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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cydcor, the leading provider of professional in-person sales teams, announced that the company is working with the Ventura Corporate Games to raise funds for Operation Smile, a children's medical charity that provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities for children around the globe.
Cydcor and its network of independently-owned sales offices have been actively fundraising for Operation Smile since 2010 and have currently raised enough for two medical missions - one to Rio De Janeiro and the other to Mexico.
This year will be the sixth year in a row that Cydcor is participating in the Corporate Games, which are held in Ventura, California. Cydcor is a two-time winner of the JD Probasco Spirit Award, 2013 Division-C winner and proud sponsor of the Corporate Games.
For the first time, Cydcor will be sponsoring the game of "Corn Hole," which will raise funds for Operation Smile. The Corn Hole games will now be a Team Unity Award event with championship matches held during Closing Ceremonies on May 10. Corporate Games participants can enter the finals by attending one of the below qualifiers:
"We're committed to fundraising until we reach our third goal of another medical mission," said Vera Quinn, chief operating officer. "The team members at Cydcor enjoy the Corporate Games. Coming together as a team to build relationships and continuing our efforts for Operation Smile are just a win-win."
There are three steps for teams to qualify for the Corn Hole championships on May 10:
To qualify a team for the Corn Hole finals, e-mail ksaville@cydcor.com. To donate, go to www.operationsmile.org/cydcor and click "donate now."
Want to learn more? Like Cydcor on Facebook and follow them on LinkedIn.
About Cydcor
Cydcor is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face Cydcor sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, entertainment, energy, and financial services. Serving Fortune 500 and emerging market clients in the business-to-business, residential, and retail channels through in-store marketing initiatives, Cydcor works with a network of 390 independently-owned corporate licensee (ICL) Cydcor sales offices, providing clients access to more than 4,000 sales professionals. The privately-held company is based in Westlake Village, California. For more information about Cydcor, go to https://www.cydcor.com
As a leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor knows how to create winning relationships with clients. Building trust is the foundation of a sales relationship. Trust takes time, effort, honesty and hard work for clients to feel comfortable with your delivery. Even in your career, moving up at work takes the ability to build trust and sell yourself to future managers or employers. Here are some tips from the experts at Cydcor for building trust in your professional life.
What are some ways that you build trust in the workplace? Tell Cydcor on Twitter!
Last year, Cydcor raised over $270,000 for Operation Smile to help fund cleft palate surgeries for needy children around the globe. In July, the fundraiser surpassed $150,000, enough to fund a medical mission to another country. The mission involves sending doctors, volunteers and equipment to an area where access to healthcare is difficult, and provide screenings and surgeries for children. Cleft palates often result in complications eating, drinking and speaking, and many infants do not survive. Those that do often cannot attend school. Operation Smile hopes to restore millions of smiles and give those children a better chance at thriving.
This week, Cydcor volunteers are in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, meeting some of the people the money they raised are helping. In 2012, volunteers made a similar trip to Brazil, where more than 600 surgeries were provided to children. Cydcor is proud of their partnership with Operation Smile and plans to continue working with the organization in the future.
During the mission, volunteers have had the chance to spend time with the families of the children being operated on and see them through the transition of the surgery. Part of the strategy of Operation Smile is to assist facilities in the field to achieve the ability to provide the treatment of cleft palates and other facial deformities on their own.
You can make a donation to Operation Smile today and support this great cause. Help Cydcor fund another mission!
When an entrepreneur gets an idea for a business, investments need to be made into the idea to make it a reality. Investment is not only a reference to financial backing, but personal time, planning and energy. At Cydcor, we believe today’s job seekers should look to entrepreneurship for inspiration on making career decisions. Treating your resume like a business plan is the best way to create a career that is fulfilling. Starting out can be overwhelming, so it is important to plan and build a winning resume that will get the attention of the employers you want to work for.
Start out by deciding on the job you want the most, then work your way backwards. For example, if you want to be a chief executive officer of a sales and consulting company like Cydcor, then trace the step of the current CEO of the company you like and of its competitors. Learn what skills you need, such as leadership, communication, finance and project management. You can improve those skills through school or various projects. Make a list of skills you need, and the various job titles that will get you the necessary experience, all the way back to the beginning.
Here are some tips on investing in your resume and creating the career you want:
Want more inspiration, support or advice? Check out Cydcor on Pinterest for our all of our posts, reviews and other things we like to share to motivate our community.
In the digital world of today, most people are checking you and your business out online. Using social media can be an excellent way of building trust and supporting your brand. Cydcor uses a wide variety of social media platforms to reach various audiences and spread ideas. Here are some of our favorites and why.
