As an executive, you may have come across the Chief Custom Officer (CCO), Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), and Chief Sales Officer (CSO) titles, and wondered what sets them apart. So let's explore each role and the differences between them.

What is a Chief Customer Officer (CCO)?

A Chief Customer Officer (CCO) is responsible for creating and implementing the customer experience strategy for a company. This includes identifying the customer’s needs and ensuring that all departments work together to meet those needs. The CCO typically reports directly to the CEO and works closely with the marketing, sales, and customer success departments.

What is a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)?

A Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is a relatively new C-level role responsible for overseeing all aspects of revenue generation for a company. This includes marketing, sales, customer success, product development, operations, and finance departments. As such, CROs typically report directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CRO must work in close collaboration with other members of the executive team and department heads within the organization.

One important point to note is that while a Chief Sales Officer may report directly to a CRO or CCO depending on the size of an organization’s sales force and complexity of its market strategy, they can also act as an advisor or mentor rather than having direct reporting responsibilities. In such cases, it’s more common for them to report directly to either CEO or CFO level executives.

Who Reports to the CRO?

The CRO is responsible for overseeing all revenue-generating departments, including marketing, sales, customer success, product development, operations, and finance. As such, the heads of these departments typically report directly to the CRO.

What is a Chief Sales Officer (CSO)?

A Chief Sales Officer (CSO) is responsible for driving sales productivity and revenue growth. They typically oversee the sales department and are responsible for creating and executing the sales strategy. CSOs are experienced sales professionals who can provide valuable guidance when trying to find solutions specific to the challenges faced by businesses today who are trying to increase revenue and drive sales productivity.

Conclusion

The CCO is responsible for creating and implementing the customer experience strategy, a CRO is responsible for overseeing all revenue-generating departments, and a CSO is responsible for driving sales productivity and revenue growth. While these roles have some overlap, they each have unique responsibilities and play important roles in a company's success. Understanding the differences between them can help companies make better decisions when it comes to hiring and structuring their executive team.