If you’re tired of cobbling together proposals in Word, chasing down e-signatures, or watching deals stall because your process is a mess, you’re not alone. B2B proposal software promises to make your life easier—but there’s a lot of noise and more than a few overhyped features out there. This guide is for folks who actually send proposals (sales, agencies, consultants, anyone tired of reinventing the wheel) and want a tool that works, not just one that demos well.
Let’s break down how to pick the right B2B proposal platform, what to ignore, and take a hard look at Betterproposals—one of the more popular options in the market.
1. Figure Out What You Actually Need
Before you get dazzled by automation and dashboards, step back and ask: what’s broken in your current proposal process? Be honest.
- Are you losing track of which proposals went out?
- Are clients dragging their feet on signing?
- Is your team re-creating the same content over and over?
- Are versioning and approvals a pain?
- Do you need integrations, or are you fine with email and PDF?
Pro tip: Write down your top 3 headaches. If a software doesn’t solve these, keep looking.
What to ignore:
Don’t get sucked in by “AI-powered” everything or tools that claim to 10x your close rate. If it doesn’t fix your actual pain points, it’s just a shiny object.
2. Decide Who’s Using It—and How
Proposal tools look different depending on your team setup:
- Solo or small team: You want speed, templates, and minimal setup. Don’t pay for features you won’t use.
- Larger sales teams: Think about permissions, analytics, and CRM integrations.
- Heavy customization needs: If every proposal is unique, you’ll want flexibility in templates and editing.
Checklist: - Who needs to edit proposals? - Who needs to approve/send? - Does your client need to sign electronically, or is a PDF enough? - Any legal, branding, or compliance must-haves?
If your team is going to fight the tool, it’s the wrong tool—no matter how slick it looks.
3. Set Your Budget—And Be Wary of Traps
Let’s be real: proposal software pricing is all over the place. Some charge per user, some per proposal, some lock features behind higher tiers.
Watch out for: - “Unlimited” plans that aren’t really unlimited. - Hidden fees for signatures or integrations. - Long contracts—monthly is usually safer until you’re sure.
Ballpark ranges: Most solid tools are $20–$50/user/month. If that sounds wild for what you need, you might be fine with Google Docs and a signing tool.
4. Shortlist: The Features That Actually Matter
Here’s what you should focus on, and what you can skip:
Must-Haves (for most teams)
- Easy, flexible template editing: Can you build proposals without fighting the software?
- E-signature and approval tracking: Chasing PDFs and scanned signatures is a waste of time.
- Content library/snippets: Reuse chunks of text, pricing tables, case studies, etc.
- Activity tracking: See when your proposal is opened/read.
- Branding controls: Your proposals should look like your company.
Nice-to-Haves (depends on your process)
- Integrations: CRM, invoicing, Zapier. Only if you’ll actually use them.
- Analytics: Useful if you’re sending a lot of proposals and want to optimize.
- Payment collection: Handy for deposits or contracts, but not always necessary.
Ignore (for now)
- “Smart” content recommendations. Usually more annoying than helpful.
- Gimmicky design features (animated confetti, video intros, etc.).
- AI proposal writing (unless you enjoy fixing robot-speak).
5. Deep Dive: Betterproposals—The Good, the Bad, and the Meh
If you’ve Googled “proposal software,” you’ve seen Betterproposals. Here’s how it stacks up for real-world B2B use.
What Betterproposals Gets Right
- Fast, modern templates: The interface is clean. You can build a decent-looking proposal in 10–20 minutes. The templates aren’t ugly and don’t look like a 2005 PowerPoint.
- E-signature is built-in: No third-party nonsense. Clients can sign from their phone, and you get a timestamped PDF.
- Content blocks: You can save pricing tables, case studies, bios, whatever, and drop them into new proposals. Saves tons of time.
- Notifications: You’ll know when a client opens, reads, or signs your proposal. No more “Did they see it yet?” anxiety.
- Payment collection: Stripe and PayPal integration let you take deposits right from the proposal. Good for agencies and consultants.
Where It Kind of Falls Flat
- Customization has limits: You can change colors, logos, and fonts, but if you want to radically change layout or add complex sections, you’ll hit walls fast.
- “Analytics” are basic: You get open rates, time on page, and which sections were viewed. Helpful, but don’t expect deep insights or A/B testing.
- Integrations are there, but not always smooth: Works with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier, but setup can be clunky, especially if you have a weird workflow.
- Support is mostly chat and email: Fast, but don’t expect phone calls or a dedicated rep unless you’re on a big plan.
Who Will Love It
- Agencies, consultants, and small B2B sales teams who send lots of similar proposals and want to look polished without fuss.
- Anyone who needs e-signature, basic payment collection, and a clean way to track proposals.
Who Might Not
- Teams with really complex, highly customized proposals (think government RFPs).
- If you need deep analytics, custom user permissions, or advanced workflow automation, Betterproposals isn’t built for you.
Pricing Reality Check
- Plans are per user. “Unlimited” is pretty honest here—no proposal caps.
- Middle-tier ($29/user/month at last check) is enough for most. High-end plans mostly add whitelabeling and advanced integrations.
- 14-day free trial. No credit card. Try it with a real proposal before you commit.
6. Test-Drive Your Top Picks
Don’t trust marketing pages. Run a real proposal through your top two or three choices. Look for:
- How long does it take to build and send?
- Does it look good on mobile? (Clients read on their phones.)
- What’s the client experience like—slick, confusing, too many logins?
- Can your team actually use it, or is everyone grumbling?
If it’s a pain in the demo, it’ll be a nightmare at scale.
7. Roll Out—But Keep It Simple
Once you pick your tool:
- Don’t migrate every old proposal. Start with your best template.
- Train your team (even if it’s just 15 minutes).
- Set up notifications and test a few scenarios (signing, declining, editing).
- Get feedback from clients after the first few sends.
Small tweaks beat massive overhauls. Don’t overthink it.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Chase Perfection
There’s no “perfect” proposal software. The best tool is the one your team actually uses and that gets deals signed faster. Fix your real pain points, skip the hype, and be ready to adjust as you go. Start simple—iterate from there.
Proposals shouldn’t be a bottleneck. With the right software, they won’t be.