Twitter is a great business tool. For no cost, businesses have access to a high performing platform to connect to your audience. As you work to establish yourself as an accomplished leader, with Cydcor or otherwise, social media can be a good tool to establish a strong network. Twitter is a great real time tool that will allow to easily spread news, ideas, blog posts and expertise to a wide variety of people. You can also use the # sign (a hashtag) to facilitate chats and answer questions related to a specific topic. You can follow Cydcor on Twitter here.
Facebook has a more relaxed feel to it. This platform is more about building community with people who already feel a connection to your brand. Facebook allows users businesses to post a variety of media and allows for each post to have comments, likes or the ability to share. Like Cydcor’s Facebook page.
LinkedIn can be great for recruiting an excellent team and finding other businesses to partner with. Built to be a professional networking site, LinkedIn shows information about companies and the individuals’ work experiences. LinkedIn shows to have a higher rate of interaction if you are promoting your blog or business related articles. Connect with Cydcor on LinkedIn.
Pinterest is a great place to collect ideas, inspiration and blog posts and present them to an active audience looking to share save those ideas. Cydcor has a variety of career-related Pinterest boards that are fun and interesting. Check out the Cydcor Pinterest Page.
What’s your favorite social media and how do you use it to promote your brand?
As a sales company, Cydcor knows it’s a noisy world out there. Creating a strong network for a sales business is hard work, and takes persistence. It can be tough to generate leads, and to get in touch with people. Sometimes, making a good impression means standing out from the crowd and being different. Here are some interesting strategies to make sure you get what you are looking for in your professional life.
Using Google Ads. A few years ago, a job seeker gained national attention through buying Google ads targeted at an employer he wanted to work for. In 2010, Alec Brownstein targeted executives of ad companies so that the right people would follow links to his portfolio. See the video of Brownstiein’s tactics on CBS News.
Introduce yourself to everyone. Use the term “elevator speech” literally. Meet people in line for coffee, in the elevator, at the grocery store. You never know who you are going to meet, and talking to strangers has become an unusual practice, especially in big cities. Being friendly could get you the exposure you are looking for.
Volunteer your time for a local charity. Do not be afraid to use giving back to the community as a networking opportunity as well. Volunteer for tasks that are suited to your skills, or for organizations that reflect your interests and values. Meeting like-minded people is a good networking tactic, and it is work that you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
Plan an event in your field. Brainstorm to find an idea that would attract people in your field to you. Giving a seminar, hosting a networking event or throwing a charity fundraiser would be a good away to get attention and help others do the same.
Write articles to pitch to media sites. Craft an intelligent, informative article for a site like Huffington Post, Fast Company or an industry blog and pitch the article to the sites. Getting published on a high authority site can increase your visibility online and thus have more chops to show potential employers or business opportunities when they search for you.
What was the best connection you’ve made in your career? Let us know on the Cydcor Facebook Page or Twitter.
Professionalism is a way of behaving in a business or work setting that shows others you are reliable, knowledgeable and authoritative. At Cydcor, we pride ourselves in instilling top standards of professionalism for our team members, especially when they are in the field representing clients. Cydcor team members love to have fun at work but also know that basic professional behavior is a key to success.
Many employers refer to professionalism as “employability skills” or simply technical and verbal skills. According to a survey by York College of Pennsylvania last year, many human resource managers reported that professionalism has decreased significantly in recent years. Researchers cited that casual attitudes and a culture of entitlement are the main reasons why young people are coming off as less professional.
Generational gaps in the workplace may be to blame for the sentiment as well. In the age of the start up, many young people are finding jobs where they can act as though they are spending time with friends instead of entering a professional setting, but that style does not work for every work environment. Regardless of what is considered acceptable, being more polished and professional is always impressive, and it is advantageous to have a professional persona for business situations.
Being consistently on time and delivering expected results is the most important part of being professional. Instilling confidence in employers and clients that you can be relied upon will improve your work performance and increase your good reputation. Being on time and delivering results are values that Cydcor champions for our workplace.
Wardrobe can be a touchy subject, but how you present yourself will say a lot about you to a client or employer. Basic grooming and hygiene is important to appearance, but wearing quality clothes that fit well, are pressed and clean will also show that you take pride in your work.
Improving you vocabulary and grammar is also an excellent way to communicate that you are a skilled professional. You can improve your speech by joining a local Toastmasters group and improve your writing skills with a class or by reading books such as E.B. White’s The Elements of Style.
Would you like to join the Cydcor fleet of sales professionals? Find us at the Cydcor Careerbuilder page for open positions.
Incorporating email marketing into your business strategy is a great way to keep track of leads, follow up with contacts, and promote your business. An email marketing web service is a great way to send branded emails, organize your contacts and represent your vision.
The Cydcor Sales blog recommends using email marketing services (Such as Constant Contact, Ace of Sales, Mail Chimp, etc.) as a way to send emails that are visually striking and keep in contact with your network.
