5 Ways to Find Out if Salesforce CPQ is Right for You

Traditionally, sales reps spend most of their time generating quotes, drafting proposals, and following up on them.

This process is not only time-consuming for sales reps but also for customers who seek an instant quote to make a decision.

As customers demand more in less time, it is imperative to equip the sales team with a tool that expedites the process of generating a customized quote for the customer.

In such instances, a CPQ solution does sales reps a world of good.

What Exactly Does a CPQ Software Do?

CPQ is a sales tool used by companies for quickly and accurately generating quotes for orders. Here’s the long and short of what CPQ does:

Configure

• Configure and customize sales packages for individual customers.
• Collaborate easily with other departments.
• Monitor stock levels and delivery time in one place.
• Configure products via product bundles and product rules.

Price

• Create custom pricing rules.
• Add discounts to orders easily.
• Maintain and control healthy margins.

Quote

• Send quick, accurate, and error-free quotes.
• Monitor order status from payment to delivery.
• Send professional proposals and documents to your customers.

A CPQ application often collaborates with CRM platforms, ERP programs, and other business technology to ensure accurate data synchronization.

CPQ software automatically generates quotes based on a set of preprogrammed rules, keeping multiple revenue types, variable quantities, and discounts into account.

Apart from arming your sales rep with the superpower to create and offer customized quotes at lightning-fast speed, CPQ offers accurate financial forecasting capabilities.

Not just this but companies with CPQ software have reported 17% higher lead conversion rates.^[1]

Despite the fact that there are other CPQ solutions out there, Salesforce CPQ is definitely a cut above the rest. Let’s explore why.

“Companies that implement Salesforce CPQ software increase their average deal size by a staggering 105%” ^[2]

As per reports^[3], companies that have implemented Salesforce CPQ report:

• 35% Reduction in Configuration Errors
• Improved Forecasting Accuracy by 29%
• 32% Increased Sales Productivity

You may believe that your current sales quote generation is adequate but, we say, take a moment and do an evaluation.

We’ve made a list of a few signs that you should look for and if they seem relatable, you should consider Salesforce CPQ software.

5 Tell-Tale Signs You Need Salesforce CPQ

1. Dependence on Spreadsheets

Creating price quotes and configuring products using spreadsheets or legacy software is outdated. If you continue to use outdated tools, you risk errors, lose out on valuable time, and might delay the pace at which your business should ideally grow.

How Can Salesforce CPQ Help?

Any organization that still relies on Microsoft Word and Excel for quoting or contracting customers needs to consider Salesforce CPQ. Its automated quote-generating functionality eliminates human error, saves time, and scales the quoting process.

2. Lack of Standardized Data Across Sales Units

The sales team requires a single source of data for CRM, quoting, and contracting. Having access to the same information will reduce errors and miscommunication among the sales team.

How Can Salesforce CPQ Help?

You can streamline data flow across all channels by integrating Salesforce CPQ with ERP and CRM systems.

3. Inaccurate Sales Quotes

A quote that contains inaccurate information, regardless of whether it is a pricing error or a configuration error, can harm your business reputation. When nurturing a relationship, it is important to avoid errors that may lead to embarrassment and loss in business.

How Can Salesforce CPQ Help?

Salesforce CPQ eliminates the chances of such errors by bridging the gap between your CRM and your Quote-to-Cash (Q2C) processes. It does so by automating your entire Q2C process, accelerating the pace at which quotes are created and shared. With this approach, your sales reps no longer have to create customized quotes manually, Salesforce CPQ does it for them with accuracy and efficiency.

4. Manual Review of Quotes

It might work in the short term to have someone look over sales quotes to make sure they’re accurate. In the long run, however, it will end up becoming a challenge, especially as your grow and scale. Moreover, it is time-consuming and susceptible to errors to rely on one person to review and approve quotes manually.

How Can Salesforce CPQ Help?

You can eliminate the dependency on one person and manual approvals with Salesforce CPQ. The Advanced Approvals feature in Salesforce CPQ allows multiple approval chains to work in tandem and implement smart approval processes.

5. Difficulty in Tracking Renewal Processes

With an expanding customer base, it might be challenging to manually track renewal activities. Businesses can tailor their renewal model using Salesforce CPQ based on their use case and offers.

How Can Salesforce CPQ Help?

Salesforce CPQ can record and manage these renewals by producing a contract record for all subscription or renewal goods sold, regardless of whether your renewal approach is contract-based or asset-based.

The Bottom Line

If any of the above describes your situation, then Salesforce’s CPQ solution is perfect for you. You can capitalize on its potential to deliver instant and personalized quotes to your prospects and foster better relationships, all while creating a positive bottom line.

Want to Talk More about How Salesforce Cpq Can Help Grow Your Business? Talk to Us!

Statistical References:

^[1] 11 stats you need to know about CPQ
^[2] Salesforce CPQ – Top 9 Benefits
^[3] Automate your Sales Cycle with DemandBlue’s Salesforce CPQ Implementation