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As much as you may want to stay on the clock 24-7, chasing leads and locking down the next deal, it's important to allow yourself time to decompress. Great salespeople know in order to always be closing, sometimes you have to step away for a few. Pulling back from planning and pitching, however, doesn't mean your free time can't be spent putting yourself in position for future sales success.
Discover how to spend free time in ways that don't just help you relax, but also help you continue to sharpen your saw, refine critical skills, and increase your value in the workplace. In this infographic, Cydcor shows you how a few sales titans have used their favorite activities, hobbies and interests to help push themselves to the apex of their industries. You'll meet the man whose sales techniques helped shape modern sales and the woman who turned the color pink into big green. You'll learn the greatest sin in sales and see how the greats have even turned their hobbies into record-breaking achievements.
We hope you'll use these examples to help guide how to spend your free time. Print it out and post it at your desk, or use it when you just need a little extra motivation. The next time you're considering working through the weekend, consider instead how you can make the most of your leisure time by finding activities that feed your need to unwind while also fueling your passion for long-term growth.
Share on social media to inspire others. If you're looking for help with time management techniques or productivity tips, we can help in those departments too. Just don't forget to build in some time away for yourself.
The difference between successful and unsuccessful salespeople has less to do with what they say, and more to do with how they frame the situations in front of them. Emulate the greats by getting into the habit of doing these 3 things.
Success in Sales Tip #1: Be a regular person
If you think of yourself as a salesperson, your customer is going to treat you like a salesperson—and guess what: Most people don’t like salespeople! Instead, frame your interactions as regular conversations between two people. Don’t put on an act; don’t speak in a tone of voice you wouldn’t normally use. Focus on listening carefully, displaying genuine empathy, and making the other person feel as comfortable as possible.
When customers view you as just a salesperson—rather than a fellow human being—they’re more inclined to believe you don’t have their best interests at heart. However, when you’re able to behave naturally and be relatable, it becomes much easier to establish natural rapport, which in turn makes it possible to build trust and work toward your success in sales.
Success in Sales Tip #2: Get to the bottom of “no”
Even if this is your first day selling, you know that you’re supposed to overcome objections. But there are alternative ways to think of this.
Issue the following challenge to yourself: Always walk away from a prospect with 1 of 2 things—a sale or a true understanding of why the customer didn’t buy. (Hint: There’s a difference between a reason and an excuse.)
When someone says they don’t want to buy, simply set out to learn more. Successful salespeople don’t just move on, and they don’t lead with trying to change the person’s mind, either. Remember the advice in tip number 1: Be a regular person. Step into the other person’s shoes. Focus on asking great questions and actively listening to the customer’s responses.
By digging deeper when you get a shallow no, you’ll end up uncovering a lot about a customer’s motivations—their problems, challenges, what they’re looking for, what they’re not looking for, and maybe even past experiences with other vendors. The result? You’ll start turning many would-be nos into yeses—and success in sales.
Success In Sales Tip #3: Master your own body language
Successful salespeople are hyper-aware of their body language and tone of voice. They have a sense of how they’re being perceived, and they’re strategic about using their physical presence to advance a conversation.
Amateurs, on the other hand, don’t necessarily realize that their hands are in their pockets or that they shifted their weight when asked a difficult question. They aren’t aware, per se, that they’re swaying while speaking, that their eye contact is inconsistent, that they're frowning or over-smiling. Folks with less success in sales are generally unaware of how they are coming across.
If you want to become maximally successful in sales, you need to develop an extreme sense of self-awareness and the ability to quickly adapt your body language to the customer and situation. (Hint: Try videoing yourself practice-pitching or ask a colleague for feedback.) It’s important to realize that simply saying all of the right things isn’t enough to become great. It’s up to you to master your own body language so that it becomes a controllable part of the sales process.
What habits have helped you see more success in sales? Share them with Cydcor on social media
Companies have many options when it comes to how to build and structure their sales strategies and approaches, and one important decision they will have to make will be whether to invest in inside sales or outside sales. To weigh the benefits and advantages of each sales approach, it’s important to clearly identify what each option entails.
Inside sales are generally done “inside,” from a single location. Inside sales do not take place in person, and they can include interactions ranging from phone calls to emails, chats, social media, and even texts.
Outside sales refers to situations in which a sales rep makes in-person, face-to-face contact with the customer. This can include door-to-door sales, sales made through visits to customers’ homes, offices and local businesses, or retail sales.
Both inside and outside sales can offer advantages to companies wanting to maximize revenue and keep costs manageable. To achieve the absolute best sales and customer acquisition results, companies should pursue a mixture of both. When optimized, inside and outside sales can support each other, helping companies acquire more customers, improve their overall conversion rate, earn greater revenue from customers, and build stronger relationships with the customers that could support better customer retention.
How do inside and outside sales teams work together? Customers who are first contacted by an outside field rep, for example, may have some interest in a product or service, but he or she may ultimately decide against making a purchase. In cases like this, an inside sales rep may be able to follow up with this customer by phone or email to find out why he or she decided against the product or service, and by offering additional information, the sales rep may be able to change the customer’s mind. The inside sales rep may also be able to present alternative products to the customer, such as a different service package, that might better fit the customer’s needs.
