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As marketing executives focus efforts on the Internet, mobile devices, and other digital avenues to reach or expand their customer base, it becomes easy to overlook one of the oldest forms of outreach to spur business growth – and that is face-to-face sales. Even though face-to-face sales as part of the marketing mix has been successful for many businesses, the approach is often low on the list due to budget concerns and time constraints. It is difficult for businesses to find the staff, training, and resources to execute an extensive sales effort across geographies to target customers in their offices or companies. It is also challenging to find the kind of people with character and follow-through to represent businesses and products well.
The truth is that most companies do not have the internal capabilities to expand their sales force for targeted face-to-face campaigns. To gain revenue and market share, they frequently turn to partners who do. More Fortune 500 companies have hired outsourced face-to-face sales companies, which has unleashed hunters to better identify prospects and close deals. Well-known companies have turned to outsourced sales vendors like Cydcor to market their services and products to small businesses across the country. In addition to top-line growth, the companies are also experiencing bottom-line value by turning over the management and administration of the sales effort, reducing their need to recruit and paying only for successful conversions.
What is driving all of this success? Well-trained, courteous salespeople, the ability to answer questions and customize solutions on the spot, and the personal touch.
Not all face-to-face marketing companies are all alike. Businesses interested in the face-to-face sales approach should weigh the variables carefully before proceeding. Here are some important things to consider:
Track record of success. Like any business partnership, work with organizations that do not just share a vision for success, but deliver on it. Evaluate potential outsourced face-to-face sales firms on the strength of their clients, industry knowledge and relationships, past results and their tenure in the marketplace.
Strength of their sales teams. Pick firms whose business success lies in their ability to hire and manage the most talented full-time, professional sales people, as well as those firms that know how to motivate and inspire their sales teams.
Training and partnership models. Outsourced face-to-face sales partnerships should be just that: partnerships. Look for companies whose compensation is tied with their ability to deliver results. Importantly, the partnering firm should be able to readily translate and deliver training to its sales teams, and help ensure that the culture of the hiring company is presented well in all cases.
Reach. Speed to market is critical for most companies. Face-to-face sales organizations that have local market understanding, national reach and wide experience in myriad industries tend to be better partners because of their ability to incorporate best practices and limit the need for multiple outsourced relationships.
Integrity and Trust. Partnering firms will be your company’s representatives in the marketplace. Pick firms committed to helping your company build a strong and profitable customer relationship while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism to preserve trust, loyalty and integrity of your brand.
As emerging technologies and today’s economic downturn challenge businesses to develop creative marketing approaches, outsourced face-to-face sales as part of the marketing mix can be a sound way forward.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, has announced that the company recently held two conferences in Nashville, Tennessee and Montreal, Quebec to recognize and celebrate its network of nearly 200 independently-owned offices throughout the United States and Canada.
With the theme of “Dream XTreme,” the events were attended by sales representatives and office owners throughout each area. In Nashville, more than 1,700 were in attendance; in Canada, almost 300 were at the event. Attendees heard presentations from leaders in the business, attended invaluable training sessions, and participated in an awards ceremony. Awards were distributed to those who were achieving above and beyond sales targets and performing at high rates.
“The two conferences were an incredible success, and I’m so proud of all the sales representatives and office owners who work tirelessly each day selling on behalf of our clients,” said Gary Polson, chief executive officer. “We recognized dozens of sales representatives and office owners who have demonstrated excellence and growth. Both events were extremely exciting – and watching the award winners step up to the podium to be recognized for their achievements was inspiring.”
During the Nashville event, Cydcor recognized a top performing sales office owner with a 2011 Range Rover Sport. Nominees spoke to the group with great messages revolving around passion, commitment, and hard work. A video about Operation Smile, a children’s medical charity that provides free cleft lip and cleft palate reconstructive surgeries worldwide, was also shown to the group; field high rollers who have raised significant funds were recognized. Cydcor is one of the highest corporate givers to the organization and an official corporate ambassador for the organization.
“Our network of sales offices is the backbone of our business. Without them selling door-to-door and business-to-business for our clients, we wouldn’t be successful,” said Polson. “Our sales reps and office owners are our business. It was a pleasure seeing them receive their hard-earned recognition and watch their energy during the two events – everyone was enthusiastic and energized.”
About Cydcor, Inc.
Cydcor, Inc., is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face Cydcor sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail energy, and financial services. Serving Fortune 500 and emerging market clients in the business-to-business, residential, and retail channels through in-store marketing initiatives, Cydcor works with a network of independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) Cydcor sales offices providing clients with access to approximately 3,000 sales professionals and nearly 200 offices in North America. The privately held company is based in Westlake Village, California. For more information about Cydcor, log on to www.cydcor.com.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine published a case study on Cydcor earlier this year that we wanted to share with you. Here's a snippet from the article:
Some 26,000 C-level officers and senior executives ranked Cydcor No. 1 in several key areas, including sales team outsourcing and sales support service, client satisfaction, and numerous performance categories (including vendor overall preference, training, trust, and reliability).
