Bruce Outridge

Are You Blocking Your Own Success?

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Bruce

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You’ll succeed if you get out of your own way?” There are variations of this but many people fall into this category, they stop listening. I used to work with an individual that did this constantly, he wanted to improve, get promoted and the like. He even pretended to listen and go to seminars and workshops paid for by the company of course so that he could get that certificate in his file. The problem is that he never applied any of the solutions learned in the workshops. When confronted about being a team player he would be good for about a week then fall back into his old ways of bullying those around him. It was his way or the highway. I have come across this when consulting clients in the business world. Many people only listen to their own voice and therefore push out information that can change their world. The funny thing about this is that the people who need to listen the most are the ones that listen the least. Think about it, Prime Ministers and Presidents listen to their cabinets, CEOs listen to their board members, yet entrepreneurs won’t listen to many that try to help them. Even in the workplace many that want to climb the ladder to management don’t listen or look at what is required to make that happen. Climbing the corporate ladder is more than just job performance, it is about changing your mindset as well.

So how do you change your way of thinking to create a better roadmap to the future? First open up your mind to others. You may have an opinion and may even be correct in your way of thinking, but you have to listen to others and how they feel on certain processes and operations. Become an information sponge and learn about the industry you are in and what is moving it forward. Learn how to deal with people, this alone could be the single best thing you do for your career. Dealing with people is paramount to success whether as an entrepreneur, supervisor, or CEO. You will always be dealing with people no matter what position you hold so get good at being someone that people enjoy being with. Most of all learn about your position, and the positions you strive toward. Let your peers know you are interested in other positions. If needed go back to school and upgrade yourself on computers, business or any other subjects that interest you. Management positions need people with initiative and learning without being told to do so is a great way of showing you are not afraid to step up to the plate and learn new things. The final piece is to complete your goals personally or on performance appraisals. Completing goals in a timely way is a great way to let people know you are someone that can be counted on. It is up to you to make the opportunities, the luck part is the timing.

About the Author

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

Jumping off the Business Cliff with Your Own Parachute

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Bruce

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It was one of those things on his bucket list he just had to try, bungee jumping, this certainly was not for the faint of heart. Standing on the edge of the bridge being hooked up to the rope by the guide he felt his stomach sink to his knees. It was too late to back out now however, he would have to go forward. His mind was riddled with fear, what if the rope broke? What if he fainted and had to be rescued? What if something went wrong? With the swing of the arm by the guide he jumped without a second thought, terrified all the way down and laughing all the way up. Welcome to the world of business!

In extreme sports you are putting much of your faith in your equipment, guide experience, and other factors such as training and conditioning. In business you are putting your faith in your products and services, marketing, commitment level, and work ethic. There is always the possibility for something to go wrong. For those of us in business things probably will go wrong at some point, but that shouldn’t stop you from going into business. Just like the folks that do extreme sports preparation and training are steps that make the sport safer for the person participating. Ask yourself who feels safer, a person making their first sky jump from an airplane, or the person that has jumped four hundred times?

Starting off in business is scary for everyone and for those that can stick it out past the first couple of years usually can find their track and begin to find success. The scary part is commitment and jumping off the cliff. The secret to the success of your business is planning. Just as a sky jumper plans where to jump, where they may land, what gear they need and so on, a business owner needs to plan how they will reach their intended goal, what products and services they will offer, and how they will market themselves to the world. We all take stabs and try things, but overall the successful businesses have a plan written down that is showing them the way to their goals. There may be construction on that road now and then but you will eventually arrive at your intended destination. If you don’t plan for success you may find yourself in areas you don’t want to be.

So if you are thinking of a going into business and wonder if you are going to make it or not, the answer is yes, you may or may not make it? By creating a plan you have given yourself the best possible chance for success.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant for entrepreneurs. He helps small to medium sized businesses become successful. Form more information visit his website at www.outridge.ca

Becoming an “A” Player

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Bruce

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I just finished reading the biography on Steve Jobs, he was quite a fascinating guy. The one thing he was good at was creating teams of “A” players. He never wanted to have people not stepping up to the plate on any of his teams. That is one of the things that made Apple a great company turning out great products. His management style was something to be desired but in the end it was an approach that worked out well for him. As an entrepreneur however stepping up totally sets on the shoulders of one person. If you look in the mirror you will find the person I am talking about. What makes you step up to being an “A” player is totally up to you. No one is forcing you to step up to the plate and we all know how it works out for the sweet salesperson who sells the shoes off our feet but doesn’t follow through on their promises, or is that a politician? There is only one thing that turns off customers more is to have someone not follow through with what they say will happen.

