Buses

I had a new experience at the weekend... something called a bus.

What a brilliant concept.

Lots of people all wanting to go to the same place, at the same time... so, stick 'em in a box, make 'em sit next to someone they don't want to sit next to and listen to music from someone else's earphones.

I loved it.

People got on and, because we were standing in the aisle everyone had to walk passed me.  I was stroked, tugged, smiled at, scratched and all manner of other pleasant things.

In fact, I was so happy I lost control of my tongue.  Fortunately, no-one noticed me licking the old guy's trousers... he was standing next to me, looking out of the window.  He did, however, look slightly perplexed and a little embarrassed at the warm wet patch that had developed at the top of one of his legs.

When I'd finished licking, I thought I'd have a look out the window and I got a bit confused.

There were lots of people on the bus going the same way I was I was going, but there were an awful lot more who weren't.

Why not?

What was up with them?  Didn't they want to come with me?  Or did they just not know where I was going?  Or, most disastrous of all, was I going to the wrong place?

Renee talks about this a lot... not buses.  Business Development.

She says building a business is about three things:

1. Letting people know that there's a bus to get them to the right place (Marketing)
2. Persuading them to get on board so we can help them get there (Sales)
3. Making sure they stay on board until it's time for them to get off (Service)

Brilliant!

I couldn't have put it better meself.

So, there you have it.  Business Development is like owning a bus.  But, the thing is, somehow, we forget these simple principles and we lose sight of the route.  That means either we, or our customers, end up at trhe wrong place!

Why is that?

Renee thinks that it's because we get busy and we have to concentrate on 'doing the job' rather than developing the business.

Of course, it could just be that you haven't got a cute dog to get people on your bus...

Look before you leap...

Why is it, even though my job in life is to make people smile, I sometimes make them cry?

When I say 'them' of course I mean 'her'.  My human.  Renee.

All I have to do to make people smile is walk along the street.  I see them, all the time.  They look at me and their lips twitch... maybe it's because of my perm, maybe it's because of my ridiculous pantomime tail.

Whatever; it's my job to bring a little happiness into the world.

On Saturday I had a moment of madness, though.  I was walking my humans along the Water of Leith and I'd (stupidly, as it happens) let them off their lead because there was a wall between me and the water, as well as the 15 foot drop the other side!  What trouble could I get into?

I ran off, sniffing as I went and then, just as the wall dropped to about 2 and half feet high, I leapt on to it and flung myself off the other side.

It was then I realised I might have miscalculated what I was trying to achieve.  I plunged down the 15 foot drop, heading for the concrete bank with screams of 'Barney' from Renee ringing in my ears.  I hit the branch of a tree and it was that which saved my life... it spun we away from the concrete bank and I hit the water with a slap!

Under I went but I came up with a yelp and started struggling for the bank.  I couldn't make it!  After the rains the water was running fast and deep and I went under again.

When I came up I could still hear Renee's screams but they were much fainter because I'd been swept down the river.  Fortunately the current took me into the bank and I scrambled out... but now I was lost.

I could hear my humans but I couldn't see them.

Then I heard a shout from above.  It was Richard.  He'd run down the path and was looking down at me from the wall, 15 feet above.  He ran further down the path, climbed under the fence and dropped on to the bank.  I needed no second asking and he picked me up, shoved me through the fence and I was safe.

It was mildly embarassing, the hugs and the tears I had to suffer, but I did take a moment to wonder why I leapt before I looked.

Maybe I should have planned a bit more.  Maybe I should have asked for help, maybe I could have considered the pros and cons of what I was doing and, just maybe, I would have spared Renee a lot of fear.

Maybe.

I still had another look over the wall as I went past.  I couldn't do anything about it, though... I was on my lead.