Our Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) Solution Study covers one of the six categories presented in our Sales Enablement Best Practices Report. As the name implies, Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) solutions provide functionality to support complex sales transactions. CPQ systems enable sales teams to custom design or configure a solution for a customer from different product sets, options or piece parts; price the solution appropriately and prepare a quote for the customer in a negotiated sales situation.
We define CPQ as comprising the strategies, processes, technologies and tools that support the organization’s ability to effectively configure products/services from a set of options, price a customized solution based on relevant internal and external factors and provide a digitally generated quote for customer signature and payment.
This study covers the following sections:
- Executive Summary
- What is Configure, Price, Quote?
- Benefits of CPQ
- The CPQ Solutions Landscape
- CPQ Deployment Lifecycle
- Vendor Selection Criteria
- Action Plan
- Analyst Bottom Line
- About the Research Analysts
- Our Solution Study Methodology
- About Demand Metric
There are 8 premium tools & templates linked inside of this solution study:
- CPQ Readiness Assessment
- Sales Enablement Framework
- CPQ Strategy Scorecard
- CPQ Vendors Matrix
- CPQ System RFP Template
- CPQ Vendor Evaluation Matrix
- MarCom Plan Methodology
- CPQ Program Metrics Dashboard
To obtain this document, visit us at http://www.demandmetric.com/register
Case Study: Salesforce CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Software as a Service ...Jade Global
Salesforce CPQ Case Study:
Business Requirements
Migrate all quote templates from existing tools to Salesforce CPQ as the main tool for the booking and Sales process
Support project lifecycle activities, including Requirement Gathering, Design, Development, Testing and Deployment
Configure Products based on business needs
An adaptable configuration of validation and pricing rules to prevent booking errors
Upgrade User Experience with guided flow
Enable core CPQ functions on mobile platforms
Business Challenges
OOTB functionality did not meet certain business requirements
Business changed requirements frequently causing rework
Business testing was not completed as quickly as items were being developed
Not able to properly format quotes Formatting of quote generation
Products being selected together incorrectly
Long list of products without any groupings - poor user experience
Approvals were not tracked, Lack of mobile approvals
Solution – Salesforce CPQ (Steelbrick)
Customizable quote templates
Validations to prevent users from selecting products that shouldn’t be selected together
Prompts to guide the user to review products before continuing with product selection
Enabled approvals with mobile capabilities
Connect with us:
Info@jadeglobal.com 1 877-523-3448
Website: http://www.jadeglobal.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/jade-...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jadeglobal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JadeGlobal
As companies and their product/service lists grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage product pricing, identify great upsell opportunities, and keep track of deals being offered by your competition. On top of this, sales reps aren’t given up-to-date pricing information on their products, leading to slower quote times and lost opportunities. Configuring a quote can be a time consuming task, especially when critical data is not easily accessible in real time.
Configure, price and quote (CPQ) platform - Right informationRight Information
Read about our CPQ platform which will let your sales department, partners and e-commerce websites make sales process faster, easier and more accurate as well as accessible from any device.
Visit us https://rightinformation.com/
Salesforce CPQ Quote it Fast, Sell it RightCloud Analogy
In this presentation, we will discuss Salesforce CPQ Quote it Fast, Sell it Right.
Useful if your business contains product that changes in response to the presence of other products on your quote
The Salesforce CPQ training is ideal for a new system administrators responsible for the setup, configuration, and maintenance of their Organization’s Salesforce CPQ application.
Salesforce CPQ Online training develops the functional skills required for the successful execution Salesforce CPQ application.
We will also involve you in hands-on projects during training, and this helps you in clearing the Salesforce CPQ certification exams.
Case Study: Salesforce CPQ (Configure Price Quote) for Software as a Service ...Jade Global
Salesforce CPQ Case Study:
Business Requirements
Migrate all quote templates from existing tools to Salesforce CPQ as the main tool for the booking and Sales process
Support project lifecycle activities, including Requirement Gathering, Design, Development, Testing and Deployment
Configure Products based on business needs
An adaptable configuration of validation and pricing rules to prevent booking errors
Upgrade User Experience with guided flow
Enable core CPQ functions on mobile platforms
Business Challenges
OOTB functionality did not meet certain business requirements
Business changed requirements frequently causing rework
Business testing was not completed as quickly as items were being developed
Not able to properly format quotes Formatting of quote generation
Products being selected together incorrectly
Long list of products without any groupings - poor user experience
Approvals were not tracked, Lack of mobile approvals
Solution – Salesforce CPQ (Steelbrick)
Customizable quote templates
Validations to prevent users from selecting products that shouldn’t be selected together
Prompts to guide the user to review products before continuing with product selection
Enabled approvals with mobile capabilities
Connect with us:
Info@jadeglobal.com 1 877-523-3448
Website: http://www.jadeglobal.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/jade-...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jadeglobal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JadeGlobal
As companies and their product/service lists grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage product pricing, identify great upsell opportunities, and keep track of deals being offered by your competition. On top of this, sales reps aren’t given up-to-date pricing information on their products, leading to slower quote times and lost opportunities. Configuring a quote can be a time consuming task, especially when critical data is not easily accessible in real time.
Configure, price and quote (CPQ) platform - Right informationRight Information
Read about our CPQ platform which will let your sales department, partners and e-commerce websites make sales process faster, easier and more accurate as well as accessible from any device.
