There’s no denying that the world of sales is becoming more competitive year over year. Customers and prospects alike expect a personal and unique experience from every sales rep they work with. And, at the end of the day, the organizations that deliver exceptional, high-quality interactions are the ones that win. So, how can sales teams ensure their reps have what it takes to impress buyers time and time again? With sales readiness, that’s how.
What is sales readiness?
So, what is sales readiness exactly? According to Forrester, sales readiness is the ability to “equip salespeople with the knowledge and skills required to have the conversations needed throughout a buyer’s journey—and assessing whether, and certifying that, a rep can do just that.”
Simply put, sales readiness means that your reps are ready to do their jobs. Sales reps have a lot of information to consume, skills to perfect, and deals to manage. That’s why sales readiness includes important elements like skills assessments, ongoing enablement, training, and coaching.
The difference between readiness and sales training
At first glance, sales training and sales readiness may appear to mean the exact same thing, but, they have important distinctions.
Sales training is a foundational step of sales readiness, and the best sales training equips sellers with the information they need to know for their jobs. This includes knowledge about your company’s products, services, goals, and metrics. And while sales training is a key component of sales readiness, that’s not all it is. Because sales readiness is about making sure your sellers are prepared for conversations throughout the entire sales process, it’s important for organizations to include other sales readiness tactics, like practice and coaching, in addition to their sales training methods.
Sales readiness vs. sales enablement
Sales readiness is similar to sales enablement, but they are not the same. While both functions focus on empowering sellers to go to market effectively, their areas of involvement in the sales process tend to differ.
Sales enablement focuses on the resources at your sellers’ disposal. It removes barriers for sales teams by giving them the access to the content and tools they need to improve their performance and productivity. Sales readiness focuses more heavily on the sellers. Readiness ensures that your team is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to sell, rather than the content shared throughout the sales cycle. Both sales enablement and sales readiness are vital components of a well-rounded sales team.
The evolution of sales readiness
Some of the common challenges in enablement and readiness programs are scattered content, outdated content, and sales training that isn’t targeted. When organizations experience these pain points, sellers may struggle to find the content or disengage during sales training. In fact, studies show that if reps don’t quickly apply newly learned information, they’ll forget 75% of it after just six days. Old-school enablement isn’t engaging or unique to each seller’s strengths and weaknesses, which leaves reps wanting and needing more.
The good news is there’s a better way. We’ve found that the best teams create a sales-ready workforce by combining continuous training, intentional practice, purposeful coaching, and accountability for everyone involved. This powerhouse combination gives sales reps the support they need to navigate the sales cycle and close bigger deals. Additionally, organizations that invest in sales readiness are better equipped to tap into data to make more informed decisions, create flexible sales training programs that scale, and ultimately measure effectiveness in every single aspect of their sales operations.
