7 Reasons Why You Must Become a ‘Tout’

Success, as much as we want to organize it to comfort and less disturbance, will only thrive to the degree that we tout…think about that. Share on X

My excuse for using public transport is that my car got an engine knock some time back. That was a traumatic moment for me that I do not want to think about. I just would like the whole episode to be wiped out of my mind.

So this morning, as I knew my schedule was not that tight, I found a matatu (Public Service Vehicle) that was plying my route. It was virtually empty. Needing some time to just relax and clear off my mind, I decided to study the attitudes of the people around me…starting with the driver of the taxi and of course the ‘noisy’ tout who was calling out for passengers.

In a developed Public Transport System, there are designated bus stops and matatu parks, thus obliterating the touting system out of the roads. That was not the system that I was using today…or any other day.

The matatu being empty did not discourage the tout from calling out for passengers. He was aggressive, and creative enough. The driver on the other hand was smart enough to act as if they would be on the way any minute…to maintain the already captured passengers who might be in a hurry. They worked as a great team.

I realized the following things:

• I would not have entered the vehicle if I didn’t hear the tout calling out my route.
• More people would not have kept filling the taxi if the tout stopped touting.
• The tout seemed to have this automatic faith that at some point in time, the taxi would be filled.
• If the tout did not work (tout), he would not be paid even if the passengers got in without his efforts. And this is the most interesting fact.
• With the increase in number of passengers, it is easy to convince more to get on board since they know that the taxi would be moving on soon.

The road to success is never like the organized transport system I talked about. Success, as much as we want to organize it to comfort and less disturbance, will only thrive to the degree that we tout…think about that.

The following are seven lessons as to why all visionaries should become their own touts for their Life Signatures

1. Find a ‘matatu’ to ‘tout’ about:

This speaks of your passion/business/job…yet we would encourage you to make sure that whatever it is, it contributes to your Life Signature. Unless you find your passion, it would be difficult to talk about your own success. It is imperative that everyone finds their ‘mountain’ and climb it…and like I have said it here eternally…make sure that this matters to you! 

Unless you find your passion, it would be difficult to talk about your own successUnless you find your passion, it would be difficult to talk about your own success Share on X

2. No matter how unlikely and empty it is, get started!

We all like finished products…but somebody worked, took action to make it a reality. In my next post, I am going to talk about the beauty, safety, and advantages of obscurity. To be honest, nobody will be successful if they waited for their ‘matatu’ to be filled up. All successful people have one thing in common…they were obscure at some point!

Success, as much as we want to organize it to comfort and less disturbance, will only thrive to the degree that we tout…think about that. Share on X

3. Success is not designated, it is ‘touted

Waiting just never works. The more you wait, the more you delay. You might fulfill your purpose in life finally but after so much wasted time. Think of how many people would have been impacted. Waiting is wasting! Then again, success is never handed to us. It never knocks on our doors. We are the ones to go after it, knock on its doors and if need be, smash its gates opened with our incessant actions. You cannot wait for success, you tout it out!

4. The more you ‘tout’, the faster your results:

Anybody can run a two Kilometres race. There are however those who would finish that small race faster and move on to other things. Here is the thing…the more we churn out actions about our ‘mountain’ the more we find the ways to climb it in a shorter time. There needs to be a very small interval if any, between our last shout and our next shout about our taxis.

5. Just grow a thick skin:

Do you think the tout gives a hoot what other people think? Hardly! He could not care less! His sights are set on filling the matatu with passengers…that is what matters to him now…and he is gonna get it done.  That is exactly how we should go about developing our passions. Of course, there are people to please…but who cares? I am serious. If we would stop for a minute to see how many people we can please on our pursuit of our assignment, we would not make it to our success destination faster. That is why touting our way will make us grow this thick skin that would help us not be bothered what others might think. Just grow that thick skin as you work on your genius. By the way, it normally is an illusion to project that people will think and say this and that about you; they have got enough on their plates to be bothered!

If we would stop for a minute to see how many people we can please on our pursuit of our assignment, we would not make it to our success destination faster Share on X

6. A bird in the hand…is worth two in the bush:

Take good care of your ‘acres of diamonds’…it is what you have now that attracts what you want. The most underrated thing on the face of the earth is what people already do have…relationships, talents, skills, passion, opportunities and so on. Most people want the grandeur so that they can think and say ‘this is it!’, I have arrived. To be honest, if you would document what you have for you now..and just use those, your matatu would be filled sooner than you think.

Take good care of your ‘acres of diamonds’…it is what you have now that attracts what you want. The most underrated thing on the face of the earth is what people already do have… Share on X

7. Be Loud and consistent:

Let not a single second pass when you are quiet. Keep working on your genius…researching, reviewing, promoting, marketing, connecting, adding value…just keep doing it. Nike said it best, “Just do it!” Nothing can replace this. If that matatu  has got to be filled, that tout cannot let a single minute pass without touting. It is in one minute that a family of seven can pass by looking for your taxi while you are quiet. Keep touting! You never know who is listening! Keep working on your genius. You just have no idea how far it goes.

Keep touting! You never know who is listening! Share on X

Sooner than you thought, your taxi is full…and when it is, there is no stopping you. We all really need to borrow a leaf from these taxi touts, don’t you think?

Let not a single second pass when you are quiet. Keep working on your genius…researching, reviewing, promoting, marketing, connecting, adding value…just keep doing it. Nike said it best, “Just do it! Share on X

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