Alternatively, the inside sales rep might be able to refer customers to outside sales reps after making initial contact. This customer now has some awareness of a product or service and has built a relationship with the brand. The outside sales rep may then be able to work one-on-one with the customer to find a product or service solution that fits their needs.
These are just a few ways inside and outside sales teams can work in partnership to drive better overall sales results for your company.
Other ways inside and outside sales may be able to work together are:
Customers are individuals, and not all customers will respond the same way to the same sales approach. By enlisting both inside and outside sales, you give your company more flexibility to communicate with the customer at a variety of touchpoints and in a variety of ways. By incorporating both sales channels, you can acquire more customers, more easily address weaknesses in your sales funnel, gather more valuable data and customer insights, and boost revenue by giving the customer more information and more options.
Below is a breakdown of the advantages each sale method offers:
Both inside and outside sales offer major benefits, and a winning strategy for sales revenue growth is one that combines the two, allowing them to work in partnership to deliver the best possible results. A sales program that includes both inside and outside sales can interact with the customer at multiple stages of the sales cycle, building product knowledge, strengthening the relationship with the customer, growing trust, fostering interest, and gaining valuable insights about what the customer needs and wants.
To reap the advantages of both inside and outside sales, the smartest organizations are partnering with companies like Cydcor, a leader in outsourced sales and marketing. Cydcor has experience building full-service sales and customer acquisition programs that combine effective outside sales, with inside sales techniques. Cydcor drives high sales volume using traditional feet on the street sales methods, and it supports these efforts through multi-channel and tele-sales techniques to capture, retain, or upsell leads with which the outside sales team has already made contact. By entrusting a company like Cydcor, with expertise and experience in both outside and inside sales tactics, companies benefit from a tested, disruptive, and winning formula that consistently delivers results.
Finding your first job after college can be difficult. You’ve spent a great deal of time working towards your desired career, and you want to get it under way. The problem is that while you have the skills you need, you may not have the real world experience that employers are looking for. That’s why it’s important to weigh all of your options when you are searching for that first job. You may not have considered taking an entry level sales job before, but it is definitely worth investigating. Starting you career in sales can set you up for success in a number of different ways.
Communication
It’s hard to overstate just how important quality communication is. Virtually nothing can be accomplished in business or in life without clear, concise, and considerate communication. You may have the most brilliant idea in the world, one that will help your company out-pace the competition two-to-one. But if you can’t communicate it effectively, it won’t do anyone any good. Landing a first job in sales is an opportunity to hone those vital communication skills. In order to be successful in sales, you need to learn both how to listen to your potential customer and how to vocalize your point of view in a way that the customer can appreciate. Unless you know what the customer needs, and unless they are convinced that you have the solution to their problem, you aren’t going to close the sale.
Time Management
Most entry level sales jobs give you a great deal of flexibility as to how you make the most of your time. And as you get out into the field, it will become evident very quickly that time is a limited and valuable resource. This means that you alone are largely responsible for how you structure and manage your time to achieve maximum results. This is a skill that is critical for success in any professional field, and it will surely serve you well in the future.
Making Your Case
Your potential client isn’t going to seal the deal if they aren’t convinced that you have the right solution. You need to be able to summarize all of the important information and communicate how your service will solve the customer’s problem. You need to be flexible and adaptable in your approach. You need to be able to read your audience and be able to adjust as needed. These skills will come in handy later on, whether you’re selling your next big idea to the board or nailing that opening interview.
Networking
They say it’s not what you know, but rather who you know. The networking that is inherent in an entry level sales job is of great value. By learning how, when, and where to network, you’re both exercising vital business skills and creating the framework from which you’re future network will grow. You will be in contact with seasoned professionals that you may be able to enlist as mentors or supporters as you pursue your goals. You’ll connect with peers who will help to keep you informed about changes in the business. The networking that in inherent to the sales field will help you master the critical art of relationship building, which is foundational to almost any business transaction.
Negotiating
With a first job in sales, you will learn quickly that everything is a negotiation. In business and in life, moving forward often comes down to resolving the differences between conflicting parties and opinions, and that is the essence of negotiation. Since achieving success as a salesperson demands that you learn to become adept at negotiating, that skill will become an advantage you can use to get ahead in any number of future pursuits.
Goal Setting
Because your success with an entry level sales job is determined by how much effort you put in, goal setting and follow-through become vital. It puts you in a decision making position that requires your self-discipline and focus be consistently outstanding. With that skill set readily at your fingertips, you’ll be far ahead of your competition in any field. You will learn how to drive your own success and hold yourself accountable.
Grit
Setbacks and obstacles are unavoidable. Everyone encounters them from time to time. The important part is how you deal with the situation. It’s easy to get discouraged and get off track if you allow yourself to be overly affected. Salespeople know, however, how to get right back up and keep going. That doggedness and determination will be a valuable asset no matter where your career takes you. In situations where others may falter, you will thrive.
Leadership
If your first job is in sales, there is a very good chance that it will be the first opportunity you have to exercise your leadership skills in a professional setting. By taking the lead on a team or taskforce, you will have the opportunity to discover what your personal leadership style looks like. You will learn first-hand what motivates you and your team. You will understand how to empower your team to achieve their goals. Every profession needs leaders, and you’ll be ready to step up to the challenge.
