• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Special Offers
Business Intelligence Info
  • Business Intelligence
    • BI News and Info
    • Big Data
    • Mobile and Cloud
    • Self-Service BI
  • CRM
    • CRM News and Info
    • InfusionSoft
    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM
    • NetSuite
    • OnContact
    • Salesforce
    • Workbooks
  • Data Mining
    • Pentaho
    • Sisense
    • Tableau
    • TIBCO Spotfire
  • Data Warehousing
    • DWH News and Info
    • IBM DB2
    • Microsoft SQL Server
    • Oracle
    • Teradata
  • Predictive Analytics
    • FICO
    • KNIME
    • Mathematica
    • Matlab
    • Minitab
    • RapidMiner
    • Revolution
    • SAP
    • SAS/SPSS
  • Humor

Proposal automation in your CRM: the top 6 or 7 things to look for

August 7, 2018   CRM News and Info
CRM Blog Proposal automation in your CRM: the top 6 or 7 things to look for

If you’re like most Dynamics CRM users in B2B sales, you lean on your CRM for just about everything: tracking leads and opportunities, consolidating collateral, contracts, and other documents, tracking events and tasks, storing contacts, etc.

We show much love to these steps and requirements in our sales process.

What’s crazy is that most CRM users don’t show enough love to a most important step: the sales proposal! But CPQ integrated into your Dynamics solution can wildly improve this business-critical process.

Here are six things to look for when you look for when adding CPQ to CRM:

  1. Single sign-on: make it easy, accessible, and “everyday” for your users.
  2. Templates, and more templates: build fast, build smart, build business.
  3. Sales reporting and analytics: if it’s not in a report, did it even happen…?
  4. Flexible product and pricing configuration: an expectation, but we’re calling it out just in case.
  5. Support: focus on your line of business, and choose a vendor that delivers CPQ from soup to nuts.
  6. Scalability and value: ok, so that makes it seven things to look for: ensure flexible pricing (no annual licenses) and know the deeper meaning of value.

Why single sign-on matters

Yes, security. Yes,  simplicity. But in our experience, it’s accessibility as much as anything else. The easier a sales tool is to find and use, the more likely your reps will use it. Single sign-on integration means your proposal tool is in the same “toolbox” (your CRM) as the rest of your sales tools.

Why templates matter

Repeatable processes, cleaner looking proposals, faster creation of proposals. Unless each one your reps is both a gifted designer AND a world class copywriter, try to have the majority of your sales quotes “templated.”

Why reporting — on quotes — matters

Sales is half selling, and half post-game reporting. But if your analytics extend into real-time activities around your quotes (this one needs a reply, that one’s moving along nicely), you can spot bottlenecks and ensure “post-game” is “post closed-won.”

Why product pricing configuration matters

We called out the benefit of flexibility (being able to quickly create and disseminate winning bundles, for example), but it’s also about consolidation. CPQ ensures your reps are all working from the same playbook, no matter where they are.

Why support matters

As with templates, if you have the expertise in-house (in this case, engineers versed in implementing and managing CPQ tools), use it! But as most sales people have expertise in sales over software development, ensure your CPQ partner offers every bit of support you need.

Why scalability and value matter

Seasonal sales, rapid growth, mergers/acquisitions — the business cases for ensuring your business software is scalable are known to all. Re: value — the only thing to remember is that it’s not just a number. A good price is great, but a great partner is better.

Want to get started in automating your sales proposal process? Take a free tour.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365

Automation, Look, proposal, Things
  • Recent Posts

    • Derivative of a norm
    • TODAY’S OPEN THREAD
    • IBM releases Qiskit modules that use quantum computers to improve machine learning
    • Transitioning to Hybrid Commerce
    • Bad Excuses
  • Categories

  • Archives

    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
© 2021 Business Intelligence Info
Power BI Training | G Com Solutions Limited