BLOG

What Does Jack Bauer and Social Sellers Have in Common?

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

Jack Bauer of 24How are social sellers like Jack Bauer of 24? They both have a diverse set of tools to get the job done.

For those of you that have ever watched the show 24 you will already know that the main character, Jack Bauer, is a bad ass. Full stop. For anyone out there that is unaware of who Jack Bauer is (and potentially living under a rock), he is a CTU counter-terrorism agent equivalent to a modern day MacGyver who often goes rogue for the greater good of humanity, aka the United States.

What many of you may not have pieced together is that Jack Bauer is, in many ways, similar to a Social Seller. You see, Jack has a very large proverbial tool belt that he uses to get the job done. He’s got his tactical Carbine, his Beratta, his combat knife, his multi-tool and of course, his nuclear missile disarmament kit for when thing get REALLY hairy.

The Tool Belt of a Social Seller

The modern day salesman, aka the Social Seller, is in many respects very similar to Jack Bauer. Although the Social Seller doesn’t typically have the same arsenal listed above at their disposal, they do have a diverse tool belt, which they can use to get the job done. Social Sellers use tools like LinkedIn, Twitter and content sharing, as well as more traditional forms of communication like the phone, email and even in some rare cases, facsimile.

It is necessary to make this comparison because many individuals whom are just learning about Social Selling for the first time harbour a misconception that to being a Social Seller means doing away with older forms of technology and focusing on the stuff that is shiny and new. This belief could not be further from the truth.

LinkedIn Profile

Social Sellers simply realize that there are more effective ways to build the top of their sales funnel than to solely rely on cold calling and emailing. They recognize that it is possible to influence their potential buyers earlier in their purchasing process by injecting themselves into the equation as a helpful resource of information.

Are Phones and Emails Still Part of the Social Seller’s Tool Belt?

Phone calls and emails are not going to be left in the dust anytime soon. Both emails and phone calls are still relevant forms of communication that should be utilized to their fullest potential during the sales process to connect with prospects. They are, however, becoming an increasingly less effective means of making INITIAL contact.

Buyers now begin their purchasing process online, not on the phone or in their inbox. It is for precisely this reason why buyers want to see salesmen for the first time online, not to be cold called or emailed by them.

So the next time you feel the crunch of reaching an impending sales target and you are tempted to pick up the phone to make your initial contact with a prospect, remember that there are many other tools in that belt of yours.

To learn about how you can get started with social selling, contact me at dave@salesforlife.com.
 9 Step Thumb10 Step Book Dave Howe Social Selling Talk

Follow Us

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get our latest blogs direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Subscribe to receive more sales insights, analysis, and perspectives from Sales For Life.

The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling