While it’s important to know what you should do in meetings and negotiations, knowing what you shouldn’t do is often just as important – and it begins with bad body language.

The best sales managers know that while you may have a polished sales presentation, tasteful attire, and a product that practically sells itself, you can still miss out on closing a sale if your body language is out of sync with your words. While it’s true that first impressions make a lasting impact, cumulative body language is important. If you are in the habit of demonstrating any of the following body language in sales meetings, it could be enough to hurt your sales performance, turning a potential yes into definite no.

1. Crossing your arms. This communicates disinterest and a lack of confidence. Unless it’s done to make an obvious point, crossing your arms only serves to interrupt the flow of a productive dialogue.
2. A weak handshake. A limp handshake exudes zero enthusiasm and suggests a lack of confidence as well. Whether it’s cold and boney, or warm and fleshy, a weak handshake is just plain creepy and should be avoided.
3. An overly firm handshake. On the other hand, clamping onto a prospective client’s hand as if yours was granite and theirs was a water balloon is not a wise strategy. Winning the battle of the overly firm handshake will not generate a sale. Rather, it may actually hurt the other person’s hand and leave them with a negative impression of you.
4. Standing too close or touching too much. Many people are sensitive to others invading their personal space. Be aware that standing too close to someone or touching someone overly much can be seen as invasive. Pay attention to the other person’s body language, too, though; what is invasive to one person might seem merely friendly to another.
5. Not smiling. Smiling shows warmth and excitement and can serve to compel the prospective client to find you likeable. When you don’t smile, the opposite is true; your facial expressions may seem uninviting or unapproachable.
6. Avoiding eye contact. When you avoid meeting another person’s eyes, it conveys that you may have something to hide or you can’t be trusted. Your goal is to establish trust and make the sale, so focus on maintaining eye contact when possible to further your cause.
7. Don’t be a statue. While it’s bad to fidget, slouch, or cross your arms, standing perfectly straight and still can be creepy. It’s best to stand professionally, but naturally, so you look comfortable and the customer feels comfortable too. Try to mirror their posture.
8. Hiding your hands. In an attempt to look more professional, some people try to contain their hand gestures when talking. However, talking with your hands can actually help make your point and reduce filler words and perceived hesitancy. Also, showing the palms of your hands while speaking indicates openness and honesty.

There is no overstating the importance of presenting good body language in sales or any business interaction – it can make all the difference. Don’t send the wrong message with self-sabotaging nonverbal communication. Be prepared and well-rehearsed when you walk into a meeting. Be conscious, too, about what you do while you are speaking. You are, after all, providing visual accompaniment to your eloquent words. Once you ensure your words and actions match up, you’ll start to notice fewer closing doors and more closing sales.

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If you’ve caught yourself demonstrating some of these examples of bad body language in sales meetings, consider the correction of it one of your professional New Year resolutions.

If you’ve been using our negotiating tips, then it’s entirely likely a sale is on the horizon – so it’s important to be able to recognize it. As a salesperson, it’s important to stay tuned into the customer and what he or she may be feeling, thinking, or doing. It easy to get too caught up in delivering the perfect sales pitch or projecting energy and forget that sales is a two-way communication. It involves give and take; the exchange of information to and from both parties. Customers are constantly sending signals about what they want, what they need, and what they are thinking. And, if you just learn to pay attention, and know what buying signs to look for, these messages, both verbal and non-verbal, can make your job as sales person a whole lot easier.

Buying signals are indications the customer gives that he or she may be nearing a decision about your product or service and may be interested in making a purchase. These ready-to-buy cues, can be easy to miss if you’re too focused on what you need to say or do next. Learn some of the most common buying signs, so the next time a customer is ready to buy, you won’t miss out on the sale.

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Here are 10 buying signs not to overlook:

1. Asking Lots of Questions: Never get irritated if a customer grills you with questions. If a customer asks for more information about the product, the warranty, the price, the terms and conditions, what the service includes, how delivery works, or almost anything else, they are interested. Questions are a clear buying sign, because think about it, if you were not interested in a product, what would you do? You’d probably just walk away, right? Exactly. Customers don’t ask questions just to be polite, or to annoy you. They are asking questions because they need more information to decide about your product. Once you know that, all you have to do is give them all the exciting information about your product or service that you know will make them feel great about making a purchase.
2. Focusing on One Particular Product Type: If a customer keeps hovering around a particular version of the product or keeps coming back to a particular service package, they are telling you that’s the one they would like to buy. Don’t overlook this important buying sign, and instead of spending your time trying to sell them on other versions of the product, seize the opportunity to close the deal.
3. Looking Around for Help:Customers don’t usually like being bothered while they are shopping, so a customer who is looking around for someone to help her is usually interested in buying something. This body language should be an immediate signal to you to engage with this customer.
4. Asking Another Person’s Opinion: When customers reach out to others for their opinion, they are interested in making a purchase. They may simply need reassurance that the product or service they’ve chose is the right one for them. As the sales rep, you can help build their confidence to close the deal.
5. Fiddling with their Wallet: Customers may not realize they’re doing it, but when someone is ready to buy, they may handle their wallet or touch their money. Make sure to stay cued in to this subtle, but important buying sign.
6. Handling the Product or Sales Material: When customers touch or hold the product, they are unconsciously picturing themselves owning it. This may also be true of customers who spend a lot of time holding, touching, or staring at the brochure or sales sheet. When customers are hands on, make sure you’re paying attention and are ready to help them make the purchase.
7. Nodding and Eye Contact: Customers who keep their eyes locked on you are showing that they’re comfortable with you and interested in what you’re telling them. Nodding their head shows agreement with what you’re saying. Customers who show both of these non-verbal, buying signals are demonstrating their interest in your product.
8. Parroting: If a customer repeats back anything you’ve said in your sales pitch, especially if it’s the product benefit statement, it shows they are paying attention to what you’ve been saying and they are interested in that aspect of the product or service. So, if they say, “So I can save $20 a month if I choose this package?” make sure to give them the details they’re looking for. That customer is ready to buy.
9. Making “If I had” Statements: When a customer asks rhetorical questions like, “So if I had this tablet, I could stream my show anywhere?” they have already imagined themselves owning the product. These kinds of statements are clear buying signs.
10. Showing Excitement: When customers make exclamations like “Wow!” “Really?” and “Nice!” they are not just being polite. Most customers won’t bother. They are showing genuine interest in your product or service and that is a buying sign that should not be ignored.

Listening and paying attention is just as important as saying the right things when trying to make a sale. Customers communicate a lot about how they’re feeling about the product for sales people who are willing and able to pick up their signals. Overlooking these, sometimes subtle, buying signs could mean missing out on sales and doing more work than necessary. Becoming an expert on customer behavior and learning the classic buying signals can make selling a whole lot easier by giving you valuable information about the kind of customer you’re dealing with.

It’s not always what you say that makes the biggest impression. Before you even open your mouth, nonverbal habits you’re not even aware of could jeopardize your ability to make a good impression, close a deal, get promoted, or earn a new customer. Professional body language is critical to any business exchange, and it’s just as important to be aware of the things you’re not saying as it is to be aware of what you are. In other words, through your posture, body language, habits, and tone, you may be speaking volumes without even uttering a word.

The following eight professional body language mistakes might be making you look bad even when you’re saying all the right things:

1. Slouch. Didn't your mother always tell you to sit up straight? Mom was on to something. Not only does slouching make you seem detached and uninterested, but it’s also high school behavior. You’ll feel and look better if you sit up.
2. Drum your fingers. This is one of those unconscious habits that is immediately obvious to everyone except the perpetrator. It says that you can’t wait for the meeting to end. Don’t be the finger drummer in the room.
3. Avoid making eye contact. If you’re hoping to forge a connection or further a relationship, you need to make eye contact. Not doing so implies that you have something to hide or that you are not open or trustworthy. People hear with their ears, but they remember with their eyes.
4. Make too much eye contact. On the other hand, maintaining prolonged or constant eye contact can be perceived as threatening, uncomfortable, or just plain creepy. No one likes to feel like they are under a microscope. Communication is a give-and-take experience, and if the conversation, presentation, or interaction is authentic, the appropriate amount of eye contact will take place in a natural way.
5. Check the time incessantly. Nothing takes the focus out of the moment like a glance at the clock or your wristwatch. This essentially says, “I am not engaged in what you are talking about. I am instead thinking about what I’ll be doing as soon as this meeting is over.” Resist the urge to check the time and focus on the conversation instead.
6. Check your phone or email. Rude as it may be, we’ve all done it at least once. Get caught, and you telegraph disinterest, lack of focus, and disengagement. Avoid the temptation to go down the smartphone rabbit hole during a meeting. While checking email is bad form, responding to an email is a more egregious infraction, to be sure.
7. Act invisible. Want to stand a ghost of a chance of getting ahead? Don’t attempt to fly under the radar. That just makes you look unsure of yourself. Stay engaged and establish a physical presence as well. Taking up space in the room shows power and confidence. Lean forward while seated. Widen your arms and place them on the table. When standing, widen your stance. Legs too close together can make you look unsure, hesitant, or wobbly. Widening your stance can help you look stable, grounded, and confident.
8. Fidget. Don’t bounce your knees, twirl your hair, click your pen, touch your face, or rub your hands together. While these habits might calm your nerves, they also paint you as uncertain, uncomfortable, and not credible.

