Discover practical advice, inspiration, and insights to help you succeed in business and grow both personally and professionally.
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This past Saturday, Cydcor team members, along with the principal and teacher from EARTHS Magnet School, celebrated spring by participating in the school's first gardening day! During the course of the day, the group pulled weeds, helped design and work on a butterfly garden, trimmed trees, and cleaned and completed other garden areas on campus. Cydcor has been working with the school for many months, tutoring children, providing meals for families over the holiday season, and creating a "giving tree" over the holidays, which allowed Cydcor team members to personally buy a gift for an individual child. This community outreach has taken a personal turn for many team members, who have found that working together to help others aligns perfectly with Cydcor's mission - and their own.
With the volunteer help Cydcor provided, the school is now able to execute plans they've had in the works for awhile, but didn't have the budget or time to complete. With Cydcor's assistance, they are able to accomplish many of these goals. Cydcor's goal? To continue volunteering and working with the school to create useful programs for the school. When Cydcor puts its mind to something, it can accomplish anything.
Hooray for Hollywood – and our Rising Stars! These up-and-coming top performers from independently-owned offices across North America were invited to our exclusive event, “Rising Stars,” which was held in Hollywood, California. Attendees were selected from among a network of 250 offices and had a chance to participate in a variety of educational classes and workshops that focused on a number of topics. During the weekend, they were treated to a night on the town at a popular bowling hotspot and a dinner at a well-known restaurant, where they had the chance to form powerful business relationships – and have some fun (there were several celebrity sightings!). To read more about this important weekend, check out our recent press release!
Cydcor is celebrating its 18 year anniversary! For the past 18 years, the company has grown tremendously and achieved numerous milestones, ranging from a move to the United States in 2001 to its most recent expansion into the retail channel. Just recently, Cydcor announced that the company experienced an overall growth of 15.2 percent in 2011 - an example of the hard work and dedication that each and every Cydcor team member and the field puts into the business every day.
Cydcor started as a small Canadian business to a thriving and profitable company that is looking forward to even more growth and expansion. Today, with hundreds of independently-owned offices across North America selling on behalf of major clients, the company is poised to continue its enormous success. Here's to the next 18 years!
By Gary Polson, CEO
Many military historians consider George Washington to be America’s greatest general. He led a tattered, under-equipped, under-manned, and starving army to defeat the greatest army of the world at that time to win our independence.
He was not always such a great military man. As a colonel for the Virginia Colony, he made strategic blunders that led to the slaughter of his men and the start of the French and Indian War. After that defeat, the Governor of Maryland described Washington as a “dangerous mixture of inexperience and impetuosity.” As horrible and humiliated as Washington felt, he did not give up on himself. He learned from these mistakes and eventually became a great general and the first President of the United States.
Like George Washington, we all have setbacks that feel devastating. He is a great example of not letting those setbacks stop us in the pursuit of our dreams.
Gary
All of us at the recent Keys to Success event, an annual kickoff meeting attended by all sales office owners in North America, were so lucky to hear from our guest speaker, Eric Greitens, Navy SEAL and award-winning author of “The Heart and the Fist.” The most powerful part of his message was the mindset required to survive the Navy Seal boot camp. Only about 10 percent of these highly-fit soldiers make it. Eric said that it was not the great collegiate athletes that survived. Instead, it was the ones with the greatest will.
The attributes that he described for the successful are the same ones that are needed for success in our business. Here is a sampling of his comments that I wrote down:
“Confront your fear and push yourself.”
“Courage is the courage of perseverance of willing to do the hard things day after day.”
“People quit when they think how hard it is going to be, but rarely when they are doing those hard things.”
“The Navy Seal challenges are called ‘evolutions’. Your character evolves until you get to the place where you change who you are.”
“To get the life you want, change the compass just a few degrees and march in that direction every day.”
“If you attempt a challenge and do not succeed, the challenge always remains - the challenge always remains.”
Lessons for all of us. Eric, we will always be grateful and learned so much from you during the conference. Your words will stick with us now and in years to come.
