Enhancing Upselling and Cross-Selling in Business-to-Business Markets: The Critical Need to Integrate Customer Service and Sales Functions
Customer Centric Support Services in the Digital Age: The Next Frontier of …, 2023•Springer
Business-to-business firms have recognised the importance and have focused on upselling
and cross-selling to customers. However, firms struggle to upsell and cross-sell to customers
despite extensive efforts. The customer service function is typically a stand-alone function,
responsible for customer service and primarily for upselling and cross-selling to customers
in many firms. The authors suggest that deeper integration of the customer service function
with the sales function is required for effective upselling and cross-selling. The integration …
and cross-selling to customers. However, firms struggle to upsell and cross-sell to customers
despite extensive efforts. The customer service function is typically a stand-alone function,
responsible for customer service and primarily for upselling and cross-selling to customers
in many firms. The authors suggest that deeper integration of the customer service function
with the sales function is required for effective upselling and cross-selling. The integration …
Abstract
Business-to-business firms have recognised the importance and have focused on upselling and cross-selling to customers. However, firms struggle to upsell and cross-sell to customers despite extensive efforts. The customer service function is typically a stand-alone function, responsible for customer service and primarily for upselling and cross-selling to customers in many firms. The authors suggest that deeper integration of the customer service function with the sales function is required for effective upselling and cross-selling. The integration will require reduced boundaries between the customer service and the sales function and increased digitalisation, which enhances data sharing. In addition, supplier firms will need to train their personnel and enhance the customer selection process. This chapter details the issues in upselling and cross-selling in business-to-business markets, develops a framework, and derives implications for theory and practice.
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