Cydcor Blog

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.

Back to Basics was Cydcor's theme for the 2014 Keys to Success conference in San Antonio, Texas last weekend. Cydcor holds the Keys to Success event every year as an annual kick off. The meeting announced awards and promotions for Cydcor team members, and recognized achievers in our network of independently owned sales companies. Cydcor team members and other sales professionals got the opportunity to network and see the sights in San Antonio.
The Back to Basics Conference for Cydcor reviewed what it takes to be successful in the sales and marketing business. Inspirational stories on staying persistent and effective at work was shared across tables and on stage.  Guest speakers encouraged sales teams to stick with it, take care of your people and never give up.

Cydcor had a great time in Texas and the team is looking forward to a great year!

Cydcor team members are not always in the office, because they are out in the world acting as brand evangelists for clients. Traveling frequently can make it difficult to keep the office organized for days that do require deskwork.  Having appropriate storage solutions, cleaning strategy and fun décor for your desk can make your days indoors more productive and pleasant.  Check out Cydcor’s favorite office organizing tips on our new Pinterest board.  In the mean time, here are our favorites.

A place for everything. Make sure you always know where paper, pens, cards, and important information goes.  This includes having a desk caddy (we like the ones with personality!) for any tools you might be using, as well as a place to put books, snacks and odds and ends.

Business card organizers.  A small file box for all of your contact is a great way to keep track of all the cards you collect while traveling and attending events.  A bonus tip: rather than organize them alphabetically, keep them in files by their profession, so you know whom to call when looking for a specific service or information.

Out of sight out of mind.  Papers you never or rarely use should go on the bottom shelf or out of the way on the floor.  No need to clutter up accessible work space with items that do not need attention.

Three ring binders.  Binders with labels are a great way to keep track of papers if you do not have a filing cabinet handy.  Categories for papers could include specific clients, overall guidelines, a tracking of goals or other ways to organize.

Email files. Nothing is better than an empty email inbox! Some emails need to be saved for records, and don’t forget that email providers have the ability to file them into electronic folders.  Keeping your inbox clean with urgent messages marked as such can keep you on top of your game.

Make it fun! Personalized to do lists, calendars, and office décor can be motivating and satisfying.  Make sure it complies with work guidelines, but even a pencil holder can have a fun touch.

Interested in making your office space at Cydcor? Check CareerBuilder for job openings at Cydcor.

Cydcor is a sales company.  We send teams of professionals out into the world and drive revenue on behalf of our clients.  Sales is a competitive field, and can be prove to be daunting for many people.  At Cydcor, team members are driven through professional training, perseverance, and a fun work atmosphere.  Many sales companies to try peddle “the ultimate secret” to selling, but the real secret to a career in sales is that there is no secret.  Sales takes hard work, a winning personality, and persistence.

Hard work means that when you are starting out, sales people need to practice refining skills, building conversation tools, collecting leads and making plans.  Time management skills are crucial, and the ability to learn how to accept rejection.  It is important to stay organized, keep track of which leads need what you are selling, who to follow up with, and what is a good use of your time.  It can sometimes mean long hours, putting in extra time and going the extra mile to make sure that you are coming out on top.

Cydcor sales teams learn that great sales success comes from developing a warm, outgoing persona that is devoted to customer service.  Sales is about giving customers what they want and need, and success comes when they believe you have their best interests in mind.  Smiles, knowledge and solutions go a long way.

Persistence is key to succeeding in any business.  Knowing the difference between “no thank you” and “not today” can make a huge difference.  It is important not to be annoying to customers who are truly not interested, but there are others who may be just not ready, or more open minded later.  A simple email once a month will help your leads keep you in mind.

At Cydcor, we reward team members who take the time and energy to become successful.  Promotions from within, sales contests, awards, conferences and team night celebrations are a common part of the culture.  If you are interested in a career at sales, check out the Cydcor Career Builder Page.

Well into January of 2014, the Cydcor team is ready to make a big impression. There is a lot to live up after such a great 2013. If you have not been to our Cydcor YouTube Channel, we would love for you to subscribe! In the meantime, here is our latest feature: a review of 2013 at Cydcor. Moving forward, it is important to remember all the things our company participated in and accomplished last year.

2013 Highlights Include:

Helping United Way put together packets for elementary school students.

Fun team nights at restaurants and parks.

Winning ten medals in the Ventura Beach area corporate games, including volleyball, basketball, bowling and dodgeball.

Sending delegates to attend the Gala for Operation Smile.

Leadership conferences in Altanta, GA, building success and celebrating unleashed potential.

Summer interns coming in and learning the business of sales and supporting our team.

Being awarded a "Best Place to Work" in Los Angeles County.

Raising almost $300,000 for Operation Smile, funding more than one volunteer medical mission for cleft palate surgeries.

Organizing fundraisers like bowling nights, garage sales and the network wide Day of Smiles event.

Gathering over 100 meals for low income families in the community for Thanksiving.

Giving away gifts with our giving tree to children at EARTHS elementary school.

It was a great year, and we plan on making our 20th year in business even better!