How to Work Smarter

Here at CORE Communications, we believe that working harder will always bring you closer to your goals. If you're already working as hard as you can (let's face it, you can probably work harder!), then the next step is to work smarter! If you want exactly the same results as you're already achieving, then you would want to work smarter instead of harder. But, if you want much better results, work harder AND smarter! Here are a few tips we've found to help you work smarter:

1. Single-tasking: Your brain really can't fully concentrate on multiple things at once when you are "multi-tasking." We don't really juggle multiple tasks as much as we jump between them. Your brain has to refocus each time you jump, so you end up wasting a lot of time in between moments of focus. It's better to focus on the task at hand until it's complete rather than switching around without finishing anything.

2. The Willpower Trinity: According to a Stanford Professor named Kelly McGonigal, understanding willpower will help us hit our goals. She says there are actually three powers of willpower:

• I "won't power" means telling yourself how you'll specifically resist temptation, like "I won't check Facebook until my lunch break," or "I won't take personal calls during the work day."
• I "will power" means telling yourself what you will accomplish.
• I "want power" means reminding yourself of your why. If you are going to be disciplined, you must remind yourself what your end goal is in order to stay motivated.

These three must work together. I "won't power" alone can cause someone to become very frustrated. 

3. Power Poses: Check out this insightful Ted Talk from Amy Cuddy. It basically discusses how slouching or slumping can zap your energy and confidence, while putting your hands on your hips or making yourself bigger and taller can energize you and boost your ego subconsciously. It really works, try it!

Instead of just clocking more hours all the time, try these three tips in order to maximize your efficiency and work smarter. Let us know which method works best for you!

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc., Houston.

Harnessing the Athlete's Mindset for Success in Business

In this CORE Communications blog post from January, we discussed ways that playing sports in the past can teach you about being successful in the business world. We feel like our blog article pointed out a lot of great similarities between superstar athletes and superstar business people, but we wanted to take it a step further and give some great tips on thinking more like an athlete (even if you aren't one at all) to get ahead in business.

1. Be Passionate: One big commonality between a lot of superstar athletes is that they are known for their passion. In order to do well in professional sports, athletes must be passionate about what they do. Imagine if Michael Jordan kind of enjoyed the game of basketball; there's no way he would have ever been the legend that he is today. Now, that doesn't mean he loved every single thing about the NBA, the game, or even his teammates. There are always parts of the business that you are passionate about that you won't love as much. Seek out being involved in an industry or a company that you can truly be passionate about. If you are already doing what you're passionate about, remember to keep that fire burning by challenging yourself at all times and focusing on your vision.

2. Practice Like You Play: Talent really is never enough. In order to be great in business or in sports, you must spend time preparing and planning in order to shine in those big moments. In the sports world, that means being focused and intense in practice, and hitting the gym as much as you need to in order to be your best. Some of the greatest athletes we know, including Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods, are known for their insane work ethic and discipline with practicing and preparing for greatness. In the business world, this equates to keeping up with industry news and changes, continuing to learn, and also role-playing and practicing out loud before sales presentations and public speaking.

3. Aim for Consistency: Consistency is not the most glamorous or exciting word when it comes to true greatness, but those who are really great in the sports or business world are consistently great, not just great sometimes. Derek Jeter and Michael Jordan wouldn't be the legends they are in their respective sports if they'd only been great every 3rd season. Sure, everyone has a bad game every now and again, but Jeter and Jordan both could be expected to be amazing no mater the day or the opponent. When people think of you, do they wonder how you'll perform that day or have they come to expect greatness from you? Focus on becoming consistently great at what you do.

No matter the field you are in, or what your goals are, if you focus on staying passionate about what you do, preparing for greatness, and being consistently amazing (not just amazing every now and again), you will be sure to succeed!

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc. Houston. Sources: Entrepreneur.com

3 Toxic People To Avoid

Flu Season is here! We all know to arm ourselves with flu shots, and avoid people who are coughing or sneezing. Similarly, we should avoid a different kind of toxic person, someone who has the ability to steer us away from our goals. Sometimes, these people are very close to us or even family members. When you can't avoid spending time with a toxic person, at least determine what topics are best to stick to around them. These are three different kinds of toxic people that you may want to consider spending less time around:

1. Negative People - If someone is angry and resentful all the time, it can bring everyone around down around them. If you are focused on doing big things and setting goals for success, it's not a good idea to spend too much time around someone who is a dark cloud.

