fulfilling your dreams.

“Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

This is a great quote that speaks to taking the action necessary for any situation. If change is what we seek, it’s required for us to put in the effort. Never just dream about where you could be; get out there and get where you want to be today.

Cydcor here, for all your business, sales, and leadership advice!

The amount of companies and brands on social media continues to grow. A large part of reaching an online audience requires excellent social media skills, and companies only hire the best to represent their online interests. The following are a few tips to remember when managing a company profile on social media, and how you can grow your company page into something bigger and noteworthy.

Consistency is Key

Posting on a consistent basis is the first step to managing a company page well. No one wants to follow a company that only updates their account once a month. Post updates on a regular basis, but don’t post so much that you annoy your followers. Balance is always the best way to handle things.

Establish a Voice

A company page’s updates should have a professional voice that can still be approachable. While your posts should be consistent, it’s also important to note the way sentences are phrased and whether or not they fall in line with the voice your company represents. Depending on the type of audience, an online voice can be playful or stern. Realizing which one suits you best is key to establishing a good rapport with followers.

Check out Cydcor on Flickr for our latest photos of company events and office going-ons!

Know Your Audience

Who are your followers? An online audience on social media for a company is typically made up of fans, employees, family members of employees, and potential employees. Be sure to tailor updates to each part of your body of followers. It’s also a good idea to take note of what times of day you receive the best engagement--use this to guide when you post in the future.

Be Respectful

The worst thing that can happen on social media is to offend a large part of an audience and receive negative feedback. Always try to play it safe while still taking chances and being innovative. Audiences like brands that have a sense of humor but are still respectful of everyone’s feelings.

Showcase the People Who Make Up the Company

People who follow your pages want to know more about the people that make up your company. Be sure to showcase any office goings-on or charitable events. These posts tend to do very well with engagement.

Are you a big pinner on Pinterest? Follow Cydcor today!

Most people will find themselves from time-to-time not performing up to their potential. It’s usually one or two things holding them back, and with the right coaching and mentoring, they can correct their flaws. When finding these types of toxic employee traits, it’s important to realize they can be fixed. Office leaders must work with their team to get rid of these flaws and improve on overall performance. A team that focuses on ridding themselves of the following toxic employee traits will rapidly find success.

Frequent Complaining

Everyone needs a few moments to grumble about something they aren’t happy with, but there are always people who don’t do anything about it. Leaders must work with these people to make improvements on their attitudes. By eliminating frequent complaining, a team can work more efficient and not sweat the small stuff.

Excuse Making

A professional always owns up to their mistakes and is willing to work toward fixing them. An employee who makes excuses on a daily basis does not demonstrate much responsibility. Make it clear that excuses will not be tolerated. Taking responsibility for actions is key to maturing into a true leader.

Gossiping

A strong team requires trust and faith in each other, and gossiping goes against both of these things. A team with the strongest bond possible will always trump anyone else. This may require extra time on team building exercises, as well as getting to know a team outside of work. When everyone can trust each other, there’s no point in spreading rumors.

Passivity

People who settle for less have no place on an all-star team. People who take initiative and aren’t afraid to be leaders will find themselves evolving for the better. Stressing the idea that everyone’s future is in their own hands can give a team that final push they’ve been looking for.

Non-Team Players

Everyone can work well solo, but they need to be able to collaborate with a team, too. When someone has an attitude that screams “my way or the highway,” it’s tough for others to cooperate. Let team members come up with solutions together, and reward those who are willing to work with others to get the job done.

Follow Cydcor on Facebook to keep up with the latest happenings of the recognized outsourced sales leader.

Being inspired by a work of art is not unusual for many professionals. For example, finding motivation and inspiration in a film can lead to thinking bigger. The following are four films that can teach an entrepreneur the values needed to succeed in the business world. They also offer valuable life lessons on how to succeed when the going gets tough.

Glengary Glenn Ross

A film focusing the Chicago real estate scene, Glengarry Glen Ross is essential for anyone looking to get involved in the business and sales industry. Being an entrepreneur means volunteering for a brutal world, and this film gives good insight on what it’s going to be like. These real estate salesmen put it all on the line when stakes are high, and the pressure is on. Additionally, it’s worth watching for the motivational scene with Alec Baldwin giving a pep talk to the main protagonists.

The Aviator

Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for an Oscar for his take on famous movie director and aviator Howard Hughes. Facing huge obstacles to get his work made, Hughes spent massive amounts of time on his attention to detail and perfectionism, and it shines through his work. For an entrepreneur, this film shows that it’s never going to be easy or simple work, but it will be worthwhile. Howard Hughes serves as a shining example of the dedication required to make a name for yourself.

