Is it deceiving to use the title "Customer Experience Specialist" for quota-carrying sales people?

Maybe it should be called "Potential Customer Experience Specialist" as it certainly seems to have a very strong sales emphasis. My first impression from the title was that the CES was someone who looked after existing customers so it does "feel" a little odd.

I'm with Richard. While it is possible for quota carrying reps to be customer centric (and in fact, the most successful reps are), the term "specialist" implies that the preceding term is the primary focus of the role. In the case of quota carrying reps, Experience is not the primary focus, quota achievement is.

I'm not sure it's deceiving, since I'm not sure the title would change how I rely on the information provided, but it is confusing, and dilutes the meaning and value of the true CES.

The use of the title Customer Experience Specialist should only be used if the sales person is properly incented to truly support, create & reinforce the customer experience the entire company is aligned to create.

Then it’s their job to actively deliver a meaningful & relevant customer experience (which is true of every employee). Truly good sales professionals are a blessing to their employer & customers when they’re a customer advocate and desire to provide a high level of service, value & experience to their customers. If they do this then the title is relevant.

If not, it’s an empty promise to their customers that is meaningless & shallow. Any claim to customer experience must be backed up by a meaningful & customer relevant brand promise, customer service & customer experience.

This role title is still aspirational at most companies. I believe it's used with good intention in most cases and that the decision-makers believe that the use of this title is an important part of helping their employees fully understand the role they play in front of customers.

However, it's totally in appropriate when the employee isn't empowered (by process or authority or budget) to actually handle extraordinary situations that the title implies they can successfully expedite. Customers who read "Customer Experience Specialist" on a name tag expect that person to help them, not coerce them or drag them through company processes (even if they smile). If the intent isn't to serve then, yes, using that role title is deceitful.

I think it depends on the role of the sales rep.

Let's say a potential customer starts a free trial with your product or service. The goal is to get them to become a paying customer. But if the sales rep is only focused on doing whatever it takes to get them to buy, the experience the potential customer has may not lead to a long-lasting relationship with your company and the coast of acquistion becomes lost.

If, however, the goal of the rep is to bring the trialer up to a certain level of competency with the product/service and demonstrate a higher level of engagement, the value is plain to see from the customer's perspective and the purchase becomes an outcome, not the event. This, in my mind, would be a Customer Experience Specialist", not a "Sales Rep".