Directive cuts proposal review cycle by 82%

The Challenge

Directive Consulting struggled with a cumbersome proposal approval process that took weeks to complete, slowing down onboarding times leading to a subpar client experience. 

The Solution

Implementing PandaDoc has streamlined Directive’s scoping and quoting process, reducing the time to create a tailored proposal from weeks to as little as 24 hours. With this new seamless customer experience, they’ve cut the proposal review cycle time by 82%, turning prospects into customers faster than ever before.

Sales reps spent more time in proposal creation than selling

Directive Consulting, a leading performance marketing agency works with many of the brands you know and love today. They pride themselves on building their Customer Generation Framework, a performance marketing methodology that scales from startup companies all the way to premium brands like Adobe, Amazon and ZoomInfo. 

Directive faced significant challenges in its client onboarding and proposal processes. Each of their clients has a unique set of needs, meaning each proposal had to be tailored based on their client’s goals. Creating custom proposals for each customer became taxing on their sales reps to get from discovery to a signed proposal, creating friction for both Directive and their clients.

Remaining competitive in a saturated market

In the agency industry, it’s not uncommon for prospective clients to reach out to multiple agencies for a proposal or go out to RFP for their business. In a highly competitive industry, every chance to make a good first impression counts and has a direct impact on revenue.

When Derek Gerber, VP of Growth started at Directive, his first plan of action was to analyze the intelligent automation solutions they use, including administrative resources required to generate revenue. He quickly recognized the need to streamline their proposal workflow to create more happy customers, and get sales reps back to doing what they were hired for – driving revenue.

Transforming the client experience 

Directive chose PandaDoc because they needed a solution to reduce the time spent creating the perfect proposal for each customer. Their Customer Generation Framework enables them to serve all kinds of customers from early stage startups to enterprise companies, and they expected the same from their proposal software.

PandaDoc enabled Directive to:

• Create templates their sales reps can quickly duplicate for their proposals
• Easily add smart content blocks that automatically tailor proposals specific to prospects’ industry, company size and more
• Use content permissions to avoid mistakes and human error during proposal creation 
• Streamline redlining and communications with clients to ensure no details are ever missed

Reduced proposal review cycle by 82%

Since adopting PandaDoc across their onboarding and portfolio teams, Directive Consulting has significantly reduced the proposal review cycle by 82% and reduced their time to create proposals by 14x. These efficiencies not only accelerated the client onboarding process but also translated into increased customer satisfaction and retention.

Expansion to new teams 

The ripple effects of PandaDoc’s value were extended beyond the onboarding teams to backend operations and portfolio management. With over 120 global clients who regularly need Directive’s support or new campaign assets, PandaDocs are sent to streamline the approval process. 

The power of PandaDoc

PandaDoc helped Directive create more transparency and accountability, instilling a sense of responsibility among team members and fostering a collaborative environment focused on driving business growth as a team. 

“There’s nothing better than when you’re sitting on a Zoom call with the team, and you’re really feeling confident about where you’re going, only to have it validated by the fact that here comes your next Slack message with a ping going, Hey, that person signed. Nothing is more rewarding than hearing that ding come through, and it’s not for another request, but for another authorized PandaDoc agreement for us to move forward”

See how PandaDoc can streamline your proposal workflow – Book a Demo