The software as a service (SaaS) industry has a lot of jargon and the definitions are often confused or misunderstood. Case in point: sales readiness vs sales enablement.
Sales readiness and sales enablement are often used interchangeably or in opposition, even though the two processes are separate but work well together.
But what exactly are sales enablement and sales readiness? How do they differ and how do they work together? Read on to demystify sales readiness and sales enablement, and improve your SaaS sales in the process.
Definition of Sales Enablement
Sales enablement is when SaaS companies provide sales reps with all the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to master the SaaS sales cycle. It’s about empowering employees and giving them everything they need to confidently sell software.
For example, a company that prioritizes sales enablement will provide individual coaching to employees. Other sales enablement measures include robust rep training, content creation, SaaS sales analytics, in-depth manuals, and more.
Another key aspect of sales enablement is collaboration. It encourages communication between sales teams, marketing teams, and dev teams.
Sales reps learn the inner workings of the software they’re selling and work with internal teams to create sales and marketing strategies that effectively boost SaaS sales. Companies with aligned internal sales enablement see up to 208% higher marketing revenue!
Definition of Sales Readiness
Sales readiness is the actualization of sales enablement.
Similar to sales enablement, it’s about providing reps with all the tools they need to effectively convert leads into paying customers. But sales enablement is behind the scenes. It’s the theory of the selling process.
Sales readiness, on the other hand, is the practical application of the sales enablement guidelines.
Sales readiness is also used to measure the sales team’s success. A team with high sales readiness effectively and consistently converts prospects into customers. It’s a team that utilizes its enablement knowledge and knows how to improvise where necessary and confidently engage prospects.
If we use a game as an analogy, sales enablement is the tutorial that provides guidelines on how to play. Sales readiness is the implementation of the tutorial guidelines in real gameplay.
The Importance of Both in the Sales Process
Sales enablement and sales readiness are often used interchangeably. Or, SaaS companies utilize only one while dismissing the other.
While there is overlap between the two methods, they work best when applied together. By utilizing both sales enablement and sales readiness, you can draw on the benefits of both.
Sales Enablement Benefits
Sales enablement is the prep work before the sales process. By using sales enablement, you can take advantage of these great benefits:
- Data-Driven Improvements: Sales enablement is a data-driven process. Much of the method relies on integrating new software to improve sales preparation and training. Data gathered from sales enablement software is extremely valuable and can be used to provide data-driven insights to optimize your SaaS business.
- Consistent Trainee Output: Sales enablement includes training and coaching for new sales reps. Sales enablement training is more in-depth, more data-driven, and more consistent. This improves employee output and ramp-up time. One-on-one coaching also provides employees with dedicated support.
- Improved Internal Collaboration: Sales enablement encourages internal communication. Teams need to collaborate and learn from one another to improve overall sales performance. This is good for your bottom line and the internal workings of your SaaS company.
- Increased Technology Return on Investment (ROI): Providing employees with the necessary technology to optimize sales is a key part of the sales enablement process. In-depth training is also common. This leads to a higher ROI on your technological investments, as employees are actively using the tech to increase sales.
- Sales Automation: Again, sales enablement utilizes a lot of software to improve the SaaS sales process – much of which is automated. Through sales enablement automation, your sales team can save time on miscellaneous tasks. It’ll also reduce human input error.
Sales Readiness Benefits
From effective sales enablement springs effective sales-readiness and the following benefits.
- Improved Customer Engagement: Sales readiness prioritizes customer relationships and engagement. Training includes instructions on how to talk with customers and do so naturally. This helps build good relationships with customers.
- Faster Sales: Effective sales readiness helps reps close sales faster by preparing for every customer interaction and increasing customer engagement. This also means your sales team can engage with more prospects over a shorter period.
- Higher Conversion Rates: Sales readiness leads to higher conversion rates, as sales reps are more confident and convincing. Customer relationships also tend to be better with sales readiness, leading to long-term partnerships and revenue.
- Better Sales Demos: A good sales demo will lead to better communication and confidence. Sales reps will be better at improvising the sales scripts, answering questions, and explaining the software jargon and technicalities.
- Retain Top Talent: Sales readiness is great for sales reps’ confidence. They know how to master the SaaS sales funnel and have access to resources when they need a refresher. Confident employees, who are producing consistent results and who feel supported, are more likely to stay with a company long-term.
- Competitive Advantage: A sales team with high sales readiness closes deals faster and more consistently, a critical competitive advantage for any SaaS company.
Full SaaS Sales Mobilization
The sales readiness vs sales enablement debate doesn’t make sense when you look at the bigger picture. They’re both integral to the sales process and work best combined. That way you can enjoy all the benefits of both methods.
Instead of pitting the two methods against each other, consider how well they flow together. By implementing both sales readiness and sales enablement, your SaaS business can take control of the sales process for full SaaS sales mobilization.
Conclusion
Sales readiness and sales enablement are often used in competition or interchangeably. While there is overlap between the two processes, sales enablement focuses on the guidelines and theory of sales while sales readiness is all about practical application.
The two work well together, allowing SaaS companies to take advantage of the benefits of both. With full SaaS sales mobilization, you can take control of the sales process and convert sales with confidence.
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