Visit us https://rightinformation.com/
Salesforce CPQ Quote it Fast, Sell it RightCloud Analogy
In this presentation, we will discuss Salesforce CPQ Quote it Fast, Sell it Right.
Useful if your business contains product that changes in response to the presence of other products on your quote
The Salesforce CPQ training is ideal for a new system administrators responsible for the setup, configuration, and maintenance of their Organization’s Salesforce CPQ application.
Salesforce CPQ Online training develops the functional skills required for the successful execution Salesforce CPQ application.
We will also involve you in hands-on projects during training, and this helps you in clearing the Salesforce CPQ certification exams.
The slides give the introduction to CPQ and provide more details about Steelbrick CPQ which is acquired by Salesforce. Its features and how it will be helful for your orgnization.
Every organization would like to sell to its maximum potential. Problem is, most businesses are still selling through outdated methods, like paper order forms and spreadsheets. Learn how to attract new customers, nurture them via traditional and social channels, and close deals faster with this Sales Process Map.
SteelBrick CPQ helps sales reps do their job more efficiently and accurately. By automatically generating the right mix of products and services for each customer and providing an accurate quote, CPQ allows your sales reps to concentrate on customer relationship building and contacting their next lead.
What Is Salesforce? | Salesforce Training - What Does Salesforce Do? | Salesf...Edureka!
This Edureka Salesforce Tutorial slides for beginners will take you through why Salesforce became popular, what is Salesforce, Salesforce products along with a Salesforce use case. This Salesforce tutorial video is ideal for beginners to learn what is Salesforce. You can read the blog here: https://goo.gl/rEHG4a
Salesforce Template. please refer to any Salesforce language for terms of use. Sharing for other Trailblazers who have asked to use this template for Salesforce-related presentations.
Common Salesforce CPQ Implementation ChallengesCloud Analogy
Salesforce CPQ Implementation software clears out typical roadblocks of sales teams, transforming your quote-to-cash cycle into an automated flow. Here are some common Salesforce CPQ challenges that you can face.
Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best Practices to Win More DealsCloud Analogy
Salesforce Sales Cloud includes a variety of services and products that help salespeople close more deals and develop stronger customer connections. Check out this presentation for more details on Sales Cloud.
Get a comprehensive guide about Salesforce and its benefits and understand how Salesforce helps you serve customers more efficiently, leading to better business.
You have lots of customer data and you need to ensure that it’s readily available to all of those who need it to drive business results across sales, service and customer engagement.
This presentation discusses how easy it is to migrate your critical data into Salesforce and how it will immediately benefit the different areas of your business. Our speakers will demonstrate how simple and seamless it is for you to transfer your customer data into Salesforce from different external sources such as; text files, another CRM, or homegrown systems.
What you will learn:
-How to migrate data to salesforce from a variety of endpoints to create a complete customer view
-How a single integration solution can bring together multiple data sources to provide rapid time to value
Why is Org Strategy important, what are the possible org patterns and what are some of the benefits and challenges to consider? This 12-page long white paper describes different org existence models, trade-offs, design best practices, and assessment approach. Please leave your comments.
Salesforce Training For Beginners | Salesforce Tutorial | Salesforce Training...Edureka!
This Salesforce Training tutorial is all you need to learn about Salesforce. It is ideal for both beginners and professionals who want to understand the various Salesforce cloud services. Below are topics covered in this tutorial:
1. Why is Salesforce popular & in-demand?
2. Advantages: On-premise vs. Cloud
3. Where does Salesforce fit in the cloud model?
4. Various Salesforce Cloud Services
5. Salesforce architecture
6. Demo: Sales Cloud & Service Cloud
The slides give the introduction to CPQ and provide more details about Steelbrick CPQ which is acquired by Salesforce. Its features and how it will be helful for your orgnization.
Every organization would like to sell to its maximum potential. Problem is, most businesses are still selling through outdated methods, like paper order forms and spreadsheets. Learn how to attract new customers, nurture them via traditional and social channels, and close deals faster with this Sales Process Map.
SteelBrick CPQ helps sales reps do their job more efficiently and accurately. By automatically generating the right mix of products and services for each customer and providing an accurate quote, CPQ allows your sales reps to concentrate on customer relationship building and contacting their next lead.
What Is Salesforce? | Salesforce Training - What Does Salesforce Do? | Salesf...Edureka!
This Edureka Salesforce Tutorial slides for beginners will take you through why Salesforce became popular, what is Salesforce, Salesforce products along with a Salesforce use case. This Salesforce tutorial video is ideal for beginners to learn what is Salesforce. You can read the blog here: https://goo.gl/rEHG4a
Salesforce Template. please refer to any Salesforce language for terms of use. Sharing for other Trailblazers who have asked to use this template for Salesforce-related presentations.
Common Salesforce CPQ Implementation ChallengesCloud Analogy
Salesforce CPQ Implementation software clears out typical roadblocks of sales teams, transforming your quote-to-cash cycle into an automated flow. Here are some common Salesforce CPQ challenges that you can face.
Salesforce Sales Cloud: Best Practices to Win More DealsCloud Analogy
Salesforce Sales Cloud includes a variety of services and products that help salespeople close more deals and develop stronger customer connections. Check out this presentation for more details on Sales Cloud.
Get a comprehensive guide about Salesforce and its benefits and understand how Salesforce helps you serve customers more efficiently, leading to better business.
You have lots of customer data and you need to ensure that it’s readily available to all of those who need it to drive business results across sales, service and customer engagement.
