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Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services, recently led an educational outreach experience project titled Project Launch for DECA Academy of Business students. Pacifica High School’s Academy Developing Entrepreneurial and Corporate Assets (DECA) Academy of Business is a career academy at Pacifica High School in Oxnard, CA. Cydcor introduced students to Project Launch on August 20th, continued with additional training on August 21st, and closed on August 28th with an announcement of program winners.
Cydcor’s Project Launch program has been carefully designed to grow student awareness of three significant career options: Hospitality and Tourism, Accounting and Finance, Marketing and Business. Students engaged in Project Launch learn professional and personal skills that will prepare them for college or the professional workforce.
Cydcor executive leadership and senior staff have partnered with Glen Polson of Creative Product Sourcing in this educational outreach program to once again show our profound commitment to community service.
Cydcor’s Project Launch is a community outreach program designed to give students an opportunity to work on a real-world business problem. Students are engaged in a scenario that requires them to fill a need, fix a problem, or create an idea. It’s an important training experience for students since every professional person has to face these problems on a regular basis—with increasing complexity—as their careers develop.
Each day of the program has been carefully planned by Cydcor volunteers to create a realistic work experience. The program began on August 20th with Glen Polson of Creative Product Sourcing introducing the main challenge of project—a T-shirt design contest that will benefit the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. The winning design will be sold online and in the D.A.R.E program. This 3-day program includes a second design contest that requires students to create a logo for Project Launch, the 3-day program they’re participating in.
On the first day of this workshop, Cydcor team members provided a 45 minute presentation that allowed students to experience a brainstorming session. It showed the students the skills needed to generate ideas, choose an idea that works, create an action plan, assign tasks, and execute their work plan.
Next day, the students recapped what they learned during the first day. This on-the-spot review was included in the project intentionally to let the students experience the surprises and sudden changes that are part of a real world work situation. In addition, they were introduced to a second challenge – to design the Launch Project Logo.
Students closed the day on a high note with the arrival and focused attention of Cydcor’s President, Gary Polson. He provided insight and advice focused on the importance of engaging in your own education, making the right choices to have a better future, and never giving up no matter the circumstances faced. He encouraged the students to continue to develop their skills and education through opportunities they encounter such as programs like Project Launch.
About The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The power to change is always in the hands of the beholder. The Compound Effect is based on the fact that decisions can shape a person’s destiny. Even the smallest decisions can have an effect on the future. Written by Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, The Compound Effect analyzes the how to earn achievements in business, relationships, and more through decision-making. This easy-to-use, step-by-step guide can show readers how to increase successes, keep track of progress, and achieve their biggest goals.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
Only the biggest decisions we’ve ever made come to mind when we look back at the choices that have shaped our lives. However, it’s not only big decisions but also small ones, even ones that we tend to not notice, that we make on a daily basis. This is the basis of The Compound Effect. It's very similar to making small financial decisions that ultimately add up to a large sum. If you’re serious about wanting to change for the better, smaller decisions need to be kept on track. The frustrating part is that many of these small, unnoticeable decisions may affect us negatively. The Compound Effect aims to help readers realize where their blinders are.
Our favorite part:
Consistency, hard work, and patience are all of utmost importance when it comes to decision-making. Making simple improvements every single day, even if it feels insignificant, can make a drastic impact. Hardy does an excellent job of pointing out how the reason WHY we do something is important. He describes the things that undermine our ability to change. Readers will be able to pick up this book and instantly begin implementing things that can have lasting and positive impacts on their life. This is a book has the potential to be re-read regularly—you’ll still find new tips to compound your success.
Even if you’ve been born with a friendly personality, you may find yourself stuck when you’re in a situation that requires you to start a casual conversation. If you’re a naturally quiet person, these social situations might be uncomfortable experiences. When you’re nervous you lose your confidence and find it difficult to focus. Follow these suggestions and learn how to turn small talk into a new skill!
Don’t Just Say Hello!
Saying hello is a standard introduction during a social encounter. It works, but it leaves the conversation with no place to go. Instead, get the conversation rolling with adding open-ended questions.
Small Talks Needs a Big Brain and a Big Attentions Span
Once you’ve asked an open-ended question, pay attention to what the person is saying. At the same time, think of one or two follow up questions based on what the speaker says. Pay attention to their eyes and facial expressions. You can nod your head to show that you’re listening. It’s okay to smile, laugh, or become serious depending on the conversation. When there’s a natural pause in the conversation, make a comment and ask another leading question. If you get nervous, just take deep breaths and try again.
Common Interests Build Common Ground
As you continue your conversation, you’ll discover shared professional interests and concerns, which will help you build a conversational connection. If you’re attending a business conference, you have the topics related to your business in common. This can be a great confidence builder when it comes to improving your casual conversation skills.
