What should every SaaS Sales Proposal Include? -
The most feared SaaS sales prospectus.
If you're honest, you probably hate the idea of spending hours making a SaaS sales proposal, tinkering in the pricing structure and trying to figure out the right words to impress your buyer. This isn't a lot of fun. Plenty of salespeople feel similar to you because so many do not follow through and do not make a convincing plan, this could be the perfect opportunity to make an impact and make a sale.
A successful SaaS sales pitch is typically made following a request from a customer that they're interested in the specific service. Certain companies use simple templates for their proposals while others put together comprehensive documents which detail each aspect of the sale. We recognize the legalities and best methods differ for every scenario.
You can also reduce the complexity and the guesswork that is involved in SaaS sales proposal development through the use of pricing grids. The pricing grid is an effective sales tool is available to prospective buyers before you put together the final sales plan. Essentially, it allows prospective buyers to select what they would like. Once they select the price that fits their needs The account manager gets informed and is able to put the proposal together that matches EXACTLY with the expectations of the buyer.
In this post this article, we'll show youstep-by-step how to compose SaaS sales pitches that will consistently make sales more quickly. Before we discuss what you should include in your proposal, let's review some of the pre-proposal procedures that should take place.
We'll then dive into each part of the sales pitch:
- Cover Page
- About Us
- Problem (your prospects' issue or challenge)
- Solution (your company's solution)
- Case Studies & Testimonials
- Team (key leaders and members of the team)
- Contract (e.g., terms and agreements, the scope of work, etc.)
Let's get started!
Pre-Proposal Préparations
A well-crafted sales plan should not be a surprise.
It should feel like it's the next step that's logical during your interactions with the prospect. This is why we urge account executives to use pricing grids prior to making proposals. Furthermore, there are a few crucial questions you'll need to ensure you address prior to writing the proposal:
- Why is it that the potential buyer wants the product you're offering? What is the issue the buyer is looking to address? In order to write an effective sales proposal You must understand your prospects' problems and desired outcomes that they're hoping for. It will allow you to offer options that are specifically tailored to the specific needs of your customer.
- Are they looking at alternative options? If yes, what are the reasons they considering those options? Understanding what your competitors offer and the ways in which your SaaS solution differs from them can aid you in dealing with objections before they arise. If you've spent the time to understand your potential customer's needs, you can address what aspects of your SaaS solution can be better to meet their needs beforesending your sales prospectus.
- What's their budget? It's nearly impossible to draft proposals without knowing your client's budget. Ideally, you would gather this information when you're interviewing the prospective client. If you don't know the budget of their company, inquire. Don't move forward with writing the proposal until you have the answer. You can then eliminate applicants who aren't a great match.
- Who is the person who signs the contract? Who decides the deal? As you talk with the prospect, you should know who the key decision-makers are and the person who will ultimately decide to accept the proposal. It will ensure that you're communicating to all parties needed for closing the deal.
- What's the process for procuring? Certain organizations, such as the schools or governments use a formal process for procurement to suit their complex environments, while other companies may not have formal procedures to acquire new products or services. Being aware of your potential buyer's internal procurement process will help you determine the best steps in closing the deal, such as, including all the information you need in the proposal, including ROI analyses, project plans, timelines and legal requirements, for example. If your proposal includes all of the information they require to be able to accept, you'll be that much closer to concluding the transaction.
Writing Your Proposal
Once you've answered all these questions in the pre-proposal stage, you're ready to start writing! A few tips prior to starting:
- Keep your proposal to 1-2 pages. A typical executive or decision-maker is extremely busy and could also have an extremely short attention time. Keep it brief.
- Make use of a simple language. Cut jargon that isn't understood by the general public. Simple is the best in creating your sales pitch.
For your reference Here are eight elements that make up a winning SaaS sales proposal:
- Cover Page
- About Us
- Problem (your potential customer's issue or issues)
- Solution (your business's solution)
- Case Studies / Testimonials
- Team (key executives and teammates on your team)
- Contract (e.g., terms and agreements, the scope of work, etc.)
Remember that this outline doesn't have to be written in stone. Think of it as a general guideline to take as a base and adjust as you see appropriate.
- What is a Cover Page Proposal?
The cover page should contain the name of the proposal, the client's name, the proposal delivery date as well as the name of the person who submitted it (you). It is possible to personalize the cover page by including the logo of the client as well.
While this may appear as a simple task, this step is often overlooked. Adding a cover page to your sales proposal will give the proposal a polished and professional appearance.
It's all about first impressions!
Principal Takeaways
- Address your proposal to the appropriate individual.
- Maintain it professional and clean.
- About Us
The "About Us" section provides a chance to briefly introduce your company and convince potential customers that your SaaS product can deliver what they're expecting.
Describing your workflow, current clients and previous successes will increase the credibility of your company and suggest that you are a company they can trust.
It is also possible to list your client's goals in this section by couching them as your objectives, which is exactly what they should be! For instance: "Our goal is to increase productivity at Company XYZ at 50% in 12 months."
The most important takeaways are:
- Present your business, be brief, as your potential customer is more interested in how they can benefit from your services. them.
- Provide information about your business to boost your credibility and increase trust.
- Understanding Your Prospect's Issue
Okay, here's where we begin to get into the substanceof this SaaS sales pitch.
