Proposal automation software cuts out repetitive admin tasks
Proposal automation software cuts out repetitive admin tasks – like document assembly and data entry – to speed up your entire sales cycle. Here’s everything you need to know.
It’s the end of the quarter and your sales team is scrambling to meet targets. Your sales reps are working overtime, frantically pulling together proposals to answer more RFPs and win more clients.
But old ways of doing things mean your proposal pipeline is full of manual processes: locating scattered data and assets, entering client details, and copying and pasting product information.
Amid the anarchy, errors and bottlenecks are inevitable. And that’s bad news for your credibility.
Thankfully, there’s a software solution for that.
Proposal automation is a type of document automation that streamlines the entire proposal process by automating repetitive tasks – reducing errors and freeing up time for more strategic work.
In fact, our survey of more than 2,000 global workers revealed that employees can save 30 days annually per employee with document automation.
But, with hundreds of vendors to choose from, finding the solution that fits your company is no easy feat. This guide is your ultimate resource for understanding what to look for in a proposal automation tool.
Let’s dive in.
In this article
What is proposal automation?
Proposal automation is a type of software that streamlines and automates the entire sales proposal lifecycle – from creation, to review, approval, and delivery.
Proposal automation tools, like Templafy, use pre-defined templates and automated data retrieval to generate and populate proposals in minutes.
By leveraging proposal automation, businesses can reduce the time and effort spent on repetitive admin tasks, while minimizing errors and elevating the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of their proposals.
Proposal automation
Top five benefits of proposal automation
- Increase efficiency
Pre-defined templates and automated data retrieval generate proposals in seconds, making space for more strategic work. - Speed up your sales cycle
Automating data entry, document assembly, and formatting accelerates proposal creation and delivery. - Improve collaboration
Real-time collaboration features, version control, and centralized document management keep teams aligned and efficient. - Minimize errors
Automated data population and error-checking functions ensure accuracy and professionalism. - Improve consistency and compliance
Pre-defined templates with automated compliance ensure consistent branding and adherence to regulations.
How does proposal automation work (in three steps)
1. Centrally controlled, pre-defined templates
Document templates are the foundation of proposal automation software. By centralizing control of templates, companies can standardize the structure and content of proposals – so sales teams can quickly generate high-quality proposals with a consistent brand voice and format.
2. Integrated data sources for personalization
Proposal automation tools integrate with data sources like CRM systems and product databases, enabling seamless extraction of personalized information.
This includes:
- Client information: Automatically input client names, contact details, and relevant history from the CRM for tailored proposals.
- Product details: Include up-to-date product descriptions, features, and pricing for accuracy and relevancy.
- Historical data: Leverage past interactions to customize proposals to client needs.
3. Automated review and delivery
Automation tools streamline the review and approval process with features like real-time collaboration, version control, and automated workflows, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Once approved, proposals can be delivered quickly and efficiently through integrated email or e-signature solutions.
Proposal automation
Key sections of your proposal – and how they can be automated with proposal automation tools
- Executive summary
Automatically pulls in relevant objectives and key points based on the client and project data – so each summary is tailored and impactful. - Company introduction
Generates a standardized company profile that can be automatically customized with client-specific details and highlights, saving time and ensuring consistency. - Project scope
Pre-populates objectives, deliverables, timelines, and methodologies with data from previous projects or predefined templates, reducing manual input and errors. - Pricing tables
Integrates with product databases to automatically include up-to-date pricing, options, and discounts, ensuring accuracy and relevancy. - Terms and conditions
Automatically inserts standard legal terms and conditions, based on the specifics of the proposal. - Client testimonials
Selects and inserts relevant client testimonials and case studies from a centralized library, tailored to highlight successes most relevant to the potential client.
Key features
Here are some key features to look out for when shopping for a proposal automation tool.
Seamless integration with daily apps
Proposal automation tools that integrate with your everyday applications enhance productivity, by reducing the need to switch between different tools.
Templafy integrates directly with Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Outlook, Salesforce, and more – so you can create and manage proposals from inside your familiar environments.
Customization tools
Customization tools ensure that each proposal can be tailored to meet specific client needs – while maintaining brand consistency and compliance.
Templafy offers advanced template editing capabilities, dynamic content insertion, and conditional logic, empowering you to personalize proposals with ease and precision.
Integration with CRM systems
Integrating your proposal automation software with CRM systems allows for automatic import of client data, making your proposals more accurate and personalized.
Templafy seamlessly integrates with popular CRM platforms such as Salesforce and HubSpot, enabling automatic population of client details and history – directly into your proposals.
Collaboration tools
Effective collaboration tools enable team members to work better together – improving efficiency and ensuring a faster, and more thorough, review of proposals. Templafy offers features like real-time co-authoring, commenting, and version control, facilitating seamless collaboration among team members and streamlining the review process for proposals.
Proposal automation comparison: Without proposal automation vs. with Templafy
How IComm increased its proposal win rate by 14%
By automating the majority of its proposal creation process, IComm – a top global consultancy – reduced the time spent by 92% which in turn led to a higher success rate in closing deals
Conclusion
Proposal automation software revolutionizes the proposal creation process – eliminating manual document work, and enabling a streamlined, efficient, and consistent workflow.
By automating repetitive tasks, enhancing collaboration, and centralizing control of compliance, proposal automation tools like Templafy empower sales professionals to focus on what they do best: winning clients and driving revenue.
Here’s a summary of the key takeaways from this blog.
Proposal automation
Key takeaways
- Increase efficiency
Automating repetitive tasks speeds up the sales cycle and allows employees to dedicate more time to strategic activities. - Reduce errors and inconsistencies
Proposal automation minimizes human errors and ensures accurate, consistent proposals that enhance professionalism and client trust. - Enhanced collaboration
Proposal automation tools facilitate real-time collaboration, version control, and centralized document management, keeping teams aligned and efficient. - Improved data accuracy
Leveraging automated data integration from CRM and other sources ensure high accuracy and consistency – while saving your team’s valuable time. - Consistent branding
Pre-defined templates and centralized content management mean your business’s branding stays consistent. - Accelerated turnaround time
Proposal automation solutions improve the review and approval process with automated workflows – ensuring timely submissions. - Fortified security and compliance
Ensure compliance with industry regulations and company policies by choosing a security-first company that is SOC II and ISO 27001 certified.
BLOG
Document automation: How AI & LLMs will change the game for enterprises
September, 2024
5 min read
5 key takeaways from Forrester’s LLMs Trends Report – and how to apply them in your company for maximum ROI.
Read more
BLOG
Generate winning sales documents with Copilot for Office 365 and Templafy
September, 2024
4 min read
Templafy and Copilot seamlessly integrate to help you generate on-brand, compliant documents that close deals faster.
Read more
BLOG
Document workflow management: Make documents flow faster
August, 2024
5 min read
Discover how document workflow management software boosts efficiency, consistency, and security.
Read more