Visual CPQ

Visual CPQ: Transform Your Custom Product Sales Process

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The Kickflip Team

New features releases

October 21st, 2024

10 min read time

Some highly customizable products, such as custom kitchens, cars, boats, houses, industrial machinery, or other expensive items, require extra interaction with a salesperson to guide customers. If your business offers these kinds of products, you know that speed, accuracy, and personalization are essential to shortening the sales cycle and getting deals over the line.

Juggling complex configurations, quoting, and customer demands can overwhelm even the best sales teams, impacting overall sales efficiency. A Visual CPQ technology (Configure, Price, Quote) simplifies this process by combining product visualization with automated quoting, allowing businesses to offer their new users a smooth and engaging way to request quotes and convert them into orders.

In this article, we’ll break down what Visual CPQ is, highlight its advantages, and list some of the best CPQ software in 2024.

What is a Visual CPQ?

Visual CPQ goes beyond traditional CPQ software by adding a visual layer to the quoting process. Instead of just selecting options from a list, customers can see real-time previews of their configured products—whether it’s through 2D or 3D renderings. Prices are updated behind the scenes to ensure accurate pricing. After configuring a product, the customer journey involves entering their information, and a quote is generated. The salesperson can then adjust the quote and pricing if needed before sending it to the client for approval. This solution removes the guesswork for customers, boosts confidence in their purchase decisions, eliminates errors and helps businesses close more deals.

Introducing Kickflip’s Visual CPQ Solution

Kickflip is already well-known for its powerful product customization platform, enabling businesses to offer a premium customer experience. Its robust set of features makes it ideal for companies looking to implement product personalization without the hassle of building everything from scratch. Kickflip’s new Visual CPQ feature is designed to empower businesses with a more streamlined, engaging quoting experience, turning it into an effective sales tool to close more deals. 

How It Works:

  • Get a Quote Button: Instead of the usual ‘Add to Cart’ button, customers can click ‘Get a Quote’ after configuring their product.

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  • Instant Quote Submission: After customization, customers submit their request, and a personalized quote is generated for you to review and tweak if necessary.

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  • Professional PDF Quotes: Easily generate and send branded PDF quotes to customers with just a few clicks.

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  • Seamless Order Conversion: Once the quote is accepted, it can be converted to an order within Shopify or WooCommerce, making it easy to manage everything from custom quotes to payments in one place.

This solution is ideal for businesses that offer high-value products requiring tailored pricing or need a human touch to guide customers through the final steps of the sale.

Interested to try it out? Get started free and contact us to access the private beta.

Benefits of Visual CPQs

Here are some of the key benefits that Visual CPQ offers to businesses looking to streamline their sales process and enhance customer experience:

Engaging Purchasing Experience

Customers can interact with the product through visual configurators, experiencing a dynamic and interactive view of the product as they customize it, and see how each change affects the final product. This level of interactivity helps to build confidence, as customers are able to visualize their ideal product, make adjustments in real-time, and fully understand the impact of their choices on the overall design.

Demand generation tool

The Visual CPQ can be used by sales reps to create quotes and send them directly to customers, providing a streamlined sales experience. Additionally, integrating Visual CPQ on your website can serve as a powerful demand-generation tool. Customers can explore product options, create their own configurations, and request quotes instantly—turning interest into actionable sales leads and feeding your sales pipeline with high-quality customer data, including contact information and prospects.

Faster Quote Generation

Instant quotes mean fewer delays, requiring less time to finalize configurations and get quotes to customers. Once a customer requests a quote, it's instantly generated, and all you need to do is review it and send it to the customer, speeding up decision-making and reducing back-and-forth communication.

Reduced Errors

With automated configuration rules and pricing, the chances of human error are significantly reduced, making the entire process more accurate and minimizing costly mistakes.

Best CPQ Software Solutions in 2024

Looking for the best CPQ software? Here’s a curated list of top solutions, including those with visual CPQ features:

Kickflip

Visual Component: Product configurator with logic and real-time product visualization

Best for: Businesses looking for a refined product customization solution, while also supporting offline sales through quote generation.

Pros: Easy integration with e-commerce platforms, powerful customization capabilities, user-friendly

Cons: No 3D visualisation

Salesforce CPQ

Visual Component: Not built in.

Best for: Businesses already using Salesforce

Pros: Seamless integration with Salesforce CRM, powerful automation features

Cons: No native visual component, relies on third-party tools for visualization

Oracle CPQ Cloud

Visual Component: N/A

Best for: Enterprises needing accurate product configurations

Pros: Robust automation, deep integration with Oracle ecosystem

Cons: Limited visual capabilities, high cost for smaller businesses

SAP CPQ

Visual Component: 3D visualization

Best for: Businesses looking to leverage SAP's ecosystem

Pros: Strong integration with SAP, highly customizable

Cons: Steep learning curve, lacks native visual configurator

PROS Smart CPQ

Visual Component: N/A

Best for: Businesses focusing on custom quote generation

Pros: Advanced pricing optimization, strong analytics

Cons: No visual configurator, limited customization options

Epicor CPQ (formerly KBMax)

Visual Component: 3D configurator

Best for: Manufacturers handling complex configurations in industries such as construction and Engineering or Medical Devices

Pros: Advanced 3D configurators, strong support for complex products

Cons: High cost, requires significant setup time, and the customization experience is not optimized for mobile devices or particularly user friendly

Cincom CPQ

Visual Component: N/A

Best for: Businesses requiring flexible integrations

Pros: Flexible integration options, good for complex sales processes

Cons: No native visual configurator, can be complex to set up

HubSpot Sales Hub (with CPQ capabilities)

Visual Component: None

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses using HubSpot

Pros: Easy integration with HubSpot CRM, simple to use

Cons: Limited visual capabilities, basic quoting features

The Key Features of a Configure Price Quote Software?