The "Problem" part (often called"Need" or "Need" section) is the place where you discuss the current issues and requirements. What are the issues they're facing that you can help with?
Write a succinct outline of their requirements prioritizing them from essential needs to value-adds. Include everything your prospective client is having trouble to overcome, including the efficiency of their business, its revenue or profitability or scaling. An organized list makes it easy for them to understand.
It's not necessary to dive involved in the solution at this point . This is the chance to demonstrate to your prospective client that you've been listening, that you understand their pain and concerns.
Moreover, it's a chance to draw a dark picture of their current state of affairs so that later you can surprise them with the improvement that they'll experience if they select the company's SaaS solution.
We've mocked up an example of what this section could be like.
The most important takeaways are:
- List the prospective client's needs by priority (most important to the least).
- Clearly Communicate the Solutions You Give
For simplicity's sake We titled this portion of the sales proposal"the "Solution," but "How We work" and "How We Deliver" are also popular names for this section.
Here are some questions you could ask yourself to help you write at this stage:
- What is my distinctive selling point?
- Which features of my SaaS product will be most useful for my potential customer?
- What are my key outputs and deliverables?
- What time frame will they see the results?
As an example: "Integrating our software will assist in automating your fulfillment and decrease your costs by 10% within a twelve-month timeframe."
That is, you're explaining your plan of action and the benefits you deliver. This has been said many times already, but this is worth repeating: You want to paint a picture of the way your SaaS product will benefit the users.
Make sure you are focusing on your potential customers. Your SaaS might have hundreds of functions, but just a few could be beneficial to this particular prospective customer. When presenting your idea, concentrate on features that provide most benefit. One more time to the folks behind:
Be sure to keep your eyes on the target.
Also, you should include the project's timeline, plan of action and value-adds as well as an overview of the entire implementation method. This is crucial for bigger enterprise-sized deals as implementation may be a long process that can take months or weeks.
Finally, it is possible to include additional information requested by the prospect within this section or in an appendix. (Scroll back to pre-proposal preparations if you need a refresher!)
Principal Takeaways
- Tell the world about your SaaS solution, including the goals you can aid them to achieve. Make it clear!
- Incorporate project timelines as well as milestones, deliverables and Value-adds, and any other information that will expedite closing.
- Include Great Case Studies & Testimonials
Your proposed solution may just be what your customer wants, but they'll be looking for more than your assurance that you can meet their needs.
Include customer testimonials or case studies as well as any other material that illustrates your product can deliver positive results. It adds a tremendous amount of trustworthiness to your SaaS service and your company.
- According to a Nielsen research, 66% of people trust online user feedback.
- Testimonials and quotes boost conversions to 34 percent According to Sumo.
Needless to say, adding case studies and testimonials to your proposition can significantly boost your chances of closing the deal. Make sure you do notskip this part.
Social Proof is a psychological phenomena in which individuals conform to other people's actions under the assumption that those actions are indicative of the right behavior.
Principal Takeaway:
- Case studies and social proof are essential to convince people that you have the ability to provide.
- Demonstrate The Team Who Will Be Working With The Client
This section is a great way to present your business's top managers and employees who would be involved in the account.
Include a description for each team member along with a professional photo.
The Key Takeaway
- Put faces to the project by including bios and pictures of key executives from the company and team members.
- Add Your Contract
It is important to include the contract in your sales offer in order for your potential buyer to sign the deal right away. We won't get into details on how to draft the contract in this article. (Contact your attorney for advice on this matter.)
The most important thing to remember is capitalize on the excitement of your prospect and have the contract signed right away!
The Key Takeaway
- For speedier closing, include your contract or legal document in the proposition and have it signed.
Wrapping It Up
The creation of sales propositions which consistently close SaaS deals requires intentionality and yes, effort. But If you follow the rules described above, you'll get on the path to consistently concluding SaaS agreements.
Here's a recap of the most important sales proposal guidelines:
- Limit your proposal to 1-2 pages.
- Don't write the proposal until you've established your target's budget.
- Direct your proposal to the right decision-maker.
- Keep details about your own business to a minimum. Focus on your prospects.
- Outline your prospect's needs.
- You must be specific in what you can do to help them reach their goals and achieve outcomes.
- Add case studies and other testimonials for credibility as well as social proof.
- Attach a document to the contract, and allow it to be signed.
Then, what's the best way of approaching these steps?
The most common mistake individuals make is copying and pasting this list to an adhesive notepad and then adhering to it every time they have to make an idea...
But there's no need to make another burden for yourself or spend your precious time.
You can also try using software built to populate SaaS sales pitches. This will save you time that you can spend developing relationships with prospective customers and closing sales.
While you can try using traditional tools like Google Sheets or Excel for this, we recommend using a tool specifically built to be used with SaaS.
A tool that has been designed to support the intricacies of SaaS proposals is the best approach to promote SaaS. It is fortunate that there exists particular tool that can do precisely this.
Interactive Quotes is a unique pricing proposal tool that streamlines the entire SaaS sales proposal process. No more sitting at work focusing on singular proposals -- with you can create the proposals, submit them and track their progress at any time, from anywhere. The idea is to take the whole process outlined in this post and makes it available to you at fingertips.
Start by using Interactive Quotes for free.
