Survey on Monday, proposal on Friday
The survey was Monday. The designer finished the layout on Tuesday. On Wednesday the office copied the panel count, inverter and battery into the pricing spreadsheet, then into the Word template, then attached the datasheets. The generation estimate went in as a screenshot. On Thursday someone spotted the battery in the price did not match the design. The proposal went on Friday.
The homeowner had two other proposals by Wednesday.
Why proposals take so long
- Design, pricing and document are in three different tools.
- Every figure is copied by hand, which means every figure has to be checked.
- Options, such as with or without battery, double the work.
- Templates drift as people edit their own copies.
- Datasheets and warranties are attached from a shared folder, sometimes out of date.
What slow proposals cost
Homeowners who decide before your proposal arrives. Errors that undermine trust when spotted. Office time on copying rather than following up. And inconsistent proposals across salespeople.
A proposal generator from your design and price book
- The design tool's output, such as panel layout, equipment list and the performance estimate your designer produced, is imported rather than retyped.
- Prices come from your price book, with your rules for labour, scaffold and extras.
- Options, such as a larger battery or without battery, are priced from the same design.
- Your approved template is filled in: layout image, equipment, price, options, what is included, next steps.
- Current datasheets and warranty summaries are attached from a managed library.
- The proposal is produced as a web page and PDF, and a person checks it before sending.
- Accepted options flow back to the CRM, ready for ordering.
Performance figures in the proposal are your designer's, prepared the way your certification and consumer code expect. The generator copies them; it does not create them.
Manual versus generated
| Step | Manual | Generated |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment list | Retyped | Imported from design |
| Pricing | Spreadsheet | Price book rules |
| Options | Duplicated by hand | Priced from one design |
| Datasheets | Shared folder | Managed library |
| Checking | Every figure | A final review |
Proposals out while the customer is still interested
Proposals go out soon after design. Figures match because they were never retyped. Options are easy to add. Every proposal looks the same, and current. And the office spends its time following up, not copying.
A final check that is quick
Automation does not remove the need for someone to look at a proposal before it goes. What it changes is what they check. Instead of comparing every figure against the design and price sheet, the reviewer looks at the proposal as a customer would: does the layout make sense, is the option set right, is anything missing. That takes minutes rather than an hour.
It also makes proposals consistent across salespeople. When everyone uses the same approved template, fed from the same price book, a homeowner comparing your proposal with a neighbour's sees the same structure and the same standard, which is exactly what you want.
When you change your template or your price book, every new proposal picks it up at once.
Is your proposal process slowing sales?
- Proposals take days after the survey.
- Figures are copied between design, pricing and template.
- Errors have been found in sent proposals.
- Each salesperson has their own template.