CPQ (configure price quote) software is an essential tool that helps a sales team streamline their quote-to-cash process from the very start.
By using automation to accurately generate quotes, software replaces the time and energy salespeople spend manually configuring all aspects of a proposal or quote for leads or customers.
In this article, we will present you with the best practices related to CPQ software and how to implement them.
Key takeaways:
- A CPQ software perfectly integrates with an enterprise CRM.
- Best CPQ practices simplify and automate the sales process from quote creation to purchase completion.
- Implementing the best practices in the company requires the involvement of your teams and following up regularly to ensure optimization.
What is the standard CPQ process?
Imagine you’re a salesperson tasked with selling a complex product or service to a potential customer.
With CPQ, you can quickly and accurately configure your offering to meet your customer’s needs, determine the perfect price, and create a stunning proposal that showcases your value.
Once you’ve created a quote, you can work with the customer to revise it until it’s just right and then finalize the sale with ease.
What are popular CPQ software options?
Since you’re now familiar with the CPQ process, let’s explore some of the commonly used CPQ solutions available on the market and identify which one is the best fit for your business needs.
- Salesforce CPQ. An ideal solution for medium and large-sized companies working for Computer Software and IT Services.
- PandaDoc CPQ. Perfect for small and mid-sized businesses working in Legal and Marketing.
- QuoteWerks. This app is best suited for small businesses operating in IT and Computer Networking.
Want to know more about CPQ applications? Check out our article on the best CPQ software.
How is CPQ different from Salesforce CRM?
Although they may seem alike at first glance, Salesforce and CPQ software (including Salesforce CPQ) fulfill different roles.
While Salesforce is a comprehensive CRM platform, CPQ is specifically designed to provide accurate and personalized quotes for complex products or services.
Combining the two can greatly benefit your business by streamlining the entire sales process, from lead generation to closing deals, ultimately resulting in increased efficiency and revenue.
Read more on what is CPQ here.
Best CPQ practices to leverage your business
Adoption of best practices is a game-changer when it comes to streamlining everything sales, from converting leads to making sure satisfied customers stay that way.
1. Dynamically configure products and pricing
In today’s fast-paced market, meeting customer demands is more important than ever.
When selecting a CPQ solution, it’s crucial to consider its ability to handle complex product configurations and pricing.
While many CPQ tools offer product catalog options with bundled offers, advanced software such as PandaDoc goes a step further with dynamic pricing features allowing users to set prices based on a range of factors.
2. Align quoting and proposals
When it comes to your CPQ software, the second crucial factor is streamlining the quote and proposal creation process.
Saving time is key, so it’s important to look for CPQ solutions that come with pre-made templates and tracking options.
PandaDoc and HubSpot Quote both provide options for tracking the proposal progress all the way through to approval.
However, unlike PandaDoc, HubSpot does not offer a document editor for creating quotes.
3. Adjust sales management and automation as needed
Keep in mind that a sales process never ends, and that the implementation process can be recalibrated whenever necessary to improve workflows.
Your CPQ solution should always be improved to reflect changes in your business, the market, and customer requirements.
For a successful CPQ implementation, review your sales procedures on a regular basis and make any necessary adjustments to boost revenue and provide excellent customer service.
4. Capitalize on integrations
Last, another CPQ best practice is ensuring that the software you introduce works seamlessly with your existing technology and your CRM.
PandaDoc’s functionality, for instance, automatically imports data from your company’s CRM, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zapier, to generate precise quotes in a matter of minutes.
As a result, your sales team saves time and reduces errors by not having to manually enter CPQ data.
How to implement CPQ best practices
Now that you know what the best practices are, it’s time to implement them in your sales processes.
Here are the specific steps to follow.
1. Define your project goals
Implementing CPQ software in your company is not a simple matter and will require a global effort from all your sales teams.
With that in mind, you need to create a clear strategy to get the most out of your CPQ solution.
- Define sales pain points (identify bottlenecks, backlogs, and number of pricing errors on quote).
- Know what your customer wants (research the best-selling products and create promotional offers).
- Set goals to monitor progress (adoption rate, new leads).
2. Train the employees
Since your sales representatives will be the first users, you need to make sure that they know how to use the different options of the CPQ tool for maximum benefit — for all involved parties (themselves, of course, but for optimally servicing customers and your company’s bottom line as well).
With proper training, your teams will discover the power of a CPQ platform’s capabilities and gain a clear understanding of the system’s various features.
For instance, you can provide hands-on experience with Salesforce CPQ in a sandbox environment that will give your team time to become familiar with the tool.
For those seeking a user-friendly CPQ solution, PandaDoc may be the ideal choice.
Not only do we offer a simpler interface, but our platform also boasts 24/7 customer support to help you navigate any potential issues or questions.
3. Track and measure progress
The CPQ software ecosystem is sometimes complex, with a user experience that is not always simple and can delay user adoption.
Setting some intermediate goals to ensure rapid progress and keeping track of the impact of the CPQ implementation is the best way to maintain project engagement.
You can measure the metrics by surveying the sales team about their satisfaction with various aspects of the tool.
Final thoughts
With these tips and best practices, you’ll be able to easily implement your CPQ solution into your company’s daily sales routines.
You can start now by choosing PandaDoc, which will allow your team to manage the creation of quotations and commercial offers in a simple, fast, and efficient way.
Disclaimer
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