Know When It’s Time to Go
After a certain amount of time, you will know that you’ve reached the end of your conversation. At that time, let your contact know that you have other people to speak to. Simply say, “I’ve really enjoyed speaking to you, and I appreciate all the information you shared and getting to know more about your business. Here’s my card. Can I have your business card too?”
If you say that you’re going to follow up or provide some kind of information—do it. That’s how you turn small talk into big success—one conversation at a time.
Written by Sophia Amoruso, founder of online women’s clothing retailer Nasty Gal, #GirlBoss lays out Amoruso’s rise to success and the struggles she’s gone through to make it to the top. It’s the classic underdog story that’s both inspirational and educational. Amoruso wrote #GirlBoss for entrepreneurs seeking a path to success that’s different from the norm, no matter how problematic that path may be. Eight years after selling vintage clothing on Ebay, Amoruso is the founder, CEO, and creative director of an online clothing company worth $100 million. Her story is both inspirational and motivating.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
The main point #GirlBoss discusses is that anyone can reach success, no matter how big their struggles may be. It provides an authentic voice on success, failure, and what it takes to find positivity in any situation. This book offers a philosophy for making your work both worthwhile and fun while keeping things fresh. Amoruso encourages readers to own the qualities that many people are ashamed of, such as bossiness, in order to become the masters of their own destiny--financially independent and radically ourselves. This is a book that provides a direct stream of honest advice that can’t be found anywhere else. Her unconventional approach to business and her creative experience will appeal to any aspiring entrepreneur.
Our favorite part:
As most entrepreneurs know, it can be difficult to find genuine advice on how to get going on an alternative path to success. Since Amoruso did this all on her own with no financial aid or education in the area of business, her story is inspiring. Everyone takes their own path to the top, but this is a story that can open your eyes to the idea that anything is possible. #GirlBoss provides many pointers on being a leader and boss, but the main thing to take away is to never stop, even when failure occurs, and to keep going no matter the problem you may run into on the path to success.
Participate in Cydcor’s National Conference 2015 Caption Contest on Instagram for a chance to win a front seat in the “Winner’s row” during General Session! Did you say a front seat along the best in the business? Yes!
All you need to do is caption this picture on Cydcor's Instagram (https://instagram.com/cydcor) stating what you imagine your winner’s quote would be when you are up on that stage. You will automatically enter a raffle for a chance to win one of those seats! There will be two winners. Make sure you tag your friends so they enter and might end up sitting right next to you!
This contest will run from Friday July 17th (12:00 PM PST) until Tuesday, July 21st (11:59 PM PST). The winner will be announced on Cydcor’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter on Wednesday July 22nd any time after 12:00PM PST. So, do not miss your chance to get some of the best seats during General Session!
See you in Nashville! #TheTop2015
Terms and Conditions (Instagram)
Caption Cydcor’s “caption this photo” on Instagram anytime from Friday July 17th (12:00 PM PST) until Tuesday, July 21st(11:59 PM PST) and you will be automatically entered in the National Conference caption contest. To be eligible, entrants must be (i) at least 18 years of age and a registered attendant of Cydcor’s National Conference 2015, Cydcor employees are not eligible to participate. Multiple submissions per participant are allowed. Each entry will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a seat at the “winner’s row” during the General Session. There will be two selected winners from this raffle. Profanity or inappropriate language or images, as determined by Cydcor, in its sole discretion, will be disqualified. The winner will be announced via Cydcor’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/CydcorLLC?ref=hl) as well as on Cydcor’s Instagram (@Cydcor), and on Cydcor’s Twitter (@Cydcor) on Wednesday, July 22nd any time after 12:00PM PST. This promotional offer is not intended to create a partnership, joint venture, co-ownership or other association between Cydcor and the participant.
This promotion does not have a connection with Instagram, Inc. in any way and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering the contest, participants agree to fully release Instagram from any and all liability, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
Cydcor Reviews is a website dedicated to recommending business-related books to professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Learn more about Cydcor by checking out our page on Flickr.
About Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff
Delivering an excellent pitch to potential sales clients doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Enter Pitch Anything author Oren Klaff, who knows a thing or two about making a sale. Over the past decade and more, Klaff has utilized his pitching method to raise more than $400 million. In Pitch Anything, Klaff describes his formula to help any business professional with any sale pitch.
