Bridging the Gap Between Service and Selling

Every time customer service professionals interact with a customer, they are influencing satisfaction and loyalty. Whether they drive future business or drive business away ultimately depends on how they view their job.

Sales is a word that can come with plenty of baggage. Ask customer service professionals how they define their job, and they’ll likely tell you it’s about understanding and responding to customer needs. Ask them how they define selling, on the other hand, and you might hear something like, “It’s about manipulating someone into buying something.”

Unfortunately, training and internal processes often end up reinforcing this mindset about what it means to sell. Customer service teams have your customer’s ear and a unique vantage point for uncovering opportunities, building long-term loyalty, and reinforcing a strong competitive advantage. But to be successful, they need a new mindset about what it means to sell. Sales skills and product knowledge are helpful, but without a realignment of attitudes and beliefs, it will be an uphill battle.