This presentation discusses how easy it is to migrate your critical data into Salesforce and how it will immediately benefit the different areas of your business. Our speakers will demonstrate how simple and seamless it is for you to transfer your customer data into Salesforce from different external sources such as; text files, another CRM, or homegrown systems.
What you will learn:
-How to migrate data to salesforce from a variety of endpoints to create a complete customer view
-How a single integration solution can bring together multiple data sources to provide rapid time to value
Why is Org Strategy important, what are the possible org patterns and what are some of the benefits and challenges to consider? This 12-page long white paper describes different org existence models, trade-offs, design best practices, and assessment approach. Please leave your comments.
Salesforce Training For Beginners | Salesforce Tutorial | Salesforce Training...Edureka!
This Salesforce Training tutorial is all you need to learn about Salesforce. It is ideal for both beginners and professionals who want to understand the various Salesforce cloud services. Below are topics covered in this tutorial:
1. Why is Salesforce popular & in-demand?
2. Advantages: On-premise vs. Cloud
3. Where does Salesforce fit in the cloud model?
4. Various Salesforce Cloud Services
5. Salesforce architecture
6. Demo: Sales Cloud & Service Cloud
This document is intended to give a short overview of what a CPQ software solution could mean for your organization, the steps to follow to introduce it into your organization and critical success factors for integration.
Measuring the Effectiveness of B2B MarketingHileman Group
Measuring the business impact of digital marketing efforts continues to be one of the biggest struggles in B2B. Learning how to effectively measure these campaigns will help ensure the success of your team and organization. View this presentation to learn how to integrate data, measure ROI and more in order to improve your B2B marketing efforts.
Driving Higher Growth and Profit, the Trilogy: Solution Selling, Pricing Exce...Apttus
Given the pace of business, its imperative that Sales Ops enables the sales organization with high-quality proposals and quotes that can be turned around quickly and efficiently. Attend this session to learn best practices in pricing and contracts that are mutually beneficial for your company and your customers.
CPQ - Configure, Price and Quoting ExcellenceBearingPoint
Realizing all potentials of the CPQ Excellence will lead to
reduced process complexity with direct impact on time,
cost and risk. Main key performance indicators will be
both higher win rates of your offers, as well as lower
quotation throughput times. CPQ Excellence takes
advantage of potentials in a systematic configuration,
pricing, and quotation process in a complex
business environment.
Describes what a target operating mode is, and the process to distill a target operating model from a business vision or set of business strategic aims
Digital business transformation- IT StrategyTushar Sharma
A Study of Digital Business Transformation which is the need of the hour in the IT industry. It also showcases the need for B2B platform for a business transformation.
Marketing planning and performance measurement solution business caseNandita Nityanandam
Synoptek developed a product that serves as a single source for marketing planning, team collaboration and performance measurement, and brings an end to the never-ending woes of marketers in terms of executing their operations and bringing insight into their day-to-day activities.
Achieving Sales Performance Optimization Through Automated Incentive Compensa...Callidus Software
presented at TrueConnection: Sales Performance Management Conference 2007 by Jeff Staley, CRM Center of Excellence at SAP, and Jim Thomas, Senior Sales Engineer at Callidus Software
In this prescriptive breakout session learn what successful Solution Providers are doing to build their Cloud/Mobility business. This workshop is designed for Solution Provider new to cloud/mobility marketplace or have not yet seen success. Success in the new marketplace starts with a Practice Statement, entails new ideas on building marketing savvy and better sales execution. We will cover a variety of tools, tips and techniques partners are using to drive Cloud /Mobility success.
Topics:
• Why you need to create a Practice Statement
• Aligning your marketing message to fit your Cloud strategy
• Building your Cloud marketing program that is unique and is active
• Creating a sales mentality and compensation program that works
• Developing a Business Guidance sales mentality
http://www.ingrammicrocloud.com
Protecting Margins and Creating Value in TelecomLightwell
In 2010, Communications, Media, and Entertainment (CME) businesses are becoming more confident in their revenue potential with most companies feeling the recession is behind them or nearly halfway over. To prepare for spending growth, many CME businesses plan to increase their focus on sales strategies with a keen focus on improving customer collaboration as a top priority.
However, improving customer collaboration, especially in business-to- business (B2B) selling and order scenarios, is difficult to achieve due to product portfolio and selling/ordering process complexity. Within the CME marketplace, companies are offering customers a rich array of options including products and services via multiple channels. This is good news for customers, who demand freedom of choice and ease of use. But it makes selling and order management a complex task for CME companies, which are looking to optimise these processes to increase sales performance.
The Impact of COVID-19 in B2B MarketingDemand Metric
In Q2 2020, we asked marketing leaders at mid-sized B2B companies in the USA abouthow the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their plans for the year.
Here’s what we found.
In 2018, Return Path and Demand Metric partnered to study the state of email marketing to equip marketers with data and best practices to improve the use of email.
Engagement is the key to getting email into subscriber inboxes. This relationship to deliverability made engagement a logical next candidate for the study. Return Path and Demand Metric partnered again to study engagement and its relationship to email deliverability.
