On the one hand, B2B sales are simple.
There’s basically one “pitch”—lower overhead costs, improve productivity, drive revenue!—and the selling is from one business to another, a transaction between people well-versed in the process and language of sales. Each side has seen a sales proposal, used the tools (like CRM systems, quote management software, marketing automation platforms, etc.) and taken part in most every step of the process.
On the other hand, B2B sales may be the hardest there are, and for the exact same reasons.
You’re typically dealing with a seasoned professional—someone who won’t necessarily be swayed by a colorful PowerPoint and a handful of buzzwords—some using the same software and solutions to analyze you as you use to analyze them, and your proposal is most always one of many sitting in front of the prospective client.
“Fitting in is a short term strategy. Standing out pays off in the long run.”
So how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you get an experienced businessperson to respond to your sales proposal over the others on his desk?
The main way is simply by being on point: try to be the first proposal in their hands, respond to every inquiry in real-time, create zero delays on each step, follow-up on each step, and make the prospect feel like they are the sole object of your attention.
And this is where quote management software can make a huge difference in B2B sales.
“80% of success is showing up.”
By automating the sending, tracking, and even the responses in your quoting process, you are always the early bird. And not only is your quote delivered quickly, when you populate your proposal solution with branded templates targeting specific industries and market segments you’re putting your best foot forward, too.
Ideally, very few (if any) steps you and your sales team take in the B2B sales process are the first step: no one should be starting from scratch. Each proposal and reply you send—while feeling like a custom reply for each prospective customer—should be templated, and proven to work based on proposals and quotes that have fueled success in the past.
“Business is like war—the victors rely on quote management software.”
Business people love using quotes from The Art of War, but frankly the secret to success in B2B sales is less about “being victorious” and more about simply being efficient. It’s a volume game, and typically the business with the most efficient way of putting quotes into customers’ hands in the business that wins.
iQuoteXpress (IQX) offers a quote management software solution that helps automate, expedite, and improve every element in this most crucial step of every B2B sale. One thing that makes IQX different from other CPQ solutions is that it was created by salespeople, people who felt the pain of a missing out on a deal because a proposal got there late, or had errors, or simply didn’t stand up to those being sent by the competition.
And with its robust tracking capabilities, you can ensure that your quotes are where they need to be and when, and that your sales reps can focus on securing new business rather than preparing and tracking proposals. For your next B2B sale, leave the quote management to IQX.
Want to learn more about how IQX’s quote management software and B2B sales proposal solution can help drive more revenue faster? Contact us ›