A CPQ system plays a crucial role in helping businesses streamline the sales process by eliminating bottlenecks in product configuration, pricing, and quoting, ultimately helping you engage with potential customers more effectively and meet customer needs. Think of it as a turbocharged sales assistant that ensures your reps deliver spot-on quotes quickly—even for complex, customizable products, while also allowing them to focus on building relationships with customers. Here’s a breakdown of the key features you should look for in a solid CPQ solution.

No More Invalid Configurations

With CPQ, your sales team can wave goodbye to compatibility headaches. Dynamic product rules ensure that only valid combinations of features and options are available. This not only simplifies selling but ensures no one selects options that don’t make sense together.

Pricing That’s as Flexible as Your Sales Strategy

Getting pricing right can be tricky, especially with multiple currencies, volume-based discounts, or custom contracts. Rule-based pricing engines help you create scalable pricing rules that adapt to customer segments, locations, or purchase volumes based on business needs. With automated discount management workflows, sales reps don’t have to wait for hours to get approvals—they get notified in real-time when discounts or custom quotes need manager approval. This feature keeps deals moving fast while maintaining control over margins.

Automated Quote Generation: Close Deals Faster

Creating quotes manually eats up too much time, especially when customers change configurations mid-process, potentially missing out on valuable sales opportunities. CPQ systems solve this with an automated quote generation process that incorporates business rules, producing professional, branded quotes with the click of a button. Got multiple versions of a quote? No problem—most CPQ tools offer quote versioning to track all revisions and ensure every stakeholder stays on the same page. Quotes can even be output as PDFs or shared directly with customers through a link, ready for instant feedback.

Example: Streamlining Sales and Production with Visual CPQ in Kitchen Manufacturing

Let’s take a look at how a kitchen company could use Visual CPQ to streamline their sales and production process. From the customer’s first interaction with a 3D configurator to seamless communication between sales and manufacturing, Visual CPQ simplifies complex product customization. This example highlights how each step—design, quoting, and manufacturing—comes together for an efficient, error-free experience.

A customer visits a kitchen company’s website, exploring its interactive visual product configurator. They start by selecting the layout—choosing an L-shaped design with an island—and experiment with cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Every choice is reflected instantly on a product preview, allowing them to visualize how different options affect the kitchen’s appearance. The software checks for availability and compatibility issues, flagging any out-of-stock items.

Once satisfied with their design, the customer clicks ‘Request a Quote. This generates a detailed quote, including a breakdown of materials, dimensions, and pricing. The quote is instantly generated and available for the sales team to review.

The Sales Representative's Role

The salesperson receives a notification with the customer’s configured kitchen and reviews the selections in the CPQ system. With a few clicks, the salesperson sends a quote, including a branded PDF with precise product details and pricing, directly to the customer. If any further changes are needed—such as switching a countertop—the sales person can update the configuration through the same visual interface and generate a new quote. Once the customer approves the final quote, the salesperson converts it into an order directly within the system.

Manufacturing and Production

In the manufacturing department, the CPQ ensures all configurations are production-ready. Built-in logic prevents invalid combinations, so only compatible options make it to the production floor. The system also generates print-ready PDFs of the product specifications, reducing manual entry errors.

Streamlined Experience, Satisfied Customer

The visual CPQ creates a seamless experience for all stakeholders. The customer enjoys real-time customization. The sales team works more efficiently, closing deals faster and with fewer errors. Manufacturers receive complete, accurate data, resulting in smooth production without last-minute changes.

This use case highlights the power of Visual CPQ in complex industries like kitchen design, where personalized configurations, dynamic pricing, and precise production coordination are essential. Visual CPQ tools enable customers, sales teams, and manufacturers to collaborate more effectively, ensuring a smooth journey from initial design to final delivery.

Conclusion

Visual CPQ is transforming sales operations by combining product visualization with automated pricing and quoting. With the launch of Kickflip’s Visual CPQ solution, businesses can now offer their customers an intuitive, interactive experience—making it easier than ever to request quotes and convert them into orders.

Whether you’re a manufacturer, a tech business, or an online store, integrating a Visual CPQ tool will enhance your sales process, reduce errors, manage complex quotes seamlessly, and boost conversions. Ready to streamline your quoting process? Explore Kickflip’s Visual CPQ in private beta today.

FAQs About Visual CPQ

What does the CPQ stand for?

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote—a software solution that streamlines product configuration, automates pricing rules, and generates accurate quotes in real-time. It simplifies complex sales processes, enhances customer experience, and boosts productivity by reducing errors and accelerating the sales cycle.

What is a CPQ software?

CPQ software (Configure, Price, Quote) automates the process of product configuration, pricing, and generating accurate quotes. It streamlines sales workflows, ensuring faster quote delivery, reduces errors, enhances efficiency, and helps businesses manage complex pricing models with ease and precision.

What makes Visual CPQ different from traditional CPQ?

Visual CPQ adds an interactive visual component, allowing customers to see their product configurations in real time before requesting a quote. This tailored experience ensures that specific needs are met by providing clarity during the proposal process, reducing back-and-forth communication. Additionally, it streamlines the collection of customer information, making it easier to generate accurate quotes and proposals that align with each client’s unique requirements.

How can Visual CPQ benefit my business?

Visual CPQ enhances customer service by streamlining product configurations, offering real-time quotes, and minimizing errors. With instant product visualization, your customers can see exactly what they’re getting, improving customer satisfaction and building trust. It aligns perfectly with your customer’s needs, ensuring accurate, tailored solutions while accelerating deal closures. By simplifying the buying process and reducing back-and-forth communication, Visual CPQ strengthens customer relationships and fosters long-term loyalty, giving your business a competitive edge.