DealHub.io Wins 5 New G2 Crowd Awards for CPQ

Our biggest thrill at DealHub is watching our customers succeed. Knowing that we’ve played a small part in that success by helping you better engage with your buyers and win more deals gives us the motivation to continually develop the best CPQ and Sales Engagement solution on the market.

When you give us positive feedback, that’s the icing on the cake.

DealHub.io is excited to announce that we have been recognized with 5 new awards by G2 Crowd for Spring 2019. Again, we were awarded Best Relationship as our commitment to growing with our customers is at the forefront of everything we do, from product development to implementation to ongoing customer support.

We are very honored to have won in two Enterprise categories for the first time: Best Support and Easiest to do Business With. DealHub continues to lead the way among CPQ and Sales Engagement vendors and is dedicated to meeting the unique challenges of our Enterprise customers.

We are also grateful to have been honored by G2 Crowd as the Highest Performer among CPQ vendors for Spring 2019, receiving the highest Satisfaction score among products in CPQ. 100% of users rated DealHub.io 4 or 5 stars, 96% of users believe our CPQ software is headed in the right direction, and users said they would be likely to recommend DealHub.io at a rate of 96%. (See the full report at G2 Crowd.)

Thank you to all of our customers who have helped us achieve the G2 Crowd awards for CPQ. You are at the heart of everything we do. We look forward to supporting you in achieving your sales goals.

The post DealHub.io Wins 5 New G2 Crowd Awards for CPQ appeared first on DealHub.

Sales Engagement Insights - What is a Sales Engagement Platform?

Sales Engagement Insights - What is a Sales Engagement Platform?

The 7 Essential CPQ Features for Microsoft Dynamics Users

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales is a robust CRM, but there’s a software that can supercharge the platform – DealHub CPQ.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a powerful CRM platform to manage leads and customer relationships. What it lacks, however, is the ability to manage the sales process from end to end, to send accurate, branded, professional quotes and sales proposals, and report on the buyer interaction with those quotes.

Fortunately, CPQ (Configure Price Quote) software integrated with Microsoft Dynamics, enables sales teams to configure complex pricing easily and respond to buyer requests for quotes quickly, two factors which heavily impact the customer experience and the likelihood of a sale. Add to that the benefit of visibility into every quote, and you can see how CPQ takes CRM from standard to spectacular.

Then there’s the increase in productivity. Automating sales quotes and proposal generation frees sales reps to spend more time talking to potential customers. Less time spent on administrative tasks means more opportunities to increase revenue.

CPQ is commonly ranked as one of the most critical technologies to support CRM. But, how do you choose the right CPQ for Microsoft Dynamics that integrates seamlessly to create a rich user experience that will elevate your sales process and maximize your sales team’s productivity?

Aligned with Native Microsoft Dynamics User Experience

In 2018, Microsoft made some nice user experience improvements to MS Dynamics 365, including enhancements to forms and dashboards, and improving the visual hierarchy. The best CPQ will sync with the native MS Dynamics user experience, making it easy for your sales reps to generate pricing, quotes, and proposals from within the platform, using a single sign-on. This single sign-on capability turns the CPQ into another feature within your CRM, so reps don’t have to leave the platform to use a separate tool, greatly increasing user adoption and ease of use.

Easy to Use

Sales reps face many challenges when working with buyers. They must be up-to-date on products and pricing, trained in using sales software, and savvy in their communications with buyers. They must understand their company’s sales methods and policies. And, they need to be prepared to share the right content with buyers at the right time in their buying journey. All of this can be accomplished with a CPQ that incorporates guided selling using a sales playbook.

A CPQ that is easy to use and includes features such as sales playbooks and pre-configured rules for pricing and discounting will increase adoption of the software and decrease new hire onboarding time. You and your sales team will benefit from a CPQ which requires minimal training time to bring sales reps up-to-speed and helps them close deals easily.

Robust Yet Agile

A productivity-enhancing CPQ will include features that streamline the sales process, yet be agile and customizable to your organization’s needs. Look for a CPQ that allows you to customize your product catalog and configuration rules and easily change pricing and discounting. CPQ offers the time-saving benefit of branded templates, but look for a CPQ that can generate customized documents as well.

Flexible features aren’t the only benefit of CPQ. In Dynamics, salespeople can quickly view their funnel. A CPQ takes it a step further and enables your reps to view the current stage of the quotes in their pipeline and determine the most recent action taken on each quote. Visibility into the funnel stages and status of each quote allows you to identify bottlenecks and empowers agile decision-making on each deal.

Easy to Implement and Administer

A CPQ that is quick and easy to set-up and configure, and one that doesn’t require a developer to write custom code, will help you achieve a positive ROI faster. Seamless integration with MS Dynamics CRM is a must.

A CPQ streamlines the sales process and reduces administrative tasks. If you cannot update pricing, configure new discounting rules, and add new products easily, it is not the right CPQ for you. Look for a CPQ that provides ongoing support beyond initial set up so you have help should issues arise or when you need additional customization of the software. Partner with a CPQ vendor that is easy to work with and makes customer support a top priority.

