Discover how student mentality breeds success, and personal development, for employees in this article from Cydcor. Lifelong learning helps exceed goals.

When you’re a student, your whole job is to learn. That’s why companies like their employees to maintain a student mentality. And while organizations want to hire expert talent, employees who think of themselves as experts may miss the opportunity to continue growing and improving. By encouraging employees to think of themselves as students, employers foster a culture of ongoing personal development, inspiring employees to seek out valuable lessons in every task they’re given.

Here’s how a student mentality creates better employees:

1. Teaches Them to Listen

Unlike seasoned veterans who may be less open-minded to new ideas and approaches, students are in a constant state of openness. They pay attention to people and experiences, absorbing information and searching for valuable takeaways. Staying on the lookout for new ideas creates a fertile breeding ground for innovation.

2. Keeps Them Humble

There is no employee, no matter how senior, who can’t improve in some way. Adopting a student mentality reminds even executive level employees that they always have more to learn.

3. Keeps Them Focused on Growth

Students have a hunger for information and a drive toward personal development that people often lose as they move ahead in their careers. A student mentality challenges employees to set the bar higher. It pushes them to perform at their best and continue redefining what their best might be.

4. Reminds Them to Study

Encouraging employees to think like students reminds them that it’s important to stay abreast of the latest industry trends and take advantage of resources such as trade journals, white papers, blogs, and events for their own personal development.

5. Forces Them to Question

Being a student means admitting that you don’t know all the answers. Employees who think like students become attuned problem solvers. They’re willing to challenge assumptions, and they learn to probe for new approaches that are better, faster, and more cost effective.

6. Keeps Them Competitive

Students are constantly learning and applying new skills, maintaining a student mentality urges employees to keep their abilities and knowledge finely tuned and up to date with industry trends. This may mean learning new software, attending seminars, or taking online training courses.

7. Makes Them Better Leaders

Students often make the best teachers because they learn how to effectively communicate with others. By asking employees to think like students, employers also provide opportunities for employees to mentor each other, which helps them become even better leaders.

8. Keeps Them Open Minded

As employees advance in their careers, it’s easy for them to become rigid and set in their ways. After all, doing things the old way got them this far. But an environment that values constant learning pushes them to consider new ways of thinking and reminds them to stay flexible and open to change.

Employees who maintain a student mentality don’t assume they already know everything. They understand that useful new ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. By staying open to innovative thinking, and constantly striving to learn more and improve, employees who think of themselves as lifelong students have the kind of forward thinking that helps organizations reach their goals and beyond.

Sales is a unique profession that requires passion, extroversion and charisma. Leading a high-performing sales team and helping your direct reports get the best out of their own skills takes a little something extra. The good news is that as a sales team manager, you have that extra something inside you. Here are some tips on how you can take your own passion for your product or service and pass it along to your team members.

Set them up for success

Authenticity matters when it comes to sales. Few people come in with a fully developed talent for sales, so it’s important to meet your team members where they are and ask them what would be most helpful to them so they can achieve success. For some it will be a need for more product knowledge; for some it may be coaching or a “walk-along” with a high-performing team member.

Give them context

Your team will get better results if they have more information than simply a list of names or addresses. Help them understand the product they’re selling and how it compares to other similar products. Then assist them in finding reasons to be passionate about that product. This will drive good conversation, and thus increase conversions.

Provide them with training opportunities

It’s critical that you not only understand your team members’ unique needs but that you provide ongoing training to help them meet their goals and build confidence. Leading by example means that you also take training courses to enhance your knowledge of the latest news and best practices. That will help you to be a better mentor and a better sales professional in your own right.

Have high expectations of them

Your team will rise to the expectations you set, so set them high! On the other hand, don’t set them so high that your direct reports think they’re impossible to achieve. In order for those expectations to be met, you need to help your team feel supported and positively reinforced. Clearly articulate your goals and expectations and hold your representatives accountable for achieving them. Also, check out these motivating sales quotes that deliver motivation!

Let them specialize

Don’t treat everyone on your team the same. Some people understand certain business sectors better than others. Allow your specialists to take the lead in the area of their expertise. They may be able to help your other team members as well. The more your team understands about the product or service they’re selling, the better they’ll be at selling it.

What other tips do you have for leading a high-performing sales team? Share with Cydcor on Twitter @Cydcor.