Clearly, there are a number of benefits to working in sales, especially when you take an entry level sales job right out of school. When a potential employer sees that your first job was in sales, and that you excelled, they know exactly who they are hiring. There will be no doubt that you are a resilient, capable asset who will undoubtedly see any task through to completion.
Everyone knows that “Coffee’s for closers,” but sales and marketing professionals take extra special pride in knowing all the best movie and TV sales quotes inside and out. Test your quote IQ with this quiz, featuring quotes from all your favorite movies and TV shows about business, sales, and marketing, and find out how you rate against the competition.
As businesses develop their strategies for growth, more and more management teams are recognizing that outsourced sales and marketing can be their secret weapon to achieve their company’s revenue goals. Outsourcing marketing activities can provide significant benefits including fewer costs, faster growth, and greater efficiency. By enlisting the help of a sales and marketing company like Cydcor, businesses can edge out their competitors and achieve their sales goals while focusing their internal resources on key projects to drive business forward.
An expert, full-service outsourced sales company can effectively drive sales growth while also reducing the need to devote as much of your marketing budget and resources to recruiting, training, managing, and retaining competent sales staff. Cydcor can rapidly launch and grow sales programs staffed with teams who are fully prepared to represent your brand, serve your customers, and deliver sales results.
By outsourcing your sales function to a company that specializes in driving sales revenue growth, your company can benefit from having a focused, full-time sales team whose only objective is to sell and help drive revenue. Cydcor’s sales teams understand how to quickly and efficiently make an impact on customers. While your internal team works to develop your business, a dedicated outsourced sales and marketing team will be calling on decades of expertise, experience, and sales cycle knowledge to acquire new customers to fuel that growth.
While it’s certainly important to partner with the right outsourced sales solution provider, entrusting companies like Cydcor, a leader in outsourced sales and marketing services, offers the benefits of reduced financial risk: Your organization will only pay for the results it gets.
Working with an outsourced sales and marketing leader gives your company the opportunity to take advantage of years of experience in direct customer acquisition. Outsourced sales and marketing has been one of the best-kept secrets of some of the best-known brands and Fortune 500 companies in the United States and Canada for more than 20 years. With well-honed, face-to-face and multi-channel customer acquisition techniques, outsourcing can deliver faster, better results through a tested sales approach to help your company achieve its revenue goals.
Outsourcing provides a level of flexibility that might be too costly and demanding of resources to attempt internally. Outsourced sales specialists are built to handle rapidly changing sales needs and can quickly grow programs or shift resources where they are needed most to keep costs down and maximize productivity and results.
Building effective sales programs can take months—if not years—of testing, adjusting, and applying learnings before coming across a winning formula. But by outsourcing to an expert sales company like Cydcor, companies can take advantage of years of experience developing programs that swiftly deliver results. We understand how to quickly gather and apply data, adjust pricing, and create impactful offers and incentives to acquire more customers and increase revenue. Our sales processes have been honed and developed based on thousands of customer interactions, and our clients have been reaping the benefits.
Onboarding new clients and launching new programs can be challenging for internal marketing departments who may not have the infrastructure and resources in place to handle the additional workload. Cydcor, however, has a tested pilot program through which we’ve launched dozens of new campaigns. We can quickly and easily mobilize teams to introduce new products and establish territory. In addition, our experienced, in-house marketing team works in partnership with our internal sales campaign management team to develop a marketing plan including specialized brand materials and sales collateral catered toward our unique customer acquisition approach.
By outsourcing your organization’s sales and marketing functions to a leader in outsourced sales like Cydcor, your company can empower your internal team, while ensuring consistent sales results. Enlisting Cydcor’s help to build a world-class sales and marketing program gives organizations a competitive edge allowing them to save money, acquire customers faster, rapidly boost revenue, and quickly and efficiently growth their business.
It’s common for people to have misconceptions about any industry or field they haven’t directly experienced, and sales is no exception. Some people may shy away from making a career in sales, because they have preconceived notions of what working in sales is all about. If you’re considering getting into sales, it’s important to have the right information. Here we uncover 10 sales myths—and offer you some sales facts to combat them.
1. One Pitch Fits All
When it comes to sales, one pitch doesn’t fit all. Every prospect has different needs and as such, every pitch must be tailored to suit those unique needs. Positioning your message to suit your customer is critical to landing that sale. Perform your due diligence—research the customer or the market so you can better understand them and communicates in a way that addresses their interests and concerns.
2. Scripts are for Rookies
This is a particularly malicious sales myth. The fact is that preparation is always beneficial. Simply put, it provides the framework for your prospecting campaign. Even seasoned salespeople must practice their pitches. Writing a script will help you to anticipate any questions the customer may have, and it helps to ensure you know the key benefits of the product or service you’re selling.
3. The First Three Minutes Determine the Success of a Sale
While first impressions do count, the first three minutes is not long enough to establish if you’ve closed the deal. Everyone is different, and many customers decide to make a purchase after they’ve grown comfortable with the salesperson. Rather than focusing on any arbitrary time limit suggested by this sales myth—apply that attention to establishing a relationship with the customer by engaging them in conversation and asking them relevant questions to help you better position your pitch.
4. Sales is about Getting People to Buy Things they Don’t Want
Good salesmanship is about connecting people with things they need, not convincing them that they need something they don’t. Great salespeople become great by asking questions and seeking to understand exactly what the customer is looking for so they can provide the best solutions. That’s an important sales fact to repeat often and eagerly.