2. Victims - Those who are always the victim look for others to blame and never take accountability for their shortcomings. If you know someone who always talks about how "unlucky" they are or how bad things always happen to them, the victim mentality can rub off on you if you aren't careful. It's best to spend your time with people who take responsibility for their actions.

3. Envious People - Those who are constantly jealous are not ever satisfied with what they have, and can never truly be happy for your success. Oftentimes, those who are envious will not say so, rather they will pick at your successes and try to bring you down to their level.

What toxic people are you spending your time with? Who can you spend more time with instead that can help you hit your goals?

Copyright CORE Communications, Inc. Houston, TX. Source: inc.com

Dallas Leadership Conference

While Ryan and Lauren were soaking up the sun in Malibu, the rest of the CORE Communications leadership team spent a day in Dallas for a regional conference on all things leadership. Breakout sessions on leading with confidence, leading through support, and situational leadership were on the schedule. CORE Communications top leader Lina Lopes was also recognized with a leadership pin for doing a great job leading by example. Great job, Lina!

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Houston

A Weekend In Malibu

Over the weekend, CORE Communications, Inc. Managing Partner, Ryan Caugherty, and Top Leader, Lauren Bruckner, spent time in Malibu, CA for business and of course a little beach fun. CORE Communications was nationally recognized along with just two other companies for outstanding sales results for one of our clients, Quill.com (a subsidiary of Staples, Inc.). On the trip, Ryan and Lauren got to spend quality time networking with other business owners, as well as client representatives from Quill.com's headquarters in Chicago. "Quill is such a massive campaign for our business, and we are honored and excited to be a part of the future," said Caugherty.

On a business front, they spent time discussing the future of the relationship between CORE Communications and Quill.com, marketing and sales dollars, sales rep compensation and exciting bonuses, as well as future expansion into European markets. As if that wasn't all exciting enough, Ryan and Lauren were invited to stay with the group in a $4MM beachfront home in Malibu, had some fun in the water, ate amazing food all weekend, and went on a wine safari. Thanks to our amazing client for the recognition of all the hard work we do!

Please check out our company Facebook page for more pictures of this fun trip!

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc. Houston.

How to Be More Confident

Confidence affects your success at work, in relationships, and even in your ability to get a good table at a restaurant. While a lot of our team members at CORE Communications are naturally confident, we could all use work sometimes at being bigger fans of ourselves. Here are some great tips for becoming more a more confident person:

1. Focus on yourself, not others. When you focus on your own personal growth, you can be proud of how far along you've come. When you spend too much time comparing yourself to others, you tend to become envious and think down on yourself for not being where they are. "The only person you should compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday."

2. Identify your strengths. We are all great at being our own worst critic and reminding ourselves of all the shortcomings we have. Instead, learn to focus on your core strengths. “One of the best ways to build confidence is to get clear on your strengths and find ways to integrate those strengths into what you do everyday,” says William Arruda, a personal branding expert and author of Ditch. Dare. Do!

3. Work on your weaknesses. If there are weaknesses standing in the way of your success, make a plan to work on them and improve. Rather than beat yourself up about them, determine ways to overcome them. Even a little progress will boost your confidence.

4. Become your own cheerleader. Wouldn't it be great to have someone follow you around all the time and encourage you by saying, "you're doing a great job!" or "you got this!" Unfortunately, you aren't likely to find someone willing to do this for you, so you will have to learn to do it yourself. Especially in those moments that you're really doubting yourself, make it a point to give yourself a little pep talk. It will seem cheesy at first, but once you get into the habit, positive self talk will become natural and very helpful. 

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications. Sources: forbes.com

CORE Communications Wins Pacesetter Award!

CORE Communications, Inc. of Houston, Texas was nationally recognized this week as a Pacesetter for our Fortune 500 client. This honor means that we are in the top 10% of all sales in the country. President Ryan Caugherty accepted the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles this weekend. "This an awesome honor, and it means that all the hard work our team puts in is paying off in a big way," said Caugherty. "I am very proud of our guys, and I know the rest of 2014 will be even bigger."

