There are some things that Excel does better than any other tool: organize your data, build charts of that data, create pivot tables to more easily spot patterns in that data (and many other thrilling, edge-of-your-seat functionalities).
And, like any effective technology, clever people have found new ways to use Excel, creating works of art, Tetris clones, even flight simulators.
Not-so-clever people have also used Excel as a proposal generation solution. And while we applaud using Excel to create spreadsheets (and solve and create sudoku puzzles), we can’t recommend it for making sales quotes.
Sales proposals need to POP, need to build your brand, and need to be an integral part of your most important business tech, your CRM. Which is why clever and not-so-clever people alike are using CPQ (configure, price, quote) solutions to create proposals that close more business.
CPQ makes proposals that pop; Excel makes proposals that stop.
It’s true: the early bird gets the worm. Another truism: the ugly bird gets ignored entirely.
Using CPQ to generate sales proposals means that every proposal has a professional sheen sure to catch your prospect’s eye. Using Excel means sending someone a spreadsheet (go ahead: try and remember the last spreadsheet that “caught your eye”).
CPQ, with template-based proposals and drag-and-drop product and pricing configurations, also means your eye-catching proposal can be created and sent quickly, making you the early bird, too! Win-win (excepting the worm).
CPQ builds your brand; Excel’s always bland.
With a CPQ solution loaded with professionally designed sales proposals, every quote you send will reflect on your brand values and mission. Your logo, your color palettes, your targeted content, etc. With Excel — we mentioned it before and will do so again — you’re sending a spreadsheet, and that “builds” only the bland.
Your sales quotes are often the first way your business is widely introduced to another business (as they’re shared with the stakeholders and decision makers).
Don’t send them a quote made in Excel that says, “We know how to use basic Office software.” Send them a custom quote built in your proposal generation software that says, “We are established in your industry, more professional than the competition, and the only true fit for your needs.”
CPQ knows its place in CRM; Excel thinks it IS CRM
We’ve been pretty harsh on the idea of using Excel to create sales quotes. But we’re saving our true vitriol for using Excel as a CRM system, which has been pushed by more than a few corner-cutters (no: we won’t link you to them).
Excel does not have the capability of any CRM: Funnels? Lead tracking? Email campaigns? Forget about it. Excel is great for organizing data. But if you want to act on that data, you need to be using a CRM system.
Ironically, for the most important “act on” in sales — the creating, sending, and tracking of sales quotes — most CRM systems (Salesforce, Dynamics, Zoho) don’t currently come standard with the tools required. But CPQ integrates with CRM seamlessly and effortlessly to give you all the sales proposal tools you need.
Ideally, your CPQ solution is available as a single sign-on, making it essentially a functionality within CRM (which is what we have done with both Dynamics and Zoho CRM), resulting in salespeople using it as a matter of course during their daily sessions in the CRM system. Unlike Excel, which — like most Office tools — lives outside your CRM system.
Wrapping up, we want to make clear that we love Excel. It’s our go-to for spreadsheets. But just like we would never use a CPQ solution to create a pivot table, we would never use Excel to generate sales proposals. If you’re still “stuck” using Excel for sales quotes, give us a call. It’s time for a new solution.
