A sale is initiated and then deepened. That doesn’t make it linear but cyclical. It’s two sides of the same coin (sale?). So quit blaming your colleague. Mind your side of the sale, instead. You are both serving the customer. Sales people initiate the customer relationship. Only they can. Customer service and technical staff deepen that relationship. Only they can. The sales person is a hunter. Once he acquires the customer he goes in search of other customers. Customer service and technical staff are farmers. They till the soil, plant the seeds, and nurture the land to ensure it continues to bear fruit.
What is the role of sales and service? Initiating and deepening customer relationships
Each role is distinct, yet interconnected. Like this travel consultant: “In addition to the air ticket to Rabat for your CEO, we can also get you hotel accommodation and airport transfers there. You don’t need to shop elsewhere. Would you like that?” The salesperson, immersed in hunting new prospects, simply cannot provide that level of nurturing. But when you, the farmer — the customer service agent — steps in, you deepen the trust and loyalty of the relationship. Not doing so, under the excuse of, “Sales is not in my job description,” is a disservice to the customer. Worse, it inconveniences them. Can you truly say, “I am in customer service,” when you fail to serve?
The relationship between sales and service
Yet this interdependence works both ways. When challenges arise that require a face-to-face meeting, the farmer calls on the hunter. If the salesperson cannot explain what phytosanitary, or coriolis meter mean, and it must be addressed, he tags along the technical colleague who does. The technical fellow is happy to go with the salesperson as the sales person will shield him from the angry customer’s barbs. This is because the hunter is more adept at it, understands the customer better, and the tag team demonstrates the gravity with which the company takes the customer’s grievance. That is the reason for the sales person being present. And not because, “Si ni customer wako. Wewe ndio ulimleta.” (He is your customer; you brought him).
An example of sales as a service
This collaboration underscores a vital principle: sales and service aren’t isolated. Like with the matatu crew, they are mutually reinforcing. Independence and interdependence lead to not just a sale, but to more sales — a virtuous cycle of initiation and deepening. All because you mind your side of the sale.
Mind your side of the sale. Mistakes are opportunities to serve
As for the sales person, lamenting that, “You guys in back office keep messing us,” can smack of self-righteousness. ‘Messes’ (mistakes) can and do happen. It’s inevitable in any business. That’s what customer complaints are. But let’s not pretend that missteps are exclusive to customer service or technical staff. Salespeople who misinform, or even, outright lie to customers, create far bigger problems, often planting the seeds for long-term grievances. These “historical injustices” can fester, damaging trust and loyalty.
Neither of you is simply selling or serving. You are both doing both. And the higher the quality of service you deliver, the higher the chances it will convert into a sale. Because at its core, selling is providing a service, and providing a service is selling.
The cost of poor service
Have you even raised a complaint with a customer service rep in bank and they had to call someone in IT? “I have a problem with my online banking. It keeps logging me out.” “Sorry to hear that. Let me check with IT.” She dials an extension and informs IT who shares, “Ambia huyo customer aende shule to learn how to use online banking. Ama hamkumfundisha?” (Take that customer to school to improve his computer literacy skills because you didn’t teach him how to use online banking). It’s supposed to be a private joke for which the customer service rep stifles a laugh. But you, the customer, hear every word. How does that make you feel? Certainly not valued. Certainly not served.
Mind your side of the sale. One Goal, One Team, One Mission
This incident highlights the broader issue: quality service delivery isn’t just about resolving the immediate problem. It’s about treating the customer with respect and professionalism. That respect fosters loyalty, which makes future sales easier — not just for one team, but for the entire company.
So, stop thinking in silos. Mind your side of the sale. The hunter and the farmer, the salesperson and the service team, are two sides of the same coin (sale). Your shared goal is the customer. Together, you can initiate and deepen the relationship. Together, you serve the customer better.
And isn’t that what sales is all about?
Read: 4 practical ways to resolve Sales vs Operations fights
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