Body language in meetings and exchanges can make a world of difference in your business conversations. Everything we do communicates something, so why not communicate as clearly as possible. Avoid these eight body language mistakes during your next meeting, and when you do have the opportunity to speak, your words will have the impact you’re hoping for.

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“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy

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Growing up, we learned that all failures are bad. So when we did fail, it hung over our heads as an unpleasant reminder of what happens when we try something new. But failure can be good when we learn from it, and embracing the “fail fast and fail often” mentality, which focuses on risk-taking and innovation, can turn one step backward into two steps forward. Failure is a powerful teacher. It shows us what doesn’t work, so we can more quickly find our way to what does. Failing in sales and business can often be an effective and even necessary route to mastering the art of the pitch and closing more deals.

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Learning from failure is a powerful skill that takes confidence in our abilities and strength to admit fault. Here are some strategies to turn a setback into a comeback:

Don’t Worry About What You Can’t Control

You can’t change what’s out of your control, and worrying about it will only make things worse. Take stock of what you can control, such as your planning and skillset, and use it to re-evaluate your process to prepare for a better outcome.

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Own it

Everybody fails. Own it and forgive yourself, then learn from it and turn this negative into a positive. The best thing to do is to be honest with yourself and set your mind on improving, and the only way you can truly do that is taking responsibility for the missed opportunity.

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Revise the Plan

Before you set out, what was your plan? Often times, the cause of failure is a simple oversight or misplaced effort in the planning phase. Focus on everything that happened before the failure and see what can be changed; there may be one or two things you could’ve done that’ll seem obvious with hindsight.

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Seek an Outside Perspective

Sometimes we’re unable to see the cause of our failure because we lived it. An outside perspective from someone you trust, such as a mentor who is in a better position to see where things went wrong, might provide helpful guidance. Be open and honest with them about your failure; it’ll make you feel better to talk about it, and your mentor will respect you for seeking honest feedback and learning from it.

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Believe in Yourself

Something went wrong, so trust yourself to make it right. It’s too easy to dwell on failure and beat ourselves into submission. A failure doesn’t make you a failure if you learn from it. Believe in your abilities and your strength to move forward because you will get better. Take risks. Expand your comfort zone. One day, you’ll look back on this and be glad it happened because it made you realize your true potential.

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Try Again

The worst thing to do after a failure is stop trying. Failure can be a gift when it provides insights that help you perform better on the next attempt. When you give up, you waste that valuable information. Learn, grow, and keep moving, and this time you might just win big. There’s only one way to find out.

Setbacks are stressful, and can keep us from chasing our goals if we let them, but the courage to own it and learn from failure helps us pivot onto stronger ground for new opportunities. Millionaires and celebrities are no strangers to this; they’ve all experienced failure. Can you imagine if Steven Spielberg quit making movies after being rejected from film school? The most important thing to do after a failure is to learn from it and try again.

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With the help of these strategies, your feelings of failure will subside and you’ll become even more confident in reaching your goals.

When asked about New Year’s resolutions, common responses are losing weight, getting a new job, and saving more money. For entrepreneurs, the answer is more complicated as business New Year’s resolutions require greater specificity and accountability, and the motivation to see them through.

As you and your team plan for the year ahead, consider these six, actionable business New Year’s resolutions:

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1. Connect with More Customers

A new year means new opportunities to connect with more customers and grow your business. Learn as much as you can about them from social media, analytics platforms, internet forums, and blogs. Check in with existing customers and get feedback for improvement. Your customers will appreciate your proactive interest in them, and in turn, you’ll be on track to strengthen relationships and build new ones.

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2. Communicate More Effectively

Miscommunication wastes time and affects morale. Nobody likes repeating themselves, and time spent clarifying is better spent knocking out approaching deadlines. Save time and help your team feel heard by asking for feedback and advice on what works best for them. Whether it’s less emails for more one-on-ones, or using a productivity tool, effective internal communication helps make all other goals seem more possible.