5. Salespeople Care More about Commissions than about People
This sales myth is just silly. Like anyone, salespeople hope to be successful at what they do, and the fact is you can’t be good at sales if you don’t like and care about people. Great salespeople are passionate about what they do and they love and care about their customers. Good salespeople are concerned about creating satisfied customers—those are the customers who keep coming back.
6. Salespeople are Born, Not Made
With anything in life, commitment and training are key ingredients to becoming successful. While many of your personal traits will prove beneficial to your sales career, training, practice, and ambition are what will ultimately decide your success as a salesperson. In fact, great salespeople pride themselves on maintaining a student mentality—a passion for lifelong learning, growth, and development. You can develop yourself and your skills by using free online resources such as blogs or watching TED talks. Check out two Cydcor blogs in particular: “How to be a Successful Salesperson” and “How to Write a Winning Elevator Pitch.”
7. Salespeople are Only out for Themselves
Salespeople are certainly not out for themselves. Great salespeople are working to build a business and add value to their organization, not just to make a sale. They’re interested in being as efficient and effective as possible to achieve their goals. They know that the success of others doesn’t take away from their own chances for success so they’re happy to share what they know and see others reach their goals. This is one of the more damaging sales myths out there—those who walk this walk quickly discover that it won’t take them far.
8. All Salespeople are Extroverts
It’s a common sales myth that all salespeople are outgoing and assertive. Being a successful salesperson means having the ability to make people comfortable and being a great listener—whether you’re an introvert or extrovert. Being an attentive listener is key because it allows you to hear what the customer really wants and needs. This, in turn, better positions you to address their concerns and fulfill those needs with the right products and/or services.
9. Technology Rules
Technology has advanced at a rapid rate. While it has certainly helped speed things up and improved the resources available to salespeople, there are just some things computers can’t do. True selling always comes down to having great people skills and sales skills. No matter what, face-to-face contact remains invaluable in the sales industry because people connect with other people more than they do with any other form of advertising.
10. Great Products Sell Themselves
While great products are easier to sell, they still need to be sold. It’s up to the salesperson to create awareness of the product. Customers need to understand how your product or service can fulfill their needs and where and when those needs can be met. Even a great product needs marketing and sales support.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Asked About Careers in Sales; Sales Managers Answered.
Whether you're pursuing a career in sales, or you’re considering one, working in sales is exciting, challenging, and highly rewarding! A career in sales can benefit you by helping you find focus, teaching you to set ambitious goals and achieve them, and by showing you the value of helping others reach their goals, as well. We asked a group of sales managers about what they believe to be the best and most rewarding aspects of working in sales, and the results are in. Check out our findings in the sales infographic below:
A career in sales can have a profound impact on you and your future success. Even if you only work in sales for a short time, gaining sales experience can increase your value to a potential employer by expanding and improving your skillset. It can also bolster your leadership ability by putting you in a position to mentor others, to help them achieve their own career goals and aspirations.
What does it take to be a successful salesperson? One of the best ways to unlock your real sales potential is to look at the traits of successful people in other fields. Whether it’s astrophysics or technology or sports, there are a number of traits that successful people share. Discover what those traits are here, and find out how you can utilize them to become the most successful salesperson you can be.
Passion
It’s nearly impossible to be successful in any arena if you aren’t passionate about what you do. It takes long hours and hard work to get to the top of any field. If you’re not passionate about what you do, it makes it that much harder to put in the effort. But when you love what you do, all those sacrifices you make for the job no longer seem like work. They feel worth it, because this is what you were meant to do.
Innovation
Innovation is one of the main traits of successful people that pops up in nearly every field. But how, exactly, do you tap into the creativity that leads to innovation? Try looking at the obstacles in your life. It may seem counterintuitive, but every obstacle has an upside. It provides you with a way to find a solution. Ideas are born from the combination of a need to accomplish a task and a fresh perspective. Keep your eyes open for novel solutions that others may not see. Keep your ears open to listen for obstacles that others might have. Ask questions that can uncover the root of the obstacle, and you’ll unleash your inner innovator in no time.
Self-Improvement
Think about your favorite sports figure for a moment. They are exciting to watch—thrilling even. You root for them and you’re disappointed when they lose. Now imagine if you found out they no longer showed up to training and refused to practice. It wouldn’t take long for you to find someone else to cheer for, would it? Self-improvement is a process that never ends. There’s always room for you to be grow, improve your skills, and become a more successful salesperson. There really is no such thing as a plateau, because there is always more to learn. Maintain a student mentality to avoid becoming complacent. Look for ways to further your education, your technique, and your motivation to ensure long-term success!
Self-Reliance
Successful people don’t become successful through luck. Luck is merely means being prepared when an opportunity arrives. You have to develop your skills and position yourself in a space where opportunity exists. That way you are ready, available, and capable to meet your opportunities head on. Remember that a successful salesperson can thrive in any market, because when you are living up to your potential, you create your own success.
Provide Value
You’re never really selling goods or services; what you are always selling is solutions. Your clients have problems that they need resolved, and you have the means to resolve them. Listen carefully to your client, and ask them questions that get to the root of what their issues are. Then, you are poised to add value to their day-to-day life. Think about Martha Stewart. She mastered the skill of making a beautiful home, and in turn, she sold the solutions she discovered along the way to millions of people across the country and benefitted their lives.