Risky Business

The movie that put Tom Cruise on the map, Risky Business is much more than one scene of a guy dancing in his underwear. Heading out of town, Joel’s parents leave the house and their Porsche to be cared for by their teenage son. Things go awry, and Joel finds himself in a situation where he needs cash fast. This is an interesting film about thinking outside the box when things get tough. Joel may not make the soundest decisions, but he goes with the flow and ends up succeeding. This is the path of an entrepreneur: taking chances to get the biggest results.

Rocky

Although not much to do with business, Rocky tells an amazing underdog story for anyone to enjoy. The rags to riches story of Rocky Balboa is heartwarming, emotional, and encouraging. Uneducated but with a heart of gold, this small-time club fighter gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship. This film can teach an entrepreneur that you don’t need to be the biggest dog in the fight to succeed. All it takes is proper training and work ethic to outmatch the competition.

Learn more about Cydcor by heading over to the Cydcor Sales YouTube channel.

Are you finding yourself with a lot less time on your hands than usual? Life can get hectic, and it’s easy for someone’s schedule to get too full. Here are a few simple tips to do today that can help anyone get more things done!

Stick To a To-Do List

Every morning, create a to-do list with the things that MUST be done today. Even if there are only a couple of things on the list, it’s always nice to be able to cross something off.

Wake Up Earlier

How early do you wake up before work? If possible, try and set your alarm at least 30 minutes earlier than usual. Those 30 minutes can be used for things such as exercise, relaxing hobbies, or even starting on work earlier than usual.

“Eat the Frog”

One of the most famous phrases used for procrastinators, “eat the frog” means to finish the most dreadful task before anything else. It will make the day much easier, as well as give you motivation knowing that you accomplished the hardest thing for the day.

Clean Things Up

Is your workspace as tidy as it can be? Cleaning and putting things away can replace chaos with order. This can also lead to fewer distractions, and maybe even a few positive comments from co-workers!

The Don’t Do List

So we’ve now set up our to-do list, but have you ever tried a don’t-do list? This is a list of things you never want to do during the day. Some examples can include procrastinating, checking social media, or even day dreaming too much. Write them down, and be sure to avoid committing the crimes.

Stay Healthy

Exercise has been proven to be a great way to relax. It also is an outlet to get any frustrations out. For those that have no interest in intense workouts, try out some yoga!

Meditate

Even 10 minutes away from your desk can help you clear your head. Trying meditation is one of the most beneficial things you can do; plus, it can also help to make better decisions when you can think plainly.

Get Off the Grid

When we participate in social media or text with others, it can become too easy to get distracted. Put your phone away for thirty minutes and bust out some work. You’ll be thankful that you’re in the zone without anyone bothering you.

Take a Break

Working for eight hours straight with no breaks is not healthy, and can lead to more stress and anxiety. Don’t feel guilty for taking a break from time to time. Just make sure you’re working hard enough to deserve it!

Read More

Reading can make you smarter and also more informed. It’s also a great getaway from the business of life. Go outside and read a chapter of a book that interests you. It’s a great way to accomplish a small goal while getting intellectual benefits.

What are your favorite ways to be more productive and get more things done? Let us know in the comments!

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the world today. Although it may have become harder to innovate and come up with the next big thing, there’s still a possibility that it exists somewhere close. The following are a collection of quotes to motivate any entrepreneur.

“It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.” —Edwin Land, Polaroid co-founder

This quote speaks to any person who likes to dream big. Nothing grows in the comfort zone, so be ready to put yourself out there and think outside the box. We don’t always require genius new strategies. It’s about looking at what you have, and moving forward from there.

“Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” —Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder

It’s rare for a person to strike it big without putting in the hard work that’s needed. Biz Stone puts things in perspective. What really goes on behind the scenes of the world’s biggest successes? Often, much more than most people realize.

“Risk more than others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” —Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO

There is no reward without risk. Every day, a decision will need to be made that may not have a guaranteed happy ending. Dream big, and don’t be afraid to take the necessary chances.

“The most dangerous poison is the feeling of achievement. The antidote is to every evening think what can be done better tomorrow.” Ingvar Kamprad, Founder of IKEA

Kamprad makes a simple point: never be satisfied. No matter how much success you have found, always look to the future and discover what else can be done to improve the world. By keeping focused on what else can be done, achievements can be that much sweeter.

“If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” Mark Zuckerberg, Co-founder and CEO of Facebook

Not one person in the world has a playbook of shortcuts in life. To really get to where you want to go, always keep in mind the things you feel passionate about. Every step toward that passion, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.

What entrepreneurs have inspired you? Let us know in the comments below!