What are the interfaces between the Service and Sales areas and what can we learn from this?
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 10:40 am
My professional journey , which has now spanned over 25 years, has been entirely focused on doing business (selling!). Over the years, I have seen commercial structures mostly divided into “hunters” and “farmers”.
“Hunters” were the professionals who sought out (“hunted”) new customers. “Farmers” were the professionals who took care of the customers brought in by the “hunters”.
And, within the context of customer service , two acronyms emerge: CX and CS .
CX, the first acronym, is an abbreviation for Customer Experience (for us Brazilians, it is strange that it is not CE, but the letter E in Experience is not pronounced in English). It is the after- sales area of companies.
Currently, in general, the CX area has two divisions: line database Service and Customer Success (CS, the second acronym). Customer Service is what we used to call technical support (customer service, when they contact their supplier with some type of question or demand). Customer Success was the one that “took over” the old “farmers” area, most of the time.
Quickly returning to the commercial area, the “farmers” had a routine of being physically close to their customers to “monitor their temperature” and, just as importantly, seek new business opportunities.
Currently, within CX structures, CSMs ( Customer Success Managers ) are, for the most part, data-driven. CSMs study their customers’ metrics , providing them with insights, gaining authority with them and, consequently, capturing new opportunities.
The fundamental difference between farmers and CSMs is that while the first group was focused on relationships (and within the commercial area), the second group is focused on understanding and explaining data (within the CX area).
Something important, however, that I noticed (certainly driven by the pandemic): the desire motivated by time and cost to resolve everything remotely. Shouldn’t a CSM ’s main customer be worthy of an in-person visit? Virtual meetings generally have very clear objectives and a defined time frame, not providing the opportunity for new “hooks” to emerge between client and supplier.
Another timely topic to discuss in this migration of activities from farmers to CSMs is collaboration between the parties, which is where the greatest source of gains for both lies. Most opportunities are the result of inputs provided to the client, who, upon coming into contact with this information, are able to translate it into their own realities.
How can the customer service team improve the customer's life?
Here are several other tips that a sales professional would probably bring up in any conversation about “how to improve the customer’s life”:
You must know the current situation of the client and their market (growth/reduction, mergers, acquisitions, IPO, etc.).
What is the stated challenge of the professional who is the interface within the client? What happens if he does not meet this challenge?
What is the challenge for the company (client) as a whole?
Example: grow X% in that year, become the market leader, etc.
How does the challenge stated by the customer interface relate to the challenge of the company as a whole?
The CX area, via expansion , is usually responsible for part of the revenue target.
How many different people and areas are known within our client?
The more people know each other, the greater the possibility of help.
How many areas are directly or indirectly impacted by your solution?
Eventually other areas could benefit from your solution and they don't even know it.
How many different people and areas of your company talk to the customer? Or does only the CSM talk to the customer?
Are there cases of companies with a similar profile to the client that could be replicated, generating gains in performance, satisfaction and upselling ?
Does the customer consider you a strategic supplier? What happens, for example, if their internet goes down and they are unable to access the system for 10 minutes?
Is there a formal routine with the client? Example: a monthly meeting.
Do we update the client on what's new? What else could he be using, hired by him, but not even he knows about it?
Do we know what the customer likes most and least about the solution they purchased?
Is the customer thinking about canceling the solution they purchased and we don't even know about it?
“Hunters” were the professionals who sought out (“hunted”) new customers. “Farmers” were the professionals who took care of the customers brought in by the “hunters”.
And, within the context of customer service , two acronyms emerge: CX and CS .
CX, the first acronym, is an abbreviation for Customer Experience (for us Brazilians, it is strange that it is not CE, but the letter E in Experience is not pronounced in English). It is the after- sales area of companies.
Currently, in general, the CX area has two divisions: line database Service and Customer Success (CS, the second acronym). Customer Service is what we used to call technical support (customer service, when they contact their supplier with some type of question or demand). Customer Success was the one that “took over” the old “farmers” area, most of the time.
Quickly returning to the commercial area, the “farmers” had a routine of being physically close to their customers to “monitor their temperature” and, just as importantly, seek new business opportunities.
Currently, within CX structures, CSMs ( Customer Success Managers ) are, for the most part, data-driven. CSMs study their customers’ metrics , providing them with insights, gaining authority with them and, consequently, capturing new opportunities.
The fundamental difference between farmers and CSMs is that while the first group was focused on relationships (and within the commercial area), the second group is focused on understanding and explaining data (within the CX area).
Something important, however, that I noticed (certainly driven by the pandemic): the desire motivated by time and cost to resolve everything remotely. Shouldn’t a CSM ’s main customer be worthy of an in-person visit? Virtual meetings generally have very clear objectives and a defined time frame, not providing the opportunity for new “hooks” to emerge between client and supplier.
Another timely topic to discuss in this migration of activities from farmers to CSMs is collaboration between the parties, which is where the greatest source of gains for both lies. Most opportunities are the result of inputs provided to the client, who, upon coming into contact with this information, are able to translate it into their own realities.
How can the customer service team improve the customer's life?
Here are several other tips that a sales professional would probably bring up in any conversation about “how to improve the customer’s life”:
You must know the current situation of the client and their market (growth/reduction, mergers, acquisitions, IPO, etc.).
What is the stated challenge of the professional who is the interface within the client? What happens if he does not meet this challenge?
What is the challenge for the company (client) as a whole?
Example: grow X% in that year, become the market leader, etc.
How does the challenge stated by the customer interface relate to the challenge of the company as a whole?
The CX area, via expansion , is usually responsible for part of the revenue target.
How many different people and areas are known within our client?
The more people know each other, the greater the possibility of help.
How many areas are directly or indirectly impacted by your solution?
Eventually other areas could benefit from your solution and they don't even know it.
How many different people and areas of your company talk to the customer? Or does only the CSM talk to the customer?
Are there cases of companies with a similar profile to the client that could be replicated, generating gains in performance, satisfaction and upselling ?
Does the customer consider you a strategic supplier? What happens, for example, if their internet goes down and they are unable to access the system for 10 minutes?
Is there a formal routine with the client? Example: a monthly meeting.
Do we update the client on what's new? What else could he be using, hired by him, but not even he knows about it?
Do we know what the customer likes most and least about the solution they purchased?
Is the customer thinking about canceling the solution they purchased and we don't even know about it?