Scalable for Growth

As your business grows, you need CPQ software that will grow with your company. A vendor dedicated to CPQ will be able to support you as your business grows. Continual improvements and updates, taking into account customers’ needs for enhanced functionality, ensures that the CPQ software will grow with you. Choose a CPQ vendor that is committed to supporting your long-term business growth.

Supports Complex Pricing Models

For companies that need to configure complex pricing and quotes, such as those in the services, finance, manufacturing and telecommunications industries, CPQ picks up where MS Dynamics falls short. The best CPQ for your organization will support complex pricing options including subscriptions, leases, add-ons, and bundled pricing. Features tailored to configuring complex pricing enable a faster and more accurate quote-to-contract process.

Analytics and Intelligence

Visibility into the sales process, at each stage of the buyer’s journey, yields valuable data about how customers respond to quotes and proposals, what communication with buyers is most effective, what prices and discounts have the best close rate and other intelligence that can inform your sales process, policies, and pricing. Actionable data leads to better sales strategies that empower your team to be more successful.

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CPQ Fulfills Microsoft’s Sales Vision

This quote from Alysa Taylor, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications and Industry, Microsoft resonates with us at DealHub.io and our mission to offer a new breed of CPQ to our customers.

DealHub is purpose-built to break down the silos between marketing and sales, customer and sales rep, manager and sales team. Our CPQ for Microsoft Dynamics aligns with the platform, not only in functionality but in our vision for the value that a CPQ offers for today’s companies and their customers. The unique value that DealHub.io brings to Microsoft Dynamics users is the new approach to CPQ which focuses on ease-of-use and a better buyer experience. DealHub has evolved CPQ to a point where every Price Quote can now be sent out in a personalized Deal Room, making it easier for the buyer to have all the sales collateral they need centralized in one place.

The post The 7 Essential CPQ Features for Microsoft Dynamics Users appeared first on DealHub.

DealHub Customer Success: Lastline Gains Visibility and a Streamlined Sales Process

Lastline provides AI-powered network security solutions. The Lastline Behavioral Intelligence Program gives advanced visibility into cyber threats and provides threat analytics, allowing businesses to respond to a breach quickly and cost-effectively. With offices in the US, Europe, and Asia, Lastline has a global sales team that sells several network security solutions in a variety of verticals and channel partnerships.

The Challenge

Lastline was working from Excel spreadsheets to configure pricing and using email to send quotes. There was a lack of consistency in the quotes and documents being sent to prospects. They needed more visibility into their pricing and quoting, a streamlined sales process, and a way to track buyer response.

The Solution

DealHub implemented a CPQ that is very nimble and can handle all of the different nuances in their sales process. The CPQ was up and running in minimal time, and their sales organization was able to find value very quickly. DealHub has been responsive to helping them make adjustments as business decisions necessitate changes in their pricing configuration and sales processes. Their sales team loves the look and feel of the software, the ease and simplicity of entering information and placing a quote by hitting a button and sending an email out. DealHub has added value by helping streamline Lastline’s business. Having all sales operations in one system allowed Lastline to reduce administrative tasks and eliminate unnecessary steps in their sales process.

[Video Transcript]

Hi. I’m Rebecca Crum with Lastline. I’m the Director of Partner Programs here.

What does Lastline do?

Lastline has the best malware protection in the industry. We give advanced visibility into the threats and great threat analytics, so taking businesses to where they can respond to a breach very quickly and cost efficiently without having to increase their security team.

How did you create quotes before using DealHub (formerly Valooto)?

As we were going to quote our product into the system, we really were working in old-school Excel spreadsheets and email, which really did work. We’ve sold a lot of product that way, but we want more visibility into it now.

How did you select DealHub?

We selected DealHub based on the people, product, and the process. They have fantastic people at DealHub that have been able to answer all of our questions and they have been quick to respond. The product, itself, is very nimble and can handle all of the different nuances on how we do business. The process in which they get us up and running to be able to find value very quickly was what we like the best.

What was it like implementing DealHub?

One of the easiest integrations I’ve ever had to do is working with DealHub, actually. They’re very timely with the weekly meetings, actionable results each week that we need to do, and you can see considerable progress from week-to-week gains. They’re willing to work with changes as the business decisions come up. It’s really fast to get to value, so it’s one of the easiest integrations we’ve had to do.

How is the sales adoption with DealHub?

Our sales team is really excited to have DealHub in their pocket of tools. They love the look and feel, the ease of being able to enter the information into the system, and it’s captured in a reportable way, and the simplicity of placing a quote by hitting a button and sending an email out or using the deal hub.

What added value does DealHub CPQ provide?

Our original scope was just to get consistency and documents going out and some visibility into our quoting processes and our sales process here at Lastline, but with DealHub, we’ve found that throughout this entire process, we’ve had an added value of streamlining our business by being able to cut out some steps that we no longer need because it’s all in one system.

Would you recommend DealHub?

I would absolutely recommend DealHub to other companies, especially someone who’s looking for a great team with a solid product that will grow with you as you change in your business needs.

