Team Proposify

Winning Proposals: 5 Data-Driven Ways to Create Them

You and your sales team already know everything winning proposals contain. Or do you? Some of it's common sense, of course: a solution, deliverables, and the ever-important pricing.

But writing winning proposals requires going the extra mile for prospects. It means anticipating questions and preemptively offering answers, and doing it all more quickly than your competitors.

The better your team gets at doing this, the more deals they'll close.

Top 10 Loopio Alternatives: Boost Your RFP Response Process

The efficiency and effectiveness of your team's request for proposal (RFP) response process can make or break their closing rate. One way to ensure every RFP receives a response on time, every time, is by using software to streamline workflows and automate processes. One option is Loopio.

Loopio is a cloud-based software platform that's designed to simplify the process of responding to RFPs. With features like collaboration tools, integration capabilities, and automation, it's been a go-to for many organizations seeking to improve their RFP responses.

However, every business has unique needs, and what works for one might not be the best fit for another. For this reason and many others, your team may wish to explore Loopio competitors that might better align with their specific requirements.

12 B2B Sales Tips to Crush Your Quota

In theory, closing is simple. Show up, present your pitch, answer your prospect’s questions, and ask for the sale. But in practice, it’s not so easy. There are miscommunications, hesitations, objections, and other obstacles that can derail your deal if closing isn’t your strong suit.

Whether you’re struggling to get your deal across the finish line or looking for inspiration for your next one, we've got the top 12 business-to-business (B2B) sales tips to help you bring it home.

Top 7 GetAccept Alternatives: The Best Options for Streamlining Sales Processes

The ability to streamline sales processes is crucial for staying competitive. Digital sales enablement platforms have become indispensable tools for sales teams. One such platform is GetAccept.

GetAccept is a versatile sales enablement platform designed to streamline document management and accelerate the sales process. With features like e-signatures, document tracking, and engagement analytics, it's a popular choice for businesses aiming to enhance their sales workflows.

However, while GetAccept is a popular choice, is it the best one for you and your team? To help make that decision, check out these seven GetAccept alternatives, each with its own features and capabilities tailored to various business needs.

How Proposal Automation Can Streamline Your Sales Process

How is your sales team creating and sharing proposals right now? Word documents? PDFs? That probably means they're creating every new proposal from scratch, taking up a lot of time they could be spending finding new prospects and closing new deals.

There's an easier way. Proposal automation can streamline the sales process from beginning to end, saving your team time and standardizing the way they create and send proposals. It's the solution you didn't know they needed.

What Is CLM Software and Do You Need It?

If you and your team are evaluating whether or not to purchase CLM software, making a decision may be difficult with so many facets to consider. To help you, we've detailed the basics, the features, and an alternative to help make the decision easier.

What Is CPQ Software and Do You Need It?

Maybe you've been on the fence recently about whether or not you and your team need CPQ software. We've covered the basics, the benefits, the drawbacks and the alternatives to help you decide.

7 Best Sales Tracking Software

Sales is a bit like fishing. There’s nothing stopping you from going out and casting your line into the open water. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a couple. But after enough time chasing nibbles and pulling up a few boots, you’ll come to realize this approach isn’t so effective because you can't see what's under the surface.

Sales is a lot more hands-on. Between finding leads, nurturing them, pitching, and following up, there are a lot of points of interaction between the initial bite and onboarding.

With each of those interactions comes a data point. These data points range from details like where the lead came from to what stage of the sales cycle they’re in, revealing insights about your sales process.

This information can help you determine when to set up meetings with leads, which sales enablement materials (like sell sheets) to send them, what questions to ask, and more. But in order to harness that data, you need a way to track your sales activities.

What you need is sales tracking software.

Build a B2B Sales Funnel to Land More Customers

One of the most challenging parts of leading business to business (B2B) sales team is, of course, winning new customers. Lots of them. You know your products and services are of high quality. You know what you can accomplish for prospects. You and your team just have to get them in the door, so to speak.

And even when you do, the sales process takes time. Much more time than the business to consumer (B2C) process, which is pretty straightforward. Your leads must go through several more stages than a consumer would, and you have to meet them where they are, every step of the way.

The answer?

Build a B2B sales funnel.

Top 5 Bottlenecks in Your B2B Franchisee Proposal Process and How to Overcome Them

Franchisees are on the frontline of your business.

They form the barrier between customers and your brand—and obviously, you want them to represent your tone of voice, values, and pricing the right way. When they do this, you make more money.

But the more franchisees you add to the mix, the more it can feel like herding cats. One franchisee might run full steam ahead in one direction, and another might go rogue down an entirely different road.

To get them back on the same path (and avoid diluting your brand), it’s human nature to try and take back the reins. You can do this by personally reviewing every single proposal or overseeing each step of the proposal process in minute detail… but do you want to spend your time micromanaging the people you’ve trusted to expand your business?

Sure, checking and approving every individual proposal might slap a band-aid over the immediate problem, but it’s not a long-term fix. It might feel like you’re creating some semblance of consistency and control. But, in reality, you’re just adding obstacles that can force the entire proposal process to grind to a halt.

Here are some of the most common bottlenecks we see in the B2B franchisee proposal process and how you can overcome them.

Year in Review: B2B Sales Trends 2021

Being successful in sales requires flexibility. Without a willingness to adapt to new trends, changing customer preferences, and growing markets, you’re bound to fall behind your competition. With new products and processes popping up every other week, change isn’t just welcomed in sales, it’s expected. But even the best prepared reps weren’t ready for the changes we saw in 2021.

