Between Sales & Customer Support: A Blurred Line

There is a thin line that separates the differences between sales and customer support. The former engages potential customers on the front lines. On the other hand, the latter’s task is to solve problems and requests made to keep them coming back for more.

They may belong in two different departments, but they share the objective of gaining and maintaining relationships with customers. However, the line can get blurry along the road. 

These two different roles must coexist with coherence for businesses to thrive. For instance, once sales representatives have set a foundation for a relationship with customers, customer support will then build upon that further with sustained guidance and assistance.

Between Sales & Customer Support: Two Sides of the Same Coin

As mentioned previously, the line separating these two business aspects is thin. However, they both share an almost similar goal; to keep customers happy with your services. 

Sales representatives are required to showcase a certain level of skills to build up a relationship with customers. Simultaneously, customer support will play the role of providing customers with solutions once the groundwork has been laid out. 

While sales should be proactive in procuring new opportunities, customer support should be reactive in catering to customer requests. Are you keeping track of your customer information? Do they contact you to solve the same problem multiple times? 

Making interactions personal and conversational will help customers to feel more comfortable to share information with you.

Customers can tell when you keep track of their contact history. Customers will keep coming back when you show that they are valuable to you and your business. A good platform that can manage customer information efficiently will help agents to serve customers with clinical proficiency. 

Clear Cut Communication

Sales representatives must share any glitch they face with customer support agents for proper and immediate action. Between sales and customer support, there should be a clear picture of what each side is supposed to do. 

Both sides can enjoy a better picture with a clear line of communication. Besides, this will also help them to provide customers with consistent and viable solutions. 

When these two sides work like a well-oiled machine, problems can be solved even before customers can direct them to agents. Customer support will be able to predict and foresee any problem that may arise when particular situations present themselves. As a result, your business will provide a better customer experience.

After-Sales 

Today, most modern online companies are already integrating sales and customer support into one. Especially with e-commerce businesses, customers will often make their purchase directly without having to deal with any sales personnel. But engagements with customer support is still necessary for assisting and guiding buyers when required.

With excellent customer support, businesses may utilize this to channel existing customers to increase their transaction. It is easier to sell other services you provide to current customers, as the relationship has already existed. 

Additionally, customer support can access direct insights on customer behaviours with information saved from previous errands (interactions). Consequently, this allows agents to suggest services or products that customers would be interested in based on their existing records.

By letting know of the latest features that your business has to offer, agents can have the opportunity to be proactive, instead of just being reactive. In a way, customer support is a new kind of marketing instrument that will drive your business forward and beyond.

A powerful omnichannel platform is required to unlock agents full potential. Cention allows agents to keep detailed records of previous interactions with customers. 

Connect your business with all incoming communication from voice calls, SMS, emails, web forms, and social media for a maximized communication experience!