Bruce Outridge

How Long Will You Wait For a Connection to Take Place?

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Bruce

How long will you take to let a connection take place between you and another person or client? As a board member of a number of entrepreneur groups I see this all the time, people show up for a few meetings, don’t get any business and they leave. The same thing happens at counters, the Post Office, and other places, you talk business with someone, they don’t call you back for a few months and you write them off. The reason people do that is because they want that immediate return. They want the business at that moment and if they don’t get it they feel as though the person was not interested. If you answered the first question as to how long you will wait with a time limit, then you are wrong. I will wait forever!

In all the groups I have been a part of and the many times I have talked with people the process can take almost a year or even more. I received a call just the other day from a person that I talked to over three years ago about a project. We spoke casually at the Post Office as she processed my order and one time I gave her my business card. The odd time I would go in with an order for posting and she would mention, “I need to get things together for you soon.” I would just reply,”Whenever you’re ready I’ll be here.”I haven’t even been in that Post Office in the last year and half because we moved to another area with a Post Office location closer to our new home. The other day the phone rang and it was her telling me she was ready to move forward with the project. Now I could have been mad because she didn’t call earlier, but because I took the time she felt comfortable to move forward. It is better to let people take the time they need and come to you when they are ready.

So what is the secret? There is no secret, except having faith that the people you talk to will want to do business with you down the road. Don’t try so hard to get the business, just relax and talk with people. If you are pleasant to them you will find they enjoy doing business with you and come back to you. Let people in on their own time and your clients will flock to your door. That is why you can never stop marketing, even when busy. Most marketing is a 3 month cycle so if you stop you will find your work beginning to dry up. When you continue to market when busy it is better because you don’t need the work which gives you a tame approach when talking with people. Never give up on potential clients, you never know when that person you talked to is the next best thing.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. He helps small businesses and entrepreneurs have successful businesses. For more information on Outridge Consulting Services or Bruce please visit his website at www.outridge.ca

Fueling Your Passion

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Bruce

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Do you ever get in a rut and the days just seem to go by? Some people don’t even realize they are in the rut, they just go about their business not thinking about tomorrow. What about the guys who get to the end of that work life and find they have nothing left to work for. At that end of life things change in a different direction, you start holding on, afraid to let go not wanting to give up that position that you have created for a lifetime. This happens to many of us, we trudge through life not sure where we’re going. If you’re lucky you notice it in time to make changes, if not then you hope for the best.

This happened to me in my driving career I had reached a high level of satisfaction with the company. I had a number of years of seniority, good vacation time and benefits. I never drove trucks older than two years old and was dedicated to my own trailer. I was on dedicated runs that gave me secure miles and income. Everything a professional driver could want, except for one thing. I had stopped growing. Up to that point I had been working hard to make a name for myself as the best professional driver I could be. I kept the truck polished, delivered on time, and was not afraid to step up and take that extra load to help the team. Once I hit that mark of having all the attributes I was trying to gain the boredom process began to set in. At that point you have two choices, you can continue to follow your current program and keep a stable lifestyle and income or you can turn the whole thing upside down and try to find a way to make yourself grow again.

Now when I suggest you turn your life upside down that is meant tongue and cheek. I don’t expect you to quit your job, put your family in the street and hang out at coffee shops. I do want you to look at what fueled that fire when you started in your career and try to capture that spirit again. Many times this can be done by creating a bucket list of things you hoped to achieve through your career and personal life. Maybe the best place to start is in your own operation, what can be improved, what can be changed, what can be discarded? Have you been on that dedicated run too long and need to move into other areas? Are you thinking about getting into the safety department or some other administrative department? Maybe now is the time to start asking some questions and improving where needed. The only person that can fuel that passion is you. Like any fire that fuel for the fire starts at the bottom of the fire and that’s where it has to start with you. Sometimes making a change requires drastic measures, just like starting a fire sometimes requires lighter fluid!