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We’ve enjoyed working with Lastline to help them accomplish their sales goals. It’s exciting to see their business growth and to continue supporting their sales team’s requirements as their business needs evolve.

Learn how DealHub can streamline your sales process and help you achieve your revenue goals. Schedule a live demo to see DealHub in action.

The post DealHub Customer Success: Lastline Gains Visibility and a Streamlined Sales Process appeared first on DealHub.

DealHub Customer Success: Looker Gets More Value from Salesforce CRM with DealHub CPQ

Looker is a Business Intelligence and Data Visualization software company that helps businesses make smarter, more informed decisions. With offices in the US and the UK, their sales team is spread across two continents and multiple time zones, creating unique challenges in working from one source of truth in configuring pricing and quotes.

The Challenge

Looker was facing the challenge of version control with a growing sales team downloading and creating multiple versions of price quotations. They needed guardrails around best practices to maintain the integrity of their pricing, streamline communication, and maintain their unique selling process amidst a complex pricing model.

The Solution

DealHub’s team was responsive to Looker’s unique needs and quickly implemented a CPQ solution built around best sales practices, configured to their pricing model. Within the first week of rolling out the software, their staff had an 80% adoption rate. Because DealHub lacks a heavy footprint, it allowed flexibility in the integration with Salesforce CRM. Implementation was simple and did not require a lot of consulting and coding.

[Video Transcript]

I’m Teresa Swart and my role here at Looker is the Senior Director of Executive Operations.                                  

How did you create quotes before using DealHub (formerly Valooto)?

We were previously using the Salesforce embedded quoting tool. We had lots of people who provided quotes from everything on a napkin, to a Word document, to an Excel spreadsheet. Behind the scenes, we had a very complex pricing model that was built on a Google spreadsheet with tons and tons of tabs that people could alter. The challenges that we had with that method was, of course, training new sales reps to use these tools, which had become embedded urban legend at best.                                       

Version control was a big challenge. And of course as soon as you have people who feel comfortable downloading things onto their desktop, it was impossible to ever pull those back and make sure that we give them the right information. So, from all of those pieces, we really needed to find a tool that could allow us to streamline the communication to put some guardrails around it and make sure that our customers got the right information on what we were selling.                                      

What has it been like working with DealHub?

DealHub has been amazing to work with. The team has been responsive to any changes that we needed or feedback that we had on the product. We’ve had a lot of support just in terms of making sure that our implementation was done well enough and experienced all of the best practices. Of course everybody has a unique selling process, but we did too and we wanted to make sure that we were able to replicate that. And DealHub was very helpful in making sure that we were able to do that effectively.                                       

What was the adoption like with DealHub?

Sales teams are a little bit of averse to change, but they’ve come along. From the first week that we rolled out DealHub, we had almost an 80% attach rate from people who had gone in and tried to use the tool. We also had a really big beta group, which helped make sure that people adopted it later on. So the feedback over time has been, what more can we do? How much easier can we make it? But overall, it been really positive.

What has been the best thing about working with DealHub?

The best thing about working with DealHub has been our ability to share our feedback very openly on the product and make sure that we had help and support if we needed it. And that goes from having people come onsite to help us out with specific issues and also when our Salesforce admin was on vacation and I needed immediate help to help some of our sales reps, DealHub jumped right in and they’ve always been there for me.

How is DealHub different from other CPQs you’ve used before?

I have used SteelBrick and BigMachines, which is now owned by Oracle, in the past. The benefit of DealHub is how easy it was to implement. And of course a lot of that has to do with how well you have your price book and your process nailed down before you start looking at any of these tools, but the actual programming of DealHub was much simpler than it was with some of those other options. There’s also not a big heavy footprint that gets installed with sales force when you roll out DealHub. So we were able to do that really flexibly.

Our Salesforce CRM instance has a lot of customizations that we’ve built in the past, so if we had done something like BigMachines, which requires a lot of triggers and Apex programming to make it work together, I think it would’ve taken us a very long time and a lot of consulting hours to make that actually functional within our system. DealHub, we just rolled out. It just worked.

What added value does DealHub offer?

We are starting to look into using DealHub’s (Sales Engagement Platform) and make sure that that becomes part of our sales process. I think we’ve found that DealHub becomes such a flexible platform that it can help guide the selling process in a way that’s a little bit deeper than just a configuration pricing tool. It allows us to really help people think through what’s the best way to put together a contract? What’s the best way to get the information out to a customer as quickly as possible? So we have and we will be looking forward to using DealHub more in the future.

Would you recommend DealHub?

I would definitely recommend DealHub to other companies.

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We’ve enjoyed working with Looker in building out a flexible CPQ solution for their Salesforce CRM that helps guide their sales team to success. It’s exciting to see their sales organization thrive using a streamlined, agile quoting solution.

Learn how DealHub can transform your sales process and help you achieve your revenue goals. Schedule a live demo to see DealHub in action.

The post DealHub Customer Success: Looker Gets More Value from Salesforce CRM with DealHub CPQ appeared first on DealHub.

Content to Conversion Event - DealHub.io + G2 Crowd | Fueling Content Strategy with Customer Voice