3. Learn a New Skill

Successful people are always learning; their student mentality keeps them open to new perspectives and innovation. Whether it’s to benefit your work or fuel a passion project, learning a new skill will help boost your confidence and give more opportunities to network with others in classes and workshops.

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4. Make Time for Yourself

Running a business is hard, but it’s harder when you’re burnt out. Resolve to make time for yourself this year and set expectations with clients and colleagues, even if it’s only for a lunch break or turning your phone off after dinner. Often, complicated tasks become less complicated when you’re feeling refreshed. Taking time off allows your mind the room it needs to wander and connect the dots in unexpected ways.

5. Expand Your Comfort Zone

Make an effort to take more calculated risks and tackle different projects. It seems daunting, but the benefits far outweigh the intimidation. Expanding your comfort zone creates room for real growth and empowers you to chase new opportunities for your team, your business, and your clients. Plus, it shows that you’re versatile and bold, who wouldn’t want to do business with someone like that?

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6. Set More SMART Goals

Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goal setting is how successful people get large projects done. That also goes for New Year’s resolutions, which have a tendency to get dropped around January 7^th. Keep your business New Year’s resolutions on track this year by setting more SMART goals, and ask your friend how that gym membership is coming.

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When brainstorming your resolutions, reflect on these powerful business quotes for the New Year:

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Mark Twain
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"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one."

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Ben Stein
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"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

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Peter F. Drucker
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“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

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Oprah Winfrey
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“Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.”

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As you go into the New Year, effectively manage your resolutions by ensuring they stay top of mind. Consider printing them out and giving everyone a copy, and sending reminders when appropriate. Although these are business New Year’s resolutions and quotes, the advice is timeless and will help inspire greater work across a variety of teams.

By Brooke Levy

Top Five Negotiating Tips

For many, negotiation is the most intimidating of all sales and business skills. It seems like one of those mysterious talents you either have or don’t have, and knowing a situation requires negotiation—buying a car, accepting a new job offer, or making a business deal—will cause some to break out into a nervous sweat. But according to negotiation expert, and Cydcor Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business, Brooke Levy, negotiation can be learned.

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What many people don’t realize is that they’re not bad at negotiating, they’re just doing it wrong. Like most things that require talent and practice, improving negotiation skills takes understanding what works and what doesn’t. Think about sports. You may never become a championship golfer, but with the right information about how to hold a golf club and how the wind can affect a golf ball in the air, you certainly can learn to improve your game. It’s the same with negotiation. With the right negotiating tips and techniques, and a lot of practice, you can learn how to overcome your fears and hold your own when asserting yourself.

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Here are Five Surefire Negotiating Tips to Help Swing the Outcome in Your Favor:

1. Stop Fighting and Start Compromising!

• How to do it right: When people think of a negotiation they often think of a boxing match where the parties enter the ring, head to head, and throw punches until someone falls to the ground and the other proclaims victory.  In a successful negotiation, both parties should feel like they have won. It is important to always approach a negotiation as a discussion (not an argument or a contest) with a potential win-win solution.

• Why it works: The art of negotiation revolves around give and take. Two parties must work together creatively to find a mutual win. If you approach a negotiation as a discussion rather than an argument, you will have a different tone. You will be better at listening. Less argumentative. More constructive in your thoughts and ideas. You will be patient. These characteristics are crucial to find a solution – not a victor!

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2. Know What You REALLY Want

• How to do it right: Understand the difference between positions and interests. Imagine that you are negotiating Saturday night plans with your boyfriend/girlfriend. You want to stay home and your partner is adamant that you go out on the town. Those are your respective positions. But what are your actual interests? The truth is, you only want to stay home because you do not want to spend money on an expensive night out. Your partner wants to go out simply because he/she wants to hang out with friends. Your interests are the factors and reasons that cause you to take a particular position. Knowing one’s interests (as opposed to just his/her position) is invaluable in coming to a solution.  Stay in Saturday night, but have friends over!

• Why it works: We typically argue our positions rather than talk about our interests. If you do your homework and understand what you really want and what the other party really wants, it helps you find the route to a mutual agreement faster. Compromise is key. If you can give someone what he/she wants, you can typically get anything you want.

3. Talk Less; Listen More

• How to do it right: It’s amazing how much easier it is to talk then to be patient and LISTEN. In fact, even when we are “listening,” we are often not even processing what the other person is saying but rather, planning what we will say next. To be a good negotiator, you need to understand what the other party really wants. You cannot get that information if you don’t take the time to listen and really process his or her view. It is important in a negotiation to ask lots of questions and then listen to the responses. Play detective! Knowledge is power.

