Proposal management software meets proposal generation software. Use the cloud to shorten and speed the last mile of sales where many opportunities are lost because of a lack of proposal management software and proposal generation software. Proposal template Word was the top choice among business managers for a long time. However, the advent of newer cloud-based technologies means that you might be missing out on cutting down the time and increase the results of your sales proposal writing process. A SaaS proposal template software.

You don’t have a template for my industry!Not to worry - all of our templates can be quickly adapted to suit your needs. Many users also prefer to import their own templates, so whether you want something all your own or something fast & easy, there’s a template for you. Can I edit your templates?Yes, you can! Add, delete, or change sections as you see fit. Make a mistake? Just import the template from the Marketplace again and you’re good to go. Do you need my credit card number?Not for the free trial. We won’t ask you for any payment details until it’s time to purchase a plan. Are my proposals secure?Yes, absolutely. Better Proposals uses 256bit SSL security to protect your account. Your proposals are always private, and every proposal recipient is given their own unique encrypted link that can’t be intercepted or accessed by anyone else. Will my clients see your logo?That’s up to you! Our Premium and Enterprise plans allow you to remove our branding and logo from your proposals, giving a clean, white-label feel. Or, you can keep our logo and branding active and earn a commission when recipients sign up for Better Proposals. Can I change my plan after purchase?Yes! Test out any of the plans above, and if it’s not working, you can upgrade or downgrade whenever you want, as often as you want. I’m not a designer. How do I make my proposal look presentable?Better Proposals handles font spacing, colour schemes, and design details by default. We’ll take care of the minor details so you can focus on landing the sale. Feeling stuck? Contact Support and we’ll help you along. What about custom plans?Enterprise users can send unlimited proposals and every plan allows you to add as many users as you need, so you have ultimate flexibility. Can you answer another question not listed here?Yes! We can answer questions in as little as 10 minutes during business hours. Start a chat in the bottom right for a quick answer or contact us and we’ll get back to you shortly.

The more appealing a proposal is, the more likely you'll be to win the job. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

But, creating proposals that are professional, detailed, attractive and on-brand isn't easy. Especially when you're trying to do it quickly.

Related: How to create engaging assets for your sales team

The good news is that proposal management software can help you speed up and improve the process.

In this post, we're going to look at 5 tools that can help you, as well as explore the benefits and key features of proposal software.

The benefits of proposal management software

Central location

Store everything in one central, cloud-based location and access it from anywhere you get online. Assign access to multiple team members as necessary and collaborate in real time.

Act quickly

With templates and automation, creating proposals is much faster. Generate pitches, proposals and presentations quickly and simply, and make the most of opportunities as they happen.

Streamline the entire process

When you can create, collaborate on, approve and distribute your proposals in one neat system, it removes the need for complicated processes that use multiple pieces of software.

Notable features of proposal management software

Searching for proposal management software can be overwhelming. There are so many options on the market, each with varying features.

To help you make the right choice, consider the 4 elements below and decide which would be most beneficial for your situation.

1. Branded templates & pre-filled forms

Proposal creation takes time, but with ready-made templates and automation that allows you to pre-fill forms, the sales process will move much faster.

Even the most basic proposal automation software should carry this feature, but it's the extras—like being able to brand and fully customize the templates—that will give you that professional edge.

2. Mobile-ready

If your sales team spends a lot of time in the field, proposal generator software that works on mobile devices could quickly put you ahead.

When a sales rep can input key information while on the road, at a meeting or on-site, a professional proposal can be turned around in days rather than weeks.

Also, being able to give on-the-spot estimates straight from a handheld device means the conversation can progress more quickly. If this is important to you, you might want to consider software that can integrate with or replace your CPQ (computer pricing quote software).

3. Customer relationship management

From the minute an RFP starts to form, a CRM process should be initiated for tracking purposes. The better your sales team is at nurturing leads and following up after proposals have been sent, the higher your chances of success.

Proposal automation software that comes with CRM features will empower your sales team to make the most of every opportunity.

4. Smart reporting

Where time and money are being put into drawing up proposals, the return on investment should be measured. The better you get at analyzing the data, the more refinements you'll be able to make to your sales process.

Some proposal automation software will come with built-in reporting tools, though this could just as easily be managed with a spreadsheet. Software might offer an expanse of reports, but it needs to be easy to learn. If it's overly complicated, it won't be as effective as it could be.

5 proposal automation & management tools

To find the right proposal generation software for you, you'll need to weigh up your requirements against the features on offer.

Consider the 4 elements we've listed above as well as any other functionality you're looking for. Do any of the following proposal management tools seem to offer the ideal solution?

1. Bidsketch

Bidsketch allows you to make customized proposals using saved sections that can be combined to build a full document.

Features include:

Templates & reusable content
Optional fees (for upselling additional services)
Client landing pages
Automation & workflows
Electronic signatures
Analytics

2. Nusii

Proposal management software Nusii lets you personalize templates and track the proposal process.

Features include:

Proposal notifications
Unique branding, domain & email
Reusable content
Reporting

3. RFPIO

Compared with the proposal management tools we've looked at so far, RFPIO is more advanced. It's likely to be a better fit for larger organizations with a lot of activity.

Features include:

Import & export data
Answer library
Intake forms
Project management
Collaboration & commenting
Recommendation engine
Integrations

4. PandaDoc

PandaDoc handles proposals, quotes and contracts. It also integrates with popular CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce.

Features include:

Templates
Content library
Brand customization
Electronic signatures
Pricing tables
Collaboration & commenting

5. Lucidpress

Lucidpress is a brand templating platform for businesses that want to align sales & marketing and manage brand consistency, while also empowering their people to customize materials quickly.

Its features include:

Fully customizable proposal templates
The ability to lock elements within a template (e.g. fonts, colors, logos)
Smart fields for pre-filling data like names & contact details
Automatic data population
A central storage location
Real-time collaboration
Instant digital sharing
In-app printing & mailing

Related: How to create engaging assets for your sales team

The benefits of proposal management software

Central location

Act quickly

Streamline the entire process

Notable features of proposal management software

1. Branded templates & pre-filled forms

2. Mobile-ready

3. Customer relationship management

4. Smart reporting

5 proposal automation & management tools

1. Bidsketch

2. Nusii

3. RFPIO

4. PandaDoc

5. Lucidpress

Using Lucidpress to create on-brand proposals

Sales Proposal Software Templates