Persistence
Failure is inevitable, and the ability to work through it and keep yourself dedicated to your goals is one of the defining traits of successful people. There are countless examples of this. Sir James Dyson created 5,126 failed prototypes before creating a bagless vacuum that worked. Dyson Vacuums is now valued at billions of dollars. Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had his first book rejected by 27 different publishers. Stephen King threw away an entire early draft of Carrie because he was unsatisfied with his product. His wife saved it from the trash and it eventually launched his career. Every failure is a chance to learn, to adapt, and to refine your approach.
Self-Control
A successful sales person doesn’t need anyone other than themselves to hold them accountable. Similarly, you are the only person who truly knows just how valuable you are to a team. While your manager will set certain expectations of you based on your potential, to really excel, you should set even higher standards for yourself. You know what you are capable of. You have the discipline to achieve success. You must answer to yourself at the end of every day.
Exceed Expectations
There’s an old sales saying, “under-commit and over-deliver.” But what happens when you over-commit and still over-deliver? Successful people do more than what is asked of them. They think of their job description as where their job starts, and then they look to add even more value to their team. In addition to proving to others that they are a team player, their work really stands out.
Goal-Oriented
Across all disciplines, it is a proven trait of successful people to remain goal-oriented in spite of any and all surrounding circumstances. The key to obtaining the goals you set for yourself is to approach them strategically. Differentiate short term goals from long term goals and prioritize your progress accordingly. Realize that long term goals are often made up of a number of more easily actionable short term goals. Tackle those short-term goals one by one, and soon you will discover you have achieved the success you deserve.
Be sure to check the Cydcor Blog regularly for more tips on how to become the successful salesperson you are meant to be!
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
These B2B partners bring in leads, close deals, and grow revenue for some of the world’s largest companies.
They say that you should sell your strengths and buy your weaknesses. That’s the thought behind the business-to-business (B2B) market, where a company can bolster its sales process with the help of outsourced teams and vendors. Plenty of players are in this arena, but you must know you’re entrusting your brand and reputation to a trustworthy partner.
You’re looking for a vendor that treats your business like their own, and here are five brands with a reputation for doing just that.
Cydcor has a thirty-year history of working with Fortune 500 companies to facilitate campaigns that use everything from in-person sales to digital marketing. This California-based business has a track record of driving significant results for big clients, with awards and recognition, including being named the Door-to-Door Dealer of the Year.
They operate as a sales network of independent sales companies owned by empowered entrepreneurs. This lets them execute campaigns across North America on behalf of their clients. Under the leadership of CEO Vera Quinn, who took the helm in 2020, Cydcor has built powerful solutions-oriented relationships with customers and digital technology to connect the brands they work with to the customers who need them.
Hyperscaler cloud marketplaces such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) are powerful tools for enterprise software sales, but many software companies need help selling their product on hyperscalers. Tackle.io specializes in guiding partners in this space, getting them in front of the right buyers, and providing the tools to transact deals through these complex hyperscaler ecosystems.
Tackle claims over $6 billion in transactions and counting, and they offer an “enterprise-grade” platform to organize a company’s sales operations all in one place. Tackle’s goal is to simplify the complexity of selling in cloud marketplaces.
Before closing a sale, prospect leads and educate potential customers about your offers. Lead generation agencies are essential to the B2B market and Cleverly is a great example. Their cold outbound lead generation process operates through email and online spaces like LinkedIn.
Cleverly’s numbers list over $50 million in generated revenue. Their specialty in LinkedIn positions them as a primary destination for B2B prospecting.
Another lead generation agency, Belkins, has worked with big names in industry, education, and fintech. Belkins has gathered awards for its outcomes, including the 2023 Silver Stevie award for sales and customer services, and G2 ranked Belkins at #1 for Lead Generation in Digital Marketing and Email Marketing for Spring 2024.
One unique aspect of Belkins is its consulting work, which can be an alternative or complement to its done-for-you lead generation services. The best sales team (and outsourced lead gen team) can only be effective when working with a robust, organized CRM. Belkins specializes in helping companies across multiple industries set up, organize, and maximize their CRM.
Patrick Bet-David, the entrepreneur behind PHP Agency, is now more commonly known for his commentary on the Valuetainment podcast and YouTube channel, where guests have included Jordan Peterson, former Mafia bosses, and even the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant. However, the PHP Agency is still alive and effective. It is a marketing company that drives sales for financial services nationwide, specializing in the US life insurance market. The company is expansive in scope and ambition, with almost 30,000 agents.
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Over the last few decades, outsourced sales have become a mainstay in the strategy of many companies worldwide. From titans like Cydcor to tech-powered upstarts like Cleverly, the best B2B partners are the ones who lean entirely into their strengths so that they can drive significant results for companies in need of their unique sales solutions.
Cydcor, a leader in outsourced sales, has touched a wide array of industries in its first thirty years in business. We sit down with CEO Vera Quinn to learn about how to tailor a business to clients across multiple sectors.
When you’re serving some of the nation’s top businesses, you have to be able to adapt. Every industry has its own needs, systems, and quirks–and services must be tailored to fit each one. Sometimes, you can find your niche in one area and stay there happily, but–more often than not–the most successful companies are the ones that can thrive in multiple sectors.
