A Salesforce product configurator allows manufacturers and retailers to streamline sales by implementing a Configure Price Quote (CPQ) process. CPQ software handles vital aspects of the sales cycle, from spreadsheets to an automated sales solution, to provide error-free quotes faster.
Salesforce product configurators are cloud-based and 100% mobile-compatible. One can help sales reps sell the correct product combinations, automate approvals and control discounting.
When integrated with software such as CAD and visual product configurators, CPQs provide a streamlined quoting, order fulfillment and purchase process. Learn more about how it works.
How a Salesforce Product Configurator Can Benefit Your Business
CPQ software provides everything your sales teams need to finalize their contracts. Here are key advantages to implementing an effective Salesforce product configurator and CPQ solution for your company:
Streamlined contract processes
The primary goal of your sales team is to push leads to the end of the sales pipeline. A slow-moving quote-to-cash process can drag down your sales teams, which is nothing short of tragic.
Salesforce CPQ software can help you configure the price quote process by ensuring that all vital data is available and updated whenever you need it. In terms of quoting an accurate price through a CPQ tool, you'll never have to tell your customers, "Please let me get back to you."
Improved accuracy
All humans make mistakes, which is understandable. However, that doesn’t apply to eCommerce, and your customers may not overlook frequent pricing errors made by your company.
In fact, 80% of consumers stop doing business with a company after just a single bad customer experience.
For sales teams, creating accurate quotes before the advent of CPQ software was a long, challenging and inaccurate process. It took back-and-forth discussions between the sales rep and the customer via email, phone or in-person consultations.
It's during this prolonged stage of the sales process that human errors often creep in. For example, sales teams might provide incorrect product combinations or key in outdated pricing models.
CPQ tools remove human error from the equation, delivering precise, dependable quotes every time. Your sales teams will simply enter accurate stock levels and current pricing in the CPQ back end. This ensures everything is kept up-to-date at the front end.
Customers can configure one or more products via predefined components from the Salesforce product configurator; the system then auto-generates precise quotes in real time. Depending on how you set up the sales automation system, your reps will only need to confirm orders.
Personalized service
Neither your customers nor your business fits a cookie-cutter mold. With a Salesforce product configurator, you can leverage the power of a CPQ plugin to provide your customers with a quote designed for their individual needs — not just a theoretical target audience.
Whenever customers want to adjust their purchase based on the available discounts or when other parameters come into play, your sales representatives can generate updated quotes in real time.
Additionally, you can gain more customer analytics. About half of customers are willing to share vital personal data with organizations that are willing to personalize their sales quotes.
Click here to learn more about our Salesforce product configurator.
Reduced timeframes
The most obvious benefit of the Salesforce.com product configurator is that it allows you and your customers to save valuable time. Automating the quote process with CPQ reduces the downtime often associated with creating contracts.
As a result, sales reps can assist more leads in less time. In fact, statistics from the Aberdeen Group Reports indicate that organizations that use CPQ software achieve 49% higher proposal volume per sales rep per month and a 28% reduction in the duration of their sales cycles.
Optimize processes between teams
For most manufacturers, engineering and sales teams work as distinct teams with different performance metrics and goals. Besides, the two teams often utilize different systems, with sales teams siloing their data in spreadsheets or CRMs and engineering using CAD or related systems.
Manufacturers can solve cross-functional inefficiencies by integrating a visual product customizer into their CPQ systems and connecting them to CRM, ERP and CAD systems. Ultimately, teams that use the same systems collaborate synchronously, enabling you to make engineering and sales decisions from a single centralized data source.
Close deals faster
Another advantage of adopting a Salesforce product configurator plugin is that it enables sales reps to create 3D product visualizations themselves. Armed with an accurate CPQ platform and customer requirements, your sales reps are able to configure product catalogs and quotes more accurately.
By linking your custom product builder to CAD systems, your sales teams are able to provide shoppers with traditional pricing information, technical designs and a 3D photorealistic 3D model to engage with.
On the customer's side, CPQ and product configurator tools help close deals faster. They can accurately create complex products without engaging with sales teams.
Also, customers can get faster approval and sign-off from procurement departments by accessing visual configuration, accurate quotes and CAD designs.
In terms of consumer products, shoppers can configure products themselves through the "Build Your Own Product" functionality, eliminating the need to send multiple support tickets or talk with sales teams. Armed with the necessary components and pricing details, customers can make more confident and efficient purchasing decisions.
Increased product control and visibility
Using a Salesforce product configurator, retailers and manufacturers are better able to:
- Manage how they showcase their products
- Add discounts
- Adjust quantities
- Encourage upselling
Sales teams can pick products from the Salesforce Product Book and create bundles of related products. When you bundle products this way, you can prevent customers — and even sales reps — from picking incompatible components.
For example, you can prevent them from selecting the wrong toner or paper tray for a commercial laserjet printer. Additionally, controlling product configuration minimizes purchase or quotation errors, reducing returns and shortening sales cycles.
Maximized sales
Companies that embrace Salesforce product customization and CPQ integration register improved overall sales. Industry-wide, organizations that use CPQ report a 105% increase to their average deal size.
Wrapping Up
83% of online shoppers rank 3D product imagery as the leading factor impacting their purchase decisions. So your customer-facing pages need to emphasize this feature!
Threekit has you covered with our Salesforce product configurator, CPQ tools, augmented reality and gorgeous 2D imagery. So click here to learn more about our Salesforce product configurator and how Threekit can help you through the adoption process!
