Cydcor has previously written about Toxic Employee Traits That Can Slow Progress, but it's also important to mention how to continue career progress. You will never advance simply by sitting at your desk, answering emails, and filing reports. A promotion is earned. Achieving a promotion isn’t an impossible goal. But to get there you need a good plan. The following suggestions are your starting points for success.

Evaluate Your Skills

You wouldn’t have been hired if you weren’t good at your job. But are you producing enough positive results to earn a promotion? Before you request a promotion, evaluate your job performance. Ask yourself the hard questions—face your fear.

• Do you always close the sale?
• Do colleagues seek your advice?
• Do you regularly contribute to your company’s success?

It’s Not All About You

You will never achieve success by yourself. Your colleagues are an important part of your advancement. Study what they do. Understand their pain points. Improving their productivity is a leadership skill and contributes to your chance for promotion.

Write Your Future

Write the story of your career. Imagine where it will lead. This exercise provides a private place to draft new possibilities for your work life. It’s a safe place to practice taking risks. Don’t waste time creating a fantasy about wealth and power. Your career is serious work.

Become the Resident Optimist

Don’t get distracted by the inevitable complaints you hear during the day. Is it hard to do? Yes, sometimes it is. Everyone has bad days. But remember this: negative is easy, positive is hard. Don’t complain—explain. Don’t spread rumors—educate. Build a reputation for being constructive, informed, and open-minded.

Your Evaluation Happens Every Day

Do you ever feel invisible when your workload is building up? During these times remember that your supervisors are taking note of how you manage stress while you reach your goals. If you feel stuck in a negative take time for a mental stretch. Many corporate leaders find insight and get reenergized when they meditate.

Ask For Help

Sometimes you’ll come across a problem you can’t figure out. You need to be brave enough to ask for help. Find a mentor. Build a resource team from various departments. Share the problem. You will be remembered solving problems with creative strategy. Never ignore the wealth of institutional experience at work.

Find out more about Cydcor and our latest company updates by following us on Twitter @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.