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How Proposal Automation Can Streamline Your Sales Process

How is your sales team creating and sharing proposals right now? Word documents? PDFs? That probably means they're creating every new proposal from scratch, taking up a lot of time they could be spending finding new prospects and closing new deals.

There's an easier way. Proposal automation can streamline the sales process from beginning to end, saving your team time and standardizing the way they create and send proposals. It's the solution you didn't know they needed.

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Franchise proposal process

Top 5 Bottlenecks in Your B2B Franchisee Proposal Process and How to Overcome Them

Franchisees are on the frontline of your business.

They form the barrier between customers and your brand—and obviously, you want them to represent your tone of voice, values, and pricing the right way. When they do this, you make more money.

But the more franchisees you add to the mix, the more it can feel like herding cats. One franchisee might run full steam ahead in one direction, and another might go rogue down an entirely different road.

To get them back on the same path (and avoid diluting your brand), it’s human nature to try and take back the reins. You can do this by personally reviewing every single proposal or overseeing each step of the proposal process in minute detail… but do you want to spend your time micromanaging the people you’ve trusted to expand your business?

Sure, checking and approving every individual proposal might slap a band-aid over the immediate problem, but it’s not a long-term fix. It might feel like you’re creating some semblance of consistency and control. But, in reality, you’re just adding obstacles that can force the entire proposal process to grind to a halt.

Here are some of the most common bottlenecks we see in the B2B franchisee proposal process and how you can overcome them.

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Brand image

Are Franchisee Proposals Killing Your Brand?

You already know how a compelling and cohesive brand is critical to the success of your B2B franchise and you ensure it’s consistent across all touch points of your business. Or, almost all touch points…what about the proposals your franchisees are sending out to prospective customers?

Often neglected, proposals act as the Chief Closing Officer for your franchise’s services — they represent you, your business, your services, and your reputation. Rogue franchisee proposals are everywhere, potentially damaging your brand right under your nose. Meanwhile, a fragmented or inconsistent sales experience dilutes customer confidence—lowering sales and leaving franchise owners wondering what happened.

When you take control of your franchisees’ proposals and ensure they’re always on brand, you can build up trust, boost closing rates, and keep customers coming back for more.

In this guide, we dive into common proposal mistakes that may be killing your brand. Plus we cover the strategies and software you need to take control once and for all.

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How to add electronic signatures to any document

How to Create an Electronic Signature & E-sign Your Documents

In theory, e-signatures should be quick and easy.

But if you’re the one sending the documents, then you need to do all of the setup work. (And that’s where things get complicated.)

If you need to add an electronic signature to a document, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to collect e-signatures on your proposals, PDFs, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word documents.

We cover a variety of e-signing methods so you can choose the right one for your use case and make sure your legal bases are covered.

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How to Insert a Signature in Word [4 Simple Methods]

Are you tired of printing out documents just to add your signature?

Well, you're in luck.

Today we're diving into four super easy methods to add a signature to your documents without the hassle of pens, paper, printer ink, scanners, and the like.

We've got some smart tricks up our sleeves, with signing methods that will work for any use case.

Need to sign a document for personal reasons? Methods 1 and 2 are totally free.

Need to collect a legally binding signature on a business contract? Skip to Methods 3 and 4

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Graphic showing increased success when writing grant proposals

Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Grant Proposal

Writing a grant proposal is incredibly time-consuming.

No joke. It's one of the most complicated documents you could write in your entire life.

There are different requirements, expectations, and formats—not to mention all the prep work you need to do, like market research and clarifying your project timeline.

Depending on the type of company or organization you represent and which grants you’re applying for, your grant could run anywhere from a dozen to a hundred pages. It’s a lot of work, and we’re here to help.

In this guide to grant proposals, we offer writing steps and examples, as well as resources and templates to help you start applying for funding right away.

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Qwilr Alternatives

Top 15 Qwilr Alternatives in 2024: Proposal & E-Signature Tools

Qwilr is a platform for creating and sending proposals that can be used by sales teams, marketers, customer success managers, and recruiters.

And while there are several different use cases that Qwilr succeeds at, it does have some serious downfalls that can really affect the speed of your proposal workflow and your closing rates.

In this article, we cover why it’s worth switching to a Qwilr alternative, what to look for in your next proposal tool, and the top options to consider.

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Graphic that shows eSignature fields in a PDF

How to Add an E-Signature to a PDF Document [4 Easy Ways]

Need to sign a PDF? No problem.

There are several different ways to go about this—keep scrolling for simple tutorials.

We've rounded up 4 easy methods for adding e-signatures to PDF documents.

Methods 1 and 2 are totally free and are perfect for adding a signature doodle to a PDF.

Methods 3 and 4 are better for business use, as you can be sure that the signatures are legally binding. These methods aren't free but they are low-cost. They also offer important business features like smooth client experiences, document templates, document tracking, client activity tracking, and secure online document storage.

Read on for details on all 4 methods. Plus, grab our tips on how to streamline your e-signature process and take the client experience to the next level.

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e signature for google docs

How to Add an E-Signature to Google Docs for Free [3 Ways]

If you want to add a signature to a Google Doc, you have a few different options.

You could use Google Drawing, try Google’s new e-signature tool, or upload a photo of your signature to your document. All of these methods are free and easy.

But they don’t provide an ideal experience for you or your client (which is why we’ve included a bonus method!). For a more professional look and full visibility into the signing process, you might want to consider proposal software.

Keep reading for tutorials and pros and cons on each method

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15 PandaDoc Alternatives: Which One is Best for You?

These PandaDoc alternatives do it all: send business proposals, automate workflows, collect e-signatures, and process payments.

But which one is right for you?

Maybe you want to help your sales team send proposals in a fraction of the time. Or, maybe you’re hoping to get contract features inside a client operations platform.

Whatever your motivation for seeking out a PandaDoc competitor, we’ve got you covered with tips on how to choose the right one plus a list of the top 15 options.

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