The hustler’s secret weapon?

The typical hustler does not make money using the sophisticated marketing tactics favoured by big corporations, such as subliminal advertising or offering coupons and raffles. No, they use their most important and cheapest asset – public relations and  knowing their customers.
Think of the hustlers  you meet every day, be they insurance salesmen, kiosk owners, mama mbogas, barbers, mechanics, caddies or sophisticated hustlers.
They always greet you with a smile and make you feel like you’ve known them for years. They do not use sophisticated language, and are at ease with mother tongue or sheng, which makes them reach into your heart and soul.
Exploit loopholes
And they do their research on you before they meet you. They will check out your Facebook profile, what you say on Twitter, the photos you like on Instagram. They want to know where you come from, which makes it easier to profile you and get you and your friends’ money.
They are great at networking. Unlike those guys who give you their business card to get rid of you, hustlers will request your card and follow up. Because of their innocence and persistence, you will give them some jobs.
The hustler’s approach mirrors seduction. They charm you will their smile and before long, you’re in their cage. They build trust and make you dependent on them; it doesn’t matter who you are. In fact, if you want to get the contacts of ‘big people’, don’t look for them in five-star hotels, try their barbers, mechanics or other ‘small people’.
And once you get hooked to a hustler, it becomes very hard to switch from them. Imagine looking for a new mechanic, barber, waiter or, in whispers, mpango wa kando. These people get you in a special way. They are easy on you when it comes to payment – you can pay for services the following day.
The money exchanged is usually small, which makes trust easy to build. They further build your trust by knowing your family. Some people trust hustlers more than they do their relatives or friends.
I have seen ladies follow their hairstylists or tailors to neighbouring towns. Men do the same for their barbers and mechanics. I have seen golfers take their caddies for tournaments outside their home clubs.
Hustlers use trust to gain leverage on their employers or customers.

They usually get what they bargained for through charging you extra because you have no time to try alternatives. They get job security and business tips.
The next time a hustler smiles at you, it might not be as innocent as you think. Before long, you might find yourself under their spell, with your heart and pocket opening more easily. If you don’t believe me, ask any man who fell under the spell of a gacungwa.