Some email marketing services allow users to import their contacts, manage a limited number of and send a variety of branded emails for no charge. A paid account can get you more features and storage, but a small business should easily be able to meet their marketing needs for free.
Features you can find in email marketing software include being able to send pre-designed newsletters, greeting cards, updates and ads to contacts with pictures, company logos and links. Connect your contacts with your website and social media in one, easy to build email.To create an account, just sign up with the email address you most frequently use for business and then confirm. If you want to choose upgraded services you can. Then import your contacts and choose which type of letter you want to send. Newsletters are the most popular. We created this one for Cydcor.
Features we like about email marketing tools include a “drag and drop” option in the design your own email step. You can customize colors to keep your emails consistent with your branding. You can also divide your contacts into lists, so you can send specially tailored emails to existing clients, prospective clients, and your extended network. Email marketing services will also track who received and opened your letters, provide widgets to let people subscribe to your list on your website, and incorporate social sharing buttons into your templates.
Have you used email-marketing services before? What did you think?
Everyone has friends that say, “Oh I just watch the Super Bowl for the commercials.” Indeed, big game advertising is easily the largest ad-spending day of the year, up 70% in the last ten years. Between production cost and airtime, one ad can cost a company $10 million to air. As a sales company, the team at Cydcor is fascinated by the tactics companies take to build their brands, and the commercials are informative as they are fun. Here are our takeaways from Cydcor:
Social Media is huge. Brands and Twitter users live-tweeted the game, commenting immediately on the commercials, sending companies real-time feedback. Many were hoping to strike lightening and garner new followers and make headlines the way Oreo did last year.
Generation Y loves nostalgia and sarcasm. From the hilarious “commercial that never was” online campaign from Newcastle to seeing the men of Full House on a Chobani ad, the marketing this year was clearly targeted to children of the 90’s.
People will engage with your brand for a chance to win. Esurance led the biggest post-game trend by announcing it was giving away $1.5 million to a tweeter using the hashtag #EsuranceSave30.
Puppies are still a viable tactic. Even one of the most masculine brands could not resist using puppies as a ploy. The adorable story of a puppy that is best “buds” with the iconic Clydesdale horse was enough to make anyone swoon. Sometimes just being cute pays off.
The bigger the purchase, the bigger the ad. Car commercials were the biggest production, featuring Jaguar comparing their product to the cunning and precision of British villains and James Franco being dramatically awesome for Ford. It makes sense that companies asking consumers to make such a large purchase would have the most memorable ads. It’s a good reminder that larger sales prospects require more effort.
What did you learn about sales and advertising this weekend? Did you have a favorite commercial? Let Cydcor know on Twitter!
The big game is this weekend, and the competitive of sports has a lot of parallels with sales. Succeeding in both sports and sales requires strategy, winning, rewards and competing. Whether you are looking for a career or another client, using your football fandom can help give you an edge that will help you achieve your goals. The Cydcor team shares its favorite sales plays to attracting clients and building relationships.
The Ice Breaker. Seek out new prospects with a winning personality. Cydcor recommends using the “SEE” principles: smile, eye contact and enthusiasm. Find out what the lead enjoys and find some common ground in the conversation.
The Stat Push. Bring the facts. People are often convinced by solid evidence that what you are offering is a better decision. This includes making sure people recommend your work, testimonials of your success, and information about your product or service. If you have an answer for everything, no one can argue with you. But don’t be too pushy with your knowledge; it can turn some people off. Just be ready for questions.
The Full Rundown. Go through your entire contact list and send each person a quick email or give them a call. This will keep your list fresh and relevant, and you can see if any former prospects have changed their minds about your service. The full rundown can help you prioritize your strategy, and keep you organized
The Hail Prospects. Go all out. Make a list of all ideal people you want to work with and find ways to contact them. Go all out, reach for the top, even if you think it’s impossible. Throw everything you’ve got at your search until something breaks through.
The Double Back. Make sure you follow up with everyone you talk to with a thank you note. Remember as well that past clients may be interested in upgrades or additional products that you have to offer.
What’s your favorite play? You can join the Cydcor community and let us know!
The team at Cydcor had a great conference last weekend at the Keys to Success annual kick off event. This year's theme was Back to Basics, and it served as a great reminder to all our hard working team members that keeping a solid foundation in the basics of business will get you far in your career. The team traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to meet with our group of expert sales affiliates from all over the country. We shared meals, inspiration, celebrations and ideas.
This was the second year that the entire network was invited to the annual kickoff meeting for Cydcor and the event had over 900 attendees.
Want to follow all of Cydcor's updates on how to succeed? Follow the Cydcor LinkedIn page.