• Why it works: Your strength/power does not come from how much you talk or how important you think you sound. In fact, many conflicts are resolved simply by listening to what the other party really wants/needs. The general rule is that you should never talk in a negotiation more than 30% of the time. Ask open-ended questions and allow the other party to tell you what they need. You will have much more success finding a compromise!

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4. Be Assertive!

• How to do it right: I always joke that the best example of being assertive and holding your ground is to negotiate like a toddler. When my son was three we used to negotiate every night before bed how many books we would read. “Luca, pick out one book to read before bed.” “No Mommy! Three books.” “No Luca, it is late and we only have time for one book so pick out a good one.” “No Mommy, three books!” “Luca, you have two options. Either you pick out one book to read or we don’t read any.”  “Ok, Mommy. Let’s just read two books.”

• Why it works: Toddlers never take no as an answer—but they always make sure to express exactly what they want in a non-threatening way. And they rarely ever waver. Being aggressive and being assertive are not the same thing. You do not need to be mean or disrespectful to ask for what you want and hold your ground. Also, just like toddlers, make sure to always aim high with your initial ask so that you have some room to move. If you ask for EXACTLY what you need at the beginning, you will look completely unwilling to compromise during the negotiation.

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5. Don’t Negotiate Against Yourself

• How to do it right: It always amazes me how many people negotiate against themselves. And it happens in so many ways. The most common example I see is when silence becomes uncomfortable. Imagine that you want to ask your client for an increase in the bonus they are sponsoring for the holiday season. You perfectly plan your argument as to why the increase makes sense. You have the appropriate leverage (always make sure you have leverage!) and you present your position well. Then, there is silence. The client doesn’t say anything at all!  And before you know it, you start offering up a lesser ask. You assume that the answer is a no. Or that the client is angry. Or that your request was too aggressive. Silence is ok! Once you have set forth a request, wait for a response!

• Why it works: All negotiations require that you plan thoroughly and have your position solidly in place. If you are prepared, you should feel confident in your requests. Do not waver from your position or negotiate against yourself just because the other party does not immediately react the way that you planned. Negotiation takes patience. Sometimes the other party simply needs time to digest or better understand your rationale.

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Not everyone loves to negotiate, but understanding how to negotiate and improve your negotiation skills is critical to achieving success in almost any kind of business, and in life. Even those who never work in sales will need to negotiate at some point or another, because resolving almost any disagreement requires compromise. Learning to control and play an active role in resolving conflicts can empower you to feel less anxious when asserting yourself and your wishes, and can help you get the results you’re hoping for more often.

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Brooke Levy is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Business to Business at Cydcor, where she is responsible for managing client relationships, driving results at the campaign management level, and exploring new business opportunities. Under Brooke’s leadership, revenue for one of Cydcor’s residential energy programs tripled in just 18 months. Brooke heads the company’s entire business to business sector, and she was instrumental in designing the business and legal framework for both of Cydcor’s proprietary residential energy businesses. She has also developed new mid-market sales opportunities for Cydcor, pairing clients with business models she personally built and tested to ensure long-term growth. Brooke joined Cydcor in 2013, following a successful 10-year stint as a corporate lawyer, specializing in mergers and acquisitions as well as private equity.

Wouldn’t you like to save a little extra cash every week? The savings are right in front of you—if you know where to look. It may seem like just a few dollars at a time, but add up the money you could save over a year’s time, and you will have “made” an extra $4,000 over the year that would have otherwise been spent on nonessentials. As a savvy business owner, it will work to your advantage to use your money wisely and frugally. We’ve already shared ten of our favorite tips to help you save $5,000. Here are a few more small changes you can make on a daily basis that will save you money—cash that you can use to invest in and grow your business.

