The Challenge
The biggest challenge was that it took too much time for Elon's salespeople to create a quote. A quote from Elon typically contains products from several different suppliers, which meant that product information and prices had to be retrieved from different databases for each new quote. The information was then entered manually into Excel spreadsheets, and business-critical calculations were carried out in a number of mandatory steps.
Once the calculations were done, the next step was to go to Elon's company website to download product images and fact sheets linked to the products included in the quote. The quote was finally sent to the customer by email with a number of PDF attachments. It was a very time-consuming process that inevitably led to longer sales cycles, since the customer had to wait for an offer they could finally accept.
The Solution
With vloxq, the time it takes Elon's salespeople to create new quotes is reduced considerably. All the necessary information and documentation has already been gathered in vloxq's user interface, so quotes can be created by filling in a limited number of input fields.
Fredrik explains that it is now easy to select which products, brands, and potential upsell add-ons to include in a quote using the input fields. All business-critical calculations are done automatically, which also protects their margins.
The end result is a quote in PDF format with the correct price list, terms, product images, and fact sheets in one single document. No more attachments needed.
vloxq was able to solve the core problem by automating several steps for Elon's salespeople, allowing them to focus more on their customers' needs and wishes, according to Fredrik.
The Results
Customers are pleasantly surprised by how quickly their contact at Elon can come back with an offer. This makes Elon really stand out from competitors who, as far as Fredrik knows, still create their quotes manually.
Salespeople have been able to free up over two hours for every quote sent. This time can now be spent on more value-creating activities with customers instead. Fredrik has really noticed a difference in his sales team since they introduced vloxq; they are happier and have more energy after eliminating a tedious and cumbersome task.
It is important to Fredrik and Elon's management team that every quote sent is correct. With vloxq, they have been able to create an overview of their entire sales pipeline, which quotes have been sent to whom, and what they include.
Another important fact is that the average offer value has increased since Elon introduced vloxq, because salespeople now have more time to identify and offer their customers the best products. The combination of time saved, shorter sales cycles, and higher average offer value has resulted in an overall increase in sales for Elon, according to Fredrik.
As a supplier, it is important for Elon to be seen as fast and customer-focused. This is especially important for Fredrik when he evaluates new initiatives and investments for his organization.
