How does proposal software work (and will it help me increase win rates)?

Proposal software helps sales reps create, send and track proposals to prospects. Using templates, integrations and analytics, sales teams use proposal software to increase win rates.

Two-thirds of sales reps are using proposal software to increase win rates.

This means that one-third of sales reps don’t use it all.

We want to change that.

In this article, we’ll share how proposal software works and how it supports the sales process. We’ll also address common misconceptions about proposal software to help you see how it can help you reach your sales goals.

Ready? Let’s go.

How does proposal software work?

Proposal software is a tool used by sales teams to create, send and track proposals to help win new business. Proposal software supports the most important stage of the sales process through templates, automation, integrations and analytics. 

• Templates: Sales teams can choose from a library of proposal templates to keep all sales collateral consistent and on-brand.
• Automation: Proposals can be sent automatically based on workflows and triggered events, and followed-up with when there has been no response.
• Integrations: Proposals can be sent directly from your CRM and existing platforms to store all conversations made with the prospect in one place.
• Analytics: Sales teams can see who read the proposal, how much time was spent reading it and who it has been shared with.

In turn, proposal software benefits sales teams by creating a better impression, reducing errors, improving collaboration and speeding up the sales process (which we’ll dive into more detail soon).

But first…

Can’t I just send the proposal in an email instead?

For sales teams that don’t use proposal software, they use email instead.

And while that might work for teams that send out 1-2 proposals per month, it’s not efficient for teams that send out 3-5 proposals per week.

The biggest advantage to switching to proposal software is the advanced analytics and engagement tracking - which you don’t get with email.

With proposal software, you get real-time insights into how prospects are responding to your proposal. You can see if it was opened, how much time was spent on each section and who it was shared with inside their organization.

Here are a few ways to act on the data proposal software provides:

• Did the prospect spend 2X more time reviewing the pricing section? 
  • Follow-up to discuss annual subscription plans.
    
    
• Did the prospect share the proposal with their CIO? 
  • Follow-up to discuss how you manage security and compliance.
    
    
• Did the prospect read through the proposal several times, without contacting you?
  • Follow-up to book another meeting and discuss how to proceed.

"Before we adopted proposal software, creating proposals was hard and manual. It required hours of paperwork, spreadsheets, and word processing. A time-consuming, error-prone maze that was totally inefficient."    Draven McConville, CEO and Co-founder of Klipboard

How proposal software supports the sales process

Companies that use proposal software have a sales process that’s more streamlined, helping them to send out more proposals and win new business.

Case in point:

Reps that use proposal software send out 179 proposals per year, while reps that don’t send out only 145. That’s 34 more proposals sent per year.

With the average win rate of 44%, you’re looking at least 17 more deals. 

But only IF you use proposal software…

Here’s how proposal software supports the sales process:

1. Proposal templates

With proposal software, you can create and upload templates based on company size, type and industry. Templates can be customized based on the prospects details, company name and logo, offering a more personalized experience.

Sales reps can quickly choose a template from the library without having to create a new proposal or design themselves.

2. Rich media and integrations

Sales reps can quickly add text, images and a personalized video to the proposal to make each send out unique and tailored to their needs.

Using video in your proposals has a huge impact on close rates. In fact, Derek Hayden shared his story for how using video in his proposals increased his close ratio to 91%.

Most proposal tools integrate with CRM platforms, which makes it easy to automatically insert names, addresses and previous interaction history. Not only does this save time, but it significantly reduces manual errors.

Looking to see which platforms GetAccept integrates with? We have over 500 integrations.

3. Collaboration and review

Another reason to use proposal software is to collaborate and work on a proposal with your colleagues. In cases where more than one rep is involved in a sales process - which is, let's face it, is every single proposal - you can co-create a proposal together and track changes - in real time.

Instead of having multiple versions of the same proposal in Word format, you only have one.

4. Send out and tracking

Sending out proposals using proposal software is convenient and efficient.

You can send proposals out directly from the tool.

You no longer have to type out individual email addresses or CC a team of recipients. It’s all automated inside the platform.

Once it’s been sent, proposal software allows you to track opens and engagement. Use these insights as part of your follow-up strategy.

Now you know how proposal software works and how it supports the sales process, let’s look at the most common misconceptions.

3 Common misconceptions of proposal software

It’s easy to think that proposal software is only for big sales teams that send out million dollar proposals, but that’s not the case. Let’s address three of the most common misconceptions.

1. It’s too complex

Some sales reps believe that proposal software is complex and has a steep learning curve. However, most modern platforms, like GetAccept, are designed for sales reps, by sales reps. 

They’re user-friendly, intuitive and you can send out new proposals in minutes.

And onboarding is “extremely easy”, according to our customer Perry Power.

2. There’s zero personalization

Templates are often misinterpreted as a generic and “one-size-fits-all” approach to proposal management. This might be the case when you use a Google doc or Word, but not with proposal software, which provides high levels of customization.

For example, with GetAccept, you can personalize your proposals by including a video message. Plus, you can initiate a conversation and start a live chat directly with the prospect, to help you answer any questions they might have in real-time.

Best of all:

Reps that deliver personalized sales content increase buyer engagement by 57%.

3. It’s too expensive

Proposal software is not expensive. 

It’s designed for sales teams for companies of all sizes, and while pricing will vary depending on the platform you choose, it’s affordable and delivers a great return on investment - with at least 40% of small companies seeing an ROI under 6 months.

For example, GetAccept pricing starts at just £13 per month, per user.

Sign up here and see how quickly you can send out your first proposal.

Conclusion

Sales reps are always on the lookout for an advantage - a way to improve their process, stand out from their competitors and close more business.

For reps that have yet to use it, proposal software is that advantage.

It’s affordable, easy to use and is proven to increase win rates. 

Ready to try GetAccept’s proposal software? It’s free for 14 days.

Sign up here. It takes less than 30 seconds.