1. Make Coffee at Home: That $3 cappuccino habit adds up over a year, but a good to-go mug is a wiser investment. When you do order coffee on the go, some coffee shops offer a discount for using your own cup, and they sometimes have a frequent buyer program with rewards. Savings: $15 a week.
2. Seek Out and Use Rewards Programs: Your grocery store, gas station, or any other businesses you frequent may offer savings or discounts that you can access just by signing up. Some grocery stores will also send you coupons based on items you typically buy, and you can find additional coupons in the newspaper or online. Many businesses offer a certain percentage off of your purchases for being a frequent buyer or purchasing certain amounts of certain items. Savings: $15 a week.
3. Shop Online and Earn Rebates: Companies such as MyPoints.com, Ebates.com, and Swagbucks.com allow you to receive a percentage of the money you spend back in cash or gift cards when you shop through their sites. Many of these sites also offer points or credit earned not by spending money but by participating in parts of their sites (such as watching videos or taking surveys). $15 a week.
4. Buy Beverages in Bulk: Take soft drinks to-go rather than purchasing them on-the-go. Convenience stores markup individual drinks you can get much more cheaply from big box stores. If you plan ahead and purchase a six-pack or two of your favorite drink, you’re saving a fair amount while still being able to enjoy your beverage of choice. Savings: $10 a week.
5. Shop Around: Call insurance providers to get the best rate, and do your research before making big purchases. A half-hour searching online or on the phone could be time well spent. There are lots of deals to be found and the savings can add up quickly. There are numerous apps that will assist you in your search for the best deal, and some that will even monitor the purchase price of the item both before and after you buy it and price match. $20 a week.

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Some of these tips may be easier than others for you to implement. Not to worry! Introduce some of these tips into your normal routine one at a time, and soon you’ll start to notices savings on a daily basis. Once you start to see results, you’ll be inspired to do more. From there, the money you save will begin to grow and the sky is the limit!

Becoming a great athlete requires passion, perseverance, and hard work. And just like sales, sometimes in sports you need to fail before you can succeed. These motivational sales quotes from some of the world’s best athletes show that attitude and perspective are key when it comes to achieving your goals. Because whether you’re playing shortstop in MLB or working in sales, being out in the field can be thrilling and challenging. These motivational sales quotes can help you out along the way!

Here are 10 famous athlete quotes to inspire you:

1. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth

When you’re in sales, the prospect of striking out with a potential buyer can be intimidating. However, don’t allow fear of failure stop you from going out there and giving it your all. Believing in yourself is the first step when it comes to succeeding in sales.

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2. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

Without a doubt, being a great salesperson requires talent. But even the most talented individuals in the world are nothing without their team! Here at Cydcor, we support each other and work together in order to achieve great things.

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3. “Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” – Bo Jackson

Never underestimate what you can accomplish. The higher you set your goals, the more you will achieve in the long run. With hard work and determination, you can do anything.

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4. “Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” – Mia Hamm

Accomplishing your goals is an amazing feeling. It’s a sign of hard work paying off! Every time you reach one of your goals, set a new one, and always strive for improvement.

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5. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King

As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. In sales, you might make mistakes from time to time. Instead of getting down on yourself, learn from what you did wrong, and get ready to hit the field again with more knowledge and experience than before.

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6. “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretsky

Sales is all about putting yourself out there. If you don’t try, you’ll have no idea of what you’re capable of. When you see an opportunity for a potential client, go for it, and you’ll end up scoring in no time.

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7. “When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing.” – Lindsey Vonn

The best salespeople are individuals with exceptional drive. You may come across bumps in the road, but don’t sweat it! Challenges can be an excellent learning opportunity. Just maintain a strong mental attitude and keep going.

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8. “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” – Serena Williams

Sales attracts strong, passionate individuals. Combat your doubts with your desire to succeed, and you’ll be on your way to achieving your very best.

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9. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter

Some things in your career aren’t under your control, but one thing that is under your control is your work ethic. Putting in 100% effort is what makes people great at what they do, and giving it your all until the very last minute will give you amazing results.

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10. “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael PhelpsAlways dream big. Strong aspirations will transform your career from ordinary to extraordinary. If you believe you can do great things, then you will.

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These famous athletes know that it takes more than just hard work to be your best; it takes passion and grit to overcome setbacks, fight through pain, and believe in yourself no matter what! Hopefully, these motivational sales quotes will help inspire your own drive to push through challenges and reach your dreams.

We all want to love our jobs, and while most of us accept that not every part of our job can be our favorite thing to do, what happens when you start getting bored at work? Does that mean you’re doing something wrong or that your chosen career might not be right for you after all? Not necessarily. While you should never stay at a job you absolutely hate, feeling occasional boredom at work can actually mean that you’re making valuable progress you’re not even aware of.

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Here are five reasons why feeling a little bored at work can sometimes be a good thing:

1. Mastery Takes Repetition; Lots of It: You can’t always be working on something new and exciting. Sometimes it’s all about doing the same things over and over again until you’re an expert at them. It’s that practice and experience that will drive you to the next level of success. And for some jobs, like sales, it takes a certain level of exact repetition to ensure success, because it’s a numbers game. You have to do the same pitch to hundreds of customers in order to ensure the right number of sales. Sales people call that the law of averages, and mastering your pitch by delivering it exactly the same way to as many customers as possible, is the ideal way to hit your sales goals.