Cydcor has become a leader in the outsourced sales industry by developing integrated omnichannel campaigns that are executed by independent corporate businesses. In their first thirty years in business, Cydcor has developed a reputation for delivering results, no matter what industry the clients are in – from telecommunications to energy and everything in between.
To pick up some advice that the company has learned along the way, we reached out to CEO Vera Quinn.
The first thing the CEO advises is to be flexible–as every client has its own approach to solving problems.
“I don’t think there’s one answer for everything,” Quinn says. “What works for one business could be different than what works for another. For one business problem, there could be four different answers. They could all be right–so what we’re looking for is the best one.”
Listening is key to working alongside clients – and being flexible to all the possible approaches out there opens the door to finding the one that’s going to work best.
“It’s never linear,” Quinn continues. “There is no certainty in business, so the process has to begin with clearly articulating the problem, then finding the best brains around to help solve it.”
This is a sentiment that extends to Quinn’s role as a “custodian” of Cydcor, in addition to her approach to serving different teams of clients.
Listening to the specific client at-hand to learn about how business is done in their industry is crucial. But one of the benefits of serving business clients across multiple markets is that Cydcor gets to bring a fresh perspective to every sector
“Sometimes in business,” Quinn says, “you just get yes people. But one of the keys to innovating and finding solutions is being willing to not just go along and say yes. When you have an alternative set of brains and perspectives, chances are you’re going to have a much better outcome.”
By serving solutions across a variety of different landscapes, Quinn and the Cydcor team have been able to pick up many of these alternative perspectives over the course of their first thirty years in business. Markets change over time–and an emerging technology or societal shift may impact one before another. Cydcor’s longevity has allowed the company to learn, adapt, and bring what they’ve seen to each client they welcome into the fold.
That brings us to Quinn’s final piece of advice for serving multiple industries.
“Business is business,” Quinn says. “No matter what industry, there are fundamental principles to what works and what doesn’t.”
We can get lost in the nuances of a particular market–and lose sight of what’s always important in business.
“Quality, budget, timelines, and the overall goal of helping people and adding value to their lives,” Quinn says. “I don’t care what industry you are serving; those elements should stay top-of-mind.”
Cydcor is proud to say that they are in the “people helping people” business. Every industry has a central humanity to it. Each–from telecommunications to energy to consumer goods–should strive to make the life of the end customer better while shaping a better world for the future.
Relationships like the ones Cydcor has created with both Fortune 500s and emerging new brands are what drives industries forward. By being malleable enough to work across distinct sectors, Cydcor has built a bridge of innovation and knowledge for the fundamental principles of business.
Building on these fundamental principles, their team has been able to learn from their clients–each of whom have unique angles and approaches to the work that they do. This has been fundamental to Cydcor’s growth over these last three decades–and what makes them a highly competent player in the market for coordinating outsourced sales campaigns with independent corporate offices across the nation.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to create great relationships with our clients,” CEO Vera Quinn says, “and learned a lot during our first thirty years in business.”
For more information on how Cydcor serves its clients across multiple industries, visit their website.
Demonstrating success in outsourced sales since 1994, Cydcor is a leader in its industry for a reason. The purpose-driven company helps fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their business goals from customer acquisition to perfecting sales processes. And what sets Cydcor apart is its unmatched reputation for sales excellence and expertise. Read on to learn more.
It’s hard to find companies that truly care about what they do in this day and age, let alone care about their clients and employees. Implementing a mission backed by a purpose sets businesses apart from the rest, and with every passing year, these businesses are becoming increasingly rare.
There’s nothing worse than investing your time and energy in a company that turns out to have no interest in you except for your wallet. But in this day and age, a reputation like that can have your organization spiraling in no time. In a recent global study, it was found that consumers are four to six times more likely to interact with and support purpose-driven companies.
Consumers have the upper hand now more than ever, making it evidently important to invest in your business’s customer service and lead with a purpose.
One company that has stuck behind its mission since day one is Cydcor, an expert in all things outsourced sales and customer acquisition. Helping others is what the company not only stands for but practices with every internal and external interaction.
“You’re not successful in our business unless you help others succeed,” says Gail Michalak, Vice-President of Marketing and Communications at Cydcor.
Consistently exceeding client expectations is only part of what makes Cydcor an industry leader. The company was ranked on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Best Places To Work list 10 times as it fosters a positive work environment and prioritizes its employees. A key to any successful business is investing in the team members just as much as the clients. 71% of executives say that employee engagement is critical to their company’s success.
As it’s known, driven, motivated, and passionate employees are the backbone of any long-lasting organization. And at Cydcor, the company dedicates a main portion of its mission to its employees through management training. One factor that makes Cydcor such a successful company is its employee morale and the customer service the teams, outsourced by Cydcor, provide.
As a face-to-face sales company, excellent customer service is a vital part of what makes Cydcor a top leader, a treasured asset in today’s heavily dominant online world.
With over 25 years of putting together outsourced sales teams across Canada and the US, it’s no wonder why Cydcor is one of the best in the business.
Simply put, “we’re a people-helping-people business,” Vera Quinn says, Chief Executive Officer and President of Cydcor. And that is exactly what Cydcor does. The purpose-driven company continues its mission to assist fortune 500 and emerging companies elevate their businesses while giving back to the community through their philanthropic endeavours.
Leadership, expertise, and security are a few of the many traits that define Cydcor. But above all, the company helps its clients in a few fundamental areas:
When asked what the main mission of Cydcor is, Quinn answers without delay.
“We are who clients can count on to get their brand products and services exposure in front of a customer,” and the company achieves this in a few ways. “We break down complex ideas or services and we simplify them in a way that makes a customer create a great decision to either save money or use a service in a different, better way.”
And the “faces” behind Cydcor’s face-to-face sales are the outsourced teams. “We can put together a team that’s well trained, has great character and integrity that can speak to a customer about your products as good as if not better than your own employees,” Quinn continues.
When an organization runs on a purpose, it bleeds into the rest of the team. Selling a product to consumers in today’s landscape is almost impossible without integrity, passion, and authenticity. And Cydcor ensures that with every moving part, these core values are carried throughout.
“There are a few things happening today. But mainly there is a lack of customer service. And you can see that everywhere,” says Quinn. Without adequate customer service, your products and services will remain on your inventory list.
That’s where the customer acquisition expert company, Cydcor, can help.
More than a company, Cydcor provides career opportunities, goes above and beyond in its community involvement, and produces real results for its clients. When you lead with purpose, success follows, and Cydcor fosters an environment that aims to achieve excellence in all areas of life, both personal and professional.
As they say, success is a mindset, but at Cydcor, success is a guarantee.
To learn more about Cydcor and how they can help you achieve your business goals, visit their website now.
Cydcor is a respected customer acquisition company whose DNA is hardwired to help people develop and unleash their true potential. They are a thriving corporate culture on a mission to support and achieve lasting global impact – and thanks to their multiple philanthropic ventures, the team is inspiring others to do the same.
They say everything you need in life must pass through another person’s hands. This is why people are the most valuable resource on this earth. We are all connected. Yes, thanks to technologies like the Internet, some may argue we are more tight-knit than ever before, but unless we get out from behind our screens, we can easily become separated from impacting humanity in more personal ways.
In a generous society where giving freely is common, there’s a much stronger connection and sense of belonging when we engage people face-to-face. Whether it’s giving time, talent, or treasure, philanthropy brings people together in ways that can only be achieved by supporting causes bigger than ourselves. We simply cannot deny the power a snowball effect can have on humanity
So why not take that one step further?
“You’re not successful in our business unless you help others succeed. And this extends to philanthropy locally and globally,” explains Gail Michalak, Vice-President of Marketing and Communications at Cydcor. “To be successful as a human goes beyond just being successful in business; it extends to doing more and giving more in everything you do.”
Cydcor, a powerhouse in its industry and known for being an organization focused on coaching and development in the workplace, is a trusted customer acquisition company also committed to impacting and inspiring change in its communities. As a “client broker” of more than 25 years, Cydcor’s award-winning reputation as a trusted leader in outsourced sales speaks volumes for its win-win attitude and company values that have continued through the decades.
Throughout its history, the company has been helping Fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business growth goals through teams of well-trained salespeople and a business foundation of great character and integrity.
Apart from having a long history of working with recognized and emerging brands in telecommunications, office supplies, energy, tech, and more, part of creating a community within the Cydcor team is finding ways to support those in need.
“We’re a people-helping-people business,” says Vera Quinn, President, and CEO of Cydcor. “Thanks to our business values and cultural philanthropic efforts, we are proud to actively drive multiple community service events throughout the year.”
Currently, Cydcor’s primary current involvement is with Liberty Children’s Home, a sanctuary in Belize for more than fifty abused, abandoned, and neglected children, some of whom also have special needs or suffer from HIV or AIDS. With the upcoming holiday period approaching fast, there has been a lot of energy and interest in helping the kids in need.
“Every year, we have a giving drive for Liberty. Liberty is a place that kids call home. Many of these kids don’t have parents or family members who can look after their basic needs – so we gather and fill a wish list of toys and essentials like clothing and school supplies,” explains Michalak.
She continues, “Through the efforts of our entire field and internal team at Cydcor, we have helped feed, clothe, house, educate, and provide counseling to 50+ children in Belize with a staff of around 30 people.”
Getting physical boots out in the field is something that Cydcor strives for, as this creates bonds and engagement and shifts mindsets for generations to come. From going door-to-door to approaching people in a workplace, face-to-face contact with any of their clients or philanthropic ventures is crucial to their core values.
This is because many people who wish to start philanthropic journeys occasionally write and send checks but don’t interact or know much about where it’s going. Getting actively involved and diving deep into the people’s hearts and minds makes the experience worth more than the grandest intention.
Cydcor is not a novice when it comes to previous philanthropic milestone successes. Since 2010, it has partnered with Operation Smile, a non-profit organization that helps support Operation Smile which is dedicated to creating solutions that deliver free cleft surgery and comprehensive care to people where it is needed most.
“For many years all across Canada and the U.S., we saw these people in the business band together to raise monies to help fund surgeries,” says Quinn. This past initiative changed thousands of lives as the company raised $1 million for the cause through organic fundraising and dedicated events. And it doesn’t end there.
After entrenching themselves from global to national philanthropies to rolling into local and individual markets, Cydcor noticed how their endeavors created momentum for everyone in the business.
