Article at a glance:

Transforming sales and service

• Sales and service interactions have become increasingly important sources of competitive differentiation for many entrenched suppliers.
• But incumbents often get stuck in the middle between low-cost competitors and high-end ones that provide distinctive service and sales support.
• Suppliers should rethink their approach to sales and service by segmenting customers according to their interaction requirements, building a "lean backbone" to meet shared needs, and establishing standard, affordable, and high-touch overlays to satisfy more exacting demands.
• Transforming the sales and service process is a major challenge that requires careful sequencing, focused skill building, and the enforcement of new forms of accountability.