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The Missed Opportunity of CX Partnerships: Insights from TELUS Digital Research

In today's competitive business landscape, customer experience (CX) partnerships are crucial for enterprise growth. However, TELUS Digital, a leading technology division of TELUS Corporation, has recently unveiled a report that suggests many enterprises are under maximizing these valuable partnerships. The report, released in April 2026, highlights that the majority of organizations are primarily utilizing their CX partnerships for support and cost optimization, often neglecting the potential for driving revenue growth.

The Key Findings from the IDC InfoBrief

The insights from a sponsored IDC InfoBrief titled From Efficiency to Excellence: Driving Enterprise Value through CX Partnerships reveal a significant disconnect between the expectations enterprises have for their CX partnerships and how these relationships are currently utilized. According to the report, enterprises are outsourcing various customer care functions, with the following being the most common:

• - Customer analytics (27%)
• - Tech support and help desk (24%)
• - Customer retention management (22%)
• - Customer service (20%)
• - Inbound B2B sales (17%)
• - Customer acquisition management (15%)
• - Inbound B2C sales (9%)

Interestingly, functions such as outbound B2B and B2C sales are rarely outsourced, which highlights the gap in utilizing CX partnerships for proactive sales initiatives. Despite being aware of the potential benefits, enterprises tend to hesitate when it comes to leveraging their partnerships for sales and customer acquisition.

Factors Influencing Partner Selection

In the study, decision-makers shared their top criteria for selecting CX partners. Flexibility in pricing options was highlighted as the most important factor, followed closely by the application of advanced technologies, such as AI and data analytics. Enterprises seek providers that exhibit organizational agility and possess top-tier talent, yet these strengths are largely underutilized in sales operations.

For instance, businesses have access to skilled agents and valuable data through their CX partnerships. This untapped resource could transform into revenue-generation potential by identifying high-potential prospects and enabling tailored outreach.

Revenue Growth Through CX Partnerships

While enterprises report benefiting from their CX partnerships, they primarily see returns through service-oriented functions. Recent findings indicate a compelling contrast; revenue growth ranks as the second most reported benefit from CX partnerships, only after cost savings. However, most revenue generated is still tied to reactive support functions instead of proactive B2B sales programs.

According to IDC's survey, businesses are already gaining quantifiable benefits from their CX partnerships, including:

• - Cost savings (25%)
• - Revenue growth (23%)
• - Productivity gains (22%)
• - Return on investment (ROI) (21%)
• - Profitability (20%)

Raymond Pucci, Research Director at IDC, emphasizes that while enterprises are achieving revenue growth through CX partnerships, the focus remains heavily on reactive functions. This indicates a stark opportunity for businesses to better leverage their CX relationships to explore proactive sales initiatives.

Rethinking Evaluation Metrics

A key reason why enterprises shy away from using CX partnerships for sales is how they evaluate these outsourcing relationships. Many enterprises focus on meeting service-level agreements (SLAs) and maintaining operational efficiency, often overlooking potential revenue-driving capabilities. As Robin Jakobsen from TELUS Digital points out, measuring a CX partner's performance solely through support metrics limits the scope for expanding into broader value-generating opportunities like revenue growth.

To tap into the full potential of their partnerships, enterprises need to rethink their success metrics and expand partner mandates to encompass sales initiatives, rather than just focusing on operational execution.

TELUS Digital’s Commitment to Sales Optimization

Recognizing the need for change, TELUS Digital has built its approach around this transformation. The company is designed explicitly to assist enterprises in moving beyond traditional support roles into the realm of customer acquisition, focusing on B2B sales optimization. By harnessing AI-powered technology and data analytics in combination with skilled sales professionals, TELUS Digital aims to unlock precision-targeted demand generation and support sales pipeline activities.

Furthermore, TELUS Digital was recently awarded the Gold status at the 2026 Stevie Awards for its outstanding performance in enhancing B2B sales operations and generating significant revenue growth for its clients. With a global presence and a wealth of experience, TELUS Digital is equipping enterprises to transform CX partnerships from mere service delivery into engines for revenue growth.

Conclusion

The findings from TELUS Digital's research reveal an essential insight for enterprises: the real potential of CX partnerships extends far beyond traditional support roles. By re-evaluating their strategies and embracing the full capabilities of their CX partners, businesses could unlock substantial revenue opportunities that remain largely untapped. As enterprises navigate this critical juncture, the importance of adopting a proactive strategy towards CX partnerships cannot be overstated. In doing so, they will not only enhance their operational efficiency but also pave the way for sustainable growth in the ever-evolving market landscape.