You’re an entrepreneur starting your own business, you have integrity, you want to give excellent customer service, you want to have quality products and services, you want to be known for being the person that can be relied on to get the job done. What if you’re not that person? What if you try to do things right but sometimes fall behind? Does that make you useless, does that mean you will never be successful? Wrong! That means you need to work a little harder, plan a little more before bursting out the door, take better notes, work on the area you are falling down in and change it.

I never believe someone is worthless unless they want to be. I have seen great artist that have their limbs cut off and made a great career painting with some other part of their body. I have witnessed people that were down and out come back under conditions that you and I would find horrible and be successful entrepreneurs. I myself have been in that boat, I dropped out of school at seventeen and went back at forty to get my diploma. I figured out how I learn best and worked hard on things I enjoyed doing. I started a business when I was told people couldn’t make it. Any one of you has the power to make a difference. Any one of you has the power to make change. Maybe you weren’t ready when you tried before, maybe you didn’t have the skill set when you tried earlier, but maybe, just maybe, you have it now.

How to instill change in yourself, make a list of five things that would make you better at what you do that you notice you need work on. Create a plan to work on one item each month, if it takes longer that’s okay at least your heading to your goal. Once you have improved in one area then add another item until you have finished your list. The hardest part is getting started. It is possible to change, you just have to plan for it.

About the Author

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

Getting Testimonials to Work for You.

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Bruce

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One of the areas I find many businesses lack in consistency is in getting testimonials from their clients. They may forget to ask, be afraid to ask, or think that the client may say something negative against the product or service. The truth is if you have done everything you can to make sure the experience for your client has been the best then you shouldn’t have to worry about negative comments. If you do get a negative comment it is how you take that comment and use it that is the most important thing. If you look at it as a personal attack on you specifically then yes you won’t want to hear negative criticism from anyone. In business however, the trick is to remember the saying, “It’s just business, don’t take it personally.” Take that attitude and you will find it easier to take the negative criticism.

Now of course our goal is not to get negative comments on our business. If a project has gone wrong you probably wouldn’t ask that client for a testimonial because you know things didn’t go well, but should you? Negative testimonials are a great way to improve your business. So ask that client in a nice way by saying, “Jim I know the project didn’t go as planned and I certainly want it to go better if we work together again in the future, what things on your end do you feel we could have done better to serve you?” Once you ask that take the information and say thank you for your feedback. Do the same thing on your end and think to yourself what went wrong and how you would do things better next time. Whether you change anything or not is up to you but at least you will know how your client feels.

The point is that we want get positive testimonials as those are the ones we can use to promote our business. The key here is to consistently be sending them out after every job or on a regular basis. You need something simple that can be filled out quickly and that captures the information you need. It could be a quick email, a structured form, or a formal letter. Just remember if it is too much you will have trouble getting people to fill it out. You also need to cover yourself to use it on promotional material.

The key information you want to get is performance of the service, comments on the experience in working with your company, and if they would recommend you to others. So how do you ask for them. I like to say, “ Bob, I was wondering if you would mind writing a few positive statements about your experience dealing with our company for promotional purposes? Please include your name and company if you feel comfortable doing so. I appreciate you taking the time to fill out the form and look forward to working with you again in the future.” Once you have those you now want to place them on key promotional material for your business. Testimonials are very powerful especially if they are given through third party methods that potential clients can tell haven’t been altered. Of course you now have to keep your service matching your testimonials.

About the Author

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

What is Your Plan?

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Bruce

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Planning is an important part of succeeding in business. Most people think of it as something to do afterwards but it is important to have a plan ready and in working order. Don’t be like the guy in this cartoon.