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To Grow Your Business Requires Closing the Gap Between Sales and Customer Service

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: For many businesses, there is a distinct line between sales and customer service. To ensure that the sales process is executed without problems, separate departments have evolved addressing what are perceived to be sales issues and customer service issues. Yet is this really effective given the research about customer turnover, the time to earn a signed commitment and how quickly sales leads become cold?

To Grow Your Business Requires Closing the Gap Between Sales and Customer Service

For many businesses, there is a distinct line between sales and customer service. To ensure that the sales process is executed without problems, separate departments have evolved addressing what are perceived to be sales issues and customer service issues. Yet is this really effective given the research about customer turnover, the time to earn a signed commitment and how quickly sales leads become cold?

What would happen if any organization began with the end in mind by coming back to the purpose of business? Simply speaking, all organizations exist to first attract and then to retain loyal customers. Therefore, all organizations and consequently their employees are sales professionals.

When the sales process is executed flawlessly, the end result is:

• Increase sales
• Loyal customers

In all honesty, there truly should not be a line between sales and service. To create a high performance culture truly requires that all employees (internal customer) understand that their first role is selling from a service perspective.

What potentially happens when separate departments are created without this understanding, this common phrase becomes the mantra "That is not my job." This often heard and repeated phrase turns off the very people necessary for the success of the organization regardless if they are external (paying clients) or internal (employees) customers.

One of my sales coaching clients does not have a separation between sales and service. Hanging throughout the offices and even within the warehouse are signs with this one word: CATER

For his business, Customers Are The Entire Reason. He understands that without clients his company would not be in business. All employees understand their role in the sales process and will do what is necessary to build loyal customers.

Given the cost to acquire a new patron is estimated to be three to 10 times higher than to maintain an existing one, does it not make sense to have everyone understanding the purpose of business? By removing the line between sales and customer service will increase sales and find your organization with more loyal customers.

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Article Tags: business customers, common phrase, customer service issues, customer turnover, distinct line, end result, high performance, honesty, internal customer, job, li li, loyal customers, mantra, nbsp, performance culture, sales coaching, sales professionals, service perspective, signs



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