“For our local efforts, many team members and field sales teams have causes or organizations that have personally impacted them that they want to give back to – including those in sports, education, healthcare, environment, hunger, and many more,” says Michalak. All that this tells us is that doing good reaps the rewards for setting an example and inspiring others.”
Business skills translate into philanthropic efforts being organized, inspiring people to commit. Ultimately, individuals can feel good about themselves – knowing they have just accomplished something bigger than themselves. This is why people need to get involved and make it a big part of their culture.
Having worked with organizations that are either well-known in the communities or renowned nationally or globally, it’s easy to see why millions of people value Cydcor as a company.
“One of the best ways to lead and inspire others is by appealing to people through both their heads and their hearts not just what they are going to get in their career, but really how they’re going to grow as individuals and have an impact on our world,” says Michalak.
If you want to join the cause and be a part of a company transforming the world’s philanthropic landscape, head to the Liberty Children’s Home website here.
For more information on how you can collaborate with Cydcor, explore their world here.
Written in partnership with Mindful Agency
When George Papalexandratos first started his career in sales, all he was looking for was an opportunity to learn new skills and make some money, but with his hard work and determination, he accomplished so much more than that. His story is a prime example of how a strong determination for success and the right mentorship can truly change the trajectory of your life.
After graduating from Virginia state’s University of Richmond in 2002, George Papalexandratos set foot in the world of sales for the very first time. With a background in finance and marketing, he began his career as an entry-level sales representative, and with the grit, determination, and the right mentorship along the way, he has become a successful business owner who inspires others to take risks and follow their dreams, no matter what challenges come their way.
“When I started in sales, I was seeking an opportunity to learn hard and soft skills, because right out of college, I didn’t really know where I was going,” he says. “I was not very good at sales straight away, but I got pretty competitive and very interested in learning what makes people click,” he continues.
Papalexandratos shares that his first time on the job didn’t quite go as smoothly as planned. He was overwhelmed with the sales pitch he memorized, and the customer he was selling to was apprehensive and resistant. He eventually lost the sale and began questioning whether this path was the right one for him. Along his journey, there were many moments when he felt like giving up and starting over, but something deep inside him told him to keep going.
“I was fortunate that I had a really good trainer who kept on pointing out all the things that I did well,” he says. “While in my mind I was tanking and not doing anything right, she was excited to see me try and instilled in me that I was progressing.”
With time, he became a talented salesperson, and having a mentor who was invested in his personal success really changed Papalexandratos’ perspective on the industry. Prior to this point, he felt like you had to be a certain type of person to do well in sales, but that simply wasn’t the case. With the right resources, passion, and dedication, Papalexandratos learned that anything was possible, and it inspired him to help others see the same.
“When I first learned how to make sales, I was very excited because I learned a skill that I could actually capitalize on and was passionate about doing well, but when I started helping others and teaching them how to close sales as well, that’s what really got me excited and fulfilled in a way that sales alone couldn’t,” he says.
Fast forward to today, Papalexandratos is the President and CEO of Ethos Consulting Group Incorporated. It is a direct sales company that blends sales, training, and talent management all under one roof. Ethos Consulting Group is contracted by Cydcor, an award-winning business relied on by Fortune 500 and emerging companies across America to achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business growth goals. Through his role with the company, Papalexandratos is a mentor known for his passion for helping entry-level salespeople turn into successful leaders.
When asked what training with Ethos Consulting Group looks like, he says it’s a lot more than just teaching the Xs and Os. “There’s a lot of empathy and support when training,” he says. “We tell people that this is going to be challenging and they’re going to fail, but also that we’re not afraid and we’re not going to hide away from it,” he says.
“I personally believe that you go through failure to reach success. So everything that you’ve built adds up, and when you look back at it, you’ll see that it forced you to step outside of your comfort zone, think through complex problems, find solutions and see the value in each lesson,” he shares.
Papalexandratos teaches his sales teams that when it comes to failure, you should be excited because it shows that you’re learning. “Most of the time you fail because you’re doing something that you’re uncomfortable doing, but that’s where all the growth is. So when someone fails, they’ve also learned from it and they become a better person,” he says.
When you go through these lessons, he says that you might not appreciate it at the time, but when you look back you’ll realize that all those things you went through, all the no’s and all the yes’s, slowly but surely made you into a better human being.
Papalexandratos’ story reminds us that if you work hard and are passionate about what you do, it will inevitably pay off. He started off as an entry-level sales representative over a decade ago, but his passion and determination got him to where he is today.
Papalexandratos has been running Ethos Consulting Group for over 17 years and shares that its success is due to the fact that they always go back to its mission of building people’s confidence by teaching them the right skills and the right mindset.
“After all of these years, we haven’t lost our core values, we are all about building up our people,” he concludes. To learn more about Cydcor and its inspiring people like George Papalexandratos, visit their website today.
Since joining Cydcor more than 20 years ago, Vera Quinn has been a driving force behind the company’s success. Vera was named President in 2015, and in 2016, Cydcor achieved a record year in revenue. Vera is primarily accountable for cultivating strong client relationships and ensuring sustained revenue growth. She heads Cydcor’s retail, residential, and business-to-business divisions and is responsible for broadening Cydcor’s reach through strategic business development and new client acquisition. Vera oversees campaign management, field management, and a variety of company support functions.