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc.

Encouraging Leadership on All Levels

One of the best things a company can do is to encourage its team members to challenge themselves and step into new roles. Not only is this great for the company culture and employee satisfaction, but this is also a great way to hear new, fresh ideas that can help the company prosper. Senior leaders can encourage employees that are not in a leadership position within the organization step into one. Most people do better work when they feel their responsibility extends beyond themselves. Even if a company is not ready to offer new positions or higher pay, it can be a great idea to reward team members that perform at a high level with a little opportunity to lead from time to time. At CORE Communications, we have an amazing Leadership Training Program, where we encourage everyone on our team to constantly work towards higher and higher levels of leadership. Due to this structure of leadership promotions, we've seen great leadership traits develop from some pretty surprising sources. If your company has more of a closed structure where people can only stick to the exact roles they were hired for, you may be missing out on giving your business the gift of great leadership from people you've never even considered for a management position. Here are a few ways that the management team at CORE Communications has found to foster a culture of leadership:

1. Keep an open mind about employee roles. If you wanted a larger leadership role, you probably wouldn't answer back to a request with "that's not in my job description." As a leader, you should also avoid putting your employees in similar boxes. If you want their help with something, never assume they will feel bothered or like they are owed something if they oblige. Most people are flattered when asked to help with something that goes above their title. If in this situation your team member does answer back with a snippy, "you don't pay me enough to do that," then they are probably not someone you should consider for a leadership role or management position in the future. 

2. Provide small opportunities to lead. You may not have a management position available to officially promote one of your team members into, but look for opportunities to give someone small leadership tasks. You can learn a lot about how well someone handles the role, as well as the added responsibility. Be careful not to think of these opportunities as "tests," because then you will probably just be waiting for a small slip-up to show you that the particular employee would not be a good leader. Even the greatest leaders (even you!) make mistakes, especially if it is a completely new skill set. So, rather than cross them off your list of people with great leadership potential, look for opportunities to teach and guide your team member. Then, you can assess how well they implement your feedback.

3. Allow people to develop their leadership wings over time. If you see leadership qualities in one of your team members, offer them small opportunities to lead at first (as mentioned in #2), but then keep offering them larger and larger opportunities after that. For example, ask them to start out by training your summer intern. In the fall, ask them to oversee one full-time employee. In the spring, ask them to sit in on the interview process for a new employee and give input. By the summer (one year after training that first summer intern), they should be ready to hire, train, and oversee a team of two or three summer interns. And voila! You have a new leader on your hands. Make sure to have open dialogue along the way, and look for opportunities to guide and teach leadership lessons. 

4. Flatten the hierarchy. Visualize this concept as tearing down cubicle walls. The fewer walls or barriers-to-leadership, the more people can see what is going on in the organization beyond just their individual role. One way to do this is by holding meetings weekly or monthly where all team members can feel free to voice their opinions on the biggest areas of improvement within the organization. If you notice people are worried to speak their mind, start with an anonymous survey or suggestion box. You want people to feel that they won't be criticized or condemned for their thoughts. The more you encourage this type of communication, the more it will become a part of your company culture.

At CORE Communications, we feel most people have the desire to lead, and the raw characteristics of leadership within them. Sometimes, people just need a little opportunity and a little guidance to step into a leadership role. 

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications

Sources: www.entrepreneur.com

How to H.I.T. your GOALS

Every successful person I have ever met has agreed that having goals are important, and the bigger and more specific they are, the higher probability they have in order to be achieved.  I have both failed many times trying to hit goals and have achieved many as well and have found a similar pattern that was common every time I was able to achieve any kind of success both personally and in business.