According to Klaff, crafting and executing the perfect pitch isn’t art; it’s more centered on science. By applying the latest scientific findings and discussing real-life examples, Klaff describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to sales pitches. By learning how the method works and what you’ve been doing wrong, it’s much easier to understand how a successful pitch is done. Whether you're presenting to new investors, locking down some new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything has you covered when it comes to perfecting the pitch.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
Learning the method of a successful pitch isn’t too difficult, but many people fail the first step: getting the attention of potential buyers or clients. Attention requires the combination of two things working together: desire and tension. Not only do you need the person to be interested in what you’re selling, but you also need them thinking that they would be lucky to have the product or service. Be sure to let the client know that you have the best service or product and that they would be missing out by not buying. You have to be passionate about what you are selling and get other people to be passionate about buying.
Pitch Anything has great insights on how the brain processes simple information and how to take advantage of this with clients. Klaff has done the required research to prove his points, while still bringing something new to the table.
Our favorite part:
The sales method that Klaff discuses in Pitch Anything is simple to understand and apply. The “STRONG” method of pitching can be put to use immediately by any business professional. The steps include setting the frame, telling the story, revealing the intrigue, offering the prize, nailing the hookpoint, and finally, getting a decision. Applying these tactics and strategies will help to engage and persuade the person you’re pitching to, and you'll find more agreement and support than you ever thought possible.
Here's the latest book review from Cydcor, The Magic of Thinking Big.
About The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
Over four million readers have religiously taken notes on The Magic of Thinking Big. This book is a great starting point on how to achieve things most people want: financial security, power, influence, a dream job, a happy life. Dr. David J. Schwartz, an excellent expert on motivation, crafted this book to help anyone sell and manage better, earn more money, and—most important of all—find happiness.
First published in 1959, many of the suggestions to think big that Schwartz suggest are still great ideas 56 years later. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of a professional career, romance, and family life, as well as the local community. You don’t need to be a genius to find great success and satisfaction—but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that can get you there.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
The Magic of Thinking Big is arguably one of the best books ever written about the road to success. This is one of those books that you come back to again and again to find new inspiration. Success is most definitely determined by how we think and how we react to situations that occur in our lives. This is an excellent book for leaders due to its many chapters of encouragement, inspiration, and real life stories of people who made the decision to see things positively and had their lives change for the better. This book can teach leaders that in order to overcome fear or obstacles in life, a person must have an optimistic and confident attitude.
Our favorite part:
Throughout The Magic of Thinking Big, Schwartz lays out the steps that are required to acquire the secrets of success. He also describes three “diseases” that people can suffer from that lead to failure: excuse-itis, detail-itis and procrastination. This book can help build anyone’s confidence and mentality, while still inspiring them to think differently. In short, making smarter decisions and avoiding negativity are key to discovering the importance of thinking big in all facets of our lives.
Welcome to Cydcor Reviews, a website dedicated to recommending interesting and insightful books to business professionals wolrdwide.
About First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham and Curt W. Coffman
Managers come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has their own style of doing things to reach their goals. No manager is the same as any other, but many managers share the same traits: the ability to break any past rules and try new ways of thinking to reach the results they want. Marcus Buckingham and Curt W. Coffman have put together a book based on a study by the Gallup Organization made up of 80,00 managers in 400 different companies. Their findings present an enormous, in-depth study of great management, including those who did well at turning employee talent into real performance.
The main point found in First, Break all the Rules is that the key to attracting and retaining the best employees is excellent management. This book explains how the best managers use the talent of employees to set the bar for skills and experience, create clear expectations, and motivate and develop people to their full potential.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
Management is difficult to narrow down to a set of guidelines and best practices. Often, what works at one company doesn’t work everywhere else. This book presents a firm belief in an excellent principle of management that works: focus on the strengths of people to achieve the wanted results. Building a perfect team from scratch usually doesn't work because it’s difficult to find the right people for the right role. First-line managers are the key to an organization’s success. They are the vital link between company shareholders and employees. What separates a great manager from a mediocre manager is the ability to recognize and develop talented individuals right from the initial point of employment. Buckingham and Coffman do an excellent job of conveying their study’s findings in a way that is easy to understand but still insightful.
Our favorite part:
The essence of the data found in this book forms the four keys of great managers. These key points state that managers must find the correct match between talent and roles, turn talent into performance, concentrate on strengths and not on weaknesses, and assign roles to employees that give them the greatest chance of success. First, Break All the Rules also dives into the 12 questions that give organizations the information they need to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees. The authors group these questions into various categories and explain why they are important to keep in mind.
Finding new ways to manage a business is something that’s always on the mind of a leader. There will always be new things to try, but meditation, a practice that’s been around for thousands of years, can bring a new kind of thinking to leadership. Meditation can provide a better way to manage ourselves. A few minutes in the morning or evenings is all that is necessary to help bring the right thoughts to center and to help a person focus. Apple CEO Steve Jobs was famous for it, and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner does it, too. Meditation is something to be taken seriously if you are looking to improve your mind.
