Sales and Support Come Together

Sales reps are common in many industries. It's a great tactic - brand ambassadors travel to client or customer sites, take orders, provide service, and handle most of the marketing. I think the most important aspect of the rep/customer relationship is that the same person that sells the product is the same one that provides the service and support. It's a consistency within the relationship that reinforces trust. So why don't we see this with other business models?

I recently met with an emerging telecom. Their tech support people are also the same ones that handle the majority of the inside sales. This got me thinking--what if the tech support people also handled external sales? I know that there are some time management issues at hand, but for the sake of argument, let's explore the benefits of this arrangement.

Imagine if the same person that came to sell you an expensive telecom system was also the person who oversaw the installation, gave you his/her cell and home number so you could contact them during off hours, and also was the same person who gave you the tech support answers you may seek. This is a strong, consistent relationship. No longer is the customer passed off between departments with a new contact each time. I'd be willing to bet that this customer would keep their business with this company longer than average.

Maybe there is a place for this type of setup in more organizations. You can never underestimate the power of consistency and relationships.