In order to H.I.T. (Hard Work | Integrity | Talent) your goals it will take this formula to achieve success.  Hard work is key. This is not a new idea, and I believe the majority of people do work really hard. Hard work is a no-brainer when it comes to being successful.  Gone are the days that 9-5 will be enough to achieve big goals, and the "stereotypical" work week is more along the lines of 12 hour days instead of 8 hour days.  If you can look around your circle of friends and say your one of the hardest workers, that is a really good start.  Integrity is vital in a leadership role.  People must believe and trust you in order to follow you.  Everyone will make mistakes, no one is perfect, but those who operate with Integrity and operate honestly and truthfully in business will achieve success.  When leading, if there is no Integrity, trust and opportunity do not exist.  Talent is the last piece of hitting your goals.  Yes, you must posses talent in the specific field you are in, in order to achieve higher levels of success.  Everyone has a different bar of what success is for them, but if there are no basic skill sets in the activity you want to be successful in, it makes the goal almost impossible to achieve.  For example, if I wanted to be an NFL quarterback but lacked the talent to throw a football, it would make it almost impossible to achieve that goal.  Talent can be worked on and practiced, of course, but a basic skill set must be there first.

So with this simple formula of Hard Work, Integrity, and Talent anyone can achieve their goals!  The catch is very simple.  These are non negotiable.  If 1 of them is missing then it will become very difficult to achieve any success greater than you currently have.  A person who works really hard and operates under high integrity but does not possess any talent in that specific field, will really struggle to achieve their goals.  Vice versa a person who has a lot of talent and operates under integrity but lacks the ability to work hard, will again find it difficult to achieve success.  Most people are very talented and work really hard, but if Integrity is missing, goals and success are never achieved.  So the lesson learned from this weekend is simple then: Find out what you are great at (Talent), work your butt off (Hard Work) and do it with high (Integrity) and then you can begin hitting your goals of becoming more successful in both your personal and professional life."  

- Ryan Caugherty

How to Run an Effective Sales Meeting

Everyday, the sales and marketing team at CORE Communications gets together for a meeting of the minds. Couldn't we just gather weekly? Probably, but we have found a daily meeting is a great way to start the morning, set our team goals, set our individual goals, and sharpen our skills. Over the years, we have come up with what we have found is a great recipe for these meetings, so that they are always helpful and never draining. Here is what we at CORE believe is important to running an effective sales meeting:

1. High-energy: Think of a morning meeting as a morning cup of coffee. It should get you going, not put you to sleep. In order to keep a meeting high-energy, everyone should be involved and have a chance to say their piece. If only one person is running the meeting lecturing the entire time, it can be hard for the rest of the team to stay focused.

2. Set team goals: In sales, of course there is always incentive to perform individually, but everyone likes to feel that they are part of a greater cause. If you set a goal for your team and ask them all to participate, it is better than not, but if you ask your team to set a goal together, they will be bought into the vision, and believe it is attainable. Ask your team what you think they can accomplish together, and allow for a dialogue until there is a consensus. You can take this a step further by setting a team incentive for hitting that goal, based on something that gets everyone on the team excited.

3. Listen to individual goals: Everyone is driven by goals, but most people are even more driven to hit them when other people know their goals. When a salesperson privately sets a goal that no one knows about, he or she may find it easy to not follow through on accomplishing it. Once others know, not only will the salesperson not want to fall short in front of their peers, but other team members will likely do all they can to help them hit their goals.

4. Encourage competition: If there are two members of a college baseball team competing for the all-time best batting average at that school, what would happen? They will both elevate their personal game, while increasing the overall number of wins for the team that season. At CORE Communications, we encourage friendly competition among team members. The great thing is, everyone wins in the long run. The competitors have no choice but to elevate their game, and the team will perform at a higher level. Typical challenges at our office involve dancing the macarena during a meeting, or having to sing a song. Of course, we have a lot of fun watching people settle up their bets.

5. Keep a consistent agenda: Determine a system that works for you, and follow a regular agenda in order to keep meetings as effective and tight as possible. Also set aside time for one-on-one meetings so that off-topic conversations don't throw off your schedule. Team meetings are great, but one-on-one time can be even more effective, so make sure there is a protocol for this as well.

Copyright CORE Communications, Inc. Houston, TX 2014

Interview Tips

CORE Communications, Inc. of Houston is currently interviewing candidates for our Account Manager position, so we decided to put together a list of interview tips for our candidates. This list is not specific to our business, so please consider these thoughts on any and all interviews you go on. Let us know if you have anything to add to the list!