The Hidden Benefits of Proposal Automation [Infographic]

When it comes to proposals, it’s no secret that automation is the way of the future. Why spend time putting together docs manually when you can automate the process to skip the hassle, reduce room for error, and get proposals out the door sooner? In this post, we make the infographic argument that proposal automation is the only way to go if you and your team are serious about sending impressive proposals that get deals done—without the agonizing admin.

How To Choose the Best Proposal Software

Business proposals are your reps’ best, and sometimes final, chance to seal the deal. They help prospects see the value in your offering, explain why your solution is the best one, and lay down a clear path towards a successful working relationship. With so much hinging on getting them right, sending proposals manually is no longer sufficient. In 2021, there’s no excuse not to be using proposal software.

How to Win at Event Sales in 2021

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that people are social. They need to be around other people. While Zoom happy hours and virtual coffee meetings were a start, there’s really no substitute for face-to-face interactions.

Remote selling has come a long way over the past year, but now that restrictions are being lifted, many people are excited by the opportunity to finally meet in person again. As travel for business becomes a reality, the demand for physical events is beginning to climb.

10 Sales Closing Techniques to Help You Win More Business

“Always be closing.”

If you’re in sales (and even if you’re not), you’ve surely heard this mantra a hundred times before. The reality is, if you want to be a sales superstar, you’ve gotta be a closer. But some folks in sales are uncomfortable with the term 'closer,' as they feel it carries a negative connotation. Thankfully, the cliche of the callous, cutthroat closer is long gone. However, if you want to succeed, you need to learn how to close the right way.

Why Every Sales Team Needs Proposal Management Software

If you’re in any way involved in the sales process, you already know how big of a deal proposals are. They’re your best—if not your only—shot at convincing prospects to choose your product over the competition. And yet, they’re still treated as an afterthought.

Like it or not, Microsoft Word isn’t meant for designing proposals, and combing through multiple versions of each sales document isn’t exactly efficient. Enough is enough. It’s 2021 and the world’s gone digital, so it’s about time you drop those archaic proposal practices and start using proposal management software to take back control of your sales process.

6 Ways to Stop Wasting Time and Start Increasing Sales Productivity

As a sales rep, your work week is jam-packed with various sales activities. Finding time to prospect new leads, complete follow-up tasks, hit your sales targets, and plan ahead for your next week can sometimes feel impossible. If you feel like you need more time in your week but you can’t seem to find it, there’s a good chance it has to do with your sales productivity. With a few pointers on how to stop wasting time and start increasing sales productivity, you’ll be crushing sales in no time.

10 Essential Grammar Tips For Better Proposal Writing

Alright, so you already know how to write a winning business proposal, you use proposal software to streamline your sales process, and you’ve mastered the art of proposal design. Now what?

As important as these proposal pillars may be, it’s often the little details that matter most. The use of proper grammar in your proposals will highlight your attention to detail and help you set yourself apart from your competition. So next time you’re preparing that picture-perfect proposal, take a step back to proofread before you send it off. Then, check out these 10 essential grammar tips for better proposal writing.

The Importance of a Deal Approval Workflow (and How to Create One)

Sales teams are at the core of almost every organization. From prospecting to sending, their efforts throughout the sales cycle are crucial in generating revenue and business growth. But to prevent costly errors from popping up, their work often hinges on sign offs from various stakeholders along the way. While approvals are great for compliance, they can cause major bottlenecks that can doom deals. In an environment where speed and time are of the essence, a smooth approval workflow process is invaluable. Here’s how to create one.

How to Sell Your Clients on a Monthly Retainer

Whether you’re a consultant or an agency, generating a consistent flow of revenue can be difficult. Projects come and go and client priorities can change, so it’s up to you to ensure you have enough cash flow each and every month. Retainer agreements can help take you from reactive to proactive when it comes to closing deals, and provide you with steady income to keep your business afloat. To avoid any stall in cash flow, consider selling your clients on monthly retainers. Here’s how to do it right.

How To Write a Cleaning Services Proposal

The janitorial industry is full of companies who compete primarily on price, with little regard for quality. Companies swoop in with promises of being the best / the greenest / the fastest, then underbid on the contract and underperform on the job.

Cleaning services companies like yours — the ones who work hard, pay their employees well, and keep happy customers — need to find other ways to stand out.

How to Ask Clients “What’s Your Budget?” Before Writing a Proposal

When you’re trying to close a deal, having to ask "what's your budget?" can cause both sides to sweat. But knowing your prospect’s budget up front is essential to qualifying them as a lead, developing the scope of the project, and managing expectations on results. Here’s how to get your potential client to open about their budget and set yourself up for a successful proposal and project.

How Proposal Software Can Help Save Time and Increase Efficiency

Almost every sales team has inefficiencies that clog up their sales pipeline. Some teams are slow at writing proposals, while others spend too much time chasing down info from their product teams or searching for the right version of the proposal document. Sound familiar?

We get it. The sales cycle is complicated and there’s plenty of room for error, so there’s no judgment if your process isn’t perfect. But that doesn’t mean that you should learn to live with your inefficiencies, especially when there’s a solution that can help you avoid them: proposal software.

Holiday Selling Tips to Survive the Seasonal Sales Slump