Infographic Vidyard Video Marketing 2018Demand Metric
For far too long, the emphasis on video content marketing has been on production quality; the higher the quality, the more marketing value a video is presumed to have. While quality is certainly an important aspect of video content, producing quality video does not guarantee video content marketing success. Success is very much a function of how well video content and viewing data integrate with the marketing technology stack, and how the sales team leverages the intelligence. In this fifth annual video content marketing report, Demand Metric and Vidyard partnered on research to better understand the use of video for sales and marketing, how performance is being measured, and what impact video is having. This study’s focus is on the use of video in marketing, the maturity indicators such as measuring video content performance, and how video viewing data is integrated with marketing automation platforms (MAP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. This report shows what progress, if any, has been made in the fifth year of this study. These study results provide insights and data useful for helping marketers get the highest possible return on their video content investment.
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/digital-marketing-best-practices-report
It has been said that “All Marketing is Digital Marketing.” And with good reason! In the last decade (or less), the marketing environment has been transformed.
Marketing has moved from an environment in which traditional marketing, brick and mortar storefronts and Digital Marketing options all competed for the time, attention and resources of the marketing department to one in which Digital Marketing reigns supreme – with an occasional nod in the direction of the storefront, or traditional marketing (direct mail, print advertising, etc.)
One of the biggest challenges of Digital Marketing is the speed of which it has taken over the marketing organization, often in an ad hoc, uncoordinated fashion.
Demand Metric’s research has consistently shown that Digital Marketing has a very significant and positive impact on the organizations that are employing it when they do so by following best practices and processes in a coordinated, holistic approach.
In this Best Practices Report on Digital Marketing we will cover the Digital Marketing landscape in five distinct categories - Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Video Marketing and Public Relations
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-solution-study
Our Content Marketing Solution Study presents the insights, landscape and vendors within the content marketing space. Demand Metric defines content marketing as the strategies, processes and software technology that enable marketing departments to automate, measure and improve the performance of marketing strategies, activities and workflows.
These strategies and activities include: Email Marketing, Multi-channel Campaign Management, Inbound/Search Marketing, Landing Pages, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Lead Nurturing, Social Marketing, Marketing Resource Management, Event Management, Engagement Marketing and Marketing Analytics.
The three foundation functions of marketing automation systems are – email marketing, campaign management and lead management. While the most advanced and sophisticated marketing automation systems have extending capabilities far beyond this base, these functions are core to a Marketing Automation system.
Download the PDF: https://www.demandmetric.com/content/seo-technology-overview
SEO is no longer just about search.
In fact, SEO, which in its early days focused primarily on keywords
(finding, optimizing, ranking), is now a baseline factor of a broader Internet
Marketing strategy across the Enterprise.
This new SEO-driven market segment that has been called Web
Presence Management (WPM) is based on the reality that keywords no
longer drive search results, but rather optimized content does.
As the SEO market matures, quality measures, such as reputation, trust,
content relevance and author authority, are replacing the old quantity
metrics, such as keyword rankings and link volume.
Advanced SEO solutions now weigh campaign performance metrics
(based on brand building, site traffic and conversion) more heavily than
keyword rankings.
This reality is based on changes in the way customers search, the
increasingly integrated omni-channel marketing environment and,
most notably, changes to Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
algorithms that favor page content freshness, density and content-rich
media over standard keyword search.
All of this means that Modern Marketing Organizations (MMOs) must
re-evaluate their SEO strategies, processes and campaigns.
In this report we will examine the state of the market, share results from the
SEO Benchmark Study, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of 15 top
SEO solutions in our vendor landscape to help organizations choose the
best solution for them, highlight the current trends in SEO that will have an
impact on Enterprise SEO initiatives and provide some recommendations
for the way forward as SEO is redefined right before our eyes.
Demand Metric defines Search Engine Optimization Platforms
as those frameworks, tools and technologies that use searchrelated
functionally to secure high visibility and web presence
for brands, products, services and companies through the use
and management of elements, such as keywords, links, content
relevance and social signals tracking.
In its fourth year, this report on video marketing metrics highlights best practices including video hosting to how video viewing integrates with the sales funnel.
Formalizing the Sales Support Function How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
At the highest level, the Sales Support function is responsible for ensuring that the Sales & Marketing departments have the tools, resources, and systems they need to achieve current and future sales revenue targets.
Read this brief 2-page guide to learn:
Director of Sales Support Roles & Responsibilities
Action Plan for formalizing the sales support function
Read this report to learn how to assess your current level of effectiveness, and if necessary, hire an experienced Director of Sales Support.Download our Director of Sales Support Job Description to get started!
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
How to Launch a Mobile App Guide How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
A mobile app is a software application designed for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices that has been built on a mobile operating system such as iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows.
Mobile apps were originally developed for productivity and information retrieval. Today, over 91% of all U.S. citizens have their mobile device within reach 24/7 (Morgan Stanley). The rising use and accessibility of mobile phones has influenced many companies to enter this growing market with new and innovative use cases.
This How-To Guide discusses the benefits of creating a mobile app, things to consider before building a mobile app and an action plan to help you launch your new app.
Read this brief 5-page guide to understand the following:
Benefits of creating a mobile app
Things to consider
Action plan for launching your mobile app
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Getting Started with Agile Marketing How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
Agile Marketing is a method for planning and executing a marketing plan borrowed from the world of software development. Instead of long, “waterfall” methods of development that too often result in delayed or out-of date products launching later than planned, the Agile method follows a simple process of build, measure, and learn. Marketers all over the world are adopting this method to the extent that 2013 has been dubbed “the year of Agile Marketing".
This How-To Guide defines why Agile Marketing is important and outlines its key principles and identifies and action plan for getting started.
