Ask anyone in a sales organization what the most valuable department in the company is, and most will tell you that it's the sales team. As the saying goes, "Sales is King!" Your agents on the floor are directly responsible for generating revenue and boosting the bottom line. But contrary to what some might think, they don't do it alone.

Your customer success team plays a significant role in sales success. They, too, are customer-facing employees, and they play a big role in customer retention. While the job differs from traditional sales, customer success is about the long game and deserves just as much attention and praise as those on the sales floor.

The best-case scenario is that your sales customer success teams work together. Ongoing collaboration and a unified strategy can lead to success now and well into the future.

Is Customer Success a Sales Job?

Here's a common question: Is customer success a sales job, and why does it matter?

The answer isn't as black and white as you might assume. Technically, customer success teams don't handle direct sales. They're not on the sales floor with other agents trying to close deals and get new customers. That's not their job.

Instead, customer success is about the post-sales relationship. A customer success manager (CSM) ensures that every customer gets the full value out of their purchase (often that leads to an upsell). The job is more multifaceted than traditional sales. The CSM position can involve everything from providing customer service and tech support to gathering and assessing customer feedback.

Ultimately, customer success is about turning one-time customers into lifelong patrons. It's about building brand loyalty and cultivating the customer experience to encourage repeat business in the future.

Both customer success and sales contribute to the organization's bottom line. While the teams' priorities are very different, they're two sides of the same revenue-boosting coin!

5 Ways Success and Sales Work Together

Customer success and sales teams should have a synergistic relationship. You can't have one without the other; both are essential for ongoing sales success. Not sure how these two teams can work together? Here are a few examples of the magic that can come from aligning strategies and developing a unified front.

1. Positive Customer Experiences Are Powerful Sales Tools

Have you ever considered how much the customer experience plays into your sales strategies? Think about brand reputation, social media shares, and overall awareness. Companies that continue to provide a fantastic experience for customers are the ones that can generate sales on name alone! That's the ultimate dream. From software startups to tech conglomerates, there are countless examples of how paying attention to the post-sale process can lead to tremendous growth in the future.

Here's where your two teams can benefit from each other's work. Customer success reps can inspire customers to leave positive reviews and testimonials. Happy shoppers will also spread positive experiences through word of mouth, building your organization's reputation and establishing customer loyalty.

Just like that, your sales force has a powerful enablement tool at its disposal. Sharing positive reviews and testimonials is a great way to convince prospects to choose your product or service. When your customer success and sales teams strategize together, they can feed into each others' work and make the most out of every sales opportunity.

2. Your Customer Success Knowledge = Sales Content Fuel

One unique thing about focusing on a customer's success is that you get the opportunity to learn more about their needs. It's a master class in customer experience. Instead of using market research to develop strategies, your customer success professionals are on the ground, hearing it all from the source!

It's one of the best ways to fine-tune your sales process. Your CSM can gain insight into pain points throughout the sales funnel, the overall value proposition of your product, and more. They can also develop new solutions, understand integrations, and adjust buyer personas to reflect the reality of existing sales.

All that information is the perfect inspiration for sales content. You can use it to develop new techniques and best practices, helping your sales agents fine-tune their strategies for tremendous success moving forward.

3. Some Success Calls Are Perfect Upsell Opportunities 

While your customer success professionals don't always focus on sales, they can take a page from business 101 and upsell products during customer calls and interactions. Upselling is a great way to boost revenue and push customers deeper and deeper into your product ecosystem.

For example, a CSM may learn about a client's needs during a basic customer service call. One of your company's other products happens to fulfill that need to a tee. So why not recommend it and make another sale? It's the perfect upsell opportunity that drives growth even more.

4. Cost to Acquire vs Cost to Retain

Did you know that acquiring a new customer can cost about five times more than retaining an existing customer? Reaching new buyers involves heavy marketing, clever advertising strategies, and a slew of other touch points. It's not cheap, and there's no guarantee that any of that investment will lead to a conversion.

A CSM's primary responsibility is to keep customers happy. Boosting overall customer retention rates by only five percent can lead to a significant increase in profits. The possible win rate is much higher with existing customers, too. That means more selling potential in the future. It is cheaper to invest in retention tactics. New customers are crucial for growth, but existing clients are the ones who will continue to support your company well into the future.

5. Customer Success Reps Make Great Sales Reps

Customer success professionals gain tons of insight into your target demographic. Of all the employees who are part of the sales cycle, the CSM teams are the ones who understand your customer base the most. They provide personal service, going above and beyond to keep your existing base happier.

As you can imagine, that knowledge and skillset will translate well to traditional sales. If you're a sales manager needing new reps for the sales floor, your first stop should be the customer success department. Speak to success team leaders and ask if they have anyone in mind; you’re likely to find a great candidate.

Attn: Sales Managers - Flockjay Aligns Sales and Success Teams

Ready to see what magic comes from your customer success and sales team working together? Flockjay can be the glue that connects these departments! Our all-in-one software solution provides a brand-new way to empower, enable, and connect your teams.

Create the perfect digital space to share insights, facilitate peer-to-peer learning, and foster an environment of collaboration. These two teams focus on very different parts of your sales operation. But having them align their strategies can drive revenue higher than you ever thought possible. With a platform like Flockjay, unifying your teams has never been easier.