Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Both sales and customer service teams play vital roles in the success of any business. Together, they create a positive experience that builds trust and loyalty among customers.
Of course, each role has its distinct responsibilities. I collaborated with Lance, who recruits customer service representatives at Schneider, to compare sales versus customer service roles.
We hope this can help you make an informed decision about which career path is better for you.
What are the differences between customer service and sales jobs?
The biggest difference between customer service versus sales is each role's job responsibilities.
Sales representatives
- Work proactively: Sales reps seek out potential customers and work to convert their leads into paying clients. They also maintain relationships with existing customers.
- Discover customers’ needs: Sales professionals identify a customer’s problem before they decide to work with the company. Then, the sales rep offers business solutions that meet each customer’s needs.
- Generate revenue: The primary goal of a sales rep is to generate revenue for the business. They achieve this by promoting and selling the company's products and/or services.
- Earn commission: At most companies, sales associates earn a base salary plus commission.
Customer service representatives
- Work reactively: Customer service reps address the problems and concerns of existing customers.
- Solve customer problems: Customer service reps address challenging situations after customers have started working with the business. Their job is to ensure customers’ ongoing needs are met.
- Maintain relationships: Unlike sales, customer service is not directly linked to revenue generation. Instead, it prioritizes delivering a positive experience to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Earn an hourly rate: At most companies, customer service reps are paid hourly.
What are the similarities between customer service and sales jobs?
Despite their differences, sales and customer service roles do share several key similarities:
Customer service skills
Both roles must interact with customers. Sales and customer service reps foster client relationships via phone calls, emails or face-to-face meetings.
Communication skills
Effective communication skills are essential for both customer service and sales reps. It allows them to convey information and ideas to customers. Having strong communication skills can lead to better customer relationships and higher retention.
Problem-solving skills
Customer service reps and sales professionals must be able to understand customers’ needs. They must be able to analyze issues, pinpoint causes and create effective strategies to meet expectations.
What is the relationship between customer service and sales associates?
Customer service and sales teams rely on one another to maintain strong customer relationships and drive business success.
Customer service associates work the accounts the sales team gives them to ensure clients’ needs are met. Meanwhile, sales reps can use feedback from customer service teams about recurring issues or customer preferences to help them refine their sales strategies.
What is better: Customer service or sales jobs?
Figuring out whether you’re more suited for a sales versus customer service role depends on your preferences and career goals.
You might enjoy a sales position if you are:
- Competitive.
- Commission driven.
- Determined.
- Good at negotiating.
On the other hand, you might want to become a customer service rep if you are:
- Patient.
- Empathetic.
- Collaborative.
- Adept at conflict resolution.
