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Firm Management

Boost Firm Efficiency With Proposal Software

Rather than manually writing each proposal or taking bits and pieces of Word documents of previously-crafted slide decks and creating new documents, leverage a proposal software tool.

If you have spent time writing a client proposal, you know it’s not easy. It’s downright tedious. You might start from an outline, collect prospect information, and include relevant graphs from various departments. I am here to tell you that there is an easier way.

Rather than manually writing each proposal or taking bits and pieces of Word documents of previously-crafted slide decks and creating new documents, leverage a proposal software tool.

Why Use a Proposal Software

In addition to the amount of data you can collect, such as metrics, pipeline views, interactive pricing tables, and more, here are ten additional benefits. 

  1. Simplifies the sales process
  2. Speeds up negotiation and objection handling
  3. Seamlessly collaborates and tracks the process in a CRM
  4. Updates documents and proposals quickly
  5. Revives inactive deals
  6. Grows revenue
  7. Saves time with templates
  8. Increases your document hit rate
  9. Accepts secure and legally-binding electronic signatures
  10. Sets automatic reminders for clients and prospects

Tried-And-True Proposal Software Tools

HubSpot recently shared its list of favorite proposal software tools. None are free. Each has unique features.

  1. PandaDoc: easily create customized, on-brand proposals through collaboration tools, integrations with several CRMs, and a content library.
  2. RFPIO: using artificial intelligence, it suggests responses from your content library that best answers the RFP.
  3. FastSpring IQ: easily incorporates videos, customer testimonials, and other supporting assets, acting as a modern alternative for lengthy slide decks and PDFs.
  4. Proposify: easily add different sections to your document, customize a proposal with an InDesign-like editor, add text, images, and videos.
  5. Venngage: an extensive library of proposal templates with a drag-and-drop editor to create eye-catching proposals in minutes.
  6. Qwilr: embed interactive content, such as video, maps, interactive dashboards, and Google Sheets, while tracking what people view and click.
  7. Bidsketch: create proposals by combining sections or using the company’s sample proposal language; plus, indicate optional fees to take advantage of upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
  8. Loopio: pull from your content library to auto-populate a proposal and integrate it with tools, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Google Drive, OneDrive, Slack, and many more.
  9. Proposable: use drag-and-drop creation tools, email and SMS notifications, and analytics for a deeper understanding of your sales pipeline.
  10. RFP360: centralize requests for proposal (RFP) answers in a knowledge library, saving you time and effort by importing RFPs and using AI to suggest responses.
  11. Prospero: its drag-and-drop interface for images, videos, icons, backgrounds, and texts, plus an easy signature method.

Proposal Table of Contents

PandaDoc provides a sample proposal template that you can download for free. It includes the following sections.

  • Cover letter
  • Sender/Company Background
  • Service(s)
    • Bookkeeping
    • Payroll
    • Financial Analysis
    • Tax Preparation
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Financial Consulting
  • Pricing
  • Acceptance

Final Tips

Hinge Marketing offers these proposal tips for professional services firms:

  • Use fewer words
  • Organize content for easy skimming
  • Never use words when a picture will do, e.g., graphs
  • Propose a better way for the client to achieve their goals (versus what they asked for)
  • Consider video to capture case studies, client evaluations, or testimonials
  • Surprise them with industry research and backup assertions with data
  • Offer something extra

When it comes to proposals, do you want to spend time writing them or signing the prospect? Now is the time to invest in a proposal tool that will take your firm to the next level and increase its efficiency.

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