Cydcor team members jump-started 2012 with their annual Kick-Off Meeting! During the two-day event, team members from all departments gathered together to network, learn, and brainstorm. Some team members and campaign teams were also recognized during the awards ceremony, which honored those who have made a significant impact over 2011 – and followed Cydcor’s Behaviors We Value.
Cydcor team members also attended an offsite bowling fundraiser, which was donated to EARTHS Magnet School in Newbury Park. The funds were raised through a Queen of Hearts game, which enabled Cydcor to donate more than $600 to the school! Cydcor regularly volunteers time to the school through a specialized tutoring program. Cydcor is looking forward to a great 2012 and beyond!
During a USC class, we learned about a conference that was attended by 60 top business leaders. The leaders were asked to name their biggest fear. All 60 had the same answer, although not the same exact words. For each of them, their biggest fear is that people will find out that they are not so good.
Almost everyone struggles with confidence. Each of us has to realize that success comes from effort, discipline, work ethic, resiliency, preparation, going the extra mile, student mentality and treating people well. Talented people sometimes think that there is a magic formula of business skills to learn to become successful, or that you have to be like someone else. The reality is that anyone can do anything with will power.
All of us need to ask ourselves these questions: How confident are we in our effort? In our discipline? In our work ethic? In our resiliency? In our preparation? In going the extra mile? In treating people well? In our student mentality? If you are confident in these areas, you should be very confident in your success.
Team members at Cydcor recently came together and collected food for the company’s Thanksgiving canned food drive, which supported a local elementary school – and helped 100 families enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner. Cydcor donated 200 cans of green beans and 100 cans of corn and cranberries. They also donated 100 boxes of stuffing, 100 bags of potatoes, and 100 bags of homemade cookies – and provided a $15 gift card for each family to pick up a fresh turkey from the grocery store. An astounding amount of food…and an example of Cydcor’s commitment to giving back.
The Cydcor team members only had two weeks to gather all of the food and meet the company-wide goal, and they succeeded. They jumped at the opportunity to make a real difference in the local community. Two days before Thanksgiving, they went to the school and personally delivered the goods so that families could stop by throughout the day to pick up their Thanksgiving feast.
Cydcor is committed to improving the lives of others and consistently donates time and raises money for philanthropic organizations across the United States – most recently, the company, together with its network of independently-owned sales companies, raised $150,000 for Operation Smile – and were able to fund an entire mission!
What’s next in store for Cydcor?
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, recently received recognition from the American Graphic Design Awards for its monthly publication, The Leader, which is distributed to Cydcor’s network of more than 250 independently-owned offices throughout the United States and Canada.
“The publication showcases our people’s accomplishments, our passion for our clients, and our ongoing ‘student mentality’ that everyone in the field practices. “”
The Leader, a 16-page publication, is designed by Mustang Marketing, a full-service marketing agency in Ventura County, and written and produced entirely by Cydcor’s marketing team.
The publication was entered into the American Graphic Design Awards; out of more than 8,000 entries, less than 15 percent were recognized – and The Leader was one of them. As a result, Cydcor will appear in an upcoming issue of Graphic Design USA with a photo and small blurb.
“Awards for awards sake are not part of a valuable marketing program. However, awards that are an outgrowth of a well-planned campaign and teamwork between agency and client are always a highlight,” said Scott Harris, president of Mustang Marketing. “This one in particular resulted from focused effort by everyone involved and is a particular source of pride for Mustang.”
The Leader goes out monthly to field reps, office owners, assistant managers, and administrators throughout the United States and Canada. The sales statistics of the top sales reps and office owners are highlighted. Also included are interviews, feature articles, and important news items.
“The Leader captures the essence of what makes Cydcor so unique,” said Vera Quinn, chief operating officer. “The publication showcases our people’s accomplishments, our passion for our clients, and our ongoing ‘student mentality’ that everyone in the field practices. “
About Cydcor, Inc.
Cydcor, Inc. 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, retail, 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 some 250 independently-owned corporate licensee (ICL) Cydcor sales offices, providing clients access to more than 3,000 sales professionals. The privately-held company is based in Westlake Village, California. For more information about Cydcor, log on to www.cydcor.com.
Cydcor, Inc.