Read this brief 5-page guide to understand the following:
How to apply agile methods to marketing
Important terminology
How Agile Marketing is currently being used
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Entering the European Market Successfully How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
Leaving your domestic comfort zone to operate in another country or even continent requires careful planning. Expanding into new geographical markets is very exciting, but also very nerve-wracking. Any firm considering entering into international business transactions must understand that doing business abroad is not a simple task. It is stimulating and potentially profitable in the long-term but requires much preparation and research prior to the first transaction.
Europe is probably the most heterogeneous continent on our globe, making understanding market potential more challenging than in more homogeneous markets. Because of the European Union, it’s tempting to view Europe as a single market. In reality, you must consider each country as a market, because each country has a different mix of history, culture, language and business etiquette.
This How-To Guide will describe the steps required to successfully expand into the European market.
Read this 7-page guide to understand the following:
Understand market potential
Identify product-market comibinations
Identify a local partner
Launch and start selling
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Driving SEO with Press Releases How-To GuideDemand Metric
This How To Guide will explain how press releases can boost SEO efforts, how to write press releases for SEO, the pros and cons of doing so and conclude with an action plan on using press releases in your SEO efforts.
For decades, press releases were the basic building blocks of a public relations strategy. A company that wanted press coverage would write and issue a press release. The more skilled the company was at media relations, the better this strategy worked. Press releases still serve this purpose, although a new and important use of press releases has evolved as a tool for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
For companies whose websites are key to revenue generation, the SEO benefits are the primary motivation for writing and issuing press releases. If releases also produce favorable media coverage, that’s viewed as a bonus. The benefits of this SEO strategy result from the links a press release can produce back to the issuer’s website. These links are known as backlinks. The more external, authentic backlinks a website has pointing to it, the higher it ranks on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). While this strategy is conceptually simple to grasp, executing it effectively requires some insider knowledge of both media relations and SEO.
Read this brief 8-page guide to understand the following:
How press releases boost SEO
Writing press releases for SEO
The pros and cons of a press release SEO strategy
Using press releases in your SEO efforts
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com to make a content request.
Calculating Customer Lifetime Value How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide details the definition of customer lifetime value (CLV), the advantages of calculating CLV and the standard formula for calculating CLV.
Common sense tells us that the longer a customer is in relationship with a company, the more profitable that customer relationship is. However, many companies put the emphasis on new customer acquisition and not enough effort is made to retain existing customers. This is a mistake, because the financial impact of retaining customers is substantial: companies can increase profits by as much as 100% by retaining just 5% more of their customers. For these reasons, CLV is a crucial metric that most organizations overlook mainly because its definition and purpose are not entirely known. Understanding the monetary value each customer represents to your organization can help you budget correctly for your business needs, strategically plan your marketing initiatives and improve long-term relationships with your customer base.
Read this brief 4-page guide to learn about:
Customer Lifetime Value
The advantages of calculating CLV
The standard formula for calculting CLV
Use the Customer Lifetime Value Calculator to get started!
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Lead Scoring: Five Steps to Getting Started How-To GuideDemand Metric
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide will help marketers score leads by showing how to set up a simple lead scoring system and then refine it over time.
Lead scoring applies mathematical formulas to rank potential customers. It is chiefly used to identify prospects that are ready for direct sales contact. Because the calculations are automatic, the scores are consistent, current, and can include more variables than any manual assessment. This saves marketers work, ensures that all qualified leads are sent to sales promptly, and keeps non-qualified leads out of the sales system.
Read this brief 11-page guide to learn about:
The case for lead scoring
Setting up a simple lead scoring system
Refinements to improve results over time
Companies that follow this process will quickly gain immediate benefits from lead scoring and have a solid foundation for future growth.
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com to make a content request.
Executive Summary
Social media are now part of every business and consumer activity, joining telephone, Web, broadcast, and face-to-face interactions as primary communication channels. This means that all marketing, sales, and service organizations should include social media as part of their basic activities. Yet social media are still new enough that many organizations are still struggling to learn how to use them, while others are learning how to use them most effectively.
This How-to-Guide provides an overview of social media applications and emerging best practices for deploying social media at your company.
Read this 9-page guide to learn:
The definition of social customer relationship management (CRM)
The main functions needed for social CRM
The vendor landscape for social CRM
Social CRM best practices
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
Executive Summary
This How-To Guide will explain the components of a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system, provide an action plan for deployment, and conclude with a plan for implementation.
Marketing Resource Management (MRM) systems control the administrative processes that support customer-facing marketing programs. This distinguishes MRM from marketing execution systems that store customer databases and deliver marketing messages through email, Web ads, and other channels. MRM may be sold independently or as a component of comprehensive marketing management systems which also provides execution.
MRM functions fall into two primary clusters. The first involves functions related to company-level marketing management, including program planning, scheduling, budgeting, and cost reporting. The other cluster relates to program management, including task lists, purchasing media and materials, and content creation, approvals, storage, and distribution. Some MRM systems specialize in a few of these functions. Others specialize in additional functions such as customizing content for local offices or dealers or in marketing reporting and analysis. Systems may also be tailored to specific industries or companies of a certain size.
Companies buy MRM systems when their marketing programs become too complicated to run in a less systematic fashion. This, along with the systems’ high cost, originally meant that MRM was used almost exclusively by large marketing organizations with hundreds of marketers in multiple offices. More recently, the growth of digital marketing has meant that even small marketing organizations need to manage many different programs and content versions across multiple channels, and to introduce new versions more quickly. This expanded complexity has rarely been accompanied by a corresponding expansion of staff, adding to the pressure for more efficient operations. At the same time, costs have decreased as MRM capabilities were added to integrated marketing suites and as stand-alone MRM products became available as vendor-hosted services (Software as a Service, or SaaS). The result has been increased use of MRM systems among companies of all sizes.