1.  Arrive 5-10 minutes before your scheduled interview time. You’ll have to fill out some paperwork, so come a little early to do so and also to show that you’re prompt. 30 minutes early is a little much, and of course never EVER be late to an interview. If you can’t be on time to the interview, how will the employer expect you to be on time to work?

2.  The interview starts the moment you walk in the door. This does not mean you should ask the receptionist or administrator questions regarding the position, but it does mean you are being evaluated. Be professional, friendly to any employees who pass through the business lobby as you wait, and keep conversation topics light.

3.  Dress to impress. Know the difference between Business Casual and Business Professional. Neither of these mean jeans. Typically, when you schedule an interview with a company, you are told what the proper attire is. Pay attention, and do your research on how to dress before you come in for the interview. If you are not told what attire is appropriate, dress as you would expect employees of that business dress on a daily basis. It's better to be too professional than too casual.

4.  Be prepared with questions for your interviewer. Never ask about compensation on a first interview, but other than that, ask 1-3 questions. At the end of an interview, you don’t want to be the guy with no questions. It shows disinterest. Make sure you research appropriate topics to ask about. Some questions that are good to ask your interviewer are: “What do you enjoy most about working for this company?,” “What challenges can someone in my position expect to face?,” and “How do employees earn opportunities for advancement?”

5.  Be honest. Be honest on your resume, your interview paperwork, and when you answer interview questions. It does no one any good when an interview candidate tries to make himself sound better, or cover up issues with past employers. The goal is for both parties to determine if working together may be a good fit, so when you are dishonest during the interview, the correct judgment cannot be made. Also, most experienced interviewers can read signs of dishonesty. Telling the truth, even if it reveals shortcomings, is always the best idea.

6.  Follow up with a Thank You. Ask for the email address of your interviewer(s) and follow up with a thank you email within an hour after your interview. This shows professionalism as well as interest in the position, and it may even give you an edge on the other candidates.

Copyright 2014 CORE Communications Inc. Houston, Texas

What Sports Can Teach You About Business

Here at CORE Communications, when we are hiring for our Management Training Program, we often find ourselves drawn to candidates with backgrounds in athletics. Maybe that’s because our manager, Ryan, played professional soccer, or maybe it’s because our top producer, Trent, was the quarterback at Texas A&M, but we think it goes beyond that. So, we decided to put together a list of why we think someone with a sports background typically does well at CORE Communications. 

1.   People who compete in sports are, well, competitive.  In order to be successful in business, you have to be competitive. The outspoken coach of the Dallas Mavericks and self-made Billionaire Mark Cuban said it best: “I love the sport of business. I love the competition. I love the fire of it. The sport of business is the ultimate competition. It’s 7 x 24 x 365 x forever."

     2.   In sports, and in business, in order to win, you must choose to work hard. Putting aside his current injuries, who is widely recognized as the best basketball player in the game right now? Kobe Bryant. It is no coincidence that he is also widely recognized as the hardest working athlete out there. Many teammates, trainers, and even competitors have attested to Kobe’s work ethic. He hits the gym to practice alone in the wee hours of the morning, typically works out at least 4 hours per day year-round, and counts all of his shots made in practice, only allowing himself to stop when he gets to 400. He even practices without a ball. “You’d walk in there and he’d be cutting and grunting and motioning like he was dribbling and shooting – except there was no ball. I thought it was weird, but I’m pretty sure it helped him,” said Shaquille O’Neal.

       

     3.   Every winning organization needs a good leader, whether it's a sports team or a company. “Coaches who can outline plays on a blackboard are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player’s head and motivate.” –Vince Lombardi, legendary football coach.

       

     4.  Kids who grow up playing sports are used to dreaming big. If you show up to a high school football game and take a poll of the roster, I’d guess that about 80% of the kids aspire to play in the NFL. According to the NCAA, in reality, only about 5.8% of them will play in college, and an NFL team will eventually draft only 0.08% of those who played in high school. That’s 8 of every 10,000.  They have to know it’s unlikely, but they don’t care. They dream big. Similarly, about 100% of people would like to be a millionaire, but currently, only 1.6% of Americans are Millionaires.

     5.   The best athletes and business people can pick themselves back up and dust themselves off after a failure. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan. 

      

    











    Copyright 2014 CORE Communications, Inc. Houston, Texas