Creating Great B2B Content: Talk to Your CSRs (and Try on Their Hats), with Caitlin Baker

Perhaps most importantly, CSRs keep customers happy and retain strong relationships with them, not only making them feel heard but fulfilling their needs and requirements. 

By nature of their work, CSRs have a wealth of knowledge and understanding about your business, from your products to your customers. Have you tapped into that wealth as part of your content strategy? Have you consulted your CSRs about pain points and potential business improvements?  

Further, on a very human level: How well do you understand their day-to-day responsibilities? Is there a risk of burnout in your ranks?  

We jumped on a Zoom call with Baker to learn more about the overwhelming value CSRs bring to distribution businesses, how company leaders can better support and involve these individuals, and the many content opportunities that will inevitably arise from regular conversations with the team. 

“They do more than you realize,” Baker said. “What you’ll discover will also help you realize what’s really happening in your business.” 

Learn more about creating authentic content from within (your company). >> 

Q: What is the reality of the CSR role versus how the role is perceived?  

I’m a little biased, but I think inside sales and CSRs are the most underrated and underappreciated aspects of a company. Outside sales reps bring in new customers. Their end goal is to meet a quota for new sales – which is important. But maintaining repeat customers is more important. CSRs maintain relationships and make sure customers stay.  

They also maintain that sense of reliability and availability with the customer. I would talk to the same people all the time, and that’s a huge part of establishing customer relationships. You get to know people’s personalities and communication styles. For instance, we had old-school customers who would place handwritten orders, and we had to learn how to understand their handwriting and what they meant if they said X instead of Y.  

The message people pass to others about your company is so deeply rooted in how the CSRs perform. In more cases than not, they are the face of the company. For the most part, companies in this industry are wholesalers selling through a retailer, where the only exposure people have is the brand name and logo. But when people call in directly to place massive orders, most often they’re working with CSRs. And if customers have issues, CSRs right the wrongs and get customers what they need. The CSRs make the impression that’s being left on all the customers.