Clearly, Cydcor is doing something right. The company's sales network marshals approximately 200 offices in North America and nearly 3,000 representatives.
Three key factors account for this success: a company mission that meets a growing need, a collaborative culture that cultivates and rewards excellence, and a proven business model that drives results.
At the company's core is what Chief Executive Officer Gary Polson describes as a singular "focus to be the best outsourced sales solution for [Cydcor's] clients." Cydcor's mission anticipates and fulfills an escalating market need, as organizations seek more scalable solutions to achieve top-line growth and bottom-line value in the post-recession environment.
To read the full article visit: Case Study: Cydcor's Outsourced Sales Solution
We just announced our expansion into the retail industry. Cydcor will now be providing full service, seasonal support and niche product in-store marketing services.
After engaging with Cydcor, territory management teams and retail product experts collaborate with client staff to identify objectives and expectations, and then create and implement scalable, custom programs that translate customer engagement and service into sales.
Click here to read more about this announcement.
Join our team! Cydcor is recruiting talented salespeople to support new in-store marketing initiatives. Interested candidates should send a resume to retailjobs@cydcor.com.
For the first time, Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, earned top honors overall for Sales and Marketing Outsourcing in Brown-Wilson Group/Datamonitor “The Black Book of Outsourcing’’ 2009 annual survey. Among other elite vendor and performance ranking honors, Cydcor earned the survey’s highest overall client satisfaction, ranking at 93 percent.
Cydcor placed first in 9 of 18 key performance indicators evaluated as part of the annual survey. In four “vendor function’’ categories, Cydcor earned top honors in two categories: 1) sales team outsourcing and 2) sales support service. The Cydcor team captured first place in “key performance’’ rankings, including vendor overall preference, training, trust, deployment and outsourcing implementation, integration and interfaces, reliability, data and security backup services, support and customer care, and best of breed technology and process improvement.
“We are thrilled to receive our industry’s highest marks in the Brown-Wilson survey, which underscores all the reasons why our clients choose Cydcor sales and value the results we deliver on their behalf,” said Gary Polson, chief executive officer of Cydcor. “The Black Book research survey is a true testament to the quality of work and services the independent Cydcor offices and our top sales professionals provide.”
“Cydcor’s proficiency in outsourced sales delivers leading turnkey solutions and enables consistently predictable and profitable results, as highly praised by multichannel clients,” adds Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Brown-Wilson Group, “Cydcor has earned the distinction of being the most respected sales outsourcing company in the world.”
Each year, the Brown-Wilson Group, a Datamonitor company, undertakes its annual survey of SMO clients in various industries to benchmark and rank vendor performance. The research results are recognized as the most extensive and representative perception study of outsourcing vendors, validated by more than 26,000 respondents from service users around the globe. “Our clients are everything, and these findings validate the premium we place at Cydcor on those standards that matter to them – professionalism, trust, reliability, client service and results,” said Polson.
Cydcor, the leading outsourced sales company in the business to business market, attributes its continued success to the same reasons Cydcor’s clients seek its services – quality, efficiency, speed, and securing a leadership position in the marketplace.
Cydcor’s ability to evolve at a pace to keep its clients competitive in the marketplace came with Cydcor’s capacity to streamline and improve its own operations. “Over the years, the nature of our business and the business of our clients has become more competitive and more complex,” stated Gary Polson, Cydcor CEO. “It is vital for us to ensure Cydcor is a nimble and proficient company so we can support our clients more quickly and cost-effectively than they can support themselves.”
“It’s hard to imagine how sophisticated we’ve become in such a short period of time,” states Vera Uzelac, Cydcor Vice President of Operations. “We have re-engineered a manual paper-intensive system of processing sales that used to take hours… and sometimes even days, to an automated, data-driven system that can process sales in minutes with even greater accuracy.”
Uzelac, who has been involved with the Cydcor for more than a decade, would know. She remembers when Cydcor handwrote some 250 checks a week and manually stuffed them in envelopes lined up and down the long hallways of the office, instead of using Electronic Funds Transfer.
Cydcor’s proven track record for many for leading brands in the office products, telecommunications and financial services using the most original direct marketing approach, face-to-face sales, has taken on a degree of sophistication. Cydcor’s efficient operations and quality systems enable Cydcor to offer a speed-to-market advantage to its Fortune 500 client base.
Cydcor
Gail Michalak, 818-706-9500
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.