Read this 7-page guide to learn about:
The components of a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system
An action plan to deploy an MRM system
How to implement an MRM system
Demand Metric's How-To Guides are designed to provide practical, on-the-job training and education and provide context for using our premium tools & templates. If there is a topic that you would like to see covered, please contact us at info@demandmetric.com (link sends e-mail) to make a content request.
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.\
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
Digital Commerce Lecture for Advanced Digital & Social Media Strategy at UCLA...Valters Lauzums
E-commerce in 2024 is characterized by a dynamic blend of opportunities and significant challenges. Supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages are critical issues, leading to increased shipping delays and rising costs, which impact timely delivery and squeeze profit margins. Efficient logistics management is essential, yet it is often hampered by these external factors. Payment processing, while needing to ensure security and user convenience, grapples with preventing fraud and integrating diverse payment methods, adding another layer of complexity. Furthermore, fulfillment operations require a streamlined approach to handle volume spikes and maintain accuracy in order picking, packing, and shipping, all while meeting customers' heightened expectations for faster delivery times.
Amid these operational challenges, customer data has emerged as an important strategy. By focusing on personalization and enhancing customer experience from historical behavior, businesses can deliver improved website and brand experienced, better product recommendations, optimal promotions, and content to meet individual preferences. Better data analytics can also help in effectively creating marketing campaigns, improving customer retention, and driving product development and inventory management.
Innovative formats such as social commerce and live shopping are beginning to impact the digital commerce landscape, offering new ways to engage with customers and drive sales, and may provide opportunity for brands that have been priced out or seen a downturn with post-pandemic shopping behavior. Social commerce integrates shopping experiences directly into social media platforms, tapping into the massive user bases of these networks to increase reach and engagement. Live shopping, on the other hand, combines entertainment and real-time interaction, providing a dynamic platform for showcasing products and encouraging immediate purchases. These innovations not only enhance customer engagement but also provide valuable data for businesses to refine their strategies and deliver superior shopping experiences.
The e-commerce sector is evolving rapidly, and businesses that effectively manage operational challenges and implement innovative strategies are best positioned for long-term success.
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
A.I. (artificial intelligence) platforms are popping up all the time, and many of them can and should be used to help grow your brand, increase your sales and decrease your marketing costs.In this presentation:We will review some of the best AI platforms that are available for you to use.We will interact with some of the platforms in real-time, so attendees can see how they work.We will also look at some current brands that are using AI to help them create marketing messages, saving them time and money in the process. Lastly, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in marketing & branding and have a lively conversation that includes comments from the audience.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will learn about LLM platforms, like ChatGPT, and how they work, with preset examples and real time interactions with the platform. Attendees will learn about other AI platforms that are creating graphic design elements at the push of a button...pre-set examples and real-time interactions.Attendees will discuss the pros & cons of AI in marketing + branding and share their perspectives with one another. Attendees will learn about the cost savings and the time savings associated with using AI, should they choose to.
Search Engine Marketing - Competitor and Keyword researchETMARK ACADEMY
Over 2 Trillion searches are made per day in Google search, which means there are more than 2 Trillion visits happening across the websites of the world wide web.
People search various questions, phrases or words. But some words and phrases are searched
more often than others.
For example, the words, ‘running shoes’ are searched more often than ‘best road running
shoes for men’
These words or phrases which people use to search on Google are called Keywords.
Some keywords are searched more often than others. Number of times a keyword is searched
for in a month is called keyword volume.
Some keywords have more relevant results than others. For the phrase “running shoes” we
get more than 80M relevant results, whereas for “best road running shoes for men” we get
only 8.
The former keyword ‘running shoes’ has way more competition from popular websites to
new and small blogs, whereas the latter keyword doesn’t have that much competition. This
search competition for a keyword is called search difficulty of a keyword or keyword
difficulty.
In other words, if the keyword difficulty is ‘low’ or ‘easy’, there won’t be any competition
and if you target such keywords on your site, you can easily rank on the front page of Google.
Some keywords are searched for, just to know or to learn some information about something,
that’s their search intention. For example, “What shoe size should I choose?” or “How to pick
the right shoe size?”
These keywords which are searched just to know about stuff are called informational
keywords. Typically people who are searching this type of keywords are top of a Conversion
funnel.
Conversion funnel is the journey that search visitors go through on their way to an email
subscription or a premium subscription to the services you offer or a purchase of products
you sell or recommend using your referral link.
For some buyers, research is the most important part when they have to buy a product.
Depending on that, their journey either widens or narrows down. These types of buyers are
Researchers and they spend more time with informational keywords.
Conversion is the action you want from your search visitors. Number of conversions that you
get for every 100 search visitors is called Conversion rate.
People who are at different stages of a conversion funnel use different types of keywords.
Top 3 Ways to Align Sales and Marketing Teams for Rapid GrowthDemandbase
In this session, Demandbase’s Stephanie Quinn, Sr. Director of Integrated and Digital Marketing, Devin Rosenberg, Director of Sales, and Kevin Rooney, Senior Director of Sales Development will share how sales and marketing shapes their day-to-day and what key areas are needed for true alignment.
