As the need to present real time data to the customers from any location grows, shifting over to online quoting software from MS-Excel or MS-Word is indeed demand. A Sales quoting software provides accurate and professional business quotes; shortens your sales cycle; and increases your bottom line – we all know it’s super advantages. But with a plethora of Online Quotation Maker tools available in the market, how would you ensure that the software you are selecting is the right, the best and most effective for your business needs?
A non performing sales quotes software could leave your sales rep in a fix and your customers unsatisfied, resulting in spoiling the brand reputation for your organization. Hence, don’t rush into buying a sales quoting software that pops up on the first page of a search engine, is used by your competitor or simply because it is more popular in the market. Before selecting the quoting software, here are a few evaluation tips you should consider.
#Go for cloud based software
A desktop application can be a good option when the boundaries of your business are restricted, you want your own backups or you are tight on budget. But if you are looking for scalability, flexibility and virtual access from anywhere, then an online Business Quotation Maker software could give you the desired results. Since it is stored on a cloud based server and managed by a vendor, there are no hassles of installations, updates or maintenance either.
#An online payment feature is definitely an advantage
You may not want to waste valuable time getting the customer to sign the deal after he has given a positive nod. Cloud-based quoting software that allows you to accept online payments on the spot through an electronic signature will multiply the value of your sales quote by several times.
#Simple or complex – Sales quotes should accommodate all pricing requirements
Percentage and volume based pricing, discounts, customs and bundles, freight or markups – a business quoting tool should be able to capture every possible pricing scenario and generate customizable quotes for the customers.
Read more – What is a Sales Quotation? Tips to Create Impressive Quotations
#CRM enabled Quotation management software- It should also integrate with other business apps
Closely check the integration features of sales quoting software. Does it allow you to manipulate the data intelligently and diligently from across CRM, accounting, marketing, and other business apps? CRM Quotation Software should also fetch you the real-time price and availability of the product.
#Do not hesitate to ask for a free product demo
The best way to check if all features will live up to their promises is to ask your vendor for a free demo or a free trial. This will not only give you a hands-on glimpse of the working features of the software but also show you if you need to install any additional software or app to support the quoting tool. If a vendor is not showing interest to give you a free demo or free trial, then it may indicate that the sales quoting software may not match your expectations.
Read more – Sales Quotation Management Software
#Never miss evaluating vendor support and services
It does not matter how low maintenance the quoting software may be, you may need vendor support from time to time. Once you are satisfied with all features of the sales quoting software, ensure that the vendor provides comprehensive technical support for the configuration, updates, and security. If possible, read the latest reviews on the product as well as vendor services to get accurate feedback.
Always remember, you are investing your money as well as time in the sales quoting software. Hence, it is advisable to list down all the required features you want and the expectations that you have from the software and then match them to your needs.
Additional Considerations for Selecting the Right Online Quoting Software
#Streamlining the Sales Process
Productivity and agility are the most important when looking for the optimum CPQ software for your team members. If, after CPQ introduction, your sales team members still come across hindrance in creating quotes, producing more customer-centric solutions, and providing optimal discounts, then the selected solution is not as energetic as desired. An efficient CPQ system should encourage your team members to effortlessly and intuitively generate the required sales elements. Such service establishes trust among clients, promoting long-term loyalty and renewals.
#Facilitating Team Communication
Such an aspect of CPQ software lies in facilitating complicated pricing procedures, enabling them to be more intelligent and effortlessly detectable. A prompt CPQ solution involves guided selling attributes, facilitating the process and promoting efficient collaboration among team members.
#Comprehensive Customization
While your selected solution may appear with pre-configured elements, the capability to personalize the CPQ to align efficiently with your team’s requirements is the most important, especially as your operations scale. Resist the inconvenience of converting from one CPQ solution to another, conserving the time and effort contributed by your team members in familiarizing the representatives with the user interface.
#Adapts to Organizational Growth
When recognizing the scalability, make sure that the selected solution can efficiently elevate alongside your organization’s development. The objective is to resist the requirements for transforming to a latest CPQ solution every scenario your organization comes across the current one.
#Integrated Analytics
Choose a CPQ solution that implements analytics attributes, delivering regular information reports. These reports encourage both you and your team representatives to evaluate the efficiency of your plannings, determining what works and what doesn’t. Availability to such information improves suggested selling practices, investing in the consistent enhancement of salespeople. Therefore, it’s paramount that the opted CPQ solution involves comprehensive reporting abilities.
#Constantly Updated
Additionally, to have access to the support system, you will need to know that your CPQ solution is being frequently updated. Even the best technology becomes outdated in some months. The best CPQ software today might become outdated and useless tomorrow.
#No Surprise Costs
While we are on the subject of pricing models, do a little digging into the CPQ solutions you are comparing and try to pinpoint any fees that may come up along the way, like when you start to scale. You do not want to get tricked into a low-cost solution today only to pay through the nose later.