Make the Most of It Tip: Rather than focusing on the monotony, remind yourself that even if you can’t see the improvements right away, you are getting better at what you do with each repetition.

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2. It means you’re focused: In today’s workplace, a lot of emphasis is put on multi-tasking, but bouncing from one thing to another, might mean that you’re not doing any one thing really well. Rather than shifting gears, what might be called for is digging deeper, even when a project or task gets tedious. If you start to feel bored, it might mean that you’re doing a good job of tuning into the project at hand, and for those of us used to constant distractions and stimulation, that level of focus can sometimes feel a little strange.

Make the Most of It Tip: Tell yourself you can check your emails, surf the web, get coffee, or spend ten minutes socializing with coworkers once you’ve finished the assignment in front of you. By giving yourself small rewards to work towards, the strange feeling of only paying attention one thing at a time might not feel so uncomfortable. At the end, you might be surprised to see how much you’ve accomplished, and it may help you enjoy those periods of focus a bit more the next time.

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3. It means you’re not skipping steps: Sometimes, when you become familiar with your job, and you know it like the back of your hand, it becomes tempting to start cutting corners. But being a little bored can be a good indication that you’re tackling the project as it needs to be tackled rather than handling only the lighter, easier version. Being efficient is great, but not at the expense of quality. Doing a job the right way, doesn’t always mean doing it the easy way.

Make the Most of it Tip: Rather than looking for ways to speed things along, take pride in the fact that you’re accurate and thorough. Tell yourself that doing things right is part of your personal brand, and know that it’s that attention to detail that will help you stand out amongst the competition.

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4. It can Signal that You’re Ready for a New Challenge: It can sometimes be hard to tell when you’re ready for a promotion or greater responsibility at work. It’s easy to let fear and self-doubt hold us back from asking for what we think we deserve. If you’re finding yourself bored because you can do your current job in your sleep, use that feeling as an excuse to ask for a big new project that demonstrates what else you’re capable of.

Make the Most of it Tip: Use those moments of boredom as opportunities to think through the case you’ll make to management for why you’re ready to move up to a new role. Use the ease with which you do your current tasks as part of your argument. Explain that the job has gotten so easy that you’re confident you could be doing more, and offer to help train your replacement to be as proficient at your current role as you are.

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5. Boredom can Leave Room for Innovation: When we’re always rushing to meet tight deadlines, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for creative thinking. Studies have shown that daydreaming may be good for our brains, and a reasonable amount of daydreaming can allow you the space to come up with those new and untested solutions that might prove to be game changers.

Make the Most of it Tip: When your mind starts to wander, take advantage of those moments by choosing to brainstorm new ideas for your company or ways you can make projects more efficient. In other words, decide to use your daydreams to benefit your company, and you may be surprised how that decision can boost your own career growth as well.

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Like most things in life, boredom, in moderation, won’t hurt you, and it could even help you take your career to the next level. Remember that being great at your job may not be fun and exciting every day, but feeling the occasional boredom shouldn’t send you running for the hills either. Realize that even the greatest jobs will have ups and downs, and what may seem like a rough day today could be helping you toward that big win tomorrow.

What would have happened if Walt Disney gave up animation after being fired from one of his first jobs? What if J.K. Rowling let depression keep her from picking up a pen? What if Steven Spielberg let self-doubt stop him from making Jaws? While we’ve all heard the expression “overnight success,” but stories of instant fame and wealth are the exception, not the rule. More often than not, the most successful celebrities and entrepreneurs in the world endured at least one, if not a string, of setbacks, failures, and blows to their egos before hitting it big. Remarkably, they all kept at it, and went from failure to fame, achieving success beyond anyone’s expectations, even their own. Had they let those temporary roadblocks hold them back, however, they might have allowed those failures to define them. Most of us will fail at some point in our lives, and we’ll probably do it more than once. But, letting the occasional defeat stop you from pursuing your passion could mean denying yourself the opportunity to achieve more than you ever dreamed possible. Each of these, now famous, celebrities started out just like you.