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
Unleash the power of UK SEO with Brand Highlighters! Our guide delves into the unique search landscape of Britain, equipping you with targeted strategies to dominate UK search engine results. Discover local SEO tactics, keyword magic for UK audiences, and mobile optimization secrets. Get your website seen by the right people and propel your brand to the top of UK searches.
To learn more: https://brandhighlighters.co.uk/blog/top-seo-agencies-uk/
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
Core Web Vitals SEO Workshop - improve your performance [pdf]Peter Mead
Core Web Vitals to improve your website performance for better SEO results with CWV.
CWV Topics include:
- Understanding the latest Core Web Vitals including the significance of LCP, INP and CLS + their impact on SEO
- Optimisation techniques from our experts on how to improve your CWV on platforms like WordPress and WP Engine
- The impact of user experience and SEO
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
SMM Cheap - No. 1 SMM panel in the worldsmmpanel567
Boost your social media marketing with our SMM Panel services offering SMM Cheap services! Get cost-effective services for your business and increase followers, likes, and engagement across all social media platforms. Get affordable services perfect for businesses and influencers looking to increase their social proof. See how cheap SMM strategies can help improve your social media presence and be a pro at the social media game.
2. 3
4
6
8
11
16
Executive Summary
What is Configure, Price, Quote?
Benefits of CPQ
The CPQ Solutions Landscape
CPQ Deployment Lifecycle
Vendor Selection Criteria
22
23
24
About the Research Analysts
Our Solution Study Methodology
About Demand Metric
19
21
Action Plan
Analyst Bottom Line
Table of Contents
5. 5
Primary industries that have heavily relied on CPQ systems include
Manufacturing, Transportation, Telecom, High Tech, Healthcare,
Retail, Insurance and Financial Services. Today, new solutions and
cloud technology have enabled CPQ systems to be used by
small and mid-size companies in various industries, including
general Business Services, Real Estate and Media/Publishing.
Modern CPQ systems have moved way beyond the classic model of
“Configure, Price, Quote” to offer an array of advances, including:
Product design & modeling tools to extend configuration choices
Value pricing, modeling & communication tools to enhance
pricing
ROI and TOC calculators to optimize quoting
Contract management and guided selling to improve operations
and sales performance
In short, these are not your father’s CPQ systems! We will
detail the range of standard, advanced and specialized functions and
features in the Vendor Selection Criteria section of this report.
Modern CPQ
Solutions
Quote-to-Cash
Functionality
Guided Selling
& Sales
Playbooks
ROI/TCO
Calculators
Value Pricing
Tools
Product
Modeling,
Design &
Catalogues
eSignature
Compatibility
Product
Configurator,
Pricing System
& Quoting
Contract, Order,
Proposal &
Workflow
Management
Figure 2: Modern CPQ Solutions
Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
11. combinations of customer category, product classification, sales
channel, deal size and volume are standard. When choosing a
pricing engine, consider not only product inventories but channel
and market needs. Make sure they can support all your sales
channels and geo-market reach.
Quoting System. Quotes should be delivered immediately,
accurately and with your company and/or channel partner brand
embedded. Beyond that, consider vendors that offer Quote-to-
Cash systems that automate each step of the process from
pricing through negotiation, approval, contract signing, invoicing
and payment receipt with tracking analytics and activity alerts.
Proposal Management. Proposal management systems manage
the proposal process from creation to customer delivery. A solid
proposal system should offer pre-built templates for fast
proposal creation with company/channel branding options. It
should manage the proposal lifecycle via workflow authorization
& approval systems and integrate with an eSignature system for
fast, accurate and legal signature-to-close.
Role in Sales Enablement
Demand Metric considers CPQ to be an integral part of Sales
Enablement as illustrated by our Sales Enablement Framework in
Figure 6. As you will see in Figure 6, CPQ products and services
are associated with Sales Operations and Sales/Account
Management, although many CPQ functions are used in
collaboration with Marketing and Marketing Operations.
Core Components
Product Configurator. Product configurator software can be as
simple as controlling your existing inventory of products and
parts for assembly or bundling or as complex as designing a new
version of a product from scratch for a specific use case through
design, modeling and 3-D visualization tools. Choose a vendor
that matches the level of complexity of your product
configuration needs.
Pricing Engine. The pricing engine automatically prices the
chosen configuration based on rules or constraints set by
operations to maintain profits and margins. Pricing by 11
Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
CPQ DEPLOYMENT LIFECYCLE
12. TECHNOLOGY
Senior Management
ROLES RESPONSIBILITIES PROCESSES TECHNOLOGY CONTENT METRICS
Revenue Accountability
Staffing & Channel Management
Reporting to CEO/Board
Budgeting & Planning
Performance Reviews & QA
Recruitment & Retention
CRM
Business Intelligence
MRM
Thought Leadership Blog
Webinar Presentations
Conference Keynotes
Revenue by Channel
Customer Lifetime Value, NPS
Return on Customer (ROC)
Product Management
New Product Development
Create Sales Tools/Guides
Messaging & Positioning
Product Launch
Win/Loss Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Product Mgmt. System
Enterprise Feedback/Survey
Content Management
Data Sheets, Whitepapers
Case Studies/Testimonials
Competitive Analysis
Market Share, Profitability
Brand Equity
Content Usage
Sales Operations
Build Reports & Dashboards
Monitor Sales Productivity
Data Management
Sales Forecasting
Territory Management
Sales Compensation
CRM
Proposal/CPQ
Sales Content Portal
Compensation Model
TCO/ROI Calculators
Sales Playbooks
% Quota Achieved
Sales Cost/Revenue Ratio
Incentive vs. Quota Ratio
Marketing Operations
Build Reports & Dashboards
Marketing Systems Admin
Data Management
Marketing Budgeting
Campaign Analysis
Lead Scoring & Nurturing
Buyer Personas
Customer Journey Map
Proposals, Presentations
Sales Qualified Leads
Cost Per Lead (CPL)
Cost of Acquisition (CAC)
CRM & Marketing Automation
Analytics & B.I.