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant with over 30 years experience in the transportation industry. For more information on programs for owner operators and professional driver please visit www.outridge.ca

Are You Afraid Of Promoting Yourself?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Bruce

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As entrepreneurs branding can be done in a variety of wears. Some like to shout their name from the rooftops and others sit quietly in the corner. I do a mixture of both depending on the group I’m with. One thing to remember is that no one will tell people what you do like you will, so be proud of what you do and don’t be ashamed to promote yourself.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business consultant, author, artist, and speaker. More information can be found on his websites at www.outridge.ca and www.bruceoutridge.com

The Older You Are The Farther the Goal.

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Bruce

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I was listening to a song on the radio the other day by singer / songwriter Brad Paisley. In the song he talks about what he would say to himself if he was looking back to the days when he was 17 years old and writing a letter to look out for the dips in life that cause so much pain. One line in the song talks about the goal of any 17 year old to be Friday night and whatever party was going on at the time. I am sure that was the same for many of us and it certainly was for me. I found it funny how things change in our lives such as goal setting, viewing the future, and so on. Have we changed from those days really?

In my day in high school certainly the goal was to get to Friday night and the party. Looking a week out was not even in the cards. As I got a little older my goals stretched to two to four years down the road. I think that is normal for most folks and many of us that teach goal setting teach 6 months to 5 years depending on the situation, but is that far enough? Where I see many entrepreneurs lacking is that their goals don’t go far enough. They may go out five years but those are working goals. To really hit your vision and keep yourself motivated for the long term you need to go out 10, 15, or more years. What will your life be like then? What types of milestones will you have hit at that point?

Many entrepreneurs because they are focusing on 5 year goals stop if they feel that will be too hard to keep going, when really you have just started. Think about it this way, you’re 40 years old starting your business. You have the recommended 6 month, 1 year, and 5 year goals set. You think that is long term. If you are going to retire at 65 that is 25 years from the time you started your business. So five years is not even a quarter of the way. If you take 5 years to get your business started you will think you’re a failure, give up, and miss on the 15 years of success you could have had. So think of goals setting as far as you can. The 5 year goals are operational goals, they are not achievement goals. Those visions of success at the end will be the same visions keeping you motivated in the beginning.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. More information can be found on his website at www.outridge.ca

Is the Way You Operate Your Business Killing Your Business?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Bruce

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So you’ve completed your education, you’ve put in years of experience, and you’ve built a name of someone who has the knowledge that can really help others be successful in their lives. I know because at every moment they will tell me how successful they are, how many boards they sit on and how busy they are. On the outside this looks inviting and something we all would like to attain. Some people are good at connecting with other people and that’s why they are so active in the community. Once you get past that part of the process however, once you start working with someone you see how they truly work, and if that doesn’t match the integrity shown during the meeting phase, it could be hurting you more than helping you.

You’ve met with people, established a connection, and begun the actual work process. This is when integrity really hits the road. You now have to produce as you promised you would, and to be honest this is where I find many business owners fall off track. They promise the client information, or work details, and then never get back to them. When asked they talk about how busy they are, and how many things are going on in their lives. That is very understandable, we all have very busy lives, but the integrity of your business is riding on how you perform when you get the contract. Many times I am blown away by people attending events and going out of their way to meet people trying to bring in clients for their business, but when they get the business they don’t take care of the clients. I don’t know about you but that seems backwards to me. Working in that manner shows you are more interested in quantity than quality. Maybe that’s why they need so many clients. What’s better, having twenty clients that that will not recommend you or ten clients that shout your name from the rooftops? I will go with the latter number. So how do you make sure you are not killing your business with lack of integrity?

Do what you say you will do! If your time management skills need improving then improve them through a course or self improvement program. Prioritize so that clients already on board come first, with finding new clients in second place. Your first part of your marketing plan should be having happy clients so you can get solid testimonials and recommendations. By focusing on producing quality workflow for your customers you won’t have to attend so many functions to meet new ones, your existing ones will be sending people to your door.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. For more information on his services please visit his website at www.outridge.ca