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Why Customer Service and Marketing Must Go Hand-in-Hand

 

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Customer service and marketing teams serve different purposes. A customer service team engages with clients, responds to their concerns and questions, and supports them in any way possible. Comparatively, a marketing team finds customers and teaches them about a business’s products and services.

Your company's customer service and marketing teams may work independently. And to date, doing so has helped your business thrive. But, imagine the results you can achieve if your customer service and marketing groups frequently communicate and collaborate with one another. In these instances, your company can achieve outstanding results in many areas, including:

1. Customer Experience

Your company's CX can have far-flung effects on your business and its ability to foster long-lasting customer partnerships. If you can deliver positive customer experiences, it is well-equipped to retain clients and drive brand loyalty. Your positive customer experiences can even lead your clients to become brand ambassadors.

Customer service and marketing teams can work together to take your CX to the next level. Both groups can examine the CX in detail and find ways to make it a selling point for your business. That way, your customer service team can deliver amazing support that ensures clients enjoy memorable experiences any time they reach out to your business. Furthermore, your marketing team can promote these positive experiences to distinguish your brand from its competitors.

2. Product Development

If your business wants to deliver best-in-class products, it needs to plan accordingly. In this instance, your customer service team must learn about new products and respond to product concerns and questions. At the same time, your marketing team must analyze the market for your product and create and execute a launch strategy. 

By working together during product development, your customer service and marketing teams can learn from and support one another as soon as a new product reaches the market. For example, if your business intends to offer promotional products, your customer service and marketing teams can determine what products your clients will enjoy. Each group can provide data and insights to highlight customer pain points and how certain promotional products may address them. From here, your customer service and marketing teams can provide promotional products that simultaneously drive customer engagement and promote your business.  

3. Employee Engagement

Your business wants its employees to feel connected to their work. To achieve your goal, you may develop employee engagement initiatives. Despite your best efforts, you may miss the mark as you try to get your workers to care about their jobs.

Meanwhile, research indicates that there is often a strong correlation between employee engagement and the ability of workers to deliver superior customer experiences. By prioritizing customer service and marketing and getting both groups on the same page, you can ensure that your workers are supported like never before. Moreover, you can promote your employee engagement initiatives in ways that meet your workers' expectations. The result: you can reap the benefits of a highly engaged workforce now and in the future. 

4. Content Creation

The content your business provides to prospects and customers speaks volumes. It helps you build brand recognition and establish yourself as an authority within your industry. Additionally, quality content is shareable. Over time, if you produce quality content, your customers will share it, which can help you accelerate your growth.

With support from your customer service and marketing teams, you can take a step forward in your quest to deliver exceptional content. Customer service and marketing professionals can offer content ideas for your website or blog. They can even produce guest blog posts and other content from their perspective.

5. Goal Development

Business goals are must-haves for companies of all sizes and across all industries. They empower your business to identify ways to grow. Yet, how you develop your goals can impact your company's success.

Getting your customer service and marketing teams to develop shared goals is paramount. These teams can leverage data to establish goals designed to help you become an industry leader. They can also establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track their ability to accomplish various goals within designated time frames. Your customer service and marketing teams can next review their results as they try to achieve myriad goals. If these teams fall short of certain goals, they can adjust them. Or, if your customer service and marketing teams meet or surpass their goals, they can continue to seek out ways to raise the bar for your business.

The Bottom Line on Why Customer Service and Marketing Need to Work Hand in Hand

Business silos can be problematic. If your customer service and marketing teams work independently, they may not share information and insights. And as a result, these teams may inadvertently hamper your success.

Facilitate meetings between your customer service and marketing teams and encourage them to communicate and collaborate. Use a neutral party to lead the meetings, and give guidance beforehand that prepares all participants for the meeting. Then, your customer service and marketing groups can work hand in hand to help your company realize its full potential.