At this time of year, many are preoccupied with relationships and how we interact with others. To some un-enlightened people, the world of Enterprise IT, and sales process automation may not have such a romantic appeal, however, at Walpole Partnership we beg to differ. We truly believe that Configure, Price and Quote (CPQ) software can help us look at Valentines Day in a different light.
Firstly, we’re used to hearing the phrase opposites attract (and if you’re old enough, you’ll now be imagining Paula Abdul cavorting with a cartoon character here’s the YouTube link in case you want to remind yourself but I digress). We’ve written before about the challenges of designing a system that meets the disparate needs of the three key functions that have a stake in CPQ the Sales, Product Marketing and Finance functions in a company. Different needs and contrasting personalities can put any of these three as far apart as Mars and Venus.
While it’s not always easy to do well, a CPQ system can represent the romantic gestures that build bridges between our three wary bedfellows, and allows for a fruitful liaison. CPQ can give a Salesperson a quick way to define a deal, get approval and quote a customer in minutes. CPQ can provide Financiers with the necessary margin control, accurate orders and audit trail that are necessary. And CPQ can let the Product Marketeers know that their wonderful configurations can sparkle with precision in the very best light.
When we think about how the Sales process works with customers, we can see the idea of romance continues like it’s the beginning of a new relationship. A salesperson waits nervously to see if their proposal has been accepted and is elated when this happens and there is a greater chance of this happening with a brilliant CPQ system in place to support the quotation process.
So if you want to explore further how CPQ can help you create a wonderful union at the heart of your company’s systems and processes, we are definitely here to support you. Please get in contact if you are interested in a short consultation to see if we can help you find a CPQ system that suits your business you never know, we may even bring you a bunch of flowers!
Image is from Paula Abduls Opposites Attract Video (1989)
