The excitement of having at last left corporate America to pursue my dream of being a motivational speaker and writer was confounded with the reality that I needed to do marketing. I knew I could be a speaker people would want to hear, but if they didn’t know about my services or books, my business would fail.I had prepared to be a speaker for more than four years. I had saved what I hoped would cater to my family’s needs until my business took off. But I quickly learned that I needed to market my services, and that cost was depleting the family savings.After grossing about $20,000 in 1997, I had a reality check. “Do I go back to an 8-to-5 job or was there a better way of marketing my services?” I needed a way to keep my services in front of people on a consistent basis without costing money.One area that helped me was keeping up on the news. That let me know which organizations were re-structuring - and so might be open to my services. Then I figured how I could help their employees move forward in chaotic times. And when someone was recognized for special achievements, I sent a congratulatory wood-carved (from my tribe) letter opener, thus building connections that have been my business’s lifeline.I put items in the newspapers’ calendar and business sections - a free service - to provide information about educational/professional programs that I offer. Such free resources became channels for me to reach a large number of people without paying anything. I started a free electronic monthly newsletter, “Overcoming Buffaloes in Our Lives,” with fewer than 50 subscribers.The local chamber of commerce was an oasis in the marketing desert that I traveled. Through its myriad small business events, I met decision makers I hardly would have had a chance to meet elsewhere. I also took advantage of their inexpensive business training workshops.My life’s philosophy is “What you do for yourself can get you by. What you do for others is what gets you ahead.” I used that in marketing by developing and presenting motivational speeches to the Boise State Broncos football team for no monetary gain. I had read about some of the challenges players go through and some destructive habits that affected individual and team performance. My goal was to help young men have valuable and rewarding perspectives of life that were beneficial both on and off the football field. Yet, my association with a team that has become so successful has been one of the most profitable marketing strategies for Kituku %26 Associates.Our shoestring budget portion of marketing for Kituku %26 Associates was to sponsor programs that are aligned with our values, such as the St. Luke’s Women’s Fitness Celebration, Boise Noon Optimist Football (Kituku Warriors), Soul Food Extravaganza, YMCA Strong Kids Campaign and Race for the Cure.I developed what has become the Kituku’s Be-MISH Marketing Principle - Be-Magnetic, Be-Involved, Be-Seen and Be-Heard. I took stock of the attributes I had that would make people want my services or books. I focused on what people wanted and how they perceived what I did instead of thinking I knew what they wanted. It also became a roadmap for my community involvement, to be seen by decision makers, and have people hear about our services from their loved ones and colleagues.Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku is a Certified Speaking Professional, the highest designation presented by the National Speakers Association. He can be reached at vincent@kituku.com.Starting Up is a series published on Fridays. The columns are coordinated by Julie Howard, a specialist for the Idaho Office of Science and Technology. Reach her at julie.howard@commerce.idaho.gov.
Tags: amp, Business, chamber of commerce, eci, local chamber, marketing, money, rf, rv, Small Business, sti, t corp, ubsFeb 16