Asset Mgmt. & MRM
Demand Generation
Lead Generation & Events
Branding & Social Media
Content Marketing
Advertising/Sponsorship
Lead Generation & Appointments
Tradeshows & Webinars
Marketing Automation/Email
Digital Asset Management
Event/Survey Management
How-To Guides
Research Reports
Webinars
Campaign ROI, Email Metrics
Marketing Qualified Leads
Contribution to Pipeline
Sales/Account Mgmt.
Customer Acquisition
Customer Retention
Up-sell/Cross Sell
Sales Process
Opportunity Management
Contact Management
CRM
Proposal/CPQ
Sales Content Portal
New Features/Ideas for R&D
Objection Responses
Sales Scripts
% Quota Achieved
Renewal Rate, Revenue
Opportunity Metrics
Human Resources
Staffing for Sales Enablement
Sales Training
Performance Management
Recruiting & Hiring
New Rep Onboarding
Performance & Firing
Job Descriptions
Quality Assurance/Coaching
Sales Training Manual
Avg. Time to Achieve Quota
% Unsuccessful Hires
# CV/Resume Submissions
HRIS
Learning Management System
LinkedIn & Job Websites
Customer Support
Customer Service/Support
Identify Sales Opportunities
Customer Insight/Feedback
Helpdesk (phone support)
Email Support (case/ticket)
Online Community Requests
New Features/Ideas for R&D
Support Scripts
FAQs, SLA
Avg. Time to Resolution
% Escalations to Tier 2
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Customer Support, Twitter
CRM, Order Management
Accounting/Billing/ERP
Figure 6: Sales Enablement Framework
Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
13. the use of simple constraints (or pre-defined limits) on choices
to augment or replace traditional business rules.
Technology Infrastructure. Most CPQ vendors today operate
as SaaS applications, in the cloud, with support for the range of
presentation devices, including mobile devices. A few also offer
on premise options.
CRM/ERP Integration. Most CPQ vendors provide CRM
and/or ERP integration with vendors like Salesforce, SAP,
Microsoft, NetSuite and Oracle as well as small SMB players like
Sage and Selligent. Others also offer integration with
legacy/niche systems like CAD, CAM and product lifecycle
management (PLM) suites.
Key Niche Functionality
Channel Management. CPQ for channel management is about
information dissemination and control for multi-tiered sales
environments. Solid solutions include channel level product &
price configuration options, support multiple price lists &
currencies, offer multi-tier discounting and provide product
catalog and pricing information by channel and user role.
Contract and Order Management. Contract management
systems manage the contract and order process. Your contract
management solution should include a searchable contract
repository and authoring tools & templates. Choose a vendor
that offers lifecycle management from creation through
negotiation, approval, execution, auditing, reporting and renewal.
Automatic alerts embedded at key stages in the process is a plus.
eSignatures. eSignature systems enable customers to sign
proposals and contracts from anywhere on any device. Beyond
that basic functionality, eSignature vendors provide templates for
document design, authentication functions, workflow
management, reporting features, legal/industry compliance. Two
vendors dominate this space: DocuSign and Adobe EchoSign.
Most CPQ vendors integrate with one of these two vendors.
Business Rules and Constraints. Business rules drive CPQ
configuration and pricing engines. The sophistication of the
business rules has historically determined the inherent capability
of the CPQ functionality. In the drive toward ease of use and
away from legacy ERP systems, today vendors are working to
simplify the use of business rules. One option gaining ground is
13
Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
18. Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
Component
Product
Configurator
PricingEngine
QuotingSystem
BusinessRules&
Constraints
Proposal&Order
Management
Channel
Management
eSignatures
ProductDesign&
Modeling
Metrics,Insights
Value-based
Pricing
Quote-to-Cash
System
GuidedSelling
Playbooks
Predictive
Analytics
SaaSInfrastructure
&CRM/ERP
Integration
Basic x x x x
Standard x x x x x x x x
Comprehensive x x x x x x x x x x
Cutting-Edge x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Figure 9: CPQ Vendor Selection Criteria by Functionality Tier
20. 5. Request proposals from potential vendors to gather information
on products/services. Use our CPQ System RFP Template to
create a standard proposal template for your organization.
6. After receiving RFPs from potential vendors, schedule and
attend product/service demos with 3-4 vendors to get an up-
close-and-personal view of their solutions.
7. Evaluate the 3-4 vendors at the top of your list with our CPQ
Vendor Evaluation Matrix in order to help you make your
selection.
8. Develop an implementation strategy and communication plan
to roll-out the initiative across the organization and through
your channels. Use our MarCom Plan Methodology to create
your plan.
9. Develop an education and training plan for all affected
personnel: sales, marketing, operations and channels.
10. Measure and track the progress and results of your CPQ
initiative with our CPQ Program Metrics Dashboard.
Configure, Price, Quote: Insights, Landscape & Vendor Analysis
Download
Figure 10: CPQ Program Metrics Dashboard
20