These seven celebrities faced major setbacks and kept going:

1. Bill Gates Couldn’t Launch a Successful Company

It’s hard to imagine now that he’s one of the richest and most powerful entrepreneurs in the world, but those who met Gates right after his first company, Traf-O-Data failed in 1980, might not have been too impressed with his business acumen. The company, which he created while he was in his senior year of high school with business partner Paul Allen, seemed like a clever solution for gathering traffic-flow data, except for one problem, they didn’t have any customers. Gates and Allen got so caught up in the technology, they forgot to do any market research. Don’t feel too bad for Gates though, as of September 2017, the Microsoft Corporation cofounder is the richest person in the word, with an estimated net worth of $84.8 billion, according to Wikipedia.

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2. Walt Disney Lacked Creativity

He may be the father of the world’s most beloved animated mouse and the founder of what would grow into a multi-billion-dollar, mega-empire, but as a young cartoonist, not everyone could see his potential. In 1919, the Kansas City Star newspaper fired Disney because, according to his editor, he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Lucky for Disney, his creative drought would eventually end, allowing him to go from failure to fame after coming up with a few good ideas that just happened to change entertainment forever, including Mickey Mouse, the multi-plane camera, and Disneyland. This one-time labeled, “creative dunce” also holds the record for most Academy Awards as a film producer.

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3. Albert Einstein was a Slow Learner

He might be the most recognizable and best-know scientific genius of all time, but as a child, Albert Einstein was so far behind developmentally, that teachers were concerned he might have been mentally disabled. The Nobel-prize-winning physicist didn’t speak until he was four years old and didn’t read until he was seven. He would later be expelled from one school and refused admittance to another one in the years before he took the physics world by storm.

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4. J.K. Rowling was a Penniless, Single Mom

She may be mom to the world’s favorite boy wizard, but before that, Rowling was a broke mom. Recently divorced, on welfare, and clinically depressed, she struggled for five years to complete the first Harry Potter book, writing while her new baby napped. The book was rejected twelve times before finding a publisher, and the rest is history. Fighting her way from failure to fame, today, J.K. Rowling  is wealthiest author of all time, and one of the richest women in the world.

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5. Vera Wang was an Olympic Team Reject

While women all over the world fantasize about their dream wedding, themselves picture-perfect in a designer, Vera Wang gown, Wang herself dreamed of representing the United States as part of the 1968 US Olympic figure-skating team. But, after years of intense training, she failed to make the team. Later, after serving 15 years as a senior editor at Vogue magazine, she was overlooked when it came time to name the magazine’s new editor-in-chief. It wasn’t until she was 40 years old that she began her designing career, and the rest is history. Today, Vera Wang’s brand is worth over $1 billion, and the average Vera Wang wedding gown can sell for upwards of $13,000.

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6. Stephen King Wrote Books Nobody Wanted

Before becoming the master of suspense he is today, Stephen King had more than a little trouble getting his writing career off the ground. A few publishers apparently thought Kings first novel, Carrie, wasn’t up to par – 30 to be exact. King got so fed up with the constant string of rejections that he threw the manuscript for Carrie in the trash. Lucky for horror fans around the world, King’s wife, confident in her husband’s talent, retrieved the book and encouraged him to keep going. Eventually, the writer would discover that one or two people were actually interested in what he had to say; King has published more than 50 novels and has sold more than 350 million copies of his books. His work has also been transformed into dozens of award winning movies and series including The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Misery, and the story he, himself, once trashed, Carrie.

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7. Steven Spielberg Couldn’t Get into Film School

Jaws. E.T. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Jurassic Park. They’re probably some of your favorites, and you’re not alone. Steven Spielberg’s movies include some of the highest grossing blockbusters of all time. In fact, he is said to have invented the concept of summer blockbuster with the release of Jaws, for the first time, creating the kind of fan fervor, and lines around the block, we often see today. He’s won multiple academy awards, and he is possibly the most recognizable film director in the world. As a young, aspiring director and film student, however, Spielberg was rejected from USC’s top-ranked film school three times, because of his mediocre grades. Don’t feel too bad for poor Steven though, the school would eventually award him an honorary degree in 1994, after making some generous donations, that most likely didn’t put a dent in his $3 billion estimated net worth.

The next time someone tells you to give up, calls you untalented, or rejects your idea, remember you know best what you are capable of. Take your failures in stride and realize that each one is just bringing you one step closer to your destiny. You can become your own success story. Don’t give up on you dreams, Instead, use those naysayers to fuel your desire to persevere and make your dreams a reality. Give it everything you’ve got, and remember that today you might feel like a failure, but the only way you truly fail is by giving up. Brush yourself off, stay committed, and live to fight another day, and you might be surprised what you can achieve.

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.