A bad day, or news we don’t want to hear, can put a damper on our state of mind. To prevent this from happening, leaders should take ten minutes during the day to meditate. Regardless of your approach meditation, it is just important that you make time for it. It helps get your day back on track, and is a good start to clear your mind.
As a leader, you may find times that its necessary to be brave. Whether it’s going into an important meeting or giving a motivational speech to the team, it’s important to have a confident mindset. Meditation can help get rid of negative thoughts during high intensity situations. By learning to ignore any negative thinking, worries about what could go wrong go away.
Letting go is difficult when there are so many plates spinning at once. So many times, leaders get stuck in a certain way of thinking that prevents them from seeing the whole picture. Meditation can change this way of thinking. It allows a person to attack problems with a different perspective. By getting rid of past thoughts and clearing the mind, answers to questions will appear naturally.
Like most things, it will take effort and dedication to reap the benefits of meditation, including an increase in calmness. You can also have better control over emotions. The key is to learn to focus on finding your own way instead of adopting someone else’s way of thinking.
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About The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business:
Who would have thought that the most unexploited opportunity in modern business was organizational health? Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage is a daring proposal on why an organizational health focus can have a positive affect on your business. Lencioni’s writing style aids in making the case that businesses need to attack mixed messages within the organization while also cutting down on any dysfunctional politics. There are too many leaders today who still focus on looking for advantages in marketing, strategy, and technology. However, Lencioni is quick to point out that there is a potential gold mine that is in plain sight. Instead of trying to become smarter than the competition, Lencioni believes that leaders and organizations need to focus on becoming healthier. It’s important that they tap into the more-than-sufficient intelligence and expertise they already carry.
Why Cydcor Reviews recommends this to future leaders:
Lencioni argues that the key to success in any organization is to make sure it’s healthy. To express his point of view, he walks his readers through a process in which we can assess the health of our own organizations and take steps to improve it. When putting Lencioni's tips and exercises to use, any organization can see noteworthy progress in each of the key areas of health that he names. The majority of organizations today have more intelligence, experience, and knowledge than they need to be successful. The health of an organization is neither attention grabbing nor quantifiable, and that's probably the reason why more people aren’t taking advantage of it. However, improved health will not only create a competitive advantage and better bottom line, but it also can boost morale within the organization.
Our favorite part:
Lencioni introduces four basic steps to organizational health: building a unified leadership team, creating clarity, over-communicating the clarity, and reinforcing the clarity. Through examples of experiences he and others have faced, Lencioni addresses the behaviors that he looks for in a healthy organization. These include a cohesive team, solid peer-to-peer accountability, handling office politics and bureaucracy, and how organizations need to strive to improve people’s lives. With the right modifications, this model for organization business can have great value for leaders in any company, whatever its size.
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At Cydcor, we know that becoming an effective leader does not happen overnight. It takes effort to learn and practice crucial leadership skills in order to be efficient. Still, people can point out effective leadership when they see it. There are great leaders who naturally become successful, but there are also certain traits that they share. These are a few characteristics of what it takes to be an effective leader.
Optimism
It’s difficult to lead without believing that one day, you will succeed the way you want to. Leaders must have some sort of optimism to keep their hunger for success alive. People will always follow a person who dreams big and knows that everything they want can one day be achieved. Optimism is a trait of leadership that is constantly overlooked but can be effective when trying to gain the trust of team members. Leaders should always be preparing for the future, while still focusing on the present.
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Look Out for the Team
Leaders must move and think quickly, but they must also take time to pause and pay close attention to how their employees are doing. As a leader, you can’t prepare yourself to lead more effectively if you don’t know what is really happening with your team members. Always be on the lookout for evidence of their state of mind and what support they need to reach success and fulfillment in their work.
Constant Preparation
If a leader fails, it’s usually due to their lack of preparation. When an opportunity is missed, it’s often because a leader did not plan for themselves or their employees to see and seize it. Preparation requires accountability and is a responsibility with multiple factors. Every leader sees through a different lens – therefore, they should know what the short and long term preparation demands are for their employees and the business to be successful
Self-Assessment
An effective leader should always be giving employees a critique to see if they can find improvements in any areas. By looking at what the team is doing correct and what they need to work on, leaders can better identify with a team. Checking in with ourselves is never a bad idea.
Make Tough Decisions
Without fail, leaders are called on to make choices that impact both their organization and the people they lead. People want to follow a person who weighs all the options. In other words, good leaders make important decisions based on what’s best for the organization -- and they make them confidently. You will have to make a tough call from time-to-time, but with the right amount of sureness and groundwork, anything is possible.