How to Use Social Networking, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter in Your Job Search

In Los Angeles—like most major cities—if you go to a major auto dealer you will notice a group of ten or more salespeople, usually men, who are standing together (smoking, drinking coffee, gossiping, and so forth) waiting for you. In some dealerships it is actually quite intimidating. Less than three minutes after your getting out of the car, a salesman will put his cigarette out and start to approach you. The salespeople stand there all day and wait. They also joke among themselves:

• “That one’s hot; why do you always get the hot ones?”
• “That guy’s got a printout and knows our costs. You’re screwed.”

The banter among these guys goes back and forth all day long. I’ve actually listened in on them before because it’s amusing and instructive. The salespeople go to sales meetings, are hired and fired quickly, and are trained to close deals. They take people into their little cubicles and offices and attempt to get them to pay as much money as possible for the cars. They have all sorts of games to sell cars that they like to play among themselves. In short, the salespeople are extremely focused on the customers who show up and are right in front of them. I used to look at cars a lot. I’ve given my card to salespeople before. Only once or twice has the man ever followed up with me after meeting me. The salesmen who did follow up simply left me a message and nothing more. No second phone calls. No follow-up letters. Nothing. I get a new car every few years. A few years ago, I had a luxury car. Then I got a sports car. Then I got a pickup truck. I love cars and always have. However, in all my years of buying cars, I have never heard from the salesperson after I purchased the car. Instead, I can only assume they feel like it is more productive to stand under the awning of the dealership waiting for the next stranger to drive up. A few years ago, I purchased a Ford truck. I like Fords. If the salesperson who sold me the truck had called me and asked me if I was interested in purchasing a Lincoln Continental a few years later, I probably would have bought one. When I go to New York (or any other major city) I always get picked up in those Lincolns. I like them. I’ve checked them out online several times and would like to own one. Yet a salesperson has never contacted me about that. A few cars ago, I had a Mercedes. I gave it to my wife and she drove it until it had 100,000-plus miles on it. Eventually it started to have all sorts of maintenance problems. We went and bought another one at a dealership not too far from our house. In the years that I had that original Mercedes, I never heard from the salesman who sold it to me. Had he stayed in touch with me I would have bought the second car from him instead of the other salesman from whom we purchased the car.

I could list numerous examples like this with just cars. However, this idea applies to everything. Whether it is clothes, electronics, real estate, or otherwise—most businesses (and salespeople) I have done business with in the past simply have forgotten about me after selling me something. More than just this, the businesses have forgotten about me after not even selling me something and my expressing interest in them. In the case of the auto salesmen, it is as if it they have the idea that standing on the side of the road is a more productive exercise than contacting past prospects, past customers, and others eager to buy. In your job search and career, the desires and circumstances of the employers you may be interested in working for are constantly changing. By merely showing regular interest and continually communicating with an employer you would like to work for, you dramatically increase your chances of getting employed and improving your circumstances (no matter what they are) if and when the employer is ready to “pull the trigger” and hire someone like you. Good businesses know how to stay in touch with and constantly communicate with their potential clients and past customers. In fact, the best businesses are generally masters at this. Check your e-mail from today and the past few days. How many successful businesses that you have frequented in the past are e-mailing you information? I bet it is a lot. Here is a list of some of the companies that I have purchased from in the past that send me at least a few e-mails each week trying to sell me something:

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