It’s a jungle out there with great confusion, looking at something flying at a distance. Some say, “It’s a bird!” Some say, “It’s a plane!”
It’s the same in the sales process; some ask, “Are you ready for sales?” and some, “Are you prepared to engage with customers and close deals?” So doesn’t it mean the same?
Many companies struggle to understand the difference between sales readiness and sales enablement. There still needs to be some clarification about what sales enablement is. Is it the same as sales readiness? And if not, what’s the difference?
In this blog post, join us as we explore what they are exactly and the difference between the two concepts! So let’s get started!
Sales Readiness And Sales Enablement
What is Sales Readiness?
At its most basic, sales readiness is the ability to equip salespeople with the knowledge and skills required to generate consistent, predictable, and profitable revenue growth. But being “ready” is about more than just meeting quotas.
True sales readiness requires a continuous state of excellence that enables sales teams to grow revenue using tools and processes to increase knowledge, enhance performance, and adapt to change.
Moreover,
- It’s about having the right people in the right roles, with the right skills and knowledge, at the right time.
- It’s about equipping reps with the resources they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing marketplace.
- And it’s about creating a culture where sales teams must be able to adapt to change and continuously enhance their performance to drive success.
According to revenue leaders who embrace sales readiness, 8 out of 10 companies prioritizing individual seller productivity and efficiency hit more than 75% of their sales quota. [source]
In short, sales readiness relies on the top level of coaching. When a team is truly ready, it navigates any challenge, seizes any opportunity, and creates lasting value for the organization and its clients.
What is Sales Enablement?
Sales enablement is not a one-time event that gives your sales team everything they need to close more deals. Instead, it’s an iterative process of providing them with knowledge, tools, and content that helps their sales become much stronger with the prospects.
By definition, sales enablement is about improving a rep’s performance as a journey through training, reinforcement, and practice. Sales enablement positively impacts an organization’s top and bottom lines when executed well.
In short, sales enablement helps reps be ready enough to engage prospects and customers successfully, hit quota, and close deals.
If you’re looking for more information on sales enablement, check out our ultimate guide.
Distinguishing Sales Readiness From Sales Enablement
Let’s take a look at some examples to help you understand the differences between sales enablement and sales readiness much better!
- Well, imagine you’re studying to be a neurosurgeon. You’ve read all the books and know the material inside out. But are you ready to operate on a live patient? Of course not! There would be hours of practice and testing before being prepared to work on someone on the operating table.
The same concept applies to sales. Just because a rep has completed their training does not mean they are ready to apply it in the field. Sales enablement ensures reps have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. But, again, it’s about providing them with the tools and resources they need to close deals and drive revenue.
But when it comes to sales readiness, it doesn’t stop at training. Instead, it ensures your reps are fully prepared to execute their skills and hit their numbers.
- Another scenario is if the marketing team has found a new group of people interested in the product or service. The sales enablement team will provide tools that will make it easy for the reps to find this new group of people, and the digital content created for them will be helpful.
Whereas the sales readiness team will collaborate with the marketing team by having mock meetings to practice it and ensure that the new approach works well.
So, you can see that sales readiness and enablement are not opposing forces. Instead, they share a common goal, and one leads neatly to the other on the road to successful sales interactions.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there is a big difference between sales readiness and sales enablement. The former focuses on the individual and their ability to sell, while the latter concentrates on equipping individuals with the skills they need to be successful in selling.
Neither can be distinguished from the other; they both work together to create a well-oiled machine that drives sales. If you’re looking for ways to improve your sales process, start by assessing your team’s readiness and then focus on equipping them with the right tools and resources.