Gail Michalak, 805-277-5500
As marketing executives focus efforts on the Internet, mobile devices, and other digital avenues to reach or expand their customer base, it becomes easy to overlook one of the oldest forms of outreach to spur business growth – and that is face-to-face sales. Even though face-to-face sales as part of the marketing mix has been successful for many businesses, the approach is often low on the list due to budget concerns and time constraints. It is difficult for businesses to find the staff, training, and resources to execute an extensive sales effort across geographies to target customers in their offices or companies. It is also challenging to find the kind of people with character and follow-through to represent businesses and products well.
The truth is that most companies do not have the internal capabilities to expand their sales force for targeted face-to-face campaigns. To gain revenue and market share, they frequently turn to partners who do. More Fortune 500 companies have hired outsourced face-to-face sales companies, which has unleashed hunters to better identify prospects and close deals. Well-known companies have turned to outsourced sales vendors like Cydcor to market their services and products to small businesses across the country. In addition to top-line growth, the companies are also experiencing bottom-line value by turning over the management and administration of the sales effort, reducing their need to recruit and paying only for successful conversions.
What is driving all of this success? Well-trained, courteous salespeople, the ability to answer questions and customize solutions on the spot, and the personal touch.
Not all face-to-face marketing companies are all alike. Businesses interested in the face-to-face sales approach should weigh the variables carefully before proceeding. Here are some important things to consider:
Track record of success. Like any business partnership, work with organizations that do not just share a vision for success, but deliver on it. Evaluate potential outsourced face-to-face sales firms on the strength of their clients, industry knowledge and relationships, past results and their tenure in the marketplace.
Strength of their sales teams. Pick firms whose business success lies in their ability to hire and manage the most talented full-time, professional sales people, as well as those firms that know how to motivate and inspire their sales teams.
Training and partnership models. Outsourced face-to-face sales partnerships should be just that: partnerships. Look for companies whose compensation is tied with their ability to deliver results. Importantly, the partnering firm should be able to readily translate and deliver training to its sales teams, and help ensure that the culture of the hiring company is presented well in all cases.
Reach. Speed to market is critical for most companies. Face-to-face sales organizations that have local market understanding, national reach and wide experience in myriad industries tend to be better partners because of their ability to incorporate best practices and limit the need for multiple outsourced relationships.
Integrity and Trust. Partnering firms will be your company’s representatives in the marketplace. Pick firms committed to helping your company build a strong and profitable customer relationship while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism to preserve trust, loyalty and integrity of your brand.
As emerging technologies and today’s economic downturn challenge businesses to develop creative marketing approaches, outsourced face-to-face sales as part of the marketing mix can be a sound way forward.
I’m constantly amazed at the dedication, perseverance, and commitment of the participating independent sales companies and internal Cydcor team members, and I’m extremely proud that we have met yet another goal. Collectively, we have raised a total of $150,000 for Operation Smile; the funds will be used for a medical mission to a remote locale in Peru, Cambodia, or Rwanda. Amazing work by amazing, dedicated people.
How did we do this? By coming together and working hard to meet this important goal. In 2010, during our annual R&R event, Operation Smile Ambassador Barbara Majeski announced that all of the independent sales companies throughout the United States and Canada were invited to raise funds for Operation Smile, a children’s medical charity that provides free cleft lip and cleft palate reconstructive surgeries worldwide. Barbara had put the program together and introduced everyone to this cause, which she was extremely passionate about. Many of the sales companies immediately jumped on the opportunity, planning various fundraisers and events to get us closer to our goal. In fact, companies would often compete against each other, showing once again that once they put their minds to something, they accomplish it. At Cydcor, internal team members were working hard as well, raising funds among their family and friends and planning events throughout the year that would help them get to their internal goal.
I’m so happy to announce that we were able to meet the $150,000 goal this month! We did it, and I am extremely impressed by the motivation that each team had to make this a reality. Think about it: Because of the perseverance of our people, we are able to make a significant difference in the lives of children across the globe. They will be able to lead entirely different lives as a result of our hard work. As a people-helping-people business, this is just another example of how we can work together and make tremendous things happen.