If your sales process feels like herding cats or you’re constantly chasing down signatures and follow-ups, you’re not alone. There’s a jungle of GTM (go-to-market) tools out there, all promising to make B2B sales effortless. But which ones actually help, and which are just more noise? If you’re weighing Proposable against other heavy hitters like PandaDoc, DocuSign, and HubSpot Sales, this guide’s for you. Here’s what to look for, what matters, and what’s mostly fluff.
Who This Guide Is For
- You run or work on a B2B sales team.
- You’re tired of cobbling together proposals, contracts, and follow-ups.
- You want real answers on which tools help you move deals faster (not just more software).
What “Streamlining” Really Means in B2B Sales
Vendors love to say they’ll “streamline” your sales process, but let’s cut through the buzzwords. For most teams, streamlining means:
- Less time formatting, chasing, and updating docs.
- Fewer mistakes and manual steps.
- A sales process that doesn’t break the minute you add a new product or team member.
- Easier for buyers to say “yes” (and sign).
If a tool doesn’t nail these, it’s just another dashboard to ignore.
The Main Players: Proposable, PandaDoc, DocuSign, HubSpot Sales
Let’s keep this simple and focus on four big names:
- Proposable: Built for creating, sending, and tracking sales proposals. Tries to do one thing really well.
- PandaDoc: All-in-one document automation. Proposals, contracts, e-signatures, some workflow tools.
- DocuSign: The e-signature giant. Great for getting stuff signed. Not really built for sales teams, but everyone’s heard of it.
- HubSpot Sales: Part of HubSpot’s bigger sales/CRM platform. Proposals, quotes, email tracking, CRM—lots of moving parts.
Each has its fans, but none are perfect. Here’s where they shine, and where they stumble.
Comparing the Tools: What Actually Matters
Let’s break down the key things you should care about—then see how the tools stack up.
1. Proposal Creation and Customization
- Proposable: Fast, flexible templates. Drag-and-drop sections. Easy to swap in pricing or case studies. You can build something pro-looking in minutes.
- PandaDoc: Tons of templates, but can feel bloated. Customization is deep, but there’s a learning curve.
- DocuSign: Not really for building proposals. You can upload a PDF, slap on a signature field, and that’s about it.
- HubSpot Sales: Proposal/quote builder is decent if you’re already deep in HubSpot. Otherwise, it’s a bit clunky.
Real talk: If you send a lot of proposals and want them to look sharp—without needing a designer—Proposable or PandaDoc are your best bets. DocuSign is more for contracts.
2. E-Signatures and Approvals
- Proposable: Built-in e-signatures, plus tracking on who’s viewed what. Works for most deals unless you need ironclad legal compliance.
- PandaDoc: Legal-grade e-signatures, approval workflows, audit trails. Covers most needs.
- DocuSign: The gold standard for signatures. If compliance is mission-critical, hard to beat.
- HubSpot Sales: E-signatures are there, but require higher-tier plans or integrations.
Pro tip: If your deals get hung up in legal, DocuSign’s compliance might save you headaches. For most B2B sales, Proposable and PandaDoc signatures are plenty.
3. Tracking and Analytics
- Proposable: Tells you when someone views your proposal, for how long, and where they got stuck. Not overkill, just the basics you actually use.
- PandaDoc: Robust analytics, including time on page and document activity. Sometimes too much detail.
- DocuSign: Basic tracking—did they sign it or not? Not much else.
- HubSpot Sales: Tons of email and deal tracking if you’re using the CRM, but reporting is only as good as your setup.
Don’t overthink it: The main thing you want is to know when to follow up. If you need dashboards on dashboards, PandaDoc or HubSpot. If you just want “did they open it?”—Proposable is enough.
4. Integrations
- Proposable: Connects to CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier for automating workflows. Not as deep as some, but covers the big ones.
- PandaDoc: Integrates with pretty much everything under the sun—CRMs, payment processors, cloud storage.
- DocuSign: Integrates with most big enterprise tools but can get pricey.
- HubSpot Sales: Deep integration… with itself. If you’re all-in on HubSpot, great. Otherwise, you’re stuck.
Warning: Don’t pick a tool just for integrations you “might need someday.” Focus on what you actually use.
5. Pricing and Commitment
- Proposable: Flat monthly fee, all features. No crazy upsells or contracts.
- PandaDoc: Tiered pricing. Some features (like advanced analytics or integrations) are locked behind pricier plans.
- DocuSign: Can get expensive fast, especially with lots of users. Pay per envelope or get locked into contracts.
- HubSpot Sales: Starts cheap, gets expensive as you add features or contacts.
Quick tip: Always check what’s in the base price. Hidden fees and “feature gates” are everywhere.
When Does Each Tool Make Sense?
Let’s cut to the chase.
Use Proposable If…
- You send a lot of B2B proposals and want them to look good, fast.
- You just need proposals, signatures, and basic tracking—nothing more.
- You want something sales can run themselves, not IT.
Use PandaDoc If…
- You need serious document automation (contracts, HR, onboarding).
- You want every bell and whistle (payment, forms, workflows).
- Your team is willing to invest time learning the tool.
Use DocuSign If…
- Signatures are the only thing that matters.
- Legal or compliance is breathing down your neck.
- You’re already using it for other departments.
Use HubSpot Sales If…
- Your whole sales process lives in HubSpot already.
- You want proposals, CRM, emails, and tracking in one place.
- You don’t mind paying for the full suite.
What’s Overrated (and What to Ignore)
- AI Proposal Writing: Sounds cool, usually spits out generic fluff. You still need to personalize.
- “Deal Rooms” and Collaboration Features: Most buyers just want to read, sign, and move on. Slack or email is fine for questions.
- Overly Complex Workflows: If you need a consultant to set it up, it’s probably overkill.
Stick to what actually speeds up deals: easy editing, fast signatures, and not losing track of where things stand.
How to Choose (and Not Regret It)
- List out your actual bottlenecks. Is it formatting? Chasing signatures? Manual data entry?
- Test drive the top two tools for a week. Send real proposals, not test docs.
- Ask your team what’s annoying about your current process. Don’t assume you know.
- Ignore the “might need someday” features. Focus on what solves today’s headaches.
- Watch for hidden costs. Especially user limits, integrations, or document caps.
Reality check: No tool will “transform” your sales overnight. But the right one will shave hours off your week and make deals less painful.
Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
The best GTM tool is the one your team actually uses. You can always upgrade later, but you can’t get back the hours lost to clunky workflows and chasing signatures. Start simple, get feedback, and don’t be afraid to switch if your needs change. Most of all—don’t buy into the hype. Streamlining sales is about removing friction, not adding more software to your stack.