The SaaS world is incredibly competitive. This means that every contact with a client matters, and one of the most crucial ways you can convert prospects into clients is through a SaaS sales proposal.
With a comprehensive, well-structured, compelling proposal as part of your pitch, you’re far more likely to secure a deal. But how do you make sure your proposal stands out among the many competitors? Plus, what are the benefits of creating a template to format each of your proposals?
We’ll explore this and more below as we discuss the importance of SaaS sales proposal templates and how to go about making one.
Why Should You Have a SaaS Sales Proposal Template
When it comes to SaaS or software as a service, it’s important to be as agile and responsive as possible. But these things shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity. This is why creating a compelling and well-crafted SaaS sales proposal template is so important. There are several reasons that you should create one.
Branding
To remain consistent with your branding, you should have a SaaS template that you use when you approach potential clients. This way, they see a consistent brand image that increases trust and solidifies your brand’s identity.
Efficiency
As you know, time is perhaps the most important element in sales. By having a ready-to-use template, you can quickly tailor the proposal to the specific needs of a client without having to start from scratch each time.
Accuracy
A standardized template also reduces the chance of errors. You’ll have predefined sections that ensure all vital information is included and that there’s no oversight.
Professionalism
This is another element of SaaS proposals that you should consider. If you present a polished and professional proposal, you can make a great first impression and show how dedicated your company is.
Analytics
If you use a standardized template, it’ll be far easier to gather data on which sections clients interact with most. This kind of feedback can help you improve in the future.
Clarity
You should also consider how clear and logical your template is. It can guide clients through information about your company in a manner that helps them fully understand what you’re offering.
SaaS Sales Proposal Template: How To Create One
If you’re convinced of the importance of having a SaaS sales proposal template, you’re going to want to get started in creating one. Below, we’ll go through the six critical steps to creating a top-of-the-line sales proposal template, what you should include, how it should be structured, and more.
While these steps are a great place for any SaaS company to start, there may be other elements to the process that you’ll want to consider that suit your business specifically.
In this section, we discuss everything from knowing your audience and setting a specific tone to defining the problem and providing a solution, highlighting key features that you’re going to want clients to know about, and offering real-life testimonials that prove how useful your product is.
Some other things you might want to keep in mind include the form or forms your proposal takes, how you’re going to edit the proposal for each client, and whether or not there are clients on your radar who need something completely different from your pre-made template.
Step 1: Know Your Audience and Set the Tone
The first step you’re going to want to follow is to research your potential client’s needs and any challenges they might be facing. You should start with a compelling introduction that highlights your SaaS solution’s unique selling proposition and how it meets the potential client’s needs and solves their problems.
This way, you can craft a proposal that feels personalized and highly relevant. Your introduction should be detailed enough to feel like you are about the client while also being succinct enough to lead them into the next section. Your introduction should not only provide an overview of your SaaS solution but also set the tone for the entire proposal.
Step 2: Define the Problem and Showcase Your Solution
It’s highly important to clearly articulate the client’s problem in your proposal as well as how your product addresses it. All companies face problems, so ensure that you understand what issue a company might be facing or what areas they can improve in.
Once you’ve clearly defined this issue, position your SaaS product as the solution. You should do this by using relevant data, statistics, and any case studies you can find that bolster your claims. By demonstrating tangible benefits, you should be able to build credibility and trust.
You should have specific instances in which your product benefited a company in mind when crafting this part of the proposal template. What elements of your experience, and your client’s, are you going to share, and how exactly are you going to share them?
Step 3: Highlight Key Features with Benefits and Pricing
Next, you’re going to want to dive into the core features of your SaaS product. Do so by emphasizing their direct benefits to the client and illustrating how they address the client’s specific needs. The many features of your product don’t mean very much if the client doesn’t know about them or understand them.
For every feature you list, make sure you tie it to a concrete benefit that addresses the client’s needs or challenges. This transforms what could be a generic solution into a must-have tool the client is going to love.
It’s also important in this step to be transparent about your pricing. If you share your product’s pricing tiers clearly, you’re more likely to build trust. If possible, you should also offer flexible tiered packages or customizable solutions. This way, the client knows that you’re willing to cater to their specific budgetary needs.
Step 4: Offer Testimonials and Detail Implementation
One of the best ways to get a new client is to use social proof or testimonies. Make sure that you incorporate testimonials from satisfied clients, as these are still one of the most important ways to gain trust and entice a potential client. These testimonials should highlight their positive experiences and the results they’ve achieved using your solution.
Prospective clients are going to be interested to know the transition process from the software they’re using now to yours. You can use this stage also to provide a detailed implementation plan. This should explain exactly how the process works from initial onboarding to integration. While doing so, make sure you highlight the fact that you offer continuous support, resources, and training.
Step 5: Set Clear Terms and Include a CTA
As mentioned previously, transparency and clarity are key. Any proposal you ever make should have a section dedicated to terms and conditions. This includes payment schedules, service level agreements, refund policies, data security protocols, and anything relevant.
This not only protects your company but also sets clear expectations for the client. This type of clarity reduces the risk of misunderstandings down the line.
When you’re concluding your proposal, make sure you include a CTA or call to action. This could be everything from an invitation for a detailed product demo to a one-on-one consultation to a trial period offer. In this step, you want to make it clear what the client should do next if they’re interested in working with you or learning more.
Step 6: Prioritize Design and Presentation
Finally, the last step is to consider the presentation. It’s important to have a visually appealing proposal. This makes it far more likely to engage and impress a potential client. You should include your brand’s colors, use high-quality images and graphics, and use a layout that is organized and easy to navigate.
You’re also going to want to consider the font you use and how the client is going to navigate the proposal. When your presentation is over, you’re going to want to walk away feeling like the entire presentation was completed successfully (including the potential client’s reaction to the design).
You’ll want to avoid any indication that your company is not as professional as it could be through something as simple as the wrong color or font choices. While these might seem like small, unimportant elements of your presentation, they can make or break a successful SaaS pitch.
Conclusion
Making sure you stand out hinges on having a successful SaaS sales proposal template and knowing what to include. These proposals can be the difference between a missed opportunity and a successful business partnership.
If you want to elevate your client engagement and showcase your products in the best possible light, consider Saleo. With Saleo, you can create highly professional demos that complement your proposals. These will provide tangible and easy-to-digest insights into your solutions’ value.
Don’t just tell them what you can do; show them! Request a demo with Saleo today and enhance your sales game.
