There are many different facets to sales, two of which include sales operations and sales enablement. If you’re interested in learning more about what these two titles mean and, more importantly, how they relate to one another, here’s a rundown to get you up to speed.
What is Sales Operations?
The term “sales operations” encompasses all of the activities performed by the sales department in the process of closing deals. The term is quite broad, as it includes a wide variety of actions and processes, from sales training and methodologies to setting up and maintaining a CRM to sales metrics tracking, quota management and so much more.
Businesses typically have designated managers who are focused specifically on sales operations. This role is not to be confused with a sales manager, who is responsible for managing the sales reps and leading them through the process of interacting with prospects.
A sales operations manager, on the other hand, is tasked with ensuring that all of the daily operational activities that fall under the sales umbrella are performed efficiently, effectively, and in a measurable way.
What is Sales Enablement?
Unlike sales operations, sales enablement involves arming your sales team, along with other departments that regularly interact with the sales team, with everything they need to better prepare, plan for and engage with prospective customers. This may include anything from an enhanced CRM solution to a more innovative sales methodology, better training, pitch decks and collateral (such as leave behinds or send aheads), an improved sales forecasting tool and so forth.
Bridging the Gap
As you can see, there are several similarities that exist between these two descriptions. The key difference, however, lies in the sales team performing certain daily activities versus enabling the sales team to perform those activities better.
In fact, even with the right tools, technologies and strategies, the sales process is still often complicated and challenging, particular when it comes to sales at the enterprise level. When there are multiple channels and departments involved, the process becomes far more complex, which makes it much more difficult to streamline.
Sales enablement is designed to un-complicate the sales process as much as possible. Putting the two together facilitates a sales ecosystem that runs like a well-oiled machine, with various departments collaborating as seamlessly and efficiently as possible. This enables more effective internal operations, thereby improving the chances of converting prospects into loyal customers.
Does your organization need both sales operations and sales enablement? While it’s entirely possible to be successful with just one, the two together can dramatically improve your sales team’s performance, which means a better bottom line for your business.
Need help sourcing talent for your sales operations team? We’ve got you covered. Contact us today to learn more.