Blog | November 19, 2014

Why Quote/Proposal Automation Tools Are Worth Their Cost

By The Business Solutions Network

SBA “Set-Aside Policy” Proposal Could Change Which VARs Are Eligible

If you follow my writing, you know that I’m a big fan of the recurring revenue model. You’ll also know that to be successful in that model, you have to be running efficiently. Automation tools are a great way to help in that regard.

While I was a guest at IT Nation 2014 last week, I had an opportunity to meet with Kent McNall, CEO of Quosal, a quotation and proposal automation tool. During the meeting, McNall shared all sorts of great detail on the good stuff happening with Quosal. I don’t want to minimize what he shared, but I do want to take a step back and explain why you should care about a product like Quosal’s.

The shortest possible answer: using such tools can make you money.

The Quosal product demoed at IT Nation showed how valuable such a tool can be. Consider how, if you have multiple salespeople, one salesperson’s proposal might look better or worse than another’s. Also consider how easy it is for a salesperson to miss key pieces of a sale and either exclude or misrepresent them on a proposal. Consider how long it takes to draft up a proposal. Finally, consider the overall experience you’re giving your customers. Is it top notch white glove treatment or a run-of-the-mill proposal drafted in Word?

Proposal and quote automation tools can ensure a consistent, good looking proposal is getting to your customers. When it’s integrated with a PSA like Quosal is with ConnectWise, proposals are tied directly to tickets and projects to allow you to assign assets and budget your time in advance. When a customer signs, the PSA updates and things swing into action.

Quosal also showed off a couple new features. The first is the ability for customers to submit their signature using a phone or tablet’s touch screen. The other new feature is the ability for your salesperson to insert a short video message into the proposal. It’s a great way to personalize a proposal and stand apart from the competition.

Understand, I’m not telling you that Quosal is the only or best tool for you. I am saying that if you care at all about becoming more efficient and you aren’t using an automation tool for your quotes, you’re missing out.