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services located in Agoura Hills, CA. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

Resilience is a skill that teaches you to transform obstacles into opportunities. It helps you to see one rejection as a small part of a bigger picture: your career. Here are four methods you can try to help you build resilience. Developing this trait is an ongoing process, but at Cydcor, we recognize its importance for both new and experienced salespeople.

Celebrate Your Gifts

Resilience takes practice. To develop a resilient personality, you need to celebrate your gifts. What are you good at doing? What activities or tasks do you do that earn praise? Write these moments down and refer to them when you’re facing a struggle.

Strengthen Your Networks

Reaching out to your network provides a fresh perspective when you’re trying to understand how to solve a problem. Your contacts can provide positive professional and personal feedback needed to strengthen your resilience. They can also encourage and inspire you to try again, which is what resilient people always do.

Do Something About It

A resilient person takes action when they encounter a problem. Don’t get lost in negativity. Examine your situation and find ways to improve your performance. For example, if your customers need more time to make a purchasing decision, come up with a few options that identify customers with similar purchasing cycles. This strategy allows you to focus on when people are ready to buy.

Take Care of Yourself

Resilience is easier to access when your body and mind are in top condition. Eat healthy food, exercise, get enough sleep, and stay hydrated. Take regular mental breaks during the day to reduce stress and strengthen your focus. Think of resilience as a muscle. You’ve got to train it and give it rest in order to build and maintain strength that will last you for the long haul.

Resilient people control their situations and depend on their skills, not luck, to move forward in their profession. They’re able to maintain steady progress on their career path even when they face obstacles along the way and develop strategies that help them to maintain a positive outlook.

What strategies do you use that show your resilience? Share your thoughts on Twitter and be sure to follow @Cydcor on Instagram to learn more about our company and our culture.

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

In between feeding-frenzies featured on this popular television show, smart entrepreneurs can find practical business strategies. You’ll find tactics to improve day-to-day operations and invigorate long-term business plans

Have you ever seen the television show Shark Tank? If you have, then you know it is both entertaining and educational. Watch the program and you’ll find strategies that will enhance your professional performance and help you make the move from employee to entrepreneur.

We’ve pulled out 5 essential strategies from Shark Tank that every aspiring entrepreneur should know. How do you measure up?

Know How To Tell A Story

The first thing people will notice is you—the person making the pitch. It’s your job to tell a great story about your product. You must be able to tell your story with passion, clarity, and a bit of humor. Rehearse your pitch until it’s flawless. Practice doesn’t just make perfect; it often closes the deal.

Believe In Yourself

Each time your reach out to a new customer, you have an opportunity to make a difference in their life. But you must have confidence in your abilities to sell your product or service. Believing in your product is just good business! If you believe in your product, the more likely it is that the customer will too.

Develop Pragmatic Passion

Be pragmatic and practical when you’re pitching your product or service. If you are not finding success with your pitch, then seek advice from a coworker or try another strategy.

Understand Your Industry

When a customer asks questions about your product or service, you must have the answers they need. You must have a full understanding of your industry, your competitors, and your product or service. Make it clear to the customer what sets your offering apart from someone else’s.

Your Opportunity Is Waiting

Customers seek someone with a solution. Why not you? The difference between closing a deal and losing a deal is simple: salespeople who close the deal see an opportunity and take a risk. Taking risks can be daunting, but that’s how you create new opportunities.

You need persistence when you’re trying out a new strategy. You may not see results right away, but don’t give up. These Shark Tank strategies will clear obstacles from your path—a path that leads to career growth and expertise. Learn these strategies and you’ll be able to swim through any shark tank with confidence.

Are you an entrepreneur who thinks like a shark? Share the strategies you depend upon to grow your business. Post your story on Twitter, follow us @Cydcor, and share this article with your friends and start a conversation with your community. #Cydcor #strategy #entrepreneur

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

You might not recognize opportunity when you find it: there are no sirens or flashing lights. No one is going to take you by the hand and lead you to it. As an adult engaged in your career, you’re responsible for finding and accepting any and all of the opportunities that you encounter.

Recognizing opportunity isn’t a magical talent that requires an expensive education—you can build the necessary skills, though it will take effort and education. You must commit to learning about your company, your industry, and how business and the world at large interact and create situations filled with possibility.

Prepare for Opportunity

Get the best information available to you about where you want your career to go. This will be your roadmap. Equip yourself with the skills, supplies, and crew required to reach your destination. Opportunities are uncharted but, with careful preparation and an eye on the horizon, you’ll be ready when they come into view.

Never Give Up

Opportunity has an expiration date. It’s like a sale at the store—available for a limited time only. When you find an opportunity, be ready to act on it. If you’re not successful in your first attempts, learn from your experience and then try again. Failure is an important teacher.

Identify Your Goals

Opportunity is an undiscovered country, but it borders known lands. Your ability to recognize opportunity when it appears is connected to the destination you’ve identified. Establish your goals and use them as a map towards advancement. Identify issues in your job, company, or industry that need improvement or expansion. Keep learning about your job, industry, and current events The more you know the easier it will be to recognize how opportunity connects to your experience.

Looking to help on developing an entrepreneurial spirit? Cydcor has you covered! Check out this blog from October 2015: Developing an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Opportunity Is Hidden Under Hard Work

As in any career, hard work and persistence are often your key to career advancement and recognition. The hard work you put into your job every day has a special result. It delivers the experience required to find opportunity that can lead to even greater opportunity. Imagine you’re a prospector looking for gold. Over time, you’ve studied rock formations and learned how to spot potential gold bearing sites. Diligence delivers opportunity.

Develop an Opportunity Network

Great discoveries are often attributed to one person but they’re never only made by one person. In order to identify an opportunity you’ll have to talk to people in your office and in your profession to learn what opportunities look like to them. You’ll discover opportunity through interaction with others. As you develop relationships with your team, colleagues, and network connections, you’ll enter into conversations that lead to professional relationships. Offer assistance, expertise, and information to others and they will reward with the access to unlimited opportunity.

You have the map. You’ve assembled all of the tools and supplies required. You’ve alerted your crew about your voyage and the goals you’re focused upon. Don’t wait any longer. Follow theses strategies and you’ll soon land your first opportunity.

How do you recognize an opportunity when you find one? Do you work with others to find opportunity? Please share a story about opportunity’s impact on your life so others can benefit from your experience. Comment below and tell your story on Twitter. Follow us @Cydcor and please share this article with your friends and ask for their thoughts.

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

Cydcor is dedicated to helping business professionals take the next step in their careers. For additional blogs regarding business, leadership, and sales advice, head over to https://www.cydcor.com/media.

Sales professionals have a natural impulse to focus attention on developing new customer relationships in order to land new accounts. It’s a good impulse, but it’s one that you need to manage in order to maintain existing customer relationships.

At Cydcor, we’re interested in pursuing new opportunities, but we also understand that you can’t forget current customers in the pursuit of new possibilities. Customer relationships aren’t over once you close the sale. It’s the start of a long-term partnership that will benefit your company and your customer.

Here are some strategies for building—and maintaining—great customer relationships.

Remember Their Names

Whether you’re working with a small company or a large corporation you’ll be working with an individual—a person. He or she has a family, a birthday, a new child, or a feisty puppy. Get to know your customer. Include a few notes in your contact management system to help you remember personal details that distinguish them. Personal knowledge provides a way to start a sales conversation. Reach out on your customers’ special days and they’ll remember that you made an extra effort when they have to make purchasing decision.

Become a Solution Center

Offer your customers the resources they need to stay informed about changes, improvements, and up-dates in the service you provide. If your company offers a newsletter make sure that your customer knows about it. When you find articles, books, or webinars that might be useful to your customer remember to share them. Call out the information that will be valuable to them and their particular problems. They’ll appreciate that you personalized the information for them.

Monitor Customer Relationships with Social Media

Research by Zendesk says that 45% of customers shared bad customer experiences and only 30% shared good customer experiences on social media. This information is an important tool for building customer relationships. Follow your customers’ social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Listen to what they’re saying and you’ll be able to fix any issues if they happen.

Customers Are Team Members

Include your customers in events that matter to them, to your company, and his or her company. If your department is hosting a networking event or is launching a new service make certain that your customer hears about it. When you’re working on improving your team’s internal processes get your customers’ feedback. Show them that you value their business and their professional expertise.

Keep up with the latest updates from Cydcor by following us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cydcor