Haven't seen this mentioned yet, so I thought I'd bring it up.
Communication, communication, communication. I'll say it again, communication.
When it gets time to hiring someone to take over the day to day handling of your clients support needs and/or sales inquiries. I suggest you get someone who is very knowledgable about your product and who is interested in converting every single lead into a sale.
This will mean the difference in your business making money or not.
I'm starting a venture and I have many vendors. I must have spoken to 50 potential vendors across many different markets and there are so many sales and support people who are utterly clueless about their company and product. Who go above and beyond telling a potential customer to pound sand. Sometimes I am speechless in the service that I have had with some companies.
In fact, a few times I've actually had to use the nuclear option, which btw I hate. I've had to find the CEO's email and contact them directly. This always made the difference in the connection.
When I have had to do this, it always it went from the support person detailing reasons why the business can't do "that" and that they supposedly pushed it up the chain or spoken with colleagues and it's just not possible to accept my request.
After emailing directly with the CEO, who then forwards the communication to a senior manager and the issue gets resolved quickly.
In fact, I have a beauty of communication which I may one day publish on Medium. Which outlines the how someone went above and beyond not to win my business. I'll be framing this email in my office for sure!
Other great examples are when I am trying to clarify a question and highlighting something in a faq or a webpage and then I get that url link right back at me with the same quote. As if they are copying and pasting me wording from a support document. Which quickly leads me to believe VA's are handling the support and they immediately lose my interest.
Finally, the best ones are when on the vendors side, the communication goes cold. That they just are not interested in getting back to you. Which I can't understand. I want to give them lots of money!
Don't be one of these companies. One lesson I have learnt in the past. Is that if someone approaches you to make money, don't immediately turn them down. Even if they can't help you right now. They may do in the future and it may be really beneficial to both parties then!