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

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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!

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.

Last week, everyone at Cydcor participated in a team building exercise where we had to create a device that would protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped about 10 feet.  We divided into groups of about 8-10 people and given a box of supplies to create the device. We had a limited amount of time and the pressure was on.  As we were working on our design, gathering all of our ideas and getting all of our brains in the game, we noticed that other groups were creating a parachute-type tissue. We did not have the tissue. We assumed every team got something different in their box.

We ended up creatively using materials such as straws, string and rubber bands to enable our egg to drop as if unwinding a yoyo. What we learned was this: If we lured down the egg, it would never break. As we had seen earlier, many of the other groups had created parachutes. We realized after the time was up that our parachute material was stuck inside the top of the box and we had not noticed.

The lesson that was reinforced in the exercise is that it is possible to come up with superior solutions with fewer resources than we think we need.  By putting our brains together, we will surprise ourselves by how creative we can be.

Cydcor has been named among the “Best Places to Work” for area mid-sized companies by the Los Angeles Business Journal! The Los Angeles Business Journal and the Best Companies Group worked together to identify and recognize area companies with a strong commitment to workplace excellence. Both publicly and privately held organizations were selected based on benefits, corporate philanthropy, policies, work-life balance, camaraderie and support of employees’ personal growth. Selections were made based on company surveys and employee comments.

“We are deeply proud to be recognized as one of Los Angeles’s Best Places to Work,” said Vera Quinn, chief operations officer. “Cydcor’s culture is one of dedication to the well-being of our team members – including investing in their professional development, as well as to giving back to the communities in which they live. Our commitment to our employees reflects in the results they deliver for our clients and the service work they do in our local communities.”

Most people make excuses. They are usually very logical and true. Winners, however, find a way to win no matter what the obstacles and difficulties. The U.S. women’s national soccer team exemplified this fact yesterday in its comeback win over the tough Brazilian team.

The U.S. team had many circumstances that could have been viewed as excuses for losing that game. There was a controversial red card given to one of the American players that on replay looked very questionable. So for much of the game, the U.S. had to play with one fewer player. Although Hope Solo, the U.S. goalkeeper, saved the resulting penalty kick, it was retaken because of another controversial call in which the referee said she had left the goal line too quickly.

Being a first player down and having some controversial calls going against them would have been legitimate reasons for the players not to give their utmost. However, the team never gave up. Abby Wambach kept pointing her index finger, indicating that only one more play would tie the game. It happened in the last minute of the game when Megan Rapinoe made a brilliant cross to Wambach, who made an equally brilliant header for the tying goal. It was done.

The U.S. wound up winning the game in penalty kicks and taught the world a lesson: Regardless of the bad calls we may get or of the obstacles in the way, we must dig deep down to our inner strength and find a way to succeed.

Walter Payton, aka "Sweetness," played with the Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1987 and missed only one game in his career. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in American football history. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach, Mike Ditka, described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—and the greatest human being he had ever known. Payton’s incredible work ethic and humility earned him the respect of players and fans everywhere.

Payton had a 5-feet-10-inch, 200-pound frame and worked out every day, even in the off-season. He was acrobatic and quick but not fast, so he developed his signature "stutter-step" to help break runs and give him the edge on his opponents. He did not believe in running out of bounds and maintained a “never die easy” mentality. He played hard to win, and his determination led him to become the all-time leader in rushing with 16,726 yards and all-purpose yards until 2002, when Emmitt Smith broke his record. Payton also held the single game rushing record until 2000.

What gave Payton the will to achieve such great success? In the following excerpt from his autobiography, Never Die Easy, he attributes his work ethic to how his parents raised him:

"Competing in sports back then was everything. No matter what the game was or how much older and stronger the other kids were, we were taught to give it everything we had until it was over. Never give less than one hundred percent. If you start something, you shouldn't quit, that is what we were taught.  If you're going to play, you might as well play to be your best.

My mother was a yard person and every summer to keep us out of trouble she'd have this guy to come in and dump this hundred pounds of topsoil in the driveway. She'd want us to spread the topsoil all over the yard.  We had one shovel and a wheelbarrow... It was hard work and we were so small then, I was six, seven, eight, Eddie was a couple of years older. But there we were, trying to shovel and push all of this topsoil everywhere... If you want my opinion, there was no reason to spread all that topsoil except to keep us occupied and around the house.

I look back on it now, though and I think that yard work taught me a lot. I learned about working hard and staying with something even though the project seemed overwhelming... You have to imagine how big that huge pile of dirt appeared to a seven-year-old. I used to think we would never finish. We'd just try to make dents in it every day. Which is how you have to approach any kind of work. You have to take things one day at a time... You work as hard as you can for as long as you can and the small gains you make will eventually pay off. Eventually that mountain of dirt will be gone and you can go play baseball or go hunting."

We can apply Payton’s simple yet powerful formula for success on our own work and lives: Work hard, persevere and commit to do and be our best.

A colleague recently asked me who was the greatest influence in my life. Without hesitation, I replied, “my grandparents.”

I recall that my grandfather and grandmother came over every Sunday to be with my family. This was important to me because my dad worked every weekend. They taught me how to read, helped me develop a love of learning and took me to my first ball games.

It was their example, however, that inspired me the most. They were selfless in how they treated my each of us. They thought the best of everyone, listened well and never judged. They were nurturing toward my siblings and me, and their kindness shaped our characters. They were there for all of us, and nothing was more important to them than family.

My grandparents never lectured us on the importance of these values. They simply lived them and became our role models.

I aspire to be like these two amazing individuals, taking care to remember that the example I set through my character and actions speak louder than any words.

I believe that you may belong to one of the greatest generations of our time. You follow in the footsteps of other individuals who accomplished amazing things before they were 30. Steve Jobs co-founded Apple at age 21. Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft at age 20, and fellow Millennial Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook at age 19.

So be proud of your considerable talents and ambition. Use your mastery of technology, your competitive spirit and intensity, your creativity and your aptitude for collaboration and communication. These gifts prepare you well for success in life and work.

It is important to remember, too, that all great people have had great mentors who have inspired and guided them. Bill Gates views legendary investor, Warren Buffet, as a mentor, and Gates himself has been an important influence on Mark Zuckerberg. Similarly, you should find people from whose knowledge and wisdom you could learn. Buffet said the key to success is to know who to be the batboy for. Good mentors can teach you how to avoid the mistakes and landmines that can harm your reputation and career prospects. Additionally, they can arm you with the knowledge and skills to perform at your best.

Certain concepts are timeless: sacrifice and struggle for long-term success; going the extra mile to reach your goals; if you get knocked down seven times, get back up eight; and so on. Mentors can help you with these vital lessons, especially when you are struggling. They can give you the support and guidance to help you get back on